A Jutland Sailor

As I'm sure most of my readers will know, this week has seen the centenary of the Battle of Jutland.  Much has been written and will be quite easy to find on the net.  Here I'm going to make my own little tribute based on items from my collection.

These are two of the First World War medals and id disc of SS.107636 Leading Stoker John Jones, of HMS Broke.  Jones served on Broke at Jutland and was severely wounded during the battle.

Early Life 

Jones' service record shows that he was born on 31 January 1890 in Middlesborough, Yorkshire. On his enlistment he is described as 5 foot 3.8 inches tall with a chest measurement of 36 inches. He had a dark complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. At some stage during his naval career he picked up a scar over his left eye. 

The 1891 Census shows John living with his father Samuel and mother Eva at 74 Derwent Street, Linthorpe, Middlesborough. His father was a 'riveter (boilers)' a profession that John began to follow, as his occupation on enlisting is given as 'rivet heater' - but other ancestral voices may have called as his grandfather, also named John Jones, is listed on the 1871 census as a seaman. In the 1901 census, John's father is described as a 'riveter (bridge builder)', but I can find no trace of John himself. 

Joining the Navy 

Jones enlisted at the age of 18 as a short service man (five years in the RN to be followed by seven in the Royal Fleet Reserve).   Non-continuous service was established under the Naval Forces Act, 1903, because there was a recognised lack of stokers in the navy due to changes in technology - in 1890 there were 8,900 stokers required, but by 1901 this had become 21,400.   The Act established Class C reservists, who served seven years with the fleet and then five years in the reserve. In Jones' case, as was the case with all stokers, these figures were reversed, presumably to make that branch more attractive. 

HMS Nelson

On enlistment in August 1908 Jones was rated as a Stoker 2nd Class and immediately posted to HMS Nelson, where he remained until January 1909.   Nelson was an armoured cruiser, built in 1876; by 1908 she had become obsolete due to the rapid increase in naval technology in the intervening years and was stationed in Portsmouth as a training ship. She was finally sold off in July 1910. 

Image from the collections of the National Maritime Museum: A
water-colour  'HMS Seagull gunboat 1903-1905' by WC Barnaby.

Jones next served a Stoker 2nd Class on HMS Seagull, from 14 Jan 1909 to 31 Mar 1909.   Seagull was a torpedo gunboat launched in May 1889 and converted to a minesweeper in 1908. She was lost in a collision in 1918.

HMS Cochrane

From Apr 1909 to Sep 1910 Jones served on HMS Cochrane - being promoted to Stoker 1st Class on 12 Sep 1909.  Cochrane was a large Armoured Cruiser (1st Class) built as part of the 1903-04 naval building programme.  She was launched on 20 May 1905, named in honour of  Admiral Lord Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, and completed in Feb 1907.   During Jones' time in her, she was part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. Later she escorted the Royal Yacht Medina on her world tour and during the war served at Jutland, in the West Atlantic and Russian waters. She was wrecked in the Mersey on 14 November 1918.

HMS Hermione

After serving in Cochrane, Jones joined HMS Hermione, serving in her from Sep 1910 to Aug 1912.  Hermoine was a cruiser of the Astraea Class launched in 1893 and had taken part in the 3rd China War.  When Jones joined her she had just become the depot ship for naval airships, based in Barrow-in-Furness, and he would have witnessed the experiments with HMA No 1 (His Majesty's Airship No 1, AKA 'Mayfly').  HMA.1 was an experiment built as a result of Germany's Zeppelin programme, intended to act as an aerial scout.  Sadly she never flew.  Following static trials, Mayfly was wrecked while being removed from her hanger for her maiden flight.  The experience with this craft and her sisters led the Admiralty to decide in favour of heavier-than-air aircraft.

The wreck of HMA No1, Sep 1911

When the Navy's lighter-than-air project was shelved, Hermione re-joined the Home Fleet (Jones leaving at about the same time).   During the First World War she was the HQ Ship for motor launches and coastal motor boats. She was sold to the Marine Society in 1922 and became TS Warspite. She was scrapped in 1940.

HMS Ariadne

During 1912 Jones spent some months in HMS Ariadne.  Ariadne was a Diadem Class Cruiser, launched on 22 April 1898.  In 1912 she was in reserve as a stokers' training ship (which would explain the short periods Jones served in her). She was brought back into the operational fleet in 1914 and converted into a minelayer in 1917. She was torpedoed and sunk on 26 July 1917 by UC65 off Beachy Head.

HMS Princess Royal

From Nov 1912 to Aug 1913 Jones served in HMS Princess Royal, finishing his enlistment in the Royal Navy.  Princess Royal was a Lion Class Battlecruiser - one of 'the Splendid Cats' - launched in May 1911 and completed in Oct 1912. For the first time in this time of constant change, Jones was serving in a state-of-the-art ship.  During the First World War she served with distinction, taking part in the battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland. She was sold for scrapping in 1922.

Jones spent his last week in the RN at HMS Victory II, before being discharged to shore and transferred to the RFR on 10 Aut 1913.  Less than a year later he was called up, reporting to Victory II again on 2 Aug 1914 as the Reserve was mobilised in anticipation of the outbreak of hostilities.

World War I

In Dec 1915 Jones was appointed to HMS Broke, a small ship that was soon to make a big name for herself.

HMS Broke

Broke was a Faulknor Class flotilla leader.   She had been launched in May, built for the Chilean Navy as the Almirante Lynch-class destroyer Almirante Goñi.  But as war broke out she was bought by the Royal Navy and named for Admiral Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke - 'Broke of the Shannon' - who had commanded HMS Shannon during her engagement with, and capture of, USS Chesapeake in the War of 1812.

The Battle of Jutland

At the battle of Broke was hit by at least nine shells and seriously damaged in a collision with HMS Sparrowhawk. Forty-seven of Broke's men were killed, twenty-eight of whom were stokers.   Jones was severely wounded.

At about 23,15 on 31 May 1916 the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, of which Broke (captained by Cdr Walter Lingen Allen RN) was the Half Leader (ie, second in command), sighted three approaching ships.  Uncertain of who these ships were, a recognition signal was given, only to be answered by them opening fire at a range of 600 yards. It was  the van of the German High Seas Fleet, the light cruisers, SMS Stuttgart, SMS Hamburg, SMS Rostock and SMS Elbing.  The battleships SMS Westfalen and SMS Nassau also opened fire with their secondary armament.

Despite the opening of fire, confusion remained.  Allen ordered no torpedoes be fired until the ships were positively identified as German. This being done, the leading British ships - Tipperary, Spitfire, Sparrowhawk, Garland, Contest and Broke all fired torpedoes at the German ships before turning away from the incoming fire.   None of the destroyers further behind felt sufficiently confident to attack.

One of the torpedoes hit Elbing, which was also rammed by the battleship Posen as they turned to avoid the attack - Elbing was abandoned and sank around 03.40.  Spitfire collided with Nassau, both being very badly damaged.  The flotilla leader HMS Tipperary was ablaze and sank about 02.00 with the loss of 185 hands from her crew of 197.

The official history of naval operations during the war records that

Broke had taken the Tipperary's place. Commander Allen found that half a dozen boats had got into line astern of him, and ... he was leading them southward, where he judged he should find the enemy again. He was not far wrong. In a few minutes—it was about 11.40—he could see a large ship on his starboard bow heading to cross his course. He challenged. The answer was again a blaze of searchlights and a burst of rapid fire. Commander Allen swung to port to bring his tubes to bear. Lieutenant-Commander S. Hopkins in the Sparrowhawk did the same, and then to his horror he saw that the Broke, instead of steadying her helm, was continuing to swing and coming straight for him. As the Broke turned she had been hit by a salvo which put her out of control. There was no time to avoid a collision, and she crashed into the Sparrowhawk just before the bridge. 

The salvo which has hit broke was fired by the battleship Westfalen at a range of 150 yards.  Confusion reigned.  One officer from Sparrowhawk was thrown onto Broke during the collision.  He reported to Allen, who told him to return to Sparrowhawk and prepare to take the crew of Broke on board.  When he did so, he found that his own captain had ordered the evacuation of Sparrowhawk's crew to Broke!  Approximately 20 men from Sparrowhawk transferred to Broke, while fifteen of Broke's crew crossed to Sparrowhawk.  Any question of which vessel was to be abandoned was settled when Contest back-ended Sparrowhawk, removing six feet of her stern.  After the destroyers were disentangled, and following another brief exchange of fire, they limped back to England.

The recommendation for Allen's promotion states that "Broke was very badly damaged and casualties very great, but the morale seems to have been unshaken and the ship was successfully steamed back to port."  Whether it was due to the shelling of Broke or the collisions, Jones' records show that he was dangerously wounded during the battle.

Broke arrived in the Tyne on 3 June, Jones was transferred to Victory II on 9 June, where he remained until April 1917.

The 4th Destroyer Flotilla, having suffered great losses during the battle, was removed from the Grand Fleet and stationed at Devonport.  Broke went on to nation-wide fame as part of the Dover Patrol, taking part in the Second  Battle of Dover Strait in Apr 1917.

Jones was also to join the Dover Patrol, being posted to HMS Attentive, an Adventure Class light cruiser, commissioned in 1905. She was leader of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla.   In August 1917, Jones was posted to his final ship, HMS Amphitrite 

HMS Amphitrite

Amphitrite (nicknamed 'am and tripe) was a Diadem Class cruiser, converted to a minelayer in 1917 and attached to the Nore Command. She collided with and sank the destroyer HMS Nessus in foggy weather in the North Sea on September 8th 1918 and was sold for scrap in 1920.

Jones was discharge from service on 5 June 1921.  I have no information on his later life.

Prince Harry KCVO

It's been quite a while since I updated any of my Royals in Medals posts, but I've just done so for Prince Harry.   He's been made KCVO just in time for the Birthday Parade.

Here's a photo of the #KCVO Insignia that The Queen presented to Prince Harry privately at #BuckinghamPalace today pic.twitter.com/u3jlMB5Kio

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) June 4, 2015

Royals in Medals: Prince Philip's New Order

Prince Phillip's insignia

It's been quite a while since I made a Royals in Medals post and I recently received a slight rebuke for not mentioning the controversy over the Duke of Edinburgh's appointment as a Knight of the Order of Australia.

The controversy is down to three points.

First, there is the political dispute over the grade of Knight/Dame itself.  When the Order was created in February 1975 (under a Labor government), the Order consisted of three grades: Companion, Officer and Member.  Just under a year later (under a Liberal government) the grade of Knight/Dame and the Medal of the Order were created, only for it to be abolished in March 1986 (under a Labor government).  In 2014 the Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott recommended to the Queen that the grade be re-established, and Letters Patent were issued to that effect.  As one can quickly guess from these to-ings and fro-ings, the whole matter is tied up in party politics: the Labor Party has said it will again abolish the grade when it is next elected.

Secondly, there is the matter of the announcement of Prince Phillip's appointment.  The announcement itself was made on Australia Day, 26 January,  2015: this was the first that senior government ministers had heard of the matter and they felt aggrieved to be included in the backlash (and ridicule) which followed Mr Abbott's unilateral action.  The upshot is that A.bbott was forced to relinquish the Prime Minister's power of patronage in the Order - which is now held by an independent body.

The third point is a more fundamental one.  The criteria for appointment to the Knight grade of the Order is 'extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large'.  Does the Prince meet that criteria for his long service as consort to the Queen of Australia?

All questions aside, the Queen presented the Duke with the insignia of the knighthood on 22 April.

...having first checked it was genuine.

Sir Beachcroft Towse

Sir Beachcroft Towse VC, KCVO, CBE

Ernest Beachcroft Beckwith Trowse was born on 23 April 1864, the eldest of two sons of Robert Beckwith Towse, a solicitor, and his wife Julia Ann Corcoran.  He was educated at Stubbington House, Gosport, and Wellington College.

In 1883 he joined the 3rd Seaforth Highlanders (the Highland Rifle Militia) and was promoted lieutenant in December 1885.  Shortly afterward, he transferred to the Gordon Highlanders.  He served with the Chitral Relief Force (1895), was at the storming of the Malakand Pass, was promoted captain in 1896, and served in the north-west frontier and Tirah campaigns (1897–8).   It was during the latter operations that one of the regiment's most famous Victoria Crosses was earned. Piper George Findlater, despite being wounded in both legs, continued to play the bagpipes during the assault.

'Action at the Malakand Pass' by SW Lincoln

held at the Gordon Highlanders Museum, Aberdeen

In October 1899 the 1st Bn Gordon Highlanders were posted to South Africa to participate in the Boer War.  Towse took part in the advance on Kimberly and the Battle of Magerfontein (11 Dec 1899).  This was a major defeat for the British (one of the actions during 'Black Week'), the Highland Brigade being particularly badly mauled - it lost 53 officers and 650 soldiers, among them the brigade commander, Major General Wauchope, and two commanding officers.  Most of these casualties happened  when the  brigade charged the entrenced Boers, who opened fire at 400 yards.  The Gordons were sent in to reinforce the brigade  but suffered similarly heavy casualties.  For his attempt to carry away his mortally wounded colonel and for later rallying his force of twelve men to attack some 150 Boers, Towse was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Col GTF Downmnan

On the 11th December, 1899, at the action of Magesfontein, Captain Towse was brought to notice by his Commanding Officer for his gallantry and devotion in assisting the late Colonel Downman, when mortally wounded, in the retirement, and endeavouring, when close up to the front of the firing line, to carry Colonel Downman on his back; but finding this not possible, Captain Towse supported him till joined by Colour-Sergeant Nelson and Lance-Corporal Hodgson. 

On the 30th April, 1900, Captain Towse, with twelve men, took up a position on the top of Mount Thaba, far away from support. A force of about 150 Boers attempted to seize the same plateau, neither party appearing to see the other until they were but 100 yards apart. Some of the Boers then got within 40 yards of Captain Towse and his party, and called on him to surrender. He at once caused his men to open fire and remained firing himself until severely wounded (both eyes shattered), succeeding in driving off the Boers. The gallantry of this Officer in vigorously attacking the enemy (for he not only fired, but charged forward) saved the situation, not, whithstanding the numerical superiority of the Boers.

Trowse was presented his decoration by Queen Victoria, who made him Sergeant-at-Arms in 1900. King Edward VII reappointed him in 1902, and in 1903 he was admitted to the Honorary Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms in which he served until 1939.

Although the wounds sustained by Trowse at Mount Thaba had destroyed his eyes, this barely seemed to slow him down.  In 1901 he joined the council of the British and Foreign Blind Association, later the National Institute for the Blind (NIB) as vice-chairman (he was chairman from 1923 until 1944, and after that its president).  He was very active in touring the country, promoting the well-being and welfare of the blind.

Soldiers blinded by gas in the First World War

On the outbreak of the First World War Towse, who had become an expert braille reader and typist went to France to assist wounded soldiers - the following year he was appointed an honorary staff captain (without pay and allowances) for base hospitals.

It was at his suggestion that the NIB set up a subcommittee to look after blinded servicemen.  This developed into St Dunstan's Hostel (now Blind Veterans UK), founded in 1915.  After the war he saw a need to assist former servicemen who were went blind through causes other than the war, or for the blind dependents of servicemen.  He therefore established the Special Fund for Blind Ex-Servicemen (the Sir Beachcroft Towse Ex-Service Fund).  In 1917 he founded the Comrades of the Great War, and as chairman he travelled during two years over 12,000 miles in the British Isles. This organization merged with others to form the British Legion, of which he became a national vice-president in 1927, remaining in office until his death.

During the Second World War Towse made his home available for the rehabilitation of civilians blinded through air raids - becoming the first Queen Elizabeth Home of Recovery.

These services were recognised by the Crown.  He was appointed a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John in 1916, a CBE in 1920 and in 1927 a KCVO.

On 25 October 1892 he married Gertrude, younger daughter of John Christie, a stockbroker; they had no children and she died in 1935.  Sir Beachcroft died at home in Goring-on-Thames on 21 June 1948.

The Medals

Towse's medals are held at the Gordon Highlanders Museum, Aberdeen.

• Victoria Cross
• Royal Victorian Order - Knight Commander (KCVO), 1927
• Order of St John of Jerusalem - Knight of Grace (KStJ), 1916
• Order of the British Empire - Commander (CBE), Civil Division, 1920
• Indian General Service Medal (1895-1902) - with clasps 'Punjab Frontier 1897-98', 'Relief of Chitral 1895' and 'Tirah 1897-98'
• Queen's South Africa Medal (1899-1902) - with clasps 'Driefontein', 'Paardeberg' and 'Cape Colony'
• 1914-15 Star
• British War Medal
• Victory Medal - with Mentioned in Dispatches oakleaf
• Edward VII Coronation Medal
• George V Coronation Medal
• George V Silver Jubilee Medal
• George VI Coronation Medal

Rear-Adm R A J Montgomerie

Robert Archibald James Montgomerie was born at Rothesay, Isle of Bute, on 11 September 1855.

HMS Immortalité

In 1872 he was appointed Sub-Lieutenant in the screw-frigate HMS Immortalité , part of a detached squadron under Admiral Lambert.  The London Gazette of 19 June 1877, takes up the story:

At 3.10 on the morning of the 6th April, 1877, the Immortalité, being under all plain sail, moving 4½ knots with the wind, two points abaft the starboard beam, the port gangway look-out reported a man overboard, who proved to be Thomas Hocken. Mr Montgomerie, who was on the bridge, working a star meridian altitude at the chart table, on hearing the cry, ran over to the lee side, saw the man in the water, and jumped after him. He made for Hocken, asking if he could swim, to which Hocken answered "Yes, sir," but did not seem to be moving vigorously. Mr Montgomerie then got hold of him, hauled him on his back, and towed him to where he supposed the life-buoy would be, but seeing no relief, he told Hocken to keep himself a float while he took his clothes off. While he was in the act of doing so, Hocken, evidently sinking, caught hold of him by the legs, and dragged him down a considerable depth. Mr Mongomerie, however, succeeded in getting clear, and swam to the surface, bringing the drowning man with him. Hocken was now insensible, and too great a weight to support any longer, and finding that his only chance of saving himself was to leave Hocken, Mr Montgomerie reluctantly gave up the hope of saving him, and struck out for the ship. In the meantime the ship's course was stopped, and two boats were lowered, by one of which Mr Montgomerie was picked up. The latitudes in which the occurrence took place abound with sharks; and though there was a half-moon, the sea was sufficiently disturbed to render small objects, even boats, difficult to discern. Had not Mr. Montgomerie been a most powerful swimmer, he would have had little chance of life.

Albert Medal (Sea),
2nd Class

For this action, Montgomerie was awarded the Albert Medal (Sea), Second Class, the Silver Medal of the Royal Humane Society and, later, the RHS's Stanhope Medal for the most gallant rescue during the year.

In 1878 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert; Commander in 1887 and Captain in 1894.  He was given command of the cruiser HMS Bonaventure in 1898, the battleship Prince George in October, 1900 and the cruiser Charybdis in 1901.
 
He was promoted Rear-Admiral in 1905, commanding Torpedo Boat and Submarine Craft Flotillas. In 1907 he became Rear-Admiral (D) in the Channel Fleet. He resigned in January 1908 following a dispute with the Admiralty over fuel allowances for training.  

In 1886 he married Aletha Marian Charrington, daughter of Spencer Charrington MP.  They had one son, Maj Victor Robert Montgomerie Charrington OBE of the Life Guards.  Admiral Montgomerie died on 1 September 1908.

Memorial to Admiral Montgomerie in Hundson Parish 
Church, Hundson, Herts
Made from the oak and gunmetal of HMS Caledonia, built in 
1802 and one of the Training Ships under his command 1904-5

Medals

Stanhope Medal

Order of the Bath - Commander (CB), 1892
Order of St Michael and St George - Commander (CMG), 1904
Royal Victorian Order - Commander (CVO), 1907
Albert Medal (Sea), 2nd Class, 1877
Egypt Medal (1882-89)
Khedive's Star (1882)

Royal Humane Society Silver Medal, 1877
Royal Humane Society Stanhope Medal, 1877

Garter Day Ceremony

Next Monday, 17 June 2013, sees this year's Garter Day Ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Garter Day, 1948

Given that the order was founded by Edward III in 1348, the ceremony is oddly modern: it dates only to 1948.  That was the date in which George VI re-instituted the formal investiture ceremony, which had been in abeyance since 1805, marking the order's 600th anniversary.  At that investiture, which took place on 23 April, St George's Day, six new members, including the current Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, were invested as companions of the order.

At the same time, the order was reinstated as the personal gift of the monarch - it had previously been an appointment made on the advice of ministers.

The ceremony now customarily takes place in June - for some reason the first day of Royal Ascot Week (presumably on the basis that most members would therefore be within traveling distance of Windsor!).

As we have seen, new members are named on St George's Day - this year there only being one, Lord Stirrup.  The Queen formally invests new companions of the order with the insignia in the Throne Room of Windsor Castle.  The insignia are proffered by the Garter King of Arms, the Usher of the Order (better known as Black Rod) and the Secretary of the Order.  The admonitions addressed to the new companions are in turn read by the prelate (always the Bishop of Winchester) and chancellor (currently the Duke of Abercorn) of the order.  These admonitions and oaths date back at least as far as Henry VIII's time, probably even further.  Two senior knights will assist in the vesting of the new knight.

Afterwards the Queen entertains the members and officers of the order, with their spouses, at a lunch in the Waterloo Chamber.  A group photo will be taken.

After lunch the Knights process on foot to a service in St. George's Chapel, wearing their blue velvet mantels, and black velvet hats with white plumes.  The processional route is through the Upper, Middle and Lower Wards of the castle to St. George's Chapel. The procession is led by the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle and the Military Knights of Windsor.

Crests and Banners of the KGs - the kiwi with the
ice axe is that of Sir Edmund Hiliary

In St George's a religious service is held and the companion is literally installed - assigned a stall in the choir of the chapel.  This stall is identified by a heraldic display: a sword below a helm topped with a crest, and above, a banner emblazoned with the companion's arms.  For more information on these devices, take at look at the website of Ian G Brennan, woodcarver to the Royal Household who creates them.   A brass stall plate is attached to the back of the stall displaying its member's name, arms and date of installation. On a member's death, these symbols are removed - the Military Knights of Windsor carry the banner of the deceased member and offer it to the Dean of Windsor, who places it on the altar.  The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about the stall, so the stalls of the chapel provide a sense of continuity.

A Knight of the Garter in full fig

After the service, the members of the order return to the Upper Ward by carriage, presumably for tea and buns.

Garter insignia, temp Charles I

Prince Phillip and the Order of New Zealand

The Queen presents the Duke of Edinburgh with New Zealand's  highest
honour, the Order of New Zealand in the presence of Sir Lockwood Smith,
High Commissioner for New Zealand, at Buckingham Palace

In case anyone needed to know why I haven't done a Royals in Medals post for the Duke of Edinburgh, here's an answer - his already complex rack just keeps on growing!

Only five weeks on from receiving Canadian honours, Prince Phillip was today invested with the insignia of the Order of New Zealand by the Queen, as sovereign of the order.  To be fair though, this award (as an additional member) was one of four made in the Jubilee Honours List last year.

Sadly, the official photos didn't include one of the insignia.  Let me meet that need...

The Order of New Zealand was established on Waitangi Day 1987 "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity,” and was based on the Order of Merit. 

The insignia (manufactured by Spink & Son) is the same for all grades of membership: an oval medallion in gold and coloured enamels, bearing in the centre the design of the shield of the New Zealand Coat of Arms within a Kowhaiwhai rafter pattern. It was were designed by Phillip O’Shea, New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary to The Queen, who has done several nice pieces of work for the New Zealand honours system.

A man's badge is worn from a neck ribbon.  A woman's badge is worn on a ribbon bow on her left shoulder.  The ribbon is red ochre (kôkôwai) with a narrow white stripe towards either edge.  Kôkôwai has also been used in the ribbons of  NZ Order of Merit and The Queen’s Service Order and Medal. This colour has a spiritual significance for Maori. The badge must be returned to the Crown on the death of the holder or on the holder ceasing to be a member of the Order; it is then passed to another appointee to the order. 

Ordinary membership of the order is limited to 20 members.  Additional members can be appointed on special occasions (this happened in 1990 for the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi, in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee, in 2007 for the 20th anniversary of the institution of the order and last year for the Diamond Jubilee). Honorary membership includes citizens of nations of which the Queen is not Head of State.




After this investiture and a garden party, the Duke has been admitted to hospital for 'an exploratory operation following abdominal investigations'. He is expected to stay in hospital for up to two weeks.  Naturally, at his age, any admission to hospital (let alone an operation) is a cause for concern.

Royals in Medals #11: Prince George, Duke of Kent

For Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (1935-) - click here

Prince George, Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews
and Baron Downpatrick 

Prince George Edward Alexander Edmund, Duke of Kent, was born on 20 December 1902 at York Cottage, Sandringham, the fourth son and fitfh child of King George V and Queen Mary (then the Prince and Princess of Wales).  He was therefore fifth in line of succession to the throne at the time of his birth.  He was educated privately and at the naval colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth.

Passing out of Darmouth as a Midshipman in 1921, he served in the Royal Navy until 1929 and was then attached to the Foreign Office and Home Office.  He accompanied his brother Edward on his tours of Canada (1927) and South America (1931).  In 1934 he undertook a tour of his own through Africa.  He was designated governor-general of Australia in 1938, but this appointment was cancelled due to the outbreak of war.

During the war he initially served in the naval intelligence section of the Admiralty with the rank of Captain (later promoted to Rear-Admiral), but wanting a more active role, transferred to the Royal Air Force where he took the rank of Group Captain (later Air Commodre)  in the Training Command.  Here he was involved in welfare and morale-raising, visiting many RAF establishments.  He also toured Canada and the USA during 1941.

On 25 August 1942, the Duke was en-route to visit RAF forces in Iceland when his Sunderland aircraft crashed at the Eagle's Rock, near Dunbeath in Caithness.  All 15 people on board were killed.  He was buried at Windsor.

Marriage and Family

The royal wedding November 1934

Prince George married Princess Marina, daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece on 29 November 1934 - to mark this he had been created Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews and Baron Downpatrick.  (Princess Marina will have her own 'Royals in Medals' post.)

The couple had three children

• Prince Edward (the current Duke of Kent), b. 1935. 
• Princess Alexandra, b. 1936
• Prince Michael of Kent, b. 1942

The Kents photographed in 1934
by Dorothy Wilding

According to the Dictionary of National Biography, the marriage was a turning point in his life, 'strengthening his character and making his purpose in life more definite'.  Certainly, his lifestyle was less dissolute publicly, and his alleged drug used seems to have stopped; yet he appears to have continued to have affairs.  He is believed to have been bisexual, and those it is claimed he slept with are said to include Jessie Matthews, Barbara Cartland and Noël Coward. 

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Orders



Order of the Garter
Royal Knight (KG), 1923

Order of the Thistle
Extra Knight (KT) 1935










Order of St Michael and St George
Knight Grand Cross (GCVO), 1934

Royal Victorian Order
Knight Grand Cross (GCVO), 1924








 
Most Venerable Order of St John

Decorations

Royal Victorian Chain
1937








Campaign Medals

Prince George's next-of-kin could have applied for campaign medals to mark his service during World War II.  As his medals have never to the best of my knowledge been on display, it is impossible to know whether any medals were issued.  It is also unclear what they would have been.  The following entitlement is therefore my best guess.

1939-1945 Star


Defence Medal


War Medal 1939-1945



Commemorative Medals

 King George V Coronation Medal, 1911



   King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, 1935
King George VI Coronation Medal, 1937

Foreign Awards

• Norway.  Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav
• Denmark.  Order of the Elephant