Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Boxer Rebellion and Great War campaign group of five awarded to Commander S. E. Holder, Royal Navy, who was mentioned in despatches for his services in the Relief of Pekin operations and awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne for his services in H.M.S. Indomitable at Jutland

China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (Midsn. S. E. Holder, R.N., H.M.S. Endymion); 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr. S. E. Holder, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals ( Commr. S. E. Holden, R.N.), note surname spelling; Russia, Order of St. Anne, 3rd Class breast badge, with swords, by Eduard, St. Petersburg, 36 x 36mm., gold and enamel, with manufacturer’s name on reverse, ‘56’ gold mark on eyelet and ‘kokoshnik’ marks for St. Petersburg 1908-17 on reverse of sword hilts, mounted court-style as worn, together with two Jutland commemorative medallions, in white metal, and a Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild badge, gilt and enamel, the whole contained in an old Gieves Ltd., Plymouth card box addressed to the recipient in H.M.S. Saumarez, traces of solder marks to reverse of St. Anne, good very fine (8) £2500-3000

Stuart Elton Holder was born in Tiverton, Devon, in February 1884 and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in January 1900. His first seagoing appointment was as a Midshipman in H.M.S. Endymion and he quickly made his mark, gaining a mention in despatches for his services in the relief of Pekin operations in June 1900 and the subsequent operations in Tientsin (London Gazette 5 October 1900, refers).

Advanced to Sub. Lieutenant while serving aboard the Edgar in June 1903 and to Lieutenant in the London December 1905, Holder was serving in the rank of Lieutenant-Commander in the battle cruiser Indomitable by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914; he remained similarly employed for the remainder of the war.

As such he was present in the the pursuit of the Goeben and Breslau during the early months of the war; at the battle of Dogger Bank on 23 January 1915, during which the Indomitable fired over 100 heavy calibre shells at the doomed Blücher and was subsequently obliged to tow the damaged Lion back to port; and then at Jutland on 31 May-1 June 1916, as part of the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron, when the ship formed part of the vanguard of the British Battle Fleet - her sister ship, the Invincible, being destroyed in the battle. For his services in this latter action he was awarded the 3rd Class of the Russian Order of St. Anne, with swords (London Gazette 5 June 1917).

Having then reverted to the Retired List as a Commander in February 1930, he was recalled on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939 and served at the training establishment Wolverstone and as C.O. of the Lincolnshire landing craft base Arbella from February 1944. He died in July 1951.

Sold with the recipient’s silver napkin ring, hallmarks for London 1901, engraved initials ‘S. E. H.’ and complete list of career appointments, from ‘H.M.S. Britannia 1898’ to ‘Rosyth 1928’ and ‘Retired Feb. 1930’; together with a painted metalled figure of an R.N. officer in tropical kit, mounted on a wooden plinth with silver-plated plaque, this latter with engraved inscription, ‘Commander S. E. Holder, R.N., H.M.S. Cornflower, April 1923 - March 1925’; and a career photograph album, circa 1913-30, approximately 200 images, many of a naval interest, ships, fellow officers, etc., worn leather binding, contents good.

Also see Lot 562 for the recipient’s miniature dress medals.