Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

Eight: Rear-Admiral J. C. Hamilton, Royal Navy, latterly a Commodore of Convoys, R.N.R., who was killed in action in December 1940

1914-15 Star (Commr., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Commr., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals; Order of St. Anne, 3rd class breast badge with swords, indistinct hallmarks on reverse arm, gold and enamels, the last with traces of repair and chipped in places, otherwise good very fine (8) £400-500

Order of St. Anne London Gazette 5 June 1917: ‘For distinguished service rendered in the Battle of Jutland.’

John Claude Hamilton was born in July 1881 and was educated at Britannia prior to being appointed a Midshipman in 1897. Advanced to Lieutenant five years later, he served on the China Station before returning home to attend a gunnery course at Excellent in March 1905. Thus qualified, the outbreak of hostilities found him serving as Gunnery Officer of the battleship H.M.S. Superb in the Grand Fleet, which office he retained on advancement to Commander in June 1915.

One year later, at the Battle of Jutland, such was the skill with which Hamilton commanded the Superb’s 12-inch guns that he was awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne. The Superb had first clashed with the enemy at 18.26 hours, when she claimed hits from her third and fourth salvos against the enemy battleship Wiesbaden. Later in the battle at 19.17 hours, she was one of five British battleships engaged with the 26,000-ton enemy battle-cruiser Derfflinger, when she fired seven salvos in four minutes, and once again claimed two hits.

Hamilton was appointed to the command of the battleship Neptune a few months after Jutland and ended the War acting as an assistant to the Director of Naval Ordnance. The 1920s witnessed him occupying several senior commands, among them the captaincy of the cruiser Durban on the China Station between 1924-27, and time as Flag-Captain to the Rear-Admiral of the 1st Battle Squadron in the Mediterranean, in the Barham.

Hamilton retired on advancement to Flag rank in October 1932 but the renewal of hostilities saw his return to uniform as a Commander of Convoys 2nd Class. Initially appointed to the Pembroke with the London Convoy Pool, he transferred in July 1940 to the Eaglet as C.O.of the Liverpool Convoy Pool. It was whilst in performance of these duties on 30 December, between Liverpool and a convoy lying off-shore, that he was killed when the M.V. Calcium, in which he was being conveyed, struck a mine and sank almost immediately, with large loss of life. The Admiral, who was aged 60 years, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Liverpool Memorial.