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

An interesting post-war K.C.B., Second World War C.B.E. group of twelve awarded to Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Colson, Royal Navy, who distinguished himself with the R.M. storming party in the attack on Zeebrugge in April 1918, and who ended his career as Medical Director-General of the Navy

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military), neck badge and breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamels; The Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; The Order of St. John, Knight of Justice’s neck badge and breast star, silver and enamel; 1914-15 Star (Surg., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Surg. Lt. Cr., R.N.); Defence and War Medals; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, enamel work slightly chipped in places, generally good very fine and better (12) £2000-2500

K.C.B. London Gazette 13 June 1946.

C.B.E. London Gazette 11 June 1942.

M.I.D. London Gazette 21 May 1918.

Henry St. Clair Colson, who was born in July 1887 and educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Southampton, qualified in medicine at Westminster Hospital in 1912 and was for a short time Assistant Medical Officer at St. Mary Islington Hospital prior to joining the Royal Navy as a Surgeon. He served in North America and in the West Indies from 1913 to 1916, and then returned home to take up an appointment with the Royal Marines in Plymouth. Subsequently attached to the 4th Battalion, R.M.L.I. in the Zeebrugge raid of April 1918, Colson was mentioned in Sir Roger Keyes’ despatch and specially promoted to Staff Surgeon, the relevant entry in The London Gazette stating:

‘Surgeon Colson was attached to the R.M. storming party. He worked for many hours under the greatest disadvantages in gas fumes and by the light of a torch only, with the utmost devotion to duty.’

Ending the War with an appointment on the South America Station, he went on to serve at the R.N. Hospital in Bermuda between 1921-24 and as a specialist in bacteriology in South Africa between 1924-27. Colson then returned home to Chatham where he served until the early 1930s, when he was appointed a specialist in hygiene.

The advent of hostilities witnessed his rapid advancement to senior rank, and between 1942-45 he served as a Rear-Admiral in charge of the R.N. Hospital at Barrow Gurney, which establishment dealt with some 16,500 admissions during the period of his command. Created a C.B., Colson gained the pinnacle of his chosen profession with his appointment as Medical Director-General of the Royal Navy in the same year. He retired three years later and was created a K.C.B. The Admiral, who was also a Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John, and onetime an Honorary Physician to the King, died in February 1968.

NB The above described insignia of the Order of St. John has been added for display purposes.