Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

A Great War Battle of Jutland D.S.O. group of four awarded to Captain R. Horne, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels; 1914-15 Star (Commr., R.N.); British War Medal 1914-20 (Capt., R.N.), neatly re-engraved naming; Victory Medal 1914-19, M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt., R.N.), good very fine and better (4) £1000-1200

D.S.O. London Gazette 15 September 1916:

‘In recognition of their services as mentioned in the foregoing despatch.’

Mentioned in despatches and ‘Recommended for Honours for Service in the Battle of Jutland’ London Gazette 15 September 1916:

‘Commander Richard Horne, an officer of great ability, who conned Orion throughout the action with ability and skill.’

Richard Horne was born at Hatfield, Hertfordshire in May 1877 and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in July 1891. Enjoying a variety of seagoing appointments before the Great War, during which period he specialised as a Navigating Officer, he gained advancement - on Vice-Admiral Jellicoe’s recommendation - to Commander in December 1911, and was serving in H.M.S. Orion on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914.

As a battleship of the 2nd Battle Squadron in the Grand Fleet, the Orion was present at the Battle of Jutland, her guns doing good work in the ferocious duel fought against the Konig and the Lutzow, and, as cited above, Horne gained the approbation of his seniors for his conduct on the same occasion. In fact, in addition to his D.S.O., he was also awarded the 2nd Class of the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus ‘for distinguished service rendered at Jutland’ (London Gazette 5 June 1917 refers).

In August 1917 Horne took command of the scout cruiser Foresight in the Mediterranean, but in January 1918 he returned home to take up an appointment at the Admiralty, under the Director of the Operations Division, in the rank of Captain. His final wartime posting was to the battleship Barham in October 1918, when he acted as her C.O. and Flag Captain, and as Chief of Staff to Vice-Admiral Sir A. C. Leveson, K.C.B.