Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-War M.B.E. group of nine awarded to Wardmaster Lieutenant-Commander W. O. A. Austin, Royal Navy

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Serving Brother’s, breast badge, silver and enamels; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (Mx. 49937 W. O. A. Austin. S.B.A. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (Mx. 49937 W. O. A. Austin. S.B.C.P.O. R.N.H. Chatham.) mounted on card for display, good very fine (9) £460-£550

M.B.E. London Gazette 8 June 1963: ‘Wardmaster Lieutenant Commander William Oliver Albert Austin, Royal Navy.’

Order of St John, Serving Brother London Gazette 12 January 1965.

William Oliver Albert Austin was born at Alverstoke, Gosport, Hampshire, in 1914 and joined the Royal Navy in 1933. He was awarded his L.S. & G.C. medal in 1948 and qualified as a Health Inspector on 1 October 1949. He was promoted to Commissioned Wardmaster on 22 February 1954, and Wardmaster Sub-Lieutenant with same seniority, serving at R.N. Hospital Haslar. The following year he was appointed to H.M.S. Cochrane and served there until 1957, when he was appointed to R.N.H. Chatham. He was promoted to Wardmaster Lieutenant in 1959 and to Wardmaster Lieutenant-Commander in 1961. In 1962 he was appointed to R.N.H. Haslar again where he served until his retirement on 1 June 1964. In 1965 he moved to South Shields as an Inspector for the Port Authority and, by 1972 he was Deputy Director of the Tyne Port Health Authority. He retired due to ill-health in 1978, and died on 13 June 1979.