Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War ‘Grand Fleet’ O.B.E. group of four awarded to Rear Admiral Constructor W. J. A. Davies, Royal Corps of Naval Constructors; a keen rugby player, he captained the England XV to the Grand Slam in 1921 and 1923, and in the course of winning 22 caps for England was only once on the losing side

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1918); 1914-15 Star (Ast. Constr. 2. Cl. W. J. A. Davies. R.C.N.C.); British War and Victory Medals (Ast. Constr. 1. Cl. W. J. A. Davies. R.C.N.C.) mounted court-style for display, good very fine (4) £600-£800

O.B.E. (Military) London Gazette 5 April 1919: Mr. William John Abbott Davies, Assistant Constructor, Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet.

William John Abbott Davies was born in Pembroke, Wales, on 21 June 1890, and was educated at the Pembroke Dock Grammar School. Upon leaving school aged 15, he was apprenticed to the Dockyard and, having made good progress and shown potential, was selected for a Naval Constructor cadetship and entered the Royal Naval Engineering College an Keyham in 1909. He proceeded to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in 1910, where he was the outstanding sportsman of his year, and after graduating in 1913 joined the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. Whilst at Greenwich his skill on the rugby field came to the attention of both the Royal Navy and England selectors, and having played for the Royal Navy, Davies made his international debut in 1913, playing fly half against South Africa. England lost the match 9-3; in the course of a 22-cap career for England, it was Davies’ only loss.

Davies served during the Great War at the admiralty on the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, and accompanied Admiral Sir John Jellicoe in H.M.S. Iron Duke at various stages during the Great War; however, there is no record of him having been present in the Iron Duke at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. He ended the War as a Constructor Lieutenant Commander in H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, and for his services with the Grand Fleet was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

With the War over, Davies resumed his rugby career, and was appointed Captain of the England XV in 1921. He led England to the Five Nations Championship in both 1921 and 1923, completing the Grand Slam on both occasions; only a draw against France in 1922 broke the sequence (England also lost to Wales in 1922, but Davies missed that match through injury). His final international match was against France in Paris in April 1923, a match England won 12-5, with Davies kicking the final drop-goal. Carried from the field shoulder-high by his team-mates in tribute, upon returning home he received the following letter from Windsor Castle:
‘My dear Davies,
The King wishes to let you know how delighted he was to hear of the victory of the English team in Paris, and to congratulate you on being captain of the winning team in all your matches. His Majesty feels sure that you must have created a record by this fitting termination of your brilliant career in international [Rugby] football.’

Continuing with his service as a Royal Naval Constructor First Class at Portsmouth, he was promoted Chief Constructor (Rear Admiral Constructor) in 1939, and in 1942 was advanced Assistant Director of Warship Production, retaining this appointment throughout the Second World War. He retired from the Admiralty in 1950, and subsequently took up a Directorship with Brown Brothers Ironworks. He died on 26 April 1967; his subsequent Obituary in The Times said of him: ‘He has generally been regarded as the best fly-half that England has yet produced, and it will be many years, if ever, before his like is seen again.’

Sold with a copy of the recipient’s book Rugby Football, which includes various photographs of the recipient; and copied research.