Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An important civil C.B.E., Second World War immediate “Operation Pedestal” D.S.C. group of seven awarded to Commander J. B. Livingston, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve: in his capacity as Staff Officer to Rear-Admiral H. M. Burrough, he ‘gave great assistance in planning the operation’, and continued to do so when the pair of them were taken off the torpedoed flagship Nigeria by the destroyer Ashanti

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, in Toye, Kenning & Spencer Ltd., London case of issue; Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1942’, in Garrard & Co. Ltd., London case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf, these last in original addressed card forwarding box, with Admiralty issuance slip, together with H.M.S. Worcestershire (Incorporated Thames Nautical Training Division) Medal, silver, hallmarks for Birmingham 1942, the reverse engraved, ‘J. B. L. Livingston’, with ‘dolphin suspension’, in case of issue, and a set of related miniature dress medals, generally extremely fine (15) £1800-2200

C.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1972.

D.S.C. London Gazette 10 November 1942. The original recommendation states:
‘For courage, zeal and ability, and devotion to duty throughout the operation. Lieutenant-Commander Livingston as my Staff Officer gave great assistance in planning the operation. When my flagship was torpedoed he transferred to a destroyer with me and throughout gave invaluable assistance.’

Mention in despatches London Gazette 1 January 1943.

The cruiser H.M.S. Nigeria, flagship of Rear-Admiral Burrough’s Force X during “Operation Pedestal”, was torpedoed and severely damaged by the Italian submarine Axum on 12 August 1942:

“Whilst leading the port column of Convoy W.S. 21S, speed 14 knots, H.M.S. Nigeria was torpedoed at 1956 hours on the port side, abreast the forward funnel, in the Skerki Channel. A sheet of flame darted from the port side, and the ship immediately started to circle to starboard, listing 13 degrees to port. As the lower position was demolished the mechanical wheel in the after steering cabinet was connected, and the ship got under control by 2010 hours. All telephone communication having failed, orders were passed to the after engine room and after steering cabinet by human chain. At 2015 hours the ship was stopped and H.M.S. Ashanti came alongside on the starboard side, and the Rear-Admiral Commanding, 10th Cruiser Squadron, and his Staff, were transferred ... ’ (C.O’s official report refers).

Having already shared in the Nigeria’s adventures up to that point, Burrough and Livingston quickly established a new command post in the reduced confines of the destroyer Ashanti, and thereafter continued to direct the convoy to the best of their ability. Later that day Burrough ordered the destroyer to slow down to offer assistance to the tanker Ohio, but in so doing the Ashanti suffered damage from a near-miss which caused a boiler to “blow back” and start a fire, so she had to move on. On the 13th, effectively the climax of “Pedestal”, the Ashanti once more gave close support to the Ohio, so close in fact that one of the Ju. 87s her gunners brought down crashed onto the poop of the stricken tanker. In fact Burrough and Livingston stayed with the remnants of the convoy right up until reaching the final approaches into Grand Harbour, at which point the Admiral ordered course for Gibraltar, signalling to Captain Mason of the Ohio, ‘I am proud to have known you.’

On reaching The Rock on the 15th, an exhausted Burrough, still covered in oil from his transferral from the Nigeria, descended on to the Ashanti’s upper-deck and took a salt-water shower in full view of ‘an interested ship’s company’. Whether Livingston chose to offer moral support on this occasion remains unknown, but he was duly recommended by his senior for a well-merited D.S.C. He received his decoration at an investiture held on 6 April 1943, by which stage he had also been mentioned in despatches for additional services on Rear-Admiral Burrough’s Staff; and, in 1972, was awarded the C.B.E. for his services as President of the Glass Manufacturers Federation.