A Collection of Medals to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines formed by Commander Ron Champion, RN

An inter-war C.B., M.V.O. group of eight awarded to Vice-Admiral T. N. James, Royal Navy, a veteran of the Crete 1897-98 and Somaliland 1902-04 operations, and the Battle of Jutland, who was latterly Admiral Superintendent of Gibraltar

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) neck badge in silver-gilt and enamels; The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O., 4th class breast badge in silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse officially numbered ‘1213’; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 (Lieut., R.N., H.M.S. Hyacinth); 1914-15 Star (Commr., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt., R.N.); Coronation 1911; Russian Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd class neck badge, with swords, by Edouard, in gold and enamels the first and last slightly chipped in places, generally good very fine (8) £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines formed by Commander Ron Champion, RN.

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C.B. London Gazette 3 June 1931.

M.V.O. London Gazette 15 August 1924.

Russian Order of St. Stanislaus London Gazette 5 June 1917: ‘For distinguished service rendered in the Battle of Jutland.’

Thomas Norman James was born in Mysore, India in December 1878 and was educated at Clifton College and at Stubbington, Fareham. Entering the Royal Navy as a Cadet in January 1893, he was appointed a Midshipman in July 1895 and was landed from H.M.S. Rodney in Crete with the International Naval Brigade during the insurrection of 1897-98. Advanced to Lieutenant in June 1901, James was wounded in a 6-inch gun accident aboard the Royal Sovereign off Platea in November of the same year, but had sufficiently recovered to join the Hyacinth in 1904, being landed for the capture of the Mullah’s stronghold at Illig in the same year, and, as verified by his service record, mentioned in despatches.

The outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 found him serving as a Commander aboard the Temeraire, in which battleship he went on to witness the Battle of Jutland, services that resulted in him being awarded the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus. Latterly seconded to the Australian Government, he served as Flag Captain of the cruiser H.M.A.S. Australia between 1918-19.

James held a similar appointment in the Cardiff between 1919-21 but returned home in the latter year to assume command of the President. And between 1923-24 he served as Flag Captain and Chief of Staff of the Reserve Fleet, which appointment led to the award of his M.V.O. for services at the review of the fleet at Spithead. Between 1925-27 he served as Captain of the Fleet in the Revenge in the Atlantic Fleet, and afterwards as Captain of the battleships Warspite and Queen Elizabeth. Finally, between 1931-33, having attained flag rank in May 1929, James served as Admiral Superintendent Gibraltar. Awarded the C.B. for these latter services, James was placed on the Retired List as a Vice-Admiral in 1934. Retiring to Seer Green in Buckinghamshire, he died in September 1965.