The Julian Johnson Collection

An interesting Great War C.B.E. group of four awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel V. V. Hooley, Royal Army Service Corps, late Purser in the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, awarded a Brazilian gold life saving medal for saving the life of the daughter of the Brazilian Consul-General to Argentina

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 1st type neck badge, in Garrard & Co (Civil) case of issue; Transport 1899-1902, 1 clasp, S. Africa 1899-1902 (V. V. Hooley.); British War Medal (Lt. Col. V. V. Hooley.)’ Brazil, Medal for Saving Life, gold, 17.7 gms, the reverse dated ‘14-2-1903’, named on the edge ‘V. Hooley’, good very fine (4) £900-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Julian Johnson Collection.

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C.B.E. (Military) London Gazette 12 December 1919: ‘In recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war.’

Mentioned for valuable services in connection with European war London Gazette 24 February 1917, 13 March 1918 and 25 March 1919.

Vernon Vavasour Hooley was born on 15 March 1862, the son of William Hooley, of Southampton. He married Mary, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel T. Maxwell, of Eshowe, Zululand. As a Purser with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company he received the Transport Medal for services in the S.S. Nile and S.S. Tagus in South Africa, and presented by the King on 4 November 1903. He was awarded the Brazilian Lifesaving medal in gold for jumping overboard and going to the rescue of Laura Christina de Macedo Malta, daughter of the Brazilian Consul-General in the Argentine, who was in danger of drowning on 14 February 1903.

In the period before the Great War he was a shipping agent in New York and was afterwards responsible for the fitting out of the S.S. Acradian and Carribean which conveyed Canadian troops from Quebec. He returned to England in January 1915 and joined the Army Service Corps as a Temporary Lieutenant the following month; Temporary Captain, May 1915; Temporary Major, August 1916; Acting Lieutenant-Colonel, June 1918; Lieutenant-Colonel, June 1919. He served at Deptford, Liverpool, Southampton and in France until November 1919. Commanded No. 2 Home Base Supply Depot A.S.C. He afterwards lived in Southampton and died in 1952, aged 90. Sold with copied record of service, correspondence concerning Brazilian Lifesaving medal and m.i.c. which confirms entitlement to B.W.M. only.