A good Great War M.V.O., O.B.E. group of seven awarded to Captain D. Faviell, Royal Navy, who commanded the dispatch vessel H.M.S. Oak for the entirety of the war, gaining a mention in despatches for Jutland

The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O., Member’s 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse officially numbered ‘82’; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, hallmarks for London 1919; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Cr. D. Faviell, M.V.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Commr. D. Faviell, R.N.); Coronation 1937; Japan, Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, minor enamel damage to the first, generally very fine and better (7) £700-900

M.V.O. London Gazette 16 July 1915.

O.B.E. London Gazette 16 September 1919:

‘For valuable services in command of H.M.S. Oak.’

Douglas Faviell was born in November 1884 and attended Stubbington prior to entering Britannia as a cadet in May 1901.

Advanced to Lieutenant in August 1906, he commanded several torpedo boat destroyers in the period leading up to the outbreak of hostilities and, as reported in his obituary notice in The Times, he had the unusual experience of commanding the same ship throughout the Great War - namely the destroyer and dispatch vessel, H.M.S. Oak:

‘He joined the destroyer when she was commissioned at the Yarrow Yard at Scotstoun in 1912 and served in her until she was placed on the disposal list at Devonport in 1919, having been reappointed to her on his promotion to Commander in 1917. An exceptionally good sea boat, the Oak was specially chosen from all the vessels in the Home Fleet to be the dispatch vessel of the Commander-in-Chief, and she served as such to Admirals Callaghan, Jellicoe and Beatty.’

Mentioned in despatches for his services at Jutland (London Gazette 15 September 1916, refers), Gregory was also awarded the M.V.O. and O.B.E. in the same period, in addition to the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class (London Gazette 17 January 1919, refers). Over and above delivering urgent despatches, the Oak regularly conveyed V.I.Ps back and forth to the C.-in-C’s flagship, among them H.M. The King and Lord Kitchener.

Gregory enjoyed further seagoing commands in the period leading up to his retirement as a Captain in June 1931, including the flotilla leader Saumarez. His final command was the admiralty yacht Enchantress. He died in July 1947, aged 62 years; sold with copied research.