Orders, Decorations and Medals

An inter-war civil M.B.E., Great War service group of seven awarded to Vice-Consul V. Wigg, Diplomatic Service, late Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force: as a young pilot in No. 65 Squadron, he was credited with at least one victory over the Western Front

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 1st type breast badge, silver, hallmarks for London 1935; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut., R.A.F.); Sweden, Order of the North Star, Knight’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Sweden, Order of the Vasa, Knight’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Netherlands, Order of Orange Nassau, Officer’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, rosette on riband; Norway, Order of St. Olav, 3rd type (post-1937), Knight 2nd Class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, slight enamel damage in places, otherwise very fine and better (7) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the R.F.C. and R.A.F. formed by Wing Commander Bill Traynor.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1936.

Vivian Wigg, who was born in May 1893, was employed in his family’s shipping firm, E. Wigg & Sons, in Rio Grande, Brazil, prior to returning to the U.K. and being commissioned in the 11th Battalion, London Regiment in October 1915. Transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in September 1916, and having attended assorted training establishments, he was posted as a Flying Officer to No. 65 Squadron, a Sopwith Camel home defence unit based in Kent, in July 1917. Accordingly, when a dozen or so Gothas attacked Southend on 12 August, he was one of two 65 Squadron pilots to be scrambled, flying B3861 from 1740 to 1935 hours - 33 people were killed and another 46 injured in this daylight raid.

Two months later, and now under the command of fighter ace Major Jack Cunningham, the Squadron was ordered to France and, as confirmed by R.F.C. Communique No. 118, under combats fought on 12 December, Wigg gained his first confirmed victory: ‘Another enemy aircraft was brought down in our lines by Lieutenant V. Wigg, 65 Squadron, who, with the assistance of Lieutenant C. Matthews, drove one down out of control and then attacked a second which was finally shot down in flames in our lines.’

Remaining actively employed in No. 65 Squadron until April 1918, Wigg was admitted to hospital in Etaples on the 11th and invalided home. He saw no further active service and was placed on the Unemployed List in July 1919.

Joining the Diplomatic Service in April 1922, he was awarded the M.B.E. for his services as Vice-Consul at Rio Grande, Brazil in 1936 - ‘Mr. Wigg was the third of four generations to hold this British Consular post and as such would have looked after the interests of Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands and no doubt the foreign decorations awarded him were for his work on their behalf’ (accompanying Central Chancery letter refers). Indeed Wigg continued to represent the interests of the Netherlands until as late as 1960, as well as being connected with Lloyds’ Agency.