Orders, Decorations and Medals

A most unusual inter-war M.B.E. group of seven awarded to Major W. R. Gatt, Royal Malta Artillery, late Royal Field Artillery, and a long served District Officer, S.J.A.B. (Malta): called upon in the latter capacity at the time of the Messina earthquake in 1908, he was awarded the Italian Red Cross Medal

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 1st type breast badge, hallmarks for London 1919; British War and Victory Medals (Capt.); Coronation 1911, St. John Ambulance Brigade issue (Corps Supt. Sec.); St. John Service Medal (Dist. Offr., (Malta) Dist., S.J.A.B., 1922); Italian Messina Earthquake 1908; Italian Red Cross Medal 1908, with original wearing bar with remnants of ribands, including 1914-15 Star, heavily toned, generally very fine and better (7) £600-800

M.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1924.

William Raphael Gatt was commissioned into the Royal Malta Artillery as a Lieutenant in September 1900, direct from the Royal Malta Regiment of Militia. But it was in his capacity as a representative of the Maltese S.J.A.B. that he was called upon at the time of the Messina earthquake in 1908, services that won him the Italian Red Cross Medal. While in 1911, the year in which he received his Coronation Medal as a Corps Superintendent Secretary, he was also appointed an Esquire in the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (London Gazette 9 June refers). Back in his role as a Lieutenant in the Royal Malta Artillery, he served in Gallipoli, afterwards transferring in the rank of Captain to the Royal Field Artillery. Between the Wars, Gatt was advanced to a Knight of Grace in the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (London Gazette 2 June 1922 refers), and was awarded the M.B.E. while serving as Adjutant to the King’s Own Malta Regiment. He also attained the rank of Major.