Orders, Decorations and Medals

An M.V.O. 4th Class pair to Engineer-Captain Walter K. Williams, Royal Navy, who died in the explosion aboard H.M.S. Bulwark, 26 November 1914

The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O., Member’s 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, reverse officially numbered ‘789’; East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Witu August 1893 (Engr., R.N., H.M.S. Blanche) very fine and better (2) £700-900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of East and West Africa Medals to the Royal Navy.

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Walter Kent Williams was born in St. Davids, Pembrokeshire on 24 October 1863. He was educated at the Propietary School, Cardiff and the Royal Naval College, Keyham, Devonport. In July 1885 he was appointed an Assistant Engineer and in April 1887 was advanced to Engineer. He served as such aboard the Blanche, December 1890-July 1894 and landed with the Naval Brigade at Witu in August 1893, for service in the Pumwani and Jongeni Campaign. 93 men from the ship received the ‘Witu August 1893’ clasp. He was promoted to Chief Engineer in August 1897, Engineer-Lieutenant in April 1889 and Engineer-Commander in August 1901. On 19 October 1910 he was awarded the M.V.O. 4th Class for services as Engineer at Royal Naval College, Osborne - on the occasion of His Majesty’s visit to the college in July. On 1 January 1912 he attained the rank of Engineer-Captain. He was posted to the old battleship Bulwark in July 1914. He was killed in the internal explosion which destroyed the ship whilst at anchor in the Medway near Sheerness on 26 November 1914. With original M.V.O. bestowal and associated documents and copied research.