Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War O.B.E. group of four awarded to Commander Henry Montague Rundle, Royal Navy

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Benin 1897 (Lieut., H.M.S. Magpie) edge bruising; British War Medal 1914-20 (Commr., R.N.); France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver, gold and enamel, mounted as worn, last with enamel damage to arms, nearly very fine and better (4) £700-800

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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O.B.E. London Gazette 7 June 1918. Awarded ‘for services in improvements in operational minesweeping.’ Invested by the King at Buckingham Palace on 12 December 1918.

Henry John Montague Rundle was born at Stoke, Devonport, on 29 October 1874. He was educated at Stubbington House, Fareham and H.M.S. Britannia. He joined the Royal Navy as a Midshipman in February 1890, becoming Sub-Lieutenant in November 1893, and Lieutenant in November 1895 when serving aboard the Magpie. As Lieutenant of Magpie he served in the punitive expedition commanded by Rear Admiral Rawson, C.B., and landed from the Squadron to punish the King of Benin for the massacre of the political expedition 1897, ending in the capture of Benin City on 18 February 1897. He was awarded the medal with clasp ‘Benin 1897’ - one of 73 members of the ship to be so awarded.

The following is a letter signed by Captain H. V. Elliott:- ‘H.M.S. Hannibal at Devonport, 15th January 1909. Lieutenant Rundle, when with me in the Magpie performed a very praiseworthy act. During the Benin Expedition, in February 1897, I was steaming up the Benin River when the engines were brought up all standing through the propellor fouling a wire hawser. Mr Rundle stripped and went down without diving dress, and after considerable time and exertion succeeded in clearing the screw, and the ship was able to proceed. I consider Mr Rundle to have acted with much courage and great skill, for in order to clear the wire he had to work many feet below the surface of the water, and as the river was muddy he worked in total darkness.’

Rundle also received thanks from the Portuguese Governor-General of Mozambique for personal services rendered at a fire at the customs house at Lourenco Marques, East Africa, where a quantity of dynamite was stored.

In May 1904 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander. During the Great War, Rundle was an Intelligence Officer on the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Naval Centre Rosyth, August 1914 to March 1917. The Centre was commended by the Admiralty for ‘efficiency and alertness’ on the occasion of the sinking of the German Submarine U-12. In March 1917, he was appointed as Assistant Director of Minesweeping, on the Naval Staff at the Admiralty. He retired with the rank of Cimmander in October 1919. In 1926 Commander Rundle was appointed Deputy Chief Inspector of the Coast Guard. Re-appointed to the Admiralty in 1939, he returned to the Retired List in December 1943. Sold with copy service papers and confirmation of all medals.