Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Second World War C.B., C.B.E. group of fourteen awarded to Admiral Sir Ernest Archer, Royal Navy, who led the Joint Military Mission to Soviet Russia in 1944

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; 1914-15 Star (Lieut., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Russia, Order of St. Stanislaus, neck badge with swords, silver-gilt and enamels, French manufacture, 58mm. by 56mm.; Norway, King Haakon VII’s Freedom Cross, silver-gilt and enamels; Luxembourg, Order of the Oaken Crown, 4th class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, mounted court-style as worn where applicable (excepting Luxembourg piece), occasional minor enamel damage, generally good very fine or better (14) £1500-2000

C.B. London Gazette 14 June 1945.

C.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1942.

Ernest Russell Archer, who was born in September 1891, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Archer, R.A.M.C., was appointed a Midshipman in January 1909. By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was serving as a Lieutenant in the cruiser H.M.S. Lowestoft, but thereafter, commencing with an appointment in the Mons in July 1915, served in destroyers, rising to the command of P. 38 in May 1917 and Fury in February 1918, services that gained him a mention in despatches and, as per his service record, ‘permission to accept and wear the ribbon of the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd class with swords (Letter 13.7.20)’.

Gaining steady advancement between the Wars, Archer served as Captain (D.) of the 11th and 20th Flotillas, in addition to a stint as a Staff Officer to the Vice-Admiral, Malta and, by the renewal of hostilities was in command of the battleship Revenge. And it was in this latter capacity that he added another “mention” to his accolades for services in operation “Medium”, the bombardment of Cherbourg in October 1940 (London Gazette 21 March 1941). Coming ashore to take up appointment as Commandant of the R.N. Barracks, Portsmouth in the following year, he was awarded the C.B.E. and attained flag rank as a Rear-Admiral in June 1943, the latter advancement on him becoming the Senior British Naval Officer, North Russia. And in the following year he led the Joint Military Mission to Soviet Russia, services that resulted in him being given unrestricted permission to wear King Haakon VII’s Liberty Cross ‘in recognition of services rendered to Norway during the War’, in addition to ‘the decoration of the Grand Officer of the Order of the Oaken Crown, bestowed by the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg for outstanding services to Luxembourg’ - in fact, an award for services to Luxembourg prisoners of war in the U.S.S.R. (London Gazette 20 June 1952).

Having then served as Rear-Admiral, British Pacific Fleet 1945-46, Archer was appointed Flag Officer, Gibraltar in 1947, where he was advanced to Vice-Admiral, and finally, Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland 1948-50, in which latter post he was elevated to K.C.B. He was placed on the Retired List in the rank of Admiral in December of the latter year.