Orders, Decorations and Medals

Admiralty Board, Ogilvy Medal, obverse: high relief head facing left, ‘Frederick Ogilvy 1866-1909’; reverse: high relief angel supporting a man holding an ark (Lieutenant C. D. S. Smith, R.N., 1945) edge additionally stamped, gilt’, 39mm., silver-gilt, extremely fine £200-250

The Medal was instituted in 1912 in memory of Captain Frederick Charles Ashley Ogilvy, R.N., who died from typhoid fever on 18 December 1909, while in command of H.M.S. Natal. The medal was awarded annually, at the discretion of the Admiralty Board, to the officer taking the first place in the qualifying examinations for Lieutenant (Torpedo and Anti-Submarine Specialist).

Lieutenant Carl Dona Scott Smith, R.N., awarded the D.S.C. (London Gazette 4 September 1945) and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 20 February 1945). Both were for his service during Operation Agreement - the ground and amphibious operations carried out by allied forces against Italo-German held Tobruk on 13/14 September 1942. Lieutenant Smith served aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Sikh. The ship was hit and sunk by shore batteries off Tobruk on 14 September 1942; Smith was mentioned in despatches for helping engine-room hand to escape the doomed ship and was subsequently awarded the D.S.C. The loss of life on the Sikh amounted to 15 officers and 260 ratings (ref. Disasters at Sea). With copied research.