Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War C.B.E. group of four awarded to Engineer Captain J. A. Richards, Royal Navy

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; British War Medal 1914-20 (Eng. Capt. J. A. Richards, R.N.); France (Third Republic), Legion of Honour, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver, gilt and enamel; Japan, Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, one cabochon slightly chipped on the last, otherwise generally good very fine (4) £600-700

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of British Groups with Foreign Awards.

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C.B.E. London Gazette 10 July 1919: ‘For valuable services in the Ministry of Munitions in connection with the control of output and supply of steel and iron tubes.’

French Legion of Honour, Chevalier London Gazette 11 August 1919: ‘For distinguished services rendered during the War.’

Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class London Gazette 8 March 1920.

John Arthur Richards was born in Staffordshire in February 1865 and was educated at King’s Lynn Grammar School and the Royal Naval Engineering College, Keyham. His obituary in The Times continues:

‘After service in Irish and Australian waters he joined the torpedo boat destroyer Ranger, one of the earliest vessels in the Navy to be fitted with water-tube boilers, for which type it is essential the water should be kept free from salt and other impurities. While in the Ranger Richards invented a sensitive hydrometer, since widely used, for testing the density of water in the boilers. In 1909 he was appointed to the Admiralty as visiting officer to supervise boiler material for new construction at the contractors’ works and repairs in H.M. Dockyards.

The practice at the time was for all tubes for water-tube boilers for the Navy to be made from Swedish ingots. Shortly afterwards the Engineer-in-Chief of the Fleet arranged for trial orders for British steel for two new destroyers building. This proved satisfactory. Thus when war broke out in 1914 we were not dependent on foreign supplies for this service. When the Ministry of Munitions came into being in 1915, Richards was lent by the Admiralty to control the steel tube industry of the country. Afterwards he became Assistant Director of Materials of Priority at the Admiralty for the control of steel tubes, while still retaining his position at the Ministry of Munitions. For his services during the war he was made a C.B.E. in 1919.’

The Captain died suddenly at his home in Chichester in November 1949, aged 84 years; sold with copied service record and other research.