Auction Catalogue

12 May 2015

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Download Images

Lot

№ 385

.

12 May 2015

Hammer Price:
£2,400

A good inter-war K.C.B. group of eleven awarded to Admiral Sir Sidney Meyrick, Royal Navy, who served as Commander-in-Chief America and West Indies Station 1937-40

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, and breast star, silver, with silver-gilt, gold and enamel appliqué centre, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr. S. J. Meyrick, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Commr. S.J. Meyrick, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Greece, Order of the Redeemer, 3rd Class neck badge, gold and enamel, enamel slightly chipped on the first, otherwise good very fine (11) £1800-2200

K.C.B. London Gazette 9 June 1938.

Sidney Julius Meyrick was born in March 1879 and entered
Britannia as a cadet in 1893. Enjoying a spate of seagoing appointments in capital ships in the period leading up to the Great War, he specialized in gunnery and was advanced to Lieutenant.

In July 1914, however, after promotion to Lieutenant-Commander, he was lent for duty under the Greek Government, in which capacity he was appointed to the Order of the Redeemer.

Back in the U.K., and having served in the battleship
Erin and at the Admiralty, he joined the battleship Resolution in the rank of Commander in 1916, and remained similarly employed in the Grand Fleet until early 1919.

Between the Wars, Meyrick served as Captain (D), Sixth Destroyer Flotilla, 1921-22; as Flag Captain and Chief Staff Officer in the
Revenge in the Atlantic Fleet, 1922-23; on the Staff of the War College, Greenwich, 1923-26; as Director of Training and Staff Duties at the Admiralty, 1926-27; as Flag Captain and Captain of the Fleet in Nelson in the Atlantic Fleet, 1927-29; as Captain of the R.N.C. Dartmouth, 1929-32, and as Naval A.D.C. to the King 1931-32.

Advanced to Rear-Admiral in the latter year, Meyrick was next appointed Naval Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, but he returned to sea with command of the Second Cruiser Squadron in 1934-36 and was promoted to Vice-Admiral. He had meanwhile been appointed C.B.

His final appointment was as Commander-in-Chief America and West Indies Station in 1937-40, in which capacity he flew his flag in H.M.S.
York and lent valuable service in the protection of early convoys in the Western Atlantic - he was credited with forcing the Captain of the German liner Columbus to scuttle his ship. Meyrick was advanced to Admiral in 1940 and was placed on the Retired List in 1941.

He died in Chichester in December 1973, aged 95 years; sold with copied research.