Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War ‘Adriatic operations’ D.S.C. group of thirteen awarded to Captain A. R. Farquhar, Royal Navy, who had previously received a Royal Humane Society Medal for saving the life of a seaman who fell into the river in Shanghai in 1914

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse contemporarily engraved ‘A. R. Farquhar’, with hallmarks for London 1918; 1914-15 Star (Lieut, A. R. Farquhar, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Commr. A. R. Farquhar. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Italy, Kingdom, Order of the Crown, Fifth Class breast badge, gold and enamel, section of blue enamel missing from obverse central medallion; Ethiopia, Empire, Order of the Holy Trinity, Fourth Class breast badge, by Mappin & Webb, London, gilt and enamel, with rosette on riband; France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, reverse dated 1914-1917, bronze, with bronze oak leaf emblem on riband; Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (Lieut. A. R. Farquhar. R.N. 2nd. Jany. 1914) mounted as worn, verdigris to 1914-15 Star, otherwise generally very fine (13) £1,400-£1,800

D.S.C. London Gazette 17 May 1918.
The original Recommendation states: ‘For the able manner in which he piloted on of H.M. Ships out of Grando Harbour on the morning of 28 October 1917, after the order to evacuate had been given. He has always shown the utmost zeal, ability, and resourcefulness in action.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 20 July 1917.
The original Recommendation states: ‘British Adriatic Squadron: Mentioned for his services during the bombardment of the aerodrome at Prosecco (service on H.M.S. Sir Thomas Picton).’

Italian Order of the Crown, Fifth Class London Gazette 22 February 1918.
The original Recommendation states: ‘For the bombardment of Prosecco.’

French Croix de Guerre London Gazette 2 November 1917.

Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal, case no. 40,614:
‘At 9.20 a.m. on the 2 January 1914, a seaman belonging to H.M.S. Cadmus fell from a boat in the river at Shanghai. Lieutenant A.R. Farquhar jumped in and kept him afloat till they were picked up by a boat from the ship.’

Arthur Ronald Farquhar was born on 20 April 1888. He joined the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet on 15 September 1904 and was appointed to H.M.S. Glory. Advanced to Midshipman two months later, between then and 25 April 1914, when he joined H.M.S. Hazard, he served on the following H.M. Ships: Diadem, Duncan, Dominion, Dryad, Vanguard, Foxhound and Cadmus, and was promoted Lieutenant on 1 October 1910. Following the outbreak of the Great War, he served for eleven months in H.M.S. Hazard, which was a depot ship for the Fourth Submarine Flotilla, before being appointed to H.M.S. Sir Thomas Picton.

H.M.S. Sir Thomas Picton, was a Lord Clive-class monitor ship which served on the Mediterranean Station during the War. Early in 1916 she shelled Turkish positions at the Dardanelles and during the remainder of the war served on operations against Austrian and Turkish units in Adriatic, Egypt, Palestine and Turkey itself. For his services aboard this ship, whist in support of Italian forces, Lieutenant Farquhar was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; was Mentioned in Despatches, and was awarded the Italian Order of the Crown and the French Croix de Guerre. He was appointed to Command of the destroyer H.M.S. Trinidad on 10 August 1918 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 October 1918.

Post War, Farquhar served on the following H.M. Ships: Carlisle, Weymouth, New Zealand, Hastings and Penzance. Having been promoted Commander in 1924, by his own request, he was placed on the retired list as Captain in 1934. Recalled to service during the Second World War, Farquhar was served with the minesweeper H.M.S. Abington from 19 August 1939 and was Senior Officer of the 2nd Minesweeping Flotilla until March 1940. However this was the last Command afloat he held, being appointed to Command of H.M.S. Nile, the Royal Naval base at Ras el-Tin Point at Alexandria, on 9 June 1940; H.M.S. Watchful, the shore base at Yarmouth, on 23 October 1941; and H.M.S. Braganza, the Royal Naval base at Bombay, on 4 January 1944. He died in Westminster on 30 August 1978.

Note: The Ethiopian Order of the Holy Trinity is unconfirmed, but appears to have always been mounted with the group.