Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Mesopotamia’ O.B.E. group of twelve awarded to Captain H. W. B. Livesay, Royal Indian Marine and Royal Australian Navy

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (Lieutenant H. W. B. Livesay. R.I.M.); 1914 Star (Lieut. H. W. Livesay, R.I.M.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt-Comdr. H. W. B. Livesay, R.I.M.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45, this last officially impressed (H. W. B. Livesay, R.I.N.); Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, mounted court-style as worn; together with the related miniature awards, these also mounted court-style as worn, and all housed in a Gieves, London, case, generally good very fine (12) £800-£1,200

O.B.E. London Gazette 18 November 1918:
‘For distinguished service in connection with military operations in Mesopotamia.’

Henry Waterworth Bligh Livesay was born in Ventnor, Isle of Wight on 14 February 1884, and apprenticed to Iredale & Porter, Liverpool, he gained his Second Mate’s Certificate in June 1905. Appointed a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Indian Marine in August 1905, he arrived in India in October that year, and was promoted to Lieutenant in August 1909. Serving in Hardinge from April 1910 to May 1911, he was one of a small number of R.I.M. personnel awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp Persian Gulf 1909-1914 - where he performed the duty of ‘Beach Master’ from April to May 1911 (his service papers erroneously record entitlement to the Africa General Service Medal with clasp Somaliland 1908-10 instead).

Livesay served during the Great War with ’A’ Force from September to November 1914, then with H.M. Ships Swiftsure and Proserpine from November 1914 to June 1915. In February 1915 he was commended for his ‘excellent work’ in connection with disabling a number of enemy boats intended to be used to cross the Suez Canal - for which he was later Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 8 March 1918). After leave on a medical certificate, June to November 1915, he was placed on Special Duty, November 1915 to February 1916, and subsequently served with ‘D’ Force, March to July 1916. Appointed Chief Executive Officer in July 1916, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander in November 1917. For his wartime services in the Mesopotamia theatre of war he was awarded the O.B.E.

Livesay served as Director of Sea Transport, Basra, from January to April 1919, before being appointed Assistant Principal Officer, Calcutta, in June 1919. Promoted Commander in September 1921, he commanded the old battleship H.M.S. Cornwallis from April 1923, before being appointed Principal Officer at Chittagong in April 1924; Officiating Principal Officer, Aden, in August 1928; and Principal Officer, Aden, in May 1929. Promoted Captain in September 1929, he served once more as Principal Officer at Aden from January 1930, before being given command of the Clive from December 1930 to January 1932. His final appointment was as Principal Officer at Rangoon in February 1932, a post he held until he retired on 29 September 1937.

Appointed to the Royal Australian Navy in August 1939, Livesay was appointed to the Directorate of Sea Transport, Sydney, in December 1939. He served as Commodore of Convoy US10 to the Middle East, April to August 1941, and was allocated to the 1st Malaya Convoy in January 1942. Appointed to the Boats, Harbours and Estuaries Department in September 1942, and the following month to the Navy Wing at Randwick, his further efforts to be re-appointed were denied, apparently due to health problems.