Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An inter-War O.B.E. group of eleven awarded to Captain T. G. Harrison, Royal Navy, together with a remarkable photograph and documentary archive

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1933; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. T. G. Harrison, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. T. G. Harrison, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1911, unnamed as issued; Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued, Greece, Kingdom, Order of George I, Military Division, Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck riband, in Spink, London case of issue, minor chipping to red enamel centre on last, generally very fine and better (11) £700-£900

O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1935.

Greek Order of George I London Gazette 15 April 1947:
‘For valuable services rendered to the Royal Hellenic Navy.’

Thomas Garland Harrison was born on 19 December 1891 and joined the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet in January 1904, attending the Royal Naval Colleges Osborne and Dartmouth for four years. His first posting at sea was to the training cruiser, H.M.S. Cornwall for 6 months, in the Mediterranean and West Indies from January to June 1908. In July 1908 he was appointed to the battleship H.M.S. Canopus as Midshipman, serving in the Mediterranean for 18 months, and for the remainder of his six months as a Midshipman he served in various ships including H.M.S. Exe, H.M.S. Natal, H.M.S. Drake and H.M.S. Good Hope; he had also served in H.M.S. Cornwall and H.M.S. Superb during his period as a Cadet between 1908 and 1912. He was promoted Sub Lieutenant in September 1911 and to Lieutenant in October 1912. He subsequently served in H.M.S. Achilles, H.M.S. Magnificent and H.M.S. Exmouth from October 1911 to January 1914.

In January 1914 Harrison joined H.M.S. Ajax, in the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet, and was serving in her when War was declared in August 1914. He was present in H.M.S. Ajax at the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916, and left Ajax in May 1917 to attend a specialist gunnery course at Portsmouth. He returned to sea in January 1918 and served for the remainder of the war in light cruisers in the 7th Light Cruiser Squadron, H.M.S. Aurora and H.M.S. Penelope, which were employed as scouts for the main battle fleet and also as convoy escorts between Greenland and the North Cape, for Russia. After the conclusion of the Great War he joined H.M.S. Birmingham, flagship of the Africa Squadron as Gunnery Officer. Promoted Lieutenant-Commander in October 1920, the following July he joined the cruiser H.M.S. Canterbury as First Lieutenant and Gunner Officer, employed as a firing ship for seaman gunnery classes.

In November 1922 Harrison joined the cruiser H.M.S. Curlew as First Lieutenant and Gunnery Officer, on the North America and West Indies station. He then proceeded to the Pacific and was employed as guard ship at the Eagle Oil (Aguila) refinery in Southern Mexico, up to the Coatzcoalcos River, to prevent interference in the refinery by the combatants in the Mexican Civil War. In August 1925, he joined H.M.S. Valiant, in the Mediterranean as First Gunnery Officer. Promoted to Commander in August 1926, he left H.M.S. Valiant and joined the Admiralty (Operations Division). His next Sea appointment was in H.M.S. Calcutta as Commander, the Flagship of Africa station, from June 1928. In 1931 he joined H.M.S. Vivid as Drafting Commander, and then H.M.S. Montrose, in command of Reserve Destroyers, in 1934. Promoted to Captain, he retired the following year, being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1935 New Year’s Honours’ List.

Harrison was recalled from the Reserve in June 1939 and appointed Chief of Staff Africa Squadron in H.M.S. Neptune. On declaration of War the Africa Squadron was split up and ships took station in various patrol areas. The Commander in Chief and Staff landed and took over in Sierra Leone where Harrison became ‘Naval Officer in Charge’ and ‘King’s Harbour Master’. After 18 months he was relieved and sent to Alexandria to command landing craft, escort vessels and minesweepers in Mediterranean Command. He saw little action beyond fairly heavy bombing whereby several escort vessels were sunk. He remained at Alexandria until the end of war. He was, however, Commended by the Lords of the Admiralty ‘for good work in refloating H.T. Aquitania, which grounded’, and was awarded the Greek Order for rendering valuable services to the Greek Navy. He died on 4 January 1982.

Sold together with extensive original paperwork and award certificates, including Bestowal Documents for the O.B.E., the Greek Order of George I, and the 1935 Jubilee Medal; original Admiralty letter granting unrestricted permission to wear the Greek award; and numerous photographs, many contained in two large half leather bound, gilt blocked photograph albums providing an almost complete history of his naval service both at war and at peace including several photographs taken on a goodwill tour to the U.S.A. one of which features Hollywood star, Tom Mix. The photographs and papers document voyages and tours of duty to Malta, the Americas, Scandinavia, Canada, Caribbean, Mediterranean, North Africa, West Africa and Turkey, including several photos of the aftermath of the earthquake at Messina. Also included are numerous group photos, individual portrait photographs and photographs of naval vessels, taken at different stages of his naval career, the whole forming a fascinating and historic archive of his naval service.