Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Victory Medal awarded to Naval Chaplain the Reverend H. D. Dixon-Wright, M.V.O., Royal Navy, who was mortally wounded in H.M.S. Barham at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 and died the following day, 1 June 1916, one of nine Chaplains who died at Jutland

Victory Medal 1914-19 (Chapn. H. D. Dixon-Wright. R.N.) extremely fine £140-£180

Note: The recipient’s other medals, comprising Royal Victorian Order (Fourth Class); 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-20; and Delhi Durbar Medal 1911; together with his Memorial Plaque and a Presentation Bible personally inscribed by H.M. King George V, were sold at auction at Reeman Dansie, Colchester, in March 2005.

The Reverend Henry Dixon Dixon-Wright was born Henry Dixon Wright in Upper Holloway, London, on 25 April 1870, and was educated at Highgate School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He trained for the priesthood at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and was ordained Deacon in 1893, and Priest in 1894. He was appointed an Anglican Chaplain in the Royal Navy on 10 November 1899, and after serving in various ships was appointed Chaplain at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in 1907. In 1911 he changed his surname to Dixon-Wright.

Whilst at Dartmouth Dixon-Wright was responsible for preparing both the Prince of Wales and the Prince Albert (the future Kings Edward VIII and George VI) for confirmation, and in 1911 acted as Chaplain to H.M. King George V on his journey to and from India for the Delhi Durbar, for which service he was created a Member Fourth Class of the Royal Victorian Order, and was awarded the Delhi Durbar Medal.

Following the outbreak of the Great War Dixon-Wright was posted first to the pre-dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Albemarle, and then in October 1915 was appointed Chaplain to the newly-commissioned battleship H.M.S. Barham. He served in her at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 where Barham acted as flagship of the 5th Battle Squadron. She was heavily engaged with Hipper’s battle cruisers, scoring hits on the Lutzow, Derfflinger and Seydlitz, but also getting badly mauled in the process, several hits causing her serious casualties, among them four officers and 22 ratings killed.

Dixon-Wright was mortally wounded at Jutland, a biographical note on Royal Navy Chaplains recording that ‘as he lay severely wounded with a shattered spine and leg, he was praying for victory.’ He was brought back to Orkney and died the day after he battle, on 1 June 1916, one of nine Chaplains who died as a result of the Battle. He is buried at Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery, Orkney.

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