Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part II)

The important G.C.M.G. group of thirteen awarded to Lord John Cadman, 1st Baron of Silverdale, the noted mining and engineering expert who became Chairman of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company - better known today as British Petroleum (B.P.)

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, G.C.M.G., Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising collar chain, silver-gilt and enamel, collar badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with gold and enamel centre, and breast star, silver, with gold and enamel centre; British War and Victory Medals (Sir J. Cadman); Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; French Legion of Honour, Grand Officer’s set of insignia, comprising breast badge, gold and enamel, and breast star, silver; Italy, Order of the Crown, Commander’s neck badge, gold and enamel; Iraqi Order of El Rafidain, Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt and enamel, and breast star, silver-gilt and enamel; Iranian Pahlevi Coronation Medal 1902, bronze, together with a set of related dress miniature medals (8), the last described sash badge lacking upper suspension loop, otherwise generally good very fine or better (Lot) £3000-3500

John Cadman was born at Silverdale, Staffordshire in September 1877, the son of a mining engineer. Educated at Audley Grammar School and at Newcastle-Under-Lyme High School, he was awarded a County Mining Scholarship by Staffordshire to study mining and geology at Armstrong College, Durham University, and graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1899 and became a Fellow of the Geological Society in the following year.

Initially employed as an Assistant Colliery Manager back at Silverdale, he afterwards moved to Scotland as Chief Inspector of Mines, where he almost certainly became aware of the significance of oil through local shale oil. In September 1904, he was appointed Chief Inspector of Mines in Trinidad, where his interest in petroleum was fostered by his encounter with the asphalt lakes there, and, soon after his return to the U.K. in 1908, he was appointed Professor of Mining and Petroleum Technology at Birmingham University, where he was loyally supported by the Principal, Sir Oliver Lodge, and developed the first course in Petroleum Geology in the U.K.

During the lead up to the Great War Cadman advised the British Government on the importance of securing Persian oil supplies, an initiative that would eventually lead to the Royal Navy’s warships exchanging to oil from coal, and during the War itself he served as Chairman of the Inter-Allied Petroleum Executive, which had been established to deal with any petroleum problems arising from the conflict, the protection of Persian interests no doubt high on the agenda. Another of the more important areas investigated by the Executive was the production of oil in the U.K. itself, in order to free-up shipping otherwise employed on import duties, and to that end much innovative work was undertaken, Cadman’s earlier experience with shale oil no doubt proving invaluable. For these latter services he was appointed C.M.G. in 1916 and promoted to K.C.M.G. in 1918.

After the War, he was appointed a technical advisor to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, but quickly found himself taking on more executive duties, so much so that in 1927 he was appointed Chairman. In terms of someone blessed with technical knowledge, he was undoubtedly one of the first to achieve such high office, and nor were his talents wasted, the application of geophysical techniques in searching for oil in Persia proving highly successful. Created G.C.M.G. in 1929, Cadman was raised to the peerage as the 1st Baron of Silverdale in 1937, and died at his residence, Shenley Park, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire in May 1941.