Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Surgeon-Lieutenant Commander W. H. King, Royal Navy

British War and Victory Medals (Surg. Lt. Cr., R.N.), mounted as worn; Royal Naval Hospital Haslar Prize Medal, a naval crown with crossed trident and anchor upon a background of oak leaves, ‘Haslar Hospital’; rev. a torch entwined by a serpent, with legend (Surgeon William Herbert King. Admiralty Medal. Highest Award. September 1910), 49mm., gold, 71.64g., in leather case of issue, Ref. B.H.M. 3685, nearly extremely fine (3) £1000-1200

The medal was instituted by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty in 1900. Awarded half-yearly, it was given as a prize to the best of newly entered surgeons of the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, Portsmouth, at the end of their course.

William Herbert King was born on 20 December 1883. Studying medicine and surgery he became a M.R.C.S. (England) and L.R.C.P. (London) in 1906. Appointed a Surgeon in the Royal Navy on 6 May 1910, his initial appointment was at Haslar Hospital where he won the Prize Medal for that year. With the outbreak of war, he was based at Dartmouth College, being appointed to Deal Royal Marine Infirmary in September 1914. In July 1916, King was part of a draft of 30 men sent to Russia. Here he served with the Armoured Car Unit of the Royal Naval Air Service. In March (?) 1917 he was sent home with wounded officers. On 17 March 1919 he was withdrawn with a gratuity and placed on the Reserve of Medical Officers; his name being removed from the Reserve List on 15 July 1920. Sold with copied service details.