British Medal Bars with Japanese Awards

Medal bar with Taisho Enthronement medal attributed to Sir Conyngham Greene - British diplomat who served as minister to Switzerland, Romania and Denmark, and as ambassador to Japan.

Jubilee 1897; Coronation 1902; Coronation 1911; Taisho Enthronement Medal 1915.

Sir William Conyngham Greene, GCMG, KCB, PC (29 October 1854 – 30 June 1934) he was made a Privy Counsellor[13] and posted as Ambassador to Japan in December 1912. He was the King's representative at the enthronement of the Taishō Emperor in 1915. According to Greene's obituary in the Times of London, "he remained in Tokyo until the end of the First World War and proved himself a great Ambassador. His open and genial manner won the confidence of the Japanese, and retained it throughout all the vicissitudes of the War and in spite of certain difficulties with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Tokyo. His departure in April 1919 was universally regretted."

Tokyo, circa 1914.

 

Medal bar of War Correspondent Captain Sir W. Maxwell, K.B.E.

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902 (Mr. W. Maxwell. “Standard”); Delhi Durbar 1911; Japan, Empire, Order of the Rising Sun, 5th Class; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 1 clasp, Khartoum; Japanese Russo-Japanese War Medal 1904-05.

William Maxwell was born in 1860 in Workington, Cumberland to Irish born parents. He was described in the 1881 census as a ‘Newspaper Reporter’ and in 1885 he was assigned by the morning Standard to replace John Cameron in the Sudan, the latter having perished with Hicks relief expedition in 1885. As war correspondent, he experienced the march to Khartoum with Kitchener’s army in 1898 and witnessed the defeat of the Mahdi at the Battle of Omdurman (Queen’s Sudan medal). After describing the spectacular tour of the German Emperor through Palestine and Syria, and covering the first peace conference at the Hague, 1899, he was packed off by his employers to cover the Boer War where he was shut up with the British Forces under White at Ladysmith. Undaunted by this trying experience, he then went to Kimberley and was with Robert’s army in every engagement from the capture of Bloemfontein to the Battles of Lydenburg and Komati Point (medal). He then served as the Standard’s correspondent on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s tour around the Empire, March to November 1901 and the following year published his own account of the voyage - With the “Ophir” Round the Empire. In 1903 Maxwell joined the Daily Mail with which paper he was assigned to cover the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-05. He accompanied General Kuroki’s Army from the Battle of Yalu to the Battle of Shaho and was with General Nogi at the surrender of Port Arthur, the campaign was described in his book From the Yalu to Port Arthur: a personal record (1906).​

William Maxwell with interesting (war correspondent?) armband.

 

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alexander Bannerman Medal Bar with 4th class Rising Sun and 4th class Sacred Treasure orders

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 ; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals; Coronation 1911; Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class; Order of the Sacred Treasure, 4th...

asiamedals.info

 

Medal bar of Thomas Seabright, Footman and Assistant Gentleman Porter at Buckingham Palace, late Royal Horse Guards.

1914-15 Star (1705 Tpr. T. A. Seabright, R.H. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals (1705 Tpr., R.H. Gds.); Royal Household Faithful Service Medal, G.V.R., suspension dated ‘1908 1928’ (Thomas Seabright); Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Royal Victorian Medal, Silver, G.VI.R.; Belgium, Albert I Royal Household Medal; Order of the Sacred Treasure, 7th class /all gilt is lost due to a constant intense cleaning/; France, Medal of Honor (bronze with swords).


Thomas Andrew Seabright was born in Lambeth, London, on 16 December 1888. He entered the Royal Household in the service of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and Queen Mary) on 23 July 1908, as a Footman. He received the Coronation Medal in 1911, and later accompanied the King-Emperor to India in 1911-12.

During the Great War, Seabright served as a Trooper in the Royal Horse Guards from 3 September 1914, and saw action at Ypres, Loos, Hulloch and on the Somme. Rejoining the Royal service after the War, he was the recipient of some foreign medals given on various State occasions. Having completed 20 years’ service, he was awarded the Long and Faithful Service Medal in July 1928. He was appointed a Livery Porter in April 1930, and, in July 1942, an Assistant Gentleman Porter. Seabright was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal in Silver in January 1943 and retired from Royal service on 1 February 1943. He moved to Devon, and died after a long illness at Stoke Climsland on 10 October 1950, aged 61.​

 

Medal bar of Percy Edgar Simmonds, a Coachman of the Royal Mews.

Royal Household Faithful Service Medal, G.V.R., suspension dated "1910-1930" (P. Simmonds); Coronation 1902; Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Royal Victorian Medal, G.V.R.; Coronation 1937; Norway, King’s Commemoration Medal, with crown, Haakon, VII; Denmark, King’s Medal of Recompense, Christian X; Portugal, Coronation Medal 1889, Carlos I; France, Medal of Honor, reverse embossed "1908"; Order of the Sacred Treasure, 7th Class /all gilt is lost/; Belgium, Royal Household Medal, Albert I; Romania, Loyal Service Medal, 2nd Class.​

 

Medal bar of James Thomas Warren, Steward of the Palaces with 6th class Sacred Treasure order.

Royal Victorian Medal, E.VII.R. (J. T. Warren); Jubilee 1897 (J. T. Warren); Coronation 1902, reverse inscribed, ‘J. T. Warren’; Coronation 1911, (J. T. Warren); Belgium, Order of the Crown, Chevalier’s cross;, Order of the Sacred Treasure, 6th Class; Spain, Order of Isabella the Catholic, Silver Cross; Portugal, Order of Villa Vicosa, 4th Class ; Denmark, King’s Medal of Recompense, with crown, Christian X; France, Medal of Honor; Greece, Royal Household Medal, George I; Italy, Royal Service Medal, Vittorio Emanuele III; Norway, King’s Commemoration Medal, with crown, Haakon, VII; Sweden, Royal Household Medal, Gustaf V.​

 

Medal bar of Major-General R. S. St John, 40th Pathans and 20th (Brownlow’s) Punjabis, Indian Army with 5th class Sacred Treasure order /permission to wear granted on April 5,1904/.

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R.; India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (Lieut. R. S. St. John 40th Bl. Infy.); China 1900, (Lieutt. R. S. St John 40th Punjab Infy.); 1914-15 Star (Maj. R. S. St. John, 20/Infy.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt-Col. R. S. St. John.); Defence Medal; Delhi Durbar 1911, silver; 5th class order of the Sacred Treasure; Serbia, Order of Karageorge, 4th Class breast badge with Swords + U.S.A., Military Order of the Dragon (Lieut. R. S. St. John 40th Pathans No. 727).​

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. /Companion’s neck badge/.

The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, C.I.E., /Companion’s 3rd type badge/.

Richard Stukeley St John was born on 15 January 1876, second son of R. F. St John and Julia Louisa, daughter of Rev. William Churchill. He was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on the Unattached List, 22 January 1896, and appointed to the Indian Army (Staff Corps) on 11 April 1897. He was appointed Officiating Wing Officer, 40th Pathan Regiment, Bengal Infantry, on 2 August 1897, and promoted to Lieutenant on 11 April 1898. Appointed Double Company Officer, 40th Bengal Infantry, attached 20th Punjab Infantry as officiating Double Company Officer (temporary), 14 June 1900; on Staff of China Field Force as Field Intelligence Officer, 1 September 1901; Aide-de-Camp, China Field Force, 1 October 1902 to July 1903; Captain, 22 January 1904; Officiating Officer Adjutant, 20th Infantry (Duke of Cambridge Own - Brownlow’s Punjabis), 6 May 1904; Staff College, Quetta, June 1907 to October 1908; Double Company Commander, 3 October 1908; Staff Captain, Allahabad Brigade, 10 February 1909; D.A.A. & Q.M.G., Karach Brigade, 1 June 1911; Major, 22 January 1914; Brigade Major, 22 May to 27 July, 1915; Temporary Commandant, 20th Bengal Infantry, 10 October 1915 to early 1916; A.Q.M.G. Indian Expeditionary Force ‘D’, 9 March 1916 to 7 June 1917; Lieutenant-Colonel, 3 June 1916; Embarkation Commandant, Bombay Brigade, June 1917 to November 1919; Second in Command, 20th Bengal Infantry, 27 May 1918; Commandant, Administrative Base and Lahore Brigade Area, November 1919 to March 1921; Commander, Lahore Brigade Area, November 1922 to May 1926; D.A & Q.M.G., Northern Command, 2 April 1924; Major-General, 26 March 1926; Brigade Commander, 13th Indian Light Infantry Brigade, 17 May to 3 November, 1926; retired 1929. India and China Medals; Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure; served European War 1914-18 (despatches, D.S.O.); Serbian Order of Karageorge (with crossed swords). Major-General Richard St John died on 6 June 1959.​

 

Medal bar of George Charles Hogbin, 1st Battalion, Scots Guards with 7th class Sacred Treasure order /London Gazette, July 21, 1919/.

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Belmont, Modder River, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast 2590 Pte., Scots Gds.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (2590 Pte., Scots Guards); 1914 Star, with clasp (2590 Pte., S. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals (2590 Pte., S. Gds.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., type 1 (2590 Pte., S. Gds.); Order of The Sacred Treasure, 7th Class.

George Charles Hogbin was born in Ramsgate, Kent and enlisted into the Scots Guards in January 1899 aged 20, at which time he gave his profession as ‘butcher’. He served in France and Flanders with the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards from 26 August 1914. In 1918 he transferred to the 3rd Battalion and took up a post as servant to Lieutenant General Sir W. P. Pulteney, KCB, DSO on attachment to H.Q., 23rd Army Corps at Bury St Edmunds. He was finally discharged from the Scots Guards on 15 February 1920 with an ‘exemplary’ character, having served in the regiment for a little over 21 years.

Private Hogbin was presented with his Japanese Order of The Sacred Treasure whilst serving as servant to Lieutenant General Pultney, KCB, DSO, who himself was involved in organizing the 1918 Mission to Japan, with Prince Arthur of Connaught.​