United Kingdom. The Miniature Awards Of Admiral William A.j. Davies, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (in bronze gilt, measuring 19.5 mm (w) x 21.5 mm (h)); British War Medal, 5 Clasps - NORTH SEA. 1914, NORTH SEA. 1915, MEDITERRANEAN, 1916, NORTH SEA. 1917, NARROW SEAS. 1918 (in silver, measuring 17.8 mm in diameter); Victory Medal (in bronze gilt, measuring 18 mm in diameter); and King George V and Queen Mary Coronation Medal 1911 (in silver, measuring 17.5 mm in diameter). Mounted to a suspension with swing bar pinback, as worn by the veteran, the five clasps privately purchased for the BWM, contact marks on the reverse of the Star, original ribbons, near extremely fine. Accompanied by a Studio Portrait of Davies as a Naval Engineer Cadet (obverse with the photo in a sepia-toned look, studio marked "Doidge & Co Plymouth" on both sides, numbered "24017" in black ink on the reverse, card-mounted and designed with rounded corners, measuring 62 mm (w) x 103 mm (h)); a Studio Portrait of Davies as a newly promoted Commander at Chatham 1906 (in black and white, signed by the photographer in pencil at the lower right, inscribed "William Davies / retired Rear Admiral / on promotion circa 1906" on the reverse, board-mounted, measuring 156 mm (w) x 200 mm (h), exhibiting a hole punched through his shoulder); a Studio Portrait of his wife, Evelyn as a young woman (in black and white, signed by the photographer in pencil at the lower right, board-mounted, measuring 170 mm (w) x 243 mm (h)); a Postcard Sent by Davies to His Mother at Stoke (in black and white, obverse illustrating Davies and his wife, Evelyn at home in their drawing room, reverse with a postcard-style backer, inscribed and addressed in black ink, bearing a one penny Postage & Revenue Gibraltar stamp and postmarked December 13, 1909 at Gibraltar, measuring 138 mm (w) x 85 mm (h)); along with two research papers.

Footnote: William A.J. Davies was appointed an Engineer with the Royal Navy in 1891 and became an Engineer Lieutenant in 1891. Fifteen years later, he was named Engineer Commander in 1906. He was a recipient of the King George V and Queen Mary Coronation Medal in 1911. Davies was posted as a Engineer Commander to the King Edward VII-class battleship HMS Commonwealth on September 13, 1913. He was with HMS Commonwealth when war hostilities began in late July 1914, becoming an Engineer Captain in 1916, and would remain with the ship throughout most of the First World War, serving just shy of four years with HMS Commonwealth, until July 1917. Engineer Captain Davies was assigned to the Cressy-class armoured cruiser HMS Bacchante on July 27, 1917, finishing his war service with the ship. He would join the Invincible-class battlecruiser HMS Inflexible on February 22, 1919, serving with them for a little over a year, before being transferred to the Reşadiye class dreadnought battleship HMS Erin on March 17, 1920. Davies was named Engineer Admiral in 1921 and retired from service on May 11, 1921, having served thirty years with the Royal Navy. For his First World War service, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.