The mounted group of fifteen miniature dress medals attributed to Paymaster Rear-Admiral H. H. Share, K.B.E., C.B., C.V.O., Royal Navy, Order of the British Empire, 1st type, Military Division, silver-gilt and enamel; Order of the Bath, Military Division, silver-gilt and enamel, with gold straight bar suspension and gold buckle on ribbon; Royal Victorian Order, silver-gilt and enamel; Egypt 1882-89, dated rev. no clasp; 1914 Star; British War Medal 1914-20, 4 clasps, North Sea 1914, North Sea 1915, North Sea 1916, Jutland 31 May 16; Victory Medal 1914-19, M.I.D. oak leaf; Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, 4th Class, silver-gilt and enamel, rosette on ribbon; Russia, Order of St. Anne, with swords, gold and enamel, rosette on ribbon; Japan, Order of the Rising Sun, gold and enamel, rosette on ribbon; France, Croix de Guerre 1914-18, bronze palm on ribbon; Khedive’s Star 1882, mounted Court style, in Gaunt, London leather case, lid embossed, ‘Sir Hamnet Share’, generally nearly extremely fine (15) £350-450

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Carol Benton Collection of Miniature Medals.

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Ex Gordon Fairbank Collection.

Hamnet Holditch Share was born in Penryn, Cornwall on 19 May 1864. Entering the Royal Navy in 1880, he served in the Egypt war of 1882 and served aboard the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert during 1892-99. He was appointed Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Station 1899-1900 and Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief of the Australia Station 1901-03. During 1903-04 he held the post of Private Secretary to Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, Governor of New South Wales and during 1904-8 held a similar post with Lord Northcote, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1911 he was appointed Secretary to Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, then in command of the Atlantic Fleet, and remained with Jellicoe when he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet 1914-17. Present at Jutland, he was awarded the C.B. in 1916 and gained the St. Anne 2nd Class, Rising Sun 3rd Class, Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre for his war services. He served as Secretary to Admiral of Fleet Viscount Jellicoe on the Naval Mission to India and the Dominions, 1919-20 and was awarded the K.B.E. in 1920, retiring from the navy the following year. As Paymaster Rear-Admiral (retired) he was appointed Gentleman Usher in Ordinary to the King 1922-34 and was awarded the C.V.O. in 1934, the same year he was appointed Extra Gentleman Usher. Rear-Admiral Share died on 26 June 1937.