British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Imperial Military Order of the Dragon awarded to Vice-Admiral Sir Theodore Hallett, K.B.E., C.B., Royal Navy

U.S.A., Imperial Military Order of the Dragon (Lieut. Theodore J. Hallett, Royal Navy, No. 752), complete with “Pagoda” suspension bar and old (stained and frayed) silk riband, good very fine £1200-1400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by The Late John Hillard.

View
Collection

Only 20 Naval officers became members of the Military Order of the Dragon.

Theodore John Hallett was born at Hardwick, Warwickshire in January 1878 and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in July 1891. Advanced to Lieutenant in December 1899, he witnessed active service off China in H.M.S. Phoenix and gained entitlement to the China Medal without clasp, in addition to becoming a member of the Imperial Military Order of the Dragon.

By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was serving in the rank of Commander aboard the battleship Neptune, in which capacity he remained employed until removing to the Royal Sovereign in March 1916 and, in June 1917, to the cruiser Blonde, as a newly promoted Captain. He was awarded the C.B.E. in September 1919 for ‘His valuable command of H.M. Ships and as Flag Captain to the Rear-Admiral commanding the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron’ (his service record refers).

Advanced to Rear-Admiral in April 1928, Hallett received a glowing report from Admiral Sir Roger Keyes for his services as Captain of the Fleet in the Mediterranean, became an A.D.C. to the King in the same year, and was appointed C.B. in January 1931, prior to being placed on the Retired List in the rank of Vice-Admiral in January 1933.

Recalled on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, he was employed in the press section of the Naval Intelligence Department, prior to being appointed to special service in the rank of Commodore 2nd Class in February 1940, and as a Commodore of Convoys that June, his service record further noting that he was mentioned in despatches for Dunkirk (London Gazette 16 August 1940 refers). Shortly thereafter, however, he transferred to Combined Operations as a C.O. of assorted training centres, in which capacity he served until joining the Staff of the C.-in-C. Portsmouth in March 1944, a wartime record that won him the following praise from Admiral Lord Mountbatten:

‘Vice-Admiral Hallett originally commanded the Combined Training Centre at Inveraray and later was appointed Director of Combined Training. Much of the technique of Combined Operations owes its inception to him. He proved himself a most loyal and charming colleague and was universally popular with all whom he came in contact.’

Hallett was awarded the K.B.E. in June 1944 and reverted to the Retired List in October 1945.