Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:

A C.B., Second War ‘1943’ O.B.E., ‘1942’ D.S.C. group of ten awarded to Rear-Admiral K. St. Barbe Collins, Royal Navy, who was a specialist in Hydrographic Surveying and served as Hydrographer to the Navy, 1955-60

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s, neck badge, silver-gilt enamel, minor white enamel damage, in Collingwood case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type, breast badge, silver-gilt; Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1942’, hallmarks for London ‘1940’; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, 1 copy clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1953; Haiti, Republic, Order of Honour and Merit, 2nd issue, Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, minor blue and white enamel damage, breast awards mounted court-style as originally worn, generally very fine unless otherwise stated

A Great War Bristol F.2b Gunner Ace’s campaign pair awarded to Lieutenant V. St. Barbe Collins, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, who was credited with 10 ‘Victories’ flying with 48 and 22 Squadron, shooting down 2 enemy aircraft on one day on two separate occasions. He was killed in action on the Western Front, 2 September 1918

British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. V. St. B. Collins. R.A.F.) traces of verdigris, nearly extremely fine (12) £2,000-£3,000

C.B. London Gazette 1 January 1959.

O.B.E. London Gazette 17 December 1943, the original recommendation states:

‘Fleet Hydrographic Officer - By collating data furnished by special reconnaissance surveys and preparing charts to a special scale used in Operation Husky this officer has made a vital contribution to the success of the landings in Sicily. He has combined meticulous accuracy with intensive hard work over a considerable period, which included the charting of occupied harbours in Tunisia and Tripolitania, apart from his ordinary Fleet duties.’

D.S.C. London Gazette 1 January 1942.

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1943.

Haiti, Order of Honour and Merit, Commander, Permission to wear, London Gazette 20 November 1956.

Kenneth St. Barbe Collins was born in 1904, and was the son of Colonel C. B. St. Barbe Collins, C.M.G., D.S.O.. He was educated at Osborne and Dartmouth Naval Colleges, ‘and he specialised in hydrographic surveying in 1926, and until 1938 served mostly overseas including two years each in H.M.S. Ormonde, Herald and Endeavour, mostly in the unsurveyed waters in south-east Asia, where, because of his slightly built figure, he acquired his affectionate nickname “Kitchie” from the Malayan word ‘ketchil’ or ‘little’.

When World War II broke out he was the meteorological officer in the seaplane carrier H.M.S. Albatross, based on Freetown and operating against the Graf Spee squadron. Promoted to Commander in 1940, he commanded H.M.S. Scott, providing the accurate positioning for a minelaying squadron between Iceland and the Faroes for which he was awarded the D.S.C.

From 1942 to 1944 he was on the staff of the Allied Naval Commander Expeditionary Forces, Europe - Admiral Ramsay - involved in planning landings in North Africa, where his specialist surveying knowledge was extremely useful and for which he was appointed O.B.E.

After a spell on the hydrographer’s staff, he commanded H.M.S. Seagull, surveying the west coasts of Scotland and England, being one of the first to use radar ranges to establish the position of his ship whilst surveying.

Promoted to Captain in 1947, he took command of H.M.S. Dampier, one of four frigates, converted to a surveying role, surveying in south-east Asia.

After two years as the Superintendent of Charts at the Hydrographic Department, Cricklewood he took command of H.M.S. Cook, surveying the west of Scotland; in the ship he furthered his interest in oceanography, and took a university expedition to Spitzbergen.

His last seagoing command, the new ship H.M.S Vidal, was the first H.M. ship designed and built specially for surveying since the first Hydrographer of the Navy was appointed in 1795; Vidal was also the first small ship to carry a helicopter flight. During his period in command, the ship played a prominent part in rescue work after a devastating hurricane in Haiti for which he was made a Commander of the Ordre National Honneur et Merite of Haiti.

On appointment as Hydrographer of the Navy initially as a Commodore in 1955 and, and from 1956, as a Rear Admiral, he fostered greater co-operation with national oceanographic and other scientific work; he encouraged innovations such as the introduction of electronic distance measuring equipment for surveying out of sight of land, work study afloat and ashore, and the use of coated plastics instead of copper plates to speed chart production.

He was made a C.B. in 1959, and after his retirement, in 1960, he became consultant to the Canadian Hydrographic Service until 1963, when he returned home to his home in Surrey.’ (Times Obituary, 7 December 1982, refers)

Rear Admiral Collins died in December 1982.

Valentine St. Barbe Collins was the elder brother of the above, and was born in Bermuda in January 1894. He was educated at Wellington College, and was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps in October 1916. After training as an Observer/Air Gunner, Collins was posted for operational service with 45 Squadron in France. He was injured, 29 November 1916, and returned to France for service with 48 Squadron (Bristol F.2b’s) the following year.

Collins quickly amassed his first 3 ‘Victories’ in September 1917. Flying with Second Lieutenant W. D. Bostock (an Australian, who went on to become an Air Vice Marshal) as his pilot, Collins sent down out of control an Albatros over Middelkerke and Ostend, 4 September, and shot down a further 2 Albatros within the space of 15 minutes over Pervijze, 27 September 1917.

Collins transferred to the 22 Squadron (Bristol F.2b’s) the following year, and flew with Lieutenant F. G. Gibbons (an ‘Ace’) as his pilot. Collins added another 2 enemy aircraft to his score whilst flying with Gibbons, the first being 28 June 1918, near Estaire, and the second following on 10 July 1918, near Lille.

Collins reserved his most successful partnership for Lieutenant L. W. King (an ‘Ace’), also of 22 Squadron. Flying with King, Collins accounted for another 5 enemy aircraft between 8 - 27 August 1918. Two of which were destroyed on the same day, 10 August 1918, south-west of Peronne. His luck ran out, whilst flying with Captain B. L. Dowling, 2 September 1918. On the latter date there was intense fighting on the Drocourt-Queant Line abreast the Arras-Cambrai Road. The R.A.F were heavily engaged in the sector, and on that date lost 42 airmen dead, missing, or wounded. Amongst this number were Collins and Dowling, who had taken off early for a morning patrol and were last seen going into clouds east of Cambrai. They were initially listed as missing in action, before being reported killed in action. Neither has a known grave, and both are commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

Sold with copied research, and photographic image of K. St. Barbe Collins.