Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Lieutenant N. L. Villiers, Royal Navy

France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (Sub. Lt. N. L. Villiers. R.N.) mounted on card for display, nearly extremely fine (3) £240-£280

Nicholas Lister Villiers was born in 1926 at Paddington, London, the son Lieutenant Commander Thomas Hyde Villiers R.N. and Eleanor Croft. He was educated at Keate House, Eton College (Officers Training Corps) and was appointed a Probationary Temporary Midshipman, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, on 2 October 1944, and Midshipman R.N.V.R. on 2 March 1944. He first appears aboard the Colony Class cruiser H.M.S. Jamaica on 9 April 1945 then serving in home waters. Jamaica embarked H.M. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on 6 June 1945 for a visit to the Channel Islands. Whilst in Jamaica he was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 19 November 1945, and confirmed in the rank on 19 May 1946. He was next appointed to H.M.S. Oceanway on 12 July 1948. In February 1947 he became First Lieutenant of Motor Launch 237 and later in the year accepted an offer to transfer to the Royal Navy with seniority as a Sub Lieutenant of 19 May 1946.
On 31 March 1947 Villiers was appointed to the Hunt Class (Type III) destroyer H.M.S. Haydon serving with the Mediterranean Fleet, and in this vessel he saw service off the coast of Palestine which entitled him to the Naval General Service Medal with clasp ‘Palestine 1945-48’. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 19 May 1948, and on 11 August 1948 he was appointed to the cruiser H.M.S. Sirius. On 4 April 1949 he joined H.M.S. Barrage, and then moved to the aircraft transport ship H.M.S. Seafox on 23 November 1950.

He was next appointed on 25 December 1951 to H.M.S. Neptune, the ship of the Senior Officer Reserve Flotilla Chatham, ‘for duties with reserve flotilla’. In January 1952 he resigned, but elected to be placed on the List of Emergency Officers. He continued to serve on the Emergency List until 1958 when his obligation to recall expired. He died on 24 July 1984, at Bromeswell, Woodbridge, Suffolk.