Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria to coincide with the OMRS Convention

An interesting Victorian Civil C.B. group of four awarded to Admiral Sir Henry Fairfax, Royal Navy, whose extensive career encompassed Arctic exploration, gallant service against pirates and slavers off Africa and command of H.M.S. Monarch at the bombardment of Alexandria in 1882

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Civil) breast badge, gold, hallmarked London 1875, complete with swivel-ring suspension and gold riband buckle; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (Capt., C.B., A.D.C., R.N., H.M.S. Monarch); Turkish Order of Osmanhieh, 3rd class neck badge, silver, gilt and enamel; Khedive’s Star 1882 the third badly chipped, otherwise good very fine and better (4) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines formed by Commander Ron Champion, RN.

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C.B. (Civil) London Gazette 25 July 1879.

Henry Fairfax, who was born in January 1837, entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in December 1850 and gained advancement to Lieutenant in August 1858. Shortly afterwards, he served in the Amphitrite on two voyages to Baring’s Straits in the Arctic Sea, in order to communicate with the Arctic ship Plover, and reached a position within 40 miles of Point Barrow.

Next appointed to the Ariel, off the south-east coast of Africa, Fairfax was ‘constantly employed on boat service, and for his distinguished conduct on several occasions, especially in the capture of a piratical slaver ... [and] ... great gallantry,’ was specially promoted to the rank of Commander in November 1862.

And on his advancement to post rank in April 1868, Fairfax enjoyed a succession of senior appointments, among them a seat on the Foreign Office committee charged with examining the East African Slave Trade between 1869-70; service as Naval Attache to Sir Bartle Frere on his special mission to the Sultan of Zanzibar and Muscat between 1872-73 and a stint as Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty between 1873-74. In the following year he returned to sea as captain of the Volage, conveying the astronomical expedition to Kerguelen (Desolation Island) for observation of the transit of Venus, and was afterwards, for a short period, Senior Naval Officer on the south-east coast of America.

Recalled to the U.K. in 1877, Fairfax was given command of Britannia, in order to oversee Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales during their time aboard, an appointment that resulted in him being created a C.B. (Civil). And royal approval was again in evidence with his appointment as A.D.C. to Queen Victoria in 1881. He had, in the meantime, been elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, no doubt as a result of his voyages in the Amphitrite and Volage.

The outbreak of hostilities in Egypt in 1882 found Fairfax serving as Captain of the Monarch, and he subsequently commanded that ship at the bombardment of Alexandria in July of the same year, services that won him appointment to C.B. (Military) in the following month. He was, moreover, given command of the Naval and Marine forces that seized Port Said for the preservation of order that August and on departing there in February 1883, his task accomplished, he received through H.M. Agent and Consul-General the thanks of the Egyptian Government for the manner in which public security ahd been maintained.

Advanced to flag rank in July 1885, Fairfax served as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Station between 1887-89, his return to the U.K. being marked by his appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty. And between 1892-94 he commanded the Channel Squadron, prior to taking up a final seagoing posting as commander of the Red Fleet in the Naval Manoeuvres of 1897-98. Fairfax had been created a K.C.B. (Military) back in May 1896 and was advanced to full Admiral in May 1897. He latterly served as a Deputy Lieutenant and J.P. for Roxburghshire.