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Picture courtesy of Spink

From their catalogue in 1988. Estimate was £650.

Group of sixteen to Sidney John Miller

(a) Q.S.A. 3 bars Cape Colony, Orange Free State, S. Africa 1901 (Pte. Rl. Warwick Regt.).
(b) Royal Victorian Medal George VI, silver.
(c) 1902 Edward VH Coronation Medal bronze.
(d) 1911 George V Coronation Medal.
(e) 1935 George V Jubilee Medal.
(f) 1937 George VI Coronation Medal.
(g) Royal Household Faithful Service Medal Geo. V with bar ‘Twenty years’ (J. Miller).
(h) France, Medal of Honour silver.
(i) Italy, Royal Service Medal, Vittorio Emanuele III gold medal.
(j) Russia, Medal for Zeal silver, Nicholas II, with St. Anne riband.
(k) Belgium. King Albert Service Medal silver.
(l) Norway, King Haakon Coronation 1906 Medal bronze.
(m) Greece, Royal Household Medal silver.
(n) Roumania, Loyal Service Cross 3rd Class bronze.
(o) Yugoslavia, Royal Household Medal Alexander I, gilt with crown.
(p) Greece, Medal of the Order of George I gilt.

The lot included two photographs and full biographical details which show that he entered the royal household in 1902 and retired in 1943. Assistant valet to George V.

A London Blitz GM group to Lt Cdr T A Herriott, RN.


Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden.

GM GVI (Lieut. Cdr. Thomas Herriott, R.N.);
QSA (0) (T. A. Herriott, Lg. Sean. H.M.S. Terrible);
China (1) Relief of Pekin (T. A. Herriott. Lg. Sean, H.M.S. Terrible,);
1914-15 Star (Gnr. T. A. .Herriott, R.N.);
[BWM]
[VM]
[DM]

GM LG 23 September 1941 ‘for fortitude and devotion to duty while serving with a fire party during an air raid on the Port of London’

Original recommendation states: ‘The ship was alongside the pontoon of Tower Pier during a heavy raid. Many fire bombs were dropped. Lieutenant Commander Herriott led a party of two Officers and four Seamen on to the pontoon to put out fires, and to bring an A.F.S. pump into action. Soon after midnight a heavy bomb struck the pontoon, killing or mortally wounding the four Seamen and wounding both Officers. Lieutenant Commander Herriott’s right arm was shattered and has since been amputated. In spite of this he devoted himself, with total disregard to his own condition, to tending and encouraging the wounded. When a rescue party arrived, he refused to have anything done for himself. He took charge of the work removing the injured. This Officer displayed the greatest courage throughout the whole attack.’)

Thomas Albert Herriott was born 3 September 1878 at Lillington, Sussex, and entered the Royal Navy in time to serve as Leading Seaman aboard H.M.S. Terrible towards the end of the Second Anglo Boer War. He was also present aboard this ship during the Boxer Rebellion in China, where he took part in the Relief of Pekin. He reached the rank of Gunner, and served for a time aboard H.M.S. Drake between November 1904 and January 1910, where none other than Captain John Jellicoe considered Herriott ‘Zealous and Promising’. He continued to serve aboard Seahorse, Shannon, and Good Hope before the outbreak of WWI, often taking on additional duties as Navigating Officer.

He served aboard H.M.S. Duncan on 8 August 1914, and later transferred to the General Craufurd on 6 January 1917 thus being present in support of the First Ostend Raid in April 1918. He was promoted to the commissioned position of Chief Gunner soon after on 13 September 1918, and passed his officer examinations to become Lieutenant on 31 December 1921 whilst serving aboard Racer. He continued to serve in this capacity until repeated dislocation of his shoulder appears to have led to his discharge and retirement at Haslar on 3 September 1928, when he was placed on the retired list. He was then promoted to Lieutenant Commander (Retired) on 21 December 1929. In civilian life he resided in Cowplain near Portsmouth , and took up the positions of Chairman of Havant and Waterlooville Urban District Council, member of Hampshire County Council.

He rejoined the Royal Navy early in 1940 to serve in WW2, presumably for home service (given his age at 62). While doing so, he was recommended for the George Medal for battling with incendiaries which had fallen on Tower Pier, Tower Bridge, at the Port of London, on the night of 7 8 September 1940. This night was the first night of the London ‘Blitz’ which would continue unrelenting for a further 56 nights. Whilst specific details regarding the incident remain scant (other than those provided above), we know that Lieutenant Commander Herriott was seriously wounded and most of his team were killed by a German bomb, and that Herriott lost his forearm as a direct result of his injuries. Tower Pier was located just in front of the Tower itself, and close by the iconic Tower Bridge. Herriott was awarded the George Medal the following year, and his picture was included in several important newspapers at that time. He sadly died soon after the culmination of war on 30 July 1946, at the age of 67, being buried at Waterlooville Cemetery.


photo, taken on the same evening of 7 September 1940

Have been watching the sale of the GM/QSA group. It hammered for £5,000. Then there's the 27.5% fees!

I think the price actually paid by Thomas Herriott was very considerably greater, he certainly paid an appalling price for his actions, I really do not think his medal group was expensive.

Frank Kelley wrote: I think the price actually paid by Thomas Herriott was very considerably greater, he certainly paid an appalling price for his actions, I really do not think his medal group was expensive.

I quite agree, a civilian VC at the cost of three ABW DCMs - most of which don't come with any kind of citation.

Agreed. I've never seen that combination before either.