The important G.B.E., K.C.B. group of fourteen awarded to Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer,...

‘As an authority on gun matters, he is unrivalled – the greatest authority on Fire Control questions in the British Navy.’ So concluded Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, in assessing the capabilities of Frederic Dreyer, his Flag Captain at Jutland, in a report dated 4 October 1916. The important G.B.E., K.C.B. group of fourteen awarded to Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer, Royal Navy, Flag Captain to Admiral Sir John Jellicoe in the Iron Duke at Jutland; a noted expert in naval gunnery, Dreyer’s fire-control system was adopted by the Admiralty in the lead up to the Great War, a timely development that undoubtedly contributed to the award of the C.B. (Military) for the battle of Jutland and to Iron Duke’s unrivalled reputation for speed and accuracy The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, G.B.E. (Military) Knight Grand Cross, 2nd type, set of insignia, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt, and enamels, and breast star, silver and enamels, with full dress sash, in Garrard, London case of issue; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s, set of insignia by Garrard, London, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamels, minor damage to blue enamel on reverse, and breast star, silver, gold and enamels, in Garrard, London case of issue; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Civil) Companion’s, breast badge, converted for neck wear; 1914-15 Star (Capt. F. C. Dreyer, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. F. C. Dreyer. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; France, 3rd Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer's breast badge, gold and enamels, hairline cracks to white enamel; United States of America, Distinguished Service Medal (Navy), the medals and foreign awards mounted court-style as worn, unless otherwise described, nearly extremely fine (16) £5,000-£7,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Spink, April 2004 G.B.E. London Gazette Coronation Honours List May 1937. K.C.B. London Gazette 3 June 1932. C.B. (Civil) London Gazette 22 June 1914. C.B. (Military) London Gazette 15 September 1916: ‘Commanded and handled the Fleet Flagship most ably during the action. The rapidity with which hitting was established on ships of the enemy’s fleet was the result of long and careful organisation and training of personnel.’ French Legion of Honour, Officer London Gazette 12 December 1918. [Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class London Gazette 8 March 1920] [Russian Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class London Gazette 1 October 1917] U.S.A. Distinguished Service Medal (Navy) London Gazette 16 September 1919. Frederic Charles Dreyer was born on 8 January 1878, the son of a Danish astrologer who was granted British citizenship in March 1885. He entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in July 1891 and was appointed a Midshipman in July 1893. Having then gained advancement to Lieutenant in July 1898, he took a First with Honours in an advanced course for Gunnery and Torpedo Lieutenants and served in that capacity in battleship H.M.S. Exmouth in 1904-07. It was in this period that he commenced his pioneering research into fire control, work which resulted in him joining the revolutionary Dreadnought for an ‘experimental cruise’ in 1907. Of special interest to Dreyer was the fact that she was the first battleship to have a uniform main battery, rather than a few large guns complemented by a secondary armament of smaller guns. The result of his work - Dreyer’s Fire Control Table - was indicative of his approach to gunnery, namely plotting ranges and bearings versus time, using a range clock and other accessories to help relay data, and to develop a continuous hypothesis of range and deflection to send to guns’ crews. Their Lordships of the Admiralty were duly impressed, and he was advanced to Commander and appointed Assistant to the Director of Naval Ordnance. Dreyer’s talents also caught the eye of another noted gunnery expert, Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, under whom he served as Flag Commander in the Prince of Wales in 1910-12. A spell on the War Staff having then ensued, he was advanced to Captain in June 1913 and awarded the C.B. (Civil) in June 1914. By the outbreak of hostilities, Dreyer was serving as Flag Captain to Jellicoe in the Orion, following which he accompanied the Admiral to his new command, the Iron Duke. Given his senior role in the battle, Dreyer’s name looms large in numerous histories. Few of them fail to pay tribute to his skilful command and the fact that Iron Duke’s gunnery record for speed and accuracy was unrivalled, a record assisted by executing the classic ‘crossing the T’ manoeuvre. It was indeed to Dreyer that Jellicoe turned as the opposing sides closed each other in the early evening of 31 May 1916, requesting his Flag Captain’s opinion as to the most favourable direction in which to engage the enemy fleet, then heading north in pursuit of Admiral Beatty’s squadron. In Dreyer’s own words, ‘I reported to him that the most favourable direction was to the southward, and would [then] draw westwards as the sun sank.’ As evidenced by Iron Duke’s subsequent actions, he was bang on the mark, for at 1830 hours she had a clear view of the Koenig lit up against the sinking sun: in less than five minutes, Iron Duke fired nine salvoes, hitting the Koenig seven times. She also took out the German destroyer S-35. Arguably the most momentous moment aboard Iron Duke was awaiting news of the enemy’s precise position, a period of deep concern for Jellicoe and Dreyer. When Beatty finally imparted that information, Jellicoe reacted swiftly, a moment captured by Dreyer, who was standing by the compasses on the manoeuvring platform: ‘I then heard at one the sharp, distinctive step of the Commander-in-Chief approaching - he had steel strips on his heels. He stepped quickly onto the platform round the compasses and looked in silence at the magnetic compass card for 20 seconds. I watched his keen, brown, weather-beaten face with tremendous interest, wondering what he would do. With iron nerve he had pressed on through the mist with his 24 huge ships, each weighing 25,000 tons or more, until the last possible moment, so as to get into effective range and make the best tactical manoeuvre after obtaining the news of the position of the enemy Battle Fleet, which was his objective. I realised as I watched him that he was as cool and unmoved as ever. Then he looked up and broke the silence with the order in his clear, crisp-cut voice to Commander A. R. W. Woods, the Fleet Signal Officer, who was standing a little abaft me, “Hoist equal-speed pendant, south-east.” Woods said, “Would you make it a point to port, Sir, so that they know it is on the port-wing column?” This was a small matter and not actually necessary in view of Jellicoe’s habit of commencing the deployment in the Iron Duke while the signal was being answered. Jellicoe replied at once, “Very well. Hoist equal-speed pendant south-east by east.” ’ Of such moments, history is made. Jellicoe would later pay tribute to Dreyer in The Grand Fleet 1914-1916: ‘The mist rendered range taking a difficult matter, but the fire of the Squadron was effective. Iron Duke, having previously fired at a light cruiser between the lines, opened fire at 6.30 p.m. on a battleship of the Konig class at a range of 12,000 yards...