Badge and star: Order of Charles III, 2nd class 1814-31

Awarded to Adm Fleet John Arbuthnot Fisher (1841-1920).. Badge: A gold Maltese cross with eight points enamelled in blue and white, each point bearing a small gold ball, with a gold fleur de lis between each arm. Obverse: On a oval gold plaque surrounded by an oval of blue enamel, is an enamel figure of the Virgin standing on a silver crescent, clad in a white tunic and blue mantle interspersed with silver stars. Reverse: The initials of the founder within a laurel wreath and the legend 'VIRTUTI ET MERITO' on the blue oval in gold letters. It is suspended from a pale blue watered silk sash ribbon. This would be worn across the right shoulder by a gold chaplet of laurel leaves. Star: Silver Maltese cross of eight points with silver knobs on the points, between the arms are four gold fleur-de-lis, centre on an oval gilt plaque an enamel representation of the Virgin in a white tunic with blue mantle interspersed with gold stars. Upper half of the plaque edged in silver and blue enamel, below a white enamel band edged blue and gold, the words 'VIRTUTI ET MERITO' on either side 'III' (for Charles III) within a green enamelled laurel wreath.

Fisher was a notable technical and strategic innovator who played a major role in modernising the Royal Navy prior to World War I. In 1886 he was appointed Director of Naval Ordinance and Torpedoes. His time as First Sea Lord from 1904 to 1910 saw the introduction of the turbine engine in the Royal Navy and the construction of HMS ‘Dreadnought’. The fleet was concentrated closer to the British Isles to meet the threat from Germany. He was briefly appointed First Sea Lord again during 1914 after the British defeat at Coronel, but resigned after seven months following disagreements with Churchill over the Dardanelles expedition.