Awarded to Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly (1857-1938). Badge: Obverse: White enamelled, silver gilt Maltese cross of eight points, in the centre of which on a crimson oval is the cypher 'VRI' in gold encircled by a blue enamel riband inscribed: 'VICTORIA'. in gold surmounted by an Imperial crown. Inscription on reverse: 'C103'. Suspended from a neck ribbon of dark blue edged with red/white/red stripes.

Lewis Bayly was the son of Captain Saltron Keats Neville Bayly, Royal Horse Artillery - a grand nephew of Admiral Richard Goodwin Keats. He entered the Navy as a cadet on 15 July 1870. He was appointed rear admiral in 1913, he commanded the First Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet during the opening months of World War I. In December 1914 he was given command of the Channel Fleet. He was appointed President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in 1915 and in July that year was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding on the coast of Ireland based at Queenstown. From 1917, when he was promoted admiral, this command was entitled Commander-in-Chief, coast of Ireland. Bayley’s role was to protect the Western Approaches from U-boat attacks. In command of a British-American force, he was aided by his experience as Naval Attaché in Washington 1900-1902. After this active service came to an end, he retired in 1919.
Bayley married Yves Henrietta Voysey Stella in 1892, they had no children.