Awarded to Admiral of the Fleet Sir Archibald Berkeley Milne (1855-1938) in 1912. Badge: Uniface. A gold Maltese cross of eight points enamelled white, in the centre of which as an oval of crimson enamel with the cypher 'V.R.I.' in gold letters. Encircling this is a blue enamel riband with the name 'VICTORIA' in gold letters and above this an Imperial crown enamelled in proper colours. Suspended by a loop and ring from a broad dark blue ribbon with red/white/red edges. The sash is worn over the right shoulder with the badge on the left hip. Star: a silver chipper star of eight points charged with the badge (worn on the left breast)

Archibald Milne, the son of Sir Alexander Milne entered the Navy in 1869 and served in the Channel and the Mediterranean in the ‘Trafalgar’ and then in the ‘Royal Alfred’, flagship on the North America and West Indies Station. He went to the ‘Sirius’, Newfoundland Division of the Station in 1873 and afterwards to the ‘Raleigh’ in the Channel, West Indies and at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1875 he became a sub-lieutenant and a lieutenant in the following year. He next joined the ‘Tourmaline’, Cape Station, transferring later to the ‘Active’ and the ‘Boadicea’. During the Zulu War of 1879, he served with the Naval Brigade. Between 1879 and 1882 he was in the ‘Minotaur’ in the Channel, going then to the Mediterranean, and once again serving on shore during the Egyptian operation. Having been promoted to commander in 1884, Milne served in the Royal Yacht before going again to the Channel Squadron in the ‘Minotaur’, 1886. He turned over to the ‘Northumberland’, also in the Channel Squadron, 1887 to 1889. From 1889 to 1893 he commanded the Royal Yacht ‘Osborne’, being promoted to captain in 1891. After service in the Mediterranean and the Channel, he became a rear-admiral in 1904 and second-in-command, Atlantic Fleet, in 1905. He commanded the Second Division of the Home Fleet until 1910. In 1912 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, his term of office expiring soon after the outbreak of war in 1914. The latter part of this command saw the escape of the ‘Goeben’ and the ‘Breslau’ into Turkish waters, consequently, Milne was not employed again, his appointment to the Nore being cancelled. Despite his vigorous efforts to justify his conduct, Milne was unable to reverse this decision. He retired in 1919.