Awarded to Admiral Sir Max Kennedy Horton (1883-1951) in 1942. Badge: Gold Maltese cross of eight points enamelled in blue and white, each point tipped with a small gold ball resting on crossed swords in gold and surmounted by the Royal Crown. Obverse: On a central blue enamelled plaque, the Netherlands lion in gold, surrounded by a band of white enamel bearing the words 'JE MAINTIENDRAI'. Reverse: A similar central device with the initial 'W' surmounted by a crown surrounded by the words 'GOD ZIG NET ONS'. The badge is worn on the left hip suspended by an orange ribbon with edges of Nassau blue, the colours being devided by a narrow strip of white. Worn across the right shoulder. Star: A radiating silver star of eight principal points mounted with crossed swords in gold, and the central device of the badge.

Horton entered the training ship ‘Britannia’ in 1898. A pioneer submariner, he was given command of the submarine ‘A1’ at the age of 22. In 1914 while in command of the submarine ‘E.9’ he sank the German light cruiser ‘Hecla’ and the destroyer ‘S116’ having penetrated the fortified harbour of Heligoland. For this action Horton was awarded the DSO. He was awarded a bar to his DSO in 1917 for services in the Baltic during 1914-15.
In 1920 he commanded a submarine flotilla in the Baltic against the Bolsheviks and was awarded a second bar. In 1922 he was put in command of a flotilla of ‘K’ class boats. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1932 and to Vice-Admiral in 1936. Admiral Horton was in command of the Reserve Fleet 1937-9, which he brought to a state of preparedness by the time the war began. He also contributed to the defeat of the U-boats as Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches, a post he held until the end of the war. He was promoted to Admiral in 1941 and created GCB in 1945.