British War Medal 1914-18

Awarded to Commander Robert Neville Stopford RN (1888-1949). Obverse: Head of King George V (left). Legend: 'GEORGIVS V BRITT : OMN : REX ET IND : IMP:' Reverse: A Knight on horseback (right) a short sword in his right hand, trampling on the German shield, skull and cross-bones. Legend: '1914-18': Engraved on the edge: 'LT.COMMR R.N. STOPFORD, R.N.' Fitted with a bar and orange watered silk ribbon edged with blue, black and white stripes.

Robert Neville Stopford was the son of Vice-Admiral Robert Wilbraham Stopford and came from a distinguished naval family. His naval career began as a ‘Britannia’ cadet on 15 September 1903. He was promoted to Lieutenant after suffering burns during a petrol explosion on Submarine A1 on 6 August 1910. Stopford at the start of a career in submarines. When H6 ran aground on the Dutch coast in January 1917, he was temporarily interned (the vessel was sold to the Netherlands in May 1917). He joined R-7 at the end of the war and on 1 October 1918 was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander. He retired with the rank of Commander in 1929 and from 1931 was appointed as naval advisor to Chinese officers undergoing training in England. In May 1938, the Chinese government presented him with the Order of Brilliant Jade. He was re-employed during World War II, being returned to the retired list in 1946.

Stopford married Ursula Ebblethwaite on 4 June 1919 at St James, Piccadilly but the couple subsequently divorced.

Object Details

ID: MED2703
Collection: Coins and medals
Type: War medal
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Mackennal, Edgar Bertram; McMillan, William
Events: World War I, 1914-1918
Date made: 1919
People: Stopford, Robert Neville
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 36 mm