WW1 Civilian Officer Royal Corps of Naval Constructors medal group badge Wallond

WW1 Civilian Officer of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors medal group and badge to Senior Staff Officer Walter Harold Wallond, who served 44 years.

1914/15 Star, impressed named ASST. CONSTR. W.H.WALLOND. R.N.; British War and Victory Medals, impressed named ASST. CONSTR. W.H.WALLOND. R.C.N.C.; Royal Corps of Naval Constructors badge impressed named W.H.WALLOND 104 and FIRMIN & SONS LTD marked to the rear. Comes with copies medal roll, Navy lists, newspaper articles, and research. This is a rather rare and unique lot it is highly unlikely that a badge, never mind a medal group to the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors will come up for sale again. The Royal Corps of Navel Constructors was a civilian branch of the Royal Navy for the design and navel architecture of British warships and supervision of their construction in Royal Dockyards.

Senior Staff Officer Walter Harold Wallond was born on the 15/5/1888 at Maidstone, Kent. Whilst his father was a fish market manager Waldon was successful in obtaining a position as an Engineer Cadet with the Royal Navy by competitive examination in 1904. Wallond was clearly an intelligent man and was accepted into the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors as an Assistant Constructor 2nd Class 3/3/1914. The Corps of Navel Constructors is unique in that they are civilians but were required to spend a year’s sea time serving in the R.N. Wallond served on H.M.S King George V as an Engineer Lieutenant 3/3/1914, qualifying for the 1914 – 15 trio. He was promoted to Asst Con 1st class 1917, Constructor 1930, Chief Constructor 1940 and to Senior Staff 1945, retiring in 1948, Counting his ‘apprenticeship’ from 1904 his career spanned 44 years including postings to Hong Kong 1930, Chatham 1930, Sheerness Yard 1943 and as the Senior Staff Officer N.W. Area Jan 1945. Sadly, he took his own life April 1948 at Birkenhead.