Cambridge District Scout Archive
This is a list of medals that fall outside the pages on Gallantry medals (level 2 and above), Scout awards and awards for significant political or civil services, MBE, OBE, etc.
They are selected for being somewhat unusual or awarded for a notable act. The specific citations are not always available.
- Gallantry medals (including MBE/OBE for gallantry) are discussed in Structure/ District/ Early Support
- Scout Awards are under Awards, Badges and Insignia/ National Awards
- No list of other awards such as MBE, OBE has been compiled.
Richard Crabtree 5th Cambridge & County c. 1970 – 1995 Polar Medal
The Medal may be conferred on those who have personally made conspicuous contributions to the knowledge of Polar regions or who have rendered prolonged service of outstanding quality in support of acquisition of such knowledge and who, in either case, have undergone the hazards and rigours imposed by the Polar environment. The Medal may also be awarded in recognition of individual service of outstanding quality in support of the objectives of Polar expeditions, due account being taken of the difficulties overcome. Richard was a member of the British Antarctic Survey for ten years. See page under People/ Individuals
Robert Stoneley (Professor) 60th Cambridge (Leys) 1942 – 1948 c Polar Medal
Member of the BAS he was awarded Polar Medal in 1953. He was also the recipient of
- Lyell Fund
- Coke Medal,
- Mackay Hammer (Geological Soc of NZ)
- Petroleum Group Medal
Col Freddie Spencer Chapman Cambridge University Rovers 1926 – 1929 Polar Medal and the recipient of the Polar Medal with the clasp ‘Arctic 1930 – 1931’. He was one of the members of Gino Watkins team. See
- Structure/ Sections/ Patrols Names in Cambridge
- Patrol Names/ Cambridge Connections
Col Freddie Spencer Chapman DSO and bar was also the recipient of
- Gill Memorial Medal (Royal Geographical Society) outstanding lifetime contributions to ornithology
- Lawrence of Arabia Medal (Royal Society for Asian Affairs) outstanding merit in the fields of exploration, research or literature
- Mungo Park Medal (Royal Scottish Geographical Society) outstanding contributions to geographical knowledge
Rev R J P Peyton- Burbery ACC Sea Scouts c. 1935 Sea Gallantry Medal (SGM)
The Sea Gallantry Medal (SGM) is an award for civil gallantry at sea in Great Britain and the Commonwealth. They were first awarded either for ‘humanity’ (where there was little risk to the life of the recipient), or for gallantry (where there was significant risk to the recipient). Now superseded by the Queens Gallantry Medal.
Rev Peyton- Burbery was a RN Chaplin. ‘On the 7th September 1915, the S.S. “Pollockshields” (of Sunderland) stranded on the reefs at Bermuda and during the night the vessel broke in two. On the following day a whaler manned by local fishermen was launched and managed to secure a line to the wreck. The boat then veered astern just clear of the surf and Mr. Peyton-Burbery swam over to her from the beach with a line. As it was impossible to take the boat alongside the wreck, the shipboard men were hauled through the water into the boat by means of a buoy with endless line attached, and the boat was then hauled towards the shore and the men were assisted ashore through the surf.’
Frederick Cecil Harrold 7th Cambridge Battle of Britain Clasp
The Battle of Britain Clasp was instituted in 1945 for award to air crew members on fighter aircraft who took part in the Battle of Britain from 10 July to 31 October 1940. A total of 2,936 airmen qualified for the clasp.
- Rt War Medal
- Middle Air Crew Europe Star with Battle of Britain clasp
- Lt 1939-1945 Medal
Frederick died 28th September 1940 when his Hurricane was shot down. He is buried in St. Andrews, Cherry Hinton.
Rev Anthony Thomas Pepper 60th Cambridge Awarded the Chevalier (Knight) of the Order of Leopold II with the palm Croix de Guerre 1940 by H R H The Prince Regentof Belgium in 1947 for his part in the relief of the Antwerp.
Gerald Hugh Smyth 5th Cambridge Awarded Orders of St Stanislaus and St Anna whilst with the RN Armoured Division in Russia before 1917. The Order of Saint Stanislaus 3rd degree became the junior award of Russian orders and was the most common reward. Almost all military and government employees as well as civilians who served the empire with a blameless record, and who has status in the Russian table of ranks, received the award. The lower orders give personal nobility (that is not hereditary) and a pension. St Anna was awared for a distinguished career in civil service or for valour and distinguished service in the military. The degree of the award and the details of the action are not given. G H Smyth later joined the RAF and died in a plane crash.
W T Thurbon Awarded Queens Silver Jubilee Medal 1977 An award only issued on this occasion
T M Cherry and T G Room University and Town. Smith Prize for Mathematics These two mathematicians were awarded the Smith Prize, in 1924 and 1925 respectively. A Cambridge Prize it is awarded to the best research mathematics has a very high incidence of winners becoming Professors (as they did). Run from 1769 previous recent winners include Alan Turing and Fred Hoyle. Edward Carey Francis (4th) won the Rayleigh Medal in 1926, also for mathematics, for Cambridge graduates.
David Loades 5th Cambridge and later started a District Senior Scout Patrol. He received the Prince Consort Medal and Seeley Medal. These are awarded to Cambridge PhD students for the best dissertation involving original historical research. The Prince Consort Medal is given every second year, (the Thirwell Prize every alternate year). The Seeley Medal is awarded in addition only in cases of exceptional merit.
Sidney Martin Hattersley MC & Croix de Guerre WW1 See also POW. Mentioned in local press, at Emmanuel College. Remained in RAMC and died on active service from an illness in WW2. Troop not identified.
Professor John Stanley Gardiner Awarded the Agassiz Medal of the American National Academy of Sciences for original contributions to Oceanography. Linnaean Medal of the Linnaean Society of London and the Darwin Medal of Royal Society. He lead major expeditions to study coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, the first in 1900.
Professor Stratton DSO (County President) Awarded Order of Sacred Treasure (III Class [of eight]) for his work in Japan in 1935/6 where he was observing the Solar Eclipse and working in the Universities. For those distinguished achievements in ‘research fields, business industries, healthcare, social work, state/local government fields or the improvement of life for handicapped/impaired persons’
H M Hake Croix de Guerre WW1 15th Cambridge and Cambridgeshire Regiment and later General Staff.
General Dr. Harold Hedley ADC 1928 Hon Surgeon to The King vice Surgeon General Sir L D Spencer deceased. (Gazetted 20/1/1916) Companion of the Star of India. Indian Medical Service.
Not a scout but…
Gino Watkins, one of the ‘names’ given to Senior Scouts won the 1932 Founder’s Medal from the Royal Geographical Society.
JWR Archivist Mar/ Jun 2020
Cambridge District Scout Archive 