15929636460001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141598168668055902816428817950001686679273393fitz-onlineadlib-object-141598https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/1415985845de05-6bf2-37be-a268-4d250ff05c086referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsThe Order of St Stanislas was Polish in origin, being founded by the Polish king of that name in 1765; it was incoporated with the Russian orders by Tsar Nicholas I after the November Uprising of 1830-1831 in Poland. There were three classes in the Order.
During the collapse of Tsarist Russia in the Revolution of 1917, a Provisional Government was briefly formed to represent the interests of government against the Bolshevik factions of the new order, and then various regional governments were formed in their wake, but what came to be classed as White Russian (as opposed to Red) resistance was eventually (by the end of 1918) crystallised around the Siberian Regional Government led by the Vice-Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak.
Despite the death of not only Tsar Nicholas II in 1917 but Grand Duke Michael his notional successor in 1918, effectively ending the Romanov royal line in whose name they were given, Kolchak's government maintained the issue of royal decorations and orders until the final collapse of the White Russian resistance in 1921, by which time Kolchak, perhaps their most capable military leader, had been made to resign.
This Badge is not named, but we know from its provenance that it was awarded to 2nd Lieutenant John Mitchell, of the Royal Air Force contingent that served in South Russia in support of British forces embroiled in the unsuccessful defence of White Russia, with whose other medals Lester Watson acquired it. Mitchell's endeavours in this theatre won him decorations both for military gallantry and life-saving actions from each of Britain and the White Russians.
Although the catalogue of the Watson Collection considers Mitchell's awards as its Group 7, the medals of that group are not physically attached and so have been treated separately here. Nonetheless it was as a group that Lester Watson purchased them, from the London dealers Baldwin in 1928.CM.1501-20091accession numberCM.1501-2009141598priref141598Watson Catalogue355orderingM-0387previous object numberLW.0365gurihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141598https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141598Monogram in centre in green & gold enamelled laurel wreath, on crossed swords with double-headed eagle surmounted by shield and with shield on chest at each protrusion, whole on Maltese Cross of eight points with gilt pearl at each corner, ring at each end from uppermost of which is arranged suspensionobverseSSdesignMonogram in centre on gilt Maltese Cross of eight points with gilt pearl at each point, on crossed swordsreversedesignreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumGiven by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009referenceagent-206432adlib-agent-206432e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afbWatson, Lester200920092009givenon loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-2009191919191919statereferenceagent-173747adlib-agent-173747a35ce2b8-511d-32b8-b2b9-458339b53a0dRussiagiltreferenceterm-40365adlib-term-40365d79c75c2-da7b-3187-918e-f7a374e04005bronzeDiametermm47.7Weightg25.73referencemedia-116747adlib-media-116747cc982f8e-2012-39c1-8470-686ed0d2837cjpegcm/cm15/LW_0365g_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16416162781493581imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0365g_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16416162781493581imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0365g_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16416162781493581imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0365g_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16416162781493581image0media
imagereferencemedia-116748adlib-media-116748cd5c71ee-e1c5-37f5-b083-fdc41a189182jpegcm/cm15/LW_0365g_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16316162783024301imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0365g_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16316162783024301imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0365g_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16316162783024301imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0365g_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels16316162783024301image1media
imagereferenceterm-123118adlib-term-123118fbd67869-18dc-377e-9cee-5c5d66012049Badge of the Order of St Stanislaus, 2nd Classdenominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-107860adlib-term-107860e84040b1-16e8-3dad-9ba8-e1bcee76e818Russiasubsubseriesreferenceterm-122743adlib-term-12274349dbb948-df9d-38dd-9c5d-1d971e22feadRoyal Air Forcesubsubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Baldwin 1928referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum362referencepublication-6481adlib-publication-648161f1069f-835a-35ca-a5c2-f822e618f8bfHandbook of British and Foreign Orders, War Medals and Decorations Awarded to the Arreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-123118adlib-term-123118fbd67869-18dc-377e-9cee-5c5d66012049Badge of the Order of St Stanislaus, 2nd ClassBadge of the Order of St Stanislaus, 2nd Classreferenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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