Customised Flotation Vest : Lieutenant H R Syme, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve

Customised Flotation Vest. The front of the waist coat has been cut extra long with the middle being folded back in on itself, creating a central loop to fit the internal rubber inflatable bladder. The waist coat has four buttons sewn down the front.

Sewn to the back of the waist coat is a thin waist band, which fastens over the stomach with two metal snap fasteners. A snap fastener is also located underneath the left and right front of the fabric loop to keep it from flapping when not inflated. Where the fob pocket on the left side of the waist coat would normally be, the pocket has instead been made into an access point for the rubber hose used to inflate the bladder. The hose has a metal valve end to be attached to an air bottle for inflation.

The back of the waist coat is made from black cotton material with a separate piece sewn horizontally at the bottom to encompass the rubber bladder. The inner lining of the waist coat is white cotton and is sewn together from four panels. Sewn into the neck of the waist coat, is a rectangular white label with the British Coat of Arms embroidered in blue cotton on the left, the maker's details 'GIEVES LTD' followed by a crown also embroidered in blue cotton. Beneath the maker's details is an embroidered blue cotton line dividing the label in half horizontally. In the bottom half of the label, written in black ink is 'J.G.D. OUVRY' and the number '38'.

Initially this Gieves life preserver vest, the design patented by them in 1915, was associated with the service of Lieutenant Commander John Garnault Delahaize Ouvry DSO, RN. Ouvry began his career in the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1909, serving aboard the battle cruiser HMS Tiger.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Ouvry sailed aboard Tiger as a part of the British Grand Fleet. He saw his first action at the battle of Dogger Bank, a battle which resulted in the SMS Blucher being sunk and the German fleet retreating. The gunnery officer of the Tiger was sacked for the ship's poor performance. Of a total of 255 shells fired, only one struck home. The Tiger also took several hits which killed 10 sailors.

Ouvry next saw action at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. It was during this battle that a Gieves life vest was to add to its life-saving reputation. When HMS Invincible was sunk, one of the six survivors, Gunnery Officer Hubert Dannreuther, was saved by his Gieves vest after being thrown into the water unconscious. Another survivor, Able Seaman Ernest George Dandridge (see REL31858.001-.008) assisted the unconscious officer onto a piece of wreckage and waited for rescue.

Promoted to sub lieutenant, Ouvry was transferred to the mine laying cruiser HMS Inconstant and earned a reputation for doing this job well. In 1918 he was promoted to lieutenant and was present at Scapa Flow on 21 November 1918 where the German High Seas Fleet surrendered.

Ouvry remained in the Royal Navy following the end of the First World War. During the inter war years he served as an instructor in torpedoes and mines at HMS Vernon and HMS Defiance. He also served as the torpedo officer on HMS Benbow before being posted to HMAS Cerberus to run the RAN torpedo school. He was promoted lieutenant commander in June 1926. In 1932 he returned to England to work on British mines.

On 23 November 1939, two German influence mines (magnetic Type A) were found in the mud flats of the Thames Estuary at Shoeburyness. Ouvry and his team were sent for and he took it upon himself to disarm the first mine calling the steps to his team in the event of the mine detonating. He successfully disarmed the mine and another member of his team disarmed the other. For his actions he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order with which he was presented by King George VI in HMS Vernon on 19 December 1939.

Lieutenant Hugh Syme joined the Rendering Mines Safe section in the latter stages of 1940 and during his service was given this Gieves life preserver vest by his Commanding Officer, John Ouvry. Ouvry was promoted commander in November 1941 before being placed on the retired list in December 1941. John Ouvry died on 19 February 1993.