Naval officer's full dress cocked hat : Lieutenant J Howell-Price, Royal Naval Reserve

Naval officer's black 'beaver' cocked hat lined with loosely pleated white silk and a leather sweatband. The upper edge of the hat is edged with black silk lace woven in an oak leaf and acorn pattern. The right side bears a black silk ribbon cockade and a single twist of bright gold bullion looped around a gilded brass Royal Naval Reserve officer's button with Queen Victoria crown. Each end of the hat bears an inset tassel consisting of five small gold bullions mounted above five gold and five blue bullion eyes. The inside crown is stamped in gold with the manufacturer's details 'GOULD & SON DEVONPORT' and the royal coat of arms.

John Howell-Price was born on 16 September 1886 in Sydney. At the age of 14 he joined the merchant navy. He later joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a sub lieutenant in March 1915. He was serving aboard the armed merchant cruiser HMS Alcantara during an encounter with the German raider SMS Grief in the North Sea in February 1916. Both ships were sunk and the survivors nearly froze to death in open boats before they were rescued. Howell-Price was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his part in the engagement. He later transferred to submarine service and was promoted to lieutenant in July 1917. On the night of 22/23 April 1918 Howell-Price took part in the British Navy's raid of the Belgian port of Zeebrugge which aimed to disable a major German U-boat base. Howell-Price was second-in-command and navigator of the submarine C3 which blew up the viaduct connecting the harbour defences to the shore. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. After the war he transferred to the Royal Australian Navy and returned to Australia in command of the submarine J3. In 1921 he rejoined the merchant navy as a master with the Federal Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, making several trips to Australia. Howell-Price died on 13 November 1937 in Liverpool, England. He was one of five brothers who were decorated for their distinguished military service in the First World War.