Naval Medal from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II (11 Mar 25)

N AVAL M EDAL S F RO M TH E C OL L EC T ION OF T HE L ATE JA SON PIL AL A S: PA RT I I • 1 1 M ARCH 2025 AT 2 P M

AUC TION AN AU C TION OF: NAVA L ME DA L S F RO M T HE CO LLEC T I ON OF TH E L ATE J A SO N P I L AL A S: PART I I DATE 11 MA RCH 2025 AT 2 P M VIE WIN GS STRIC TLY BY AP P OIN TMENT ONLY 7 MA RCH 10AM –4P M PU BLIC VIE WI N G 10 MA RCH 10 AM –4P M ALL APPO INTME N TS TO VIE W PLE A SE CONTAC T 020 7016 1700 OR VIE W ING@ NOON AN S .CO.UK A LL LOTS A R E AVAI L AB LE TO VI E W O N LI N E WI T H FULL IL LUSTR AT I O N S AN D CO N DI T I ON REP O RT S AT W W W. NOON AN S .CO.UK

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B AN K DETAIL S B ANK ER S: L LOY D S AD D RESS: PICC ADI LLY, LO N DON SO RT CODE: 30-96-64 ACCO U NT NO.: 00622865 SWIF T CODE: LOY DGB2L IB AN: GB70LOY D30966400622865 BIC: LOYDGB21085

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M E DA L AN D M I L I TA R I A SPE CI A L I STS N I M RO D D I X H E A D O F M E DA L D E PA RT M E NT ( B OA RD D I REC TOR) NI M RO D @NO O NA N S .CO.U K T. 0 2 0 7 0 1 6 1 8 2 0 O L I VE R PE PYS M E DA L S P E CI A LI S T ( A S S O C . D I RE C TO R) O LI V E R@NO O NA N S .CO.U K T. 0 2 0 7 0 1 6 1 8 1 1 M AR K Q UAYL E M E DA L S P E CI A LI S T ( A S S O C . D I RE C TO R) M A RK@NO O NA N S .CO.U K T. 02 0 7 0 1 6 1 8 1 0

C HR ISTOPHER WEBB CLIE NT LIA I S O N D I REC TOR (N UMI SMAT I C S)

F RO NT COVER : LOT 454 THE SECO ND WAR G .C , O.B .E .

G .M . GROU P OF E IGHT AWARDE D TO LIEU TENANT- COMMAN DE R E . O. GIDDE N ROYAL NAVAL VOLUNTEER RE S ERVE

I M AG E C RE DI T: THE B AT TL E O F TR A FALG A R , 1 8 2 2 O I L O N C A N VA S BY J . M .W. T U RNE R

O RDER O F SALE

NAVAL MEDALS FROM THE COLLECTON OF THE LATE JASON PILALAS: PART II TUESDAY 11 MARC H AT 2 PM

NAVAL MEDALS FROM THE COLLECTON OF THE LATE JASON PILALAS

251–500

FORTHCOMING AUCTIONS 2025 12 MARC H ORD ER S , DECOR ATIO N S , MEDAL S & MILITAR IA 18 FEBRUARY B RI TI SH & ANCIENT CO IN S 19 FEBRUARY A CO LL E C TI ON OF SCOT TI SH COIN S , THE PROPERT Y O F A GENTLEM AN TH E HAMMER SL E Y CO LLEC TIO N OF B RITI S H S OVER EIGN S 26 FEBRUARY WORLD B ANKNOTES 5 MARC H T H E S I L I CH COL L EC TI ON OF HI S TORIC AL & ART MEDAL S ( PART II) 6 MARC H COI N S & HI S TORIC AL MEDAL S 11 MARC H B RI TI SH AND WORL D CO IN S F ROM THE COLLEC TIO N OF THE L ATE IVOR B R ECKER 12 MARC H ORDER S , DECORATIO N S , MEDAL S & MILITAR IA 13 MARC H B RI TI SH & IRI S H B ANKNOTES A LL DATE S A RE P ROVI SI ON AL AN D D O N OT CO N S T I T U T E A F U LL LI S T I NG F O R T H E DAT E S PA N S H OW N .

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FO REWORD

JA S O N P I L A L AS (1 941 –20 23 )

J

ason was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA and grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. His love of all things nautical stemmed from his service as an officer in the United States Navy, with whom he completed three tours of Vietnam. It was whilst serving in the Navy that he met his future wife Rena, to whom he was happily married for 55 years, becoming the proud father of two children, Debbie and Troy and subsequently a happy grandfather to his two grandchildren.

Jason was an accomplished scholar, attending the University of Southern California and later graduating from Harvard Business School. Following his service with the United States Navy, Jason’s

career took him to Capital Group in Los Angeles, an investment management firm, where, during a 36 year career, he specialised as an Investment Analyst in the pharmaceutical and medical products sector.

Jason was known to have been an outstanding pharmaceutical analyst, described by his colleagues as being a committed and fearless investor who understood his industry better than anyone.

Jason’s generosity was surpassed only by his razor sharp wit, which those who knew him understood could come out of nowhere at the most unlikeliest of times. He was not only a man of many talents, but he was also a man of many interests, none more so than his relentless pursuit of knowledge of all things relating to the Royal Navy. This voracious

appetite for knowledge being matched only by his seemingly unquenchable thirst to collect objects relating to his passion.

Never one to do things by halves, Jason was not someone to be put off by the size or weight of an object, whether it be a ship’s bell of which he amassed a collection of many hundreds or a giant ship’s nameplate, Jason would find somewhere to display it, even if it did mean buying a lighthouse to put much of it in, as he did in 1991 when he and Rena purchased and lovingly restored the lighthouse at Morgan Point, Noank, Connecticut.

So it was against this backdrop in October 1996 that Jason happened across Dix Noonan Webb, as we were then known, at which time we were selling the unsurpassed (until now) collection of Naval Medals belonging to the late Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris. Jason could not resist and made his first medal purchases in this auction and from that moment on became a die-hard medal collector. In medals Jason had discovered something small and portable that not only satisfied his interest in the tangible, but also the personal stories that came with them that touched on so many areas of British naval history, about which he knew so much.

In the following 27 years Jason assembled an incredible collection of naval medals, which he vigorously tracked down and purchased from all over the world to complement his many other nautical collecting themes. As much as Jason cherished his collection he was always mindful of the fact that he was just the custodian of these objects in his own lifetime. There is no doubt, therefore, that he would have been very happy to know that the items in his collection will now be finding new homes with a new generation of

collectors who will appreciate them as much as he did.

Following the successful sale of Part 1 of Jason’s collection at auction in July 2024, a sale in which every lot sold, we are now pleased to offer a second signature auction, which again showcases the range of material in the collection, with medals from the late 18th Century up to the 21st Century.

This will be the final dedicated ‘showcase’ auction of Jason’s collection, with the remainder of his medals to be sold piecemeal at auction over the next few years.

NSGD & PMN, February 2025

NAVAL MEDALS FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JASON PILALAS: PART II

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

251

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Captain James McFarland, Royal Navy, promoted for the Glorious First of June and later severely wounded at the cutting out of a ship from under the batteries at Port Louis, Isle of France in September 1800; he was also present at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope in June 1803 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, 1 June 1794, 23rd June 1795 (James McFarland, Lieut.) original ribbon, brilliant extremely fine £12,000-£16,000 James McFarland joined the Navy in 1781 and served with the Channel Fleet and on the Newfoundland station until the end of 1785, and served the remainder of the peace on the Home station. In March 1793 he joined Queen Charlotte, Lord Howe’s flagship, and was Acting Lieutenant at the Glorious First of June. For his conduct in this action he was promoted to Lieutenant on 23rd of that month. He fought in the same ship at Lord Bridport’s action with the French fleet off the Isle de Groix on 23rd June 1795. He was subsequently officially commended for his conduct and severely wounded, by a compound fracture of his arm, at the cutting out of a ship from under two batteries at Port Louis, Isle of France, on 12 September 1800. Confirmed in the rank of Commander, having had charge for 13 months of the Penguin sloop at the capture of the Cape, on 18 June 1803, and from the following July until March 1810, was employed in the Sea Fencible service. He was promoted to Captain Retired on 10 September 1840, and died in 1851.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

252

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Admiral Richard Matson, Royal Navy, a Lieutenant in the Bedford at the defeat of the French fleet off Genoa by Admiral Hotham Naval General Service 1793-1840, one clasp, 14 March 1795 (Richard Matson, Lieut. R.N.) nearly extremely fine £6,000-£8,000 Provenance: Spink, July 2005.

95 clasps issued for the defeat of the French fleet off Genoa on 14 March 1795.

Richard Matson entered the Royal Navy on 20 March 1783, as First Class Volunteer on board H.M.S. Irresistible bearing the broad pendant at Chatham of Sir Andrew Snape Hamond. Between 1786 and 1793 he was employed in the capacities of Midshipman and Master’s Mate in H.M. Ships Solebay, Jupiter and Hermione, on the West India and Home stations. He joined H.M.S. Britannia, bearing the flag of ViceAdmiral William Hotham in the Mediterranean where he served on shore in the occupation of Toulon, was publicly thanked by Sir William Sydney Smith for his conduct at the destruction of the arsenal and fleet in the harbour, and was also present at the sieges of St. Fiorenza and Bastia. Promoted to Lieutenant 1794 in H.M.S. Bedford, he took part in Hotham’s partial actions of 14 March and 13 July 1795. He subsequently served in the West Indies and, in September 1797, was promoted to the command of the Beaver sloop, the Cyane 18, and was posted Captain, 22 March 1799, into the Daphne 20, in which vessel he was present at the surrender of Surinam, 20 August 1799. He returned to the Home station in April 1802, and was subsequently appointed to the San Ysidoro and Braave 40, both lying at Plymouth. In June 1808 he was appointed to the Sea Fencible service between North Shields and St Abb’s Head. Placed on half-pay in February 1810, he became Rear-Admiral in May 1825; a Vice-Admiral in January 1837; and a full Admiral on 26 June 1847. Admiral Matson died of apoplexy in London on 9 March 1848.

Sold with a small wood and brass course plotting instrument.

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253X

The fine and unique 4-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded toGunner George Shirley, Royal Navy, who served on board the flagships of Sir Hyde Parker on 14 March 1795, of Sir Horatio Nelson at the Nile, and of Lord Keith in Egypt, later promoted to Gunner Naval General Service 1793-1840, 4 clasps, 14 March 1795, Nile, Egypt, Martinique (Goe. Shirley, Master’s Mate.) original ribbon, nearly extremely fine £12,000-£16,000

Provenance: Glendining’s March 1919.

This combination of four clasps appears to be unique.

George Shirley joined the Courageux in February 1791, aged 20, and transferred as an Able Seaman to St George in February 1793, flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Hyde Parker (Captain Foley) in Hotham’s action on 14 March 1793. He transferred in March 1798 to the Vanguard, flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson (Captain Berry), under whom he served as Quartermaster’s Mate at the battle of the Nile, during which he would have been stationed at the wheel (Note that his rate was incorrectly copied down by the medal roll compiler who entered Master’s Mate in error, this being senior to his eventual rate of Gunner and therefore that which appears on his medal). In June 1799, Shirley joined Foudroyant, flagship of Admiral Lord Keith (Captain Beaver) and again served as Quartermaster’s Mate during the operations in Egypt in 1801.

Shirley’s qualities must have been well respected for him to have been promoted, possibly as reward, to warrant officer status in August 1801, as Gunner, just ten years after joining the Navy. As one of the most trustworthy and reliable man in any ship, Shirley served as Gunner for the next 35 years. He was present on board the Cleopatra in February 1805 when she fell in with and was boarded and taken by the larger French frigate Ville de Milan. The loss to the British amounted to 22 killed and 36 wounded, the remainder becoming prisoner under a French prize crew. However, six days later, Cleopatra and Ville de Milan were sighted by Leander and neither vessel being in a fit state to fight, both surrendered to the British frigate without a shot being fired. George Shirley’s naval career seems to have come to an honourable end with his discharge to shore from Britannia in December 1836, at the age of about 65 years.

254X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Gunner James James, Royal Navy, for his services at Lord Bridport’s action on 23rd June 1795 and at the Gut of Gibraltar on 12 July 1801 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, 23rd June 1795, Gut of Gibraltar 12 July 1801 (James James, Gunner) in original named card box of issue (List 18-203) and with original ribbon, brilliant extremely fine £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Sotheby’s, June 1972.

James James is confirmed on the rolls as an Able Seaman in Queen Charlotte at Lord Bridport’s action with the French fleet off the Isle de Groix on 23rd June 1795 (177 clasps issued), and as Gunner in Calpe at the Gut of Gibraltar in 1801 (143 clasps issued).

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

255

X A rare Earl St. Vincent’s Testimony of Approbation 1800 struck in gold Earl St. Vincent’s Testimony of Approbation 1800, gold, thick flan, unmounted as struck, 61.10g, light scuffs and handling marks, otherwise good very fine £6,000-£8,000 Provenance: David Spink Collection.

Presented by the Earl to those who remained loyal during the mutiny of the Mediterranean Fleet, which had followed the more serious mutiny of the Nore Fleet in 1797. Mostly awarded in silver to the crew of his flagship Ville de Paris, but several examples are known in gold. Some gold medals were struck on a thinner flan typically weighing 40.3g.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

256X The unique 2-clasp frigate action Naval General Service medal awarded to Admiral Manley Hall Dixon, Royal Navy, Master’s Mate of the Lion at the capture of the Spanish 42-gun frigate Santa Dorotea in July 1798, and Lieutenant of the Horatio at the chase and capture of the French 40-gun frigate Junon in February 1809, on which latter occasion he was severely wounded Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Lion 15 July 1798, Horatio 10 Feby 1809 (M. H. Dixon, Lieut. R.N.) nearly extremely fine £20,000-£24,000 Provenance: Hamilton Smith Collection, Glendining’s, November 1927; Bob James Collection, September 2007.

Approximately 23 clasps issued for Lion 15 July 1798; and 13 clasps issued for Horatio 10 Feby 1809, this combination being unique.

Manley Hall Dixon was born on 8 June 1786, at Stoke Damarell, Devon, the son of Admiral of the Red the late Sir Manley Dixon, K.C.B. (who commanded in chief at Plymouth from April 1830 to April, 1833, and died on 8 February 1837), by his first wife, Miss Christiana Hall, of Jamaica; and brother of Captain Mathew Charles Dixon, R.E. This officer entered the Navy, in June 1794, as First-class Volunteer on board the Porcupine 24, commanded by his father, with whom he continued to serve, as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant, in L’Espion 38, the Lion 64, and Le Généreux 74, on the Channel, North Sea, Irish, and Mediterranean stations, until August 1801.

On 15 July 1798, being off Carthagena, he took part in a brilliant action between the Lion and four Spanish frigates of 42 guns each, which terminated in the surrender of one of the latter, the Santa Dorothea; subsequently to which, when in company with the Penelope and Foudroyant at the blockade of Malta, he further assisted at the capture, 31 March 1800, of the French 80-gun ship GuillaumeTell, after a tremendous conflict, in which the Lion experienced a loss of 8 men killed and 38 wounded. When in Le Généreux, Mr. Dixon witnessed the taking, 24 August 1800, of La Diane, of 42 guns, and the surrender, in Sepember. following, of the island of Malta. On next accompanying his father into the Alexander 74, he was officially promoted, by commission dated 10 April 1802.

The latter ship being paid off in the ensuing August, he was afterwards appointed, 7 October 1803, to the Terrible 74, Captain Lord Henry Paulet, which ship, while in pursuit, in the West Indies, of a squadron under M. Villaumez, was totally

dismasted and all but lost during a terrific hurricane of 36 hours’ continuance, 18 and 19 Aug. 1806.

On 4 June 1807 he was appointed to the Horatio 38, Captain George Scott. On 10 February 1809, being First-Lieutenant of that frigate, he was badly wounded by a musket-ball, which entered the left groin and passed through the thigh, while sharing in a long and severe action which terminated in the capture – with a loss to the Horatio (then in company with the Latona 38, and Supérieure and Driver sloops) of 7 men killed and 26 wounded – of the French 40-gun frigate La Junon. For his gallantry on the occasion he was eventually promoted to the rank of Commander by commission dated back to the day of the action; and, besides the receipt of a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, was awarded for his wounds a pension of £250. Captain Dixon, whose next appointment was, 22 October 1810, to the Fly brig, attained Post-rank on 28 June 1811. From that period he officiated as Flag-Captain to his father, in the Vigo and Montagu 74’s, on the Baltic and South American stations, until 29 July 1813, when he exchanged into the Nereus 42. After accompanying the homeward-bound trade to the northward as far as the Equator, Captain Dixon assumed charge of a small squadron stationed in the Rio de la Plata. He left the Nereus on 11 January 1815, and afterwards commanded the Pallas 42, on the West India station, from 15 March 1831, until some time in the following year; and, since 22 May 1845, was employed as Captain of the Caledonia 120, at Devonport. He became Rear-Admiral in December 1847; Vice-Admiral in February 1855; and full Admiral on 1 November 1860. Admiral Manley Hall Dixon died on 3 March 1864.

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257

X The important Small Naval Gold Medal awarded to Rear-Admiral John Peyton, Royal Navy, one of Nelson’s ‘Band of Brothers’ who commanded H.M.S. Defence ‘with good sense and courage’ at the battle of the Nile Captain’s (Small) Naval Gold Medal 1794-1815, for the Nile, 1 August 1798 (John Peyton Esquire Captain of H.M.S. The Defence on the 1 of August MDCCXCVIII The French Fleet Defeated) in its original gold frame with replacement bevelled glass lunettes, original gold rings and bar suspension, and three-pronged gold ribbon buckle, together with an oval portrait miniature of Captain Peyton, extremely fine and rare (2) £50,000-£70,000 Provenance: Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars, Sotheby’s, October 2005, Lot 140 ‘by direct descent.’

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

In common with Nelson and the other twelve surviving captains at the Nile, Peyton also received Davison’s Medal in gold. His example was acquired by Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris, R.N., and now resides at the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth.

John Goodwin Gregory Peyton was born in Ardingly, Sussex in 1752, the son of Joseph and Katherine Peyton and scion of a distinguished naval family. His father rose to the rank of admiral, his paternal grandfather onetime served in the rank of commodore, and three of his brothers also opted for a career in the Senior Service. In one of those strange quirks of fate known to the age of sail, father and son were to fight alongside each other aboard H.M.S. Cumberland at the ‘moonlight battle’ off Cape St. Vincent in January 1780.

John is believed to have entered the Royal Navy aboard his father’s ship, H.M.S. Belleisle, in 1766, although his early career is not well documented. Having then gained his Lieutenancy in February 1772, he appears to have remained under his father’s patronage. He was, as stated, serving in Peyton senior’s command the Cumberland at the ‘moonlight battle’ off Cape St. Vincent in January 1780.

Peyton junior’s first command was the 10-gun schooner Kite, in which he captured the privateer Fantasque off Dunkirk in March 1782. He was advanced to Commander and, in January of the following year, he was appointed to the command of the 74-gun Carnatic, but it proved to be a short-lived assignment and he was placed on half-pay.

In July 1794, Peyton returned to sea with command of the 38-gun Seahorse and spent the next two years on the Irish station. On 29 August 1795, in an action alongside two of her consorts, Seahorse captured the Dutch East Indiaman Cromhout, whilst in May 1796 she was credited taking the French cutter L’Abrille. It appears Peyton was placed back on half-pay about this time, although one source credits him with command of the Ceres on the Mediterranean station. Either way, he was by now a full-fledged Captain, R.N. Nelson’s Band of Brothers In May 1798, Peyton was appointed to the command of the 74-gun Defence and he is said to have shared a coach with Nelson’s wife, Fanny, to Portsmouth, where he was embarked for the Mediterranean in the Admiral’s flagship Vanguard. He surely enjoyed the great man’s company and hospitality over the coming weeks, prior to joining the Defence on station in June.

The scene was now set for the epic battle of the Nile, Earl St. Vincent, the C.-in-C. of the Mediterranean, being able to confirm that ten ships, including Defence, were ready to join Nelson’s squadron. In so doing, he told the First Lord of the Admiralty: ‘The whole of these ships are in excellent order, and so well officered, manned and appointed I am confident they will perform everything to be expected of them.’

And so it proved at Aboukir Bay on 1 August 1798, when Nelson’s combined force of 15 ships delivered a stunning victory over the French fleet. For his part, Peyton was credited with commanding the Defence with ‘good sense and courage’. Defence’s log records Nelson’s signal to prepare for battle at 4.00 p.m., when the enemy ships were some nine or ten miles distant, and his next signal at 6.20 p.m. to engage the van. Defence duly took-on the 74-gun Peuple Souverain, already under attack on her other beam by Orion.

Firing continued for three hours until 10.00 p.m. when Peuple Souverain cut her cable and drifted away completely mastless. Just

five minutes later, Defence manoeuvred to attack the 80-gun Franklin which was already engaged with the Swiftsure. Firing continued until 11.20 p.m. when Franklin hailed Defence to say that she had struck.

Both enemy ships suffered heavily, in damage and casualties. For her own part, Defence suffered the loss of her bowsprit and fore topmast and had to replace her main topmast with a jury rig. Given the duration of her ferocious duels and in common with most of her consorts, her human loss was surprisingly light: three seamen and one marine killed, nine seamen and two marines injured; fifteen casualties in all.

In writing home to his wife on 13 August, Peyton stated: ‘My ever Dear Love I write you by the Leander who sailed from hence the 6th instant with the Admiral’s dispatches since which we have been busily employed refitting our own ships & prizes. Tomorrow we shall sail & make the best of our way to Gibraltar or Lisbon - & I should hope ultimately to England - at any rate my own Dear Susan, we shall be better situated to hear from each other - no small comfort to both parties - I have my fears you will hear of our action through France before the Leander can probably arrive in England & that in consequence you as well as many others will be kept for some time in a state of anxiety. The more I think of our victory, & its consequences the more I am gratified - & if Bonaparte should fail in his expedition - which we here flatter ourselves that he may - I believe peace not very far distant … The three frigates, Alcmene & Emerald & Bonne Citoyenne that have been looking for us these two months are now coming in - truly mortified they must be - in not meeting us until after the action. I hope to have John dine with me.

I think the Captains will get two thousand pounds perhaps more if all our prizes get to England. The Emerald has just passed us & gone to endeavour to free one of our prizes that is aground so that I fear I shall not see John. I must send this to Capt. Capel who leaves us this afternoon.

Believe me ever your faithful affectionate husband John Peyton P.S. I find myself a stouter man since the action, another such would make me a fine young fellow. God bless you. The French fleet on the coast of Egypt.’

What made Defence’s role in the battle particularly noteworthy was the fact that most of her crew had been laid low by fever and scurvy. Peyton himself was unwell, writing to Nelson four weeks before the battle that the effect of the weather on his weakening constitution, ‘will make it very unjustifiable in retaining a situation I shall not be equal to.’ Although he somehow managed to take part in the battle, by the end of October 1798 the Earl St. Vincent informed the First Lord of the Admiralty that Peyton was ‘in a deplorable state of health’. He nonetheless took Defence to Gibraltar for repairs, arriving these in mid-September. Following which, in November, he took his passage home in the Colossus.

In January 1799, Peyton sent a letter Nelson, explaining that his health was improving. It clearly did the rounds before catching up with the great man in Vanguard in May 1799. But when it did, he responded enthusiastically: ‘It was only two days past that I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of Jany. 10th. We all of this ship rejoice to learn that your complaint is something better. Mr. Jefferson says and we all think you did perfectly right in going home for what a dreadful winter

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

we have experienced even in the Mediterranean. It never was much in my power to shew you those attentions which in every way your conduct entitled you to. I am here with 5 ships of line looking for reinforcements to enable me to once more meet the French fleet should they come out but I begin to think they will retire into Toulon and we may go on as usual. I beg you will make my best Compt: to your Brother of the Navy Office and Believe me with every sentiment of Regard your obliged & affectionate Friend.

Nelson.’

On 6 February 1799, Peyton was honoured by an invitation to a levée where George III presented him with his Small Naval Gold Medal in recognition of his gallant and meritorious conduct.

In May 1800, when he had in his own words fully ‘re-established his health’, he wrote to the Admiralty offering his services, but he was not given another ship. Instead, he adopted to the life of a country gentleman, purchasing Priestlands, near Lymington, in Hampshire, a 95-acre estate with views to the sea and the Isle of Wight.

There, aside from his duties as a Justice of the Peace, he continued his good work in respect of naval causes. In the immediate aftermath of the Battle of The Nile, Peyton, in common with all the other captains, had subscribed £30 to a fund for the relief of

the widows and orphans of the men who fell. In 1801, he was the most generous subscriber to a scheme to supply herrings for ‘the industrious poor’ in the Lymington area. In his case a subscription of £50. Nor did he neglect to continue such payments, donating 20 guineas to the Patriotic Fund - this in support of presentation items to the heroes of Trafalgar - and 10 guineas the following year for the general fund to relieve distress.

In due course he was recalled by the Admiralty and, in May 1804, took command the Poole Division of the Sea Fencibles, covering the coast from Calshot Castle on the edge of Southampton Water to St. Alban’s Head a little to the south-west of Swanage. And he remained likewise employed until standing down after his promotion to Rear-Admiral in November 1805.

He died at Priestlands in August 1809 and a tablet dedicated to his memory survives in the chancel of All Saints Church, in nearby Milford-on-Sea; for further details, see an informative article by Barry Jolly, ‘Rear Admiral John Peyton: a member of Nelson’s Band of Brothers’,which was published in the Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society Occasional Magazine in 2019 and is available online.

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258

X A particularly fine Alexander Davison’s silver medal for the battle of the Nile 1798 Alexander Davison’s Medal for the Nile 1798, silver, set in a silver with glass lunettes, the edge engraved in serif capitals with usual inscription ‘A Tribute of Regard from Alexr. Davison Esqr. St James’s Square’, fitted with integral rings for suspension, with polished fields and overall proof-like finish £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Nelson: The Alexander Davison Collection, Sotheby’s, October 2002, Lot 9 and accompanied by original Sotheby ticket.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

259X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Commander William E. Wright, Royal Navy, who served as an Able Seaman in the Sybille 48-gun frigate at the capture, after a severe broadside-to-broadside contest, of the superior 52-gun French frigate La Forte in the bay of Bengal in February 1799 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Sybille 28 Feby 1799 (William E. Wright.) original ribbon, dark toned, extremely fine £12,000-£16,000 Provenance: Peter Dale Collection, June 2000.

Sybille 28 Feby 1799 [12 issued] - Samuel Butler, A.B. (Dix Noonan Webb, June 2020); Peter Cloosterman, Boy 2 Class; James Coombe, Ord.; Thomas Hurley, Ord. (Royal Naval Museum); James Long, Lieutenant R.N.; Arthur Lysaght, Midshipman; Nicholas Maunger, Lieutenant R.N. (Patiala Collection, Sheesh Mahal Museum, India); James Piercy, Supernumerary (National Maritime Museum); Robert Ratcliffe, Supernumerary; John Triggs, Ord.; Joseph Wright, Vol. 1st Class; William E. Wright, A.B. On 28 February and 1 March, 1799, Sybille took part in a furious engagement with the vastly superior French frigate La Forte, of 52 guns and 370 men, which, as part of the raiding squadron based at Mauritius, had been harassing British shipping in the Bay of Bengal. Having left Madras in search of La Forte two weeks earlier, Captain Cooke of the Sybille sighted the enemy frigate, one of the finest ever built, with two rich prizes, off the sand-heads of the Hooghly River at about 9 p.m. On closing with La Forte, the Sybille received a broadside from her larboard guns and a fire from one of her captures. Cooke brought the Sybille under the stern of the La Forte, ‘almost touching her spanker boom, and gave her the whole of her larboard broadside, and luffing up to leeward, poured in another broadside with the most destructive effect’.

These broadsides killed and wounded between fifty and sixty of La Forte’s crew, and caused such confusion that her gunners fired from both sides of their ship at once. The two ships then engaged each other broadside to broadside. The French Captain and his First Lieutenant were both killed. Cooke of the Sybille was mortally wounded, and Lieutenant Hardyman took command.

By two-thirty in the morning, fire from the French ship had been entirely silenced, and the Sybille hailed to ask if she had struck her colours. Receiving no reply, the Sybille recommenced firing.

LaForte gave no return fire so once again the Sybille hailed her

opponent, but again without response. The French were then seen attempting to make sail and escape. Sybille’s guns roared once more and within a few minutes the Frenchman’s mizzen mast was shot away, and his main and foremasts with the bowsprit sent overboard. Thus the action ended. The Sybille’s sails and rigging were cut to pieces and her main and mizzen masts badly damaged, but she had only received six shots in her hull. Captain Davies, who was an A.D.C. to Lord Mornington and a volunteer on board, was killed together with four other men. Besides Cooke, sixteen men were wounded, and though ‘a perfect wreck’, La Forte was taken into Calcutta for repairs and added to the Royal Navy as the Forte.

William Elliot Wright entered the Navy as an Able Seaman in July 1798, on board La Sybille of 48 guns and 371 men. In that ship he was present at the capture, at the mouth of the Bengal river, of the French frigate La Forte of 52 guns and 370 men, after a dreadful action of two hours and a half, in which the enemy had 65 killed, including the Captain, and the British 5 killed and 17 (among whom was Captain Edward Cooke mortally) wounded. Acting Lieutenant of Caroline in December 1807 at the destruction, at Griessee in the island of Java, of the dockyard, stores, and all men-of-war remaining to Holland in India. Present in Donegal 15 November 1810, in an attack on two French frigates, the Amazone and Eliza, as they lay aground under the protection of several strong batteries near Cherbourg.

In Royal Oak with the expedition to New Orleans 1814. Acting Commander of the Griffon sloop at St Helena and tried by courtmartial in 1817 on a charge of smuggling fifty-three yards of crape and various other contraband articles, during the Griffon’s stay at Portsmouth. Sentenced to be dismissed the service but was subsequently restored to his former rank of Commander in 1819.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

260X

A rare Royal Navy Officer’s Shoulder Belt Plate circa 1800 A most rare and superb quality example of oval gilt outline, the gilt back plate with a raised beaded rim and a lightly seeded ground, this mounted with an elongated diamond cut eight-pointed silver star, in the centre on a ground of rich blue vitreous enamel a silver-gilt fouled anchor, one hook and two stud fasteners, extremely fine £2,000-£2,400 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, May 2019.

Note: period portraits and prints clearly indicate the Royal Navy did wear shoulder belt plates on certain occasions.

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261X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Commander William Edwards, Royal Navy, for his services as a Midshipman aboard the Defiance at Copenhagen in April 1801 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Copenhagen 1801 (William Edwards, Midshipman.) good very fine

£4,000-£5,000

Provenance: Spink, July 2005.

William Edwards was born on 30 October 1781, and entered the Navy on 21 January 1796, as an Ordinary Seaman on board the Atlas 98, stationed in the Channel, where he speedily attained the rating Midshipman. Soon after his removal to the F+Defiance 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves, he witnessed Lord Keith’s capture on 19 June 1799, of three frigates and two brigs under Rear-Admiral Perrée. He fought in the same ship at the battle off Copenhagen on 2 April 1801, and afterwards served aboard the Dreadnought 98, the Dryad 36, and the Prince of Wales 98, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder, under whom he bore a part in the action of 22 July 1805. Attaining the rank of Lieutenant, 15 August 1806, he was next appointed to the Agamemnon 64, and, in command of a party of seamen belonging to that ship, he joined the naval brigade employed at the siege of Copenhagen in September 1807. He afterwards saw service off the coast of Brazil, and in the Downs, and transferred to the Impress service at Waterford in 1813. In January he was appointed to the Command of the Lynx Revenue-cutter, and was placed on half-pay in 1821. He was appointed Retired Commander on 16 January 1840, and died in 1859 or 1860.

262X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Edward Morgan for his services as an Able Seaman on board the Ajax at the battle of Trafalgar Naval General Service 1793-1840, one bar, Trafalgar (Edward Morgan.) some light scratches in obverse field, otherwise toned, nearly extremely fine £5,000-£7,000

Provenance: Bonhams, September 2010.

39 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Ajax.

In 1805 Ajax was under the command of Captain William Brown, and under him fought in Sir Robert Calder’s action of the 22nd July, when she suffered rather severely, losing eighteen in killed and wounded, and having her main-yard and driver boom shot away.

She joined Lord Nelson’s fleet at Plymouth on the 18th October, and in the absence of Captain William Brown, who had gone home as a witness in Sir Robert Calder’s trial, was temporarily commanded by the 1st Lieutenant, John Pilfold. Under him she fought in the weather column at Trafalgar, and was a good deal engaged with Dumanoir’s division, losing eleven killed and wounded.

Edward Morgan was born at Holywell, North Wales, and served as an Able Seaman on board the Ajax, which frigate he joined on 1 March 1805, aged 25. The candidates for admission register of Greenwich hospital, dated 16 July 1835, records Edward Morgan aged 63 years who served in the Royal Navy 17 years and 8 months, and was granted a pension in January 1815 of £15 and 4 shillings a year.

263

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Admiral Hugh Patton, Royal Navy, for his services as a Midshipman on board the Bellerophon at the battle of Trafalgar Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (H. Patton, Midshipman.) nearly extremely fine £10,000-£14,000 Hugh Patton was born at St Andrews in 1790, son of Colonel Patton, Governor of the island of St Helena, and cousin to Admiral Robert Patton who also served as a Midshipman in the Bellerophon at Trafalgar. He entered the Navy in October 1804 as a First-class Boy on board the Puissant 74, and shortly afterwards joined the Bellerophon 74, and fought as Midshipman of that ship at Trafalgar under Captain John Cooke who was killed in the battle.

He joined the Niobe at the beginning of 1806 and took part in the capture of the Néarque corvette of 16 guns in March of that year. Promoted Lieutenant in 1811, and Commander in 1813. In the Astraea36, Captain John Eveleigh, he took part in a yard-arm to yard-arm conflict for an hour with the 40-gun French frigate Etiole, near Cape Verde Islands on 23 January 1814, with the loss of 9 killed including Captain Eveleigh, and 37 wounded (the Etoile was properly dealt with two months later by Captain Edmund Palmer in the Hebrus). On leaving the Astrea in September 1814, he took up a Commander’s commission bearing the date 6 December 1813. He subsequently, from 6 September 1815 until 22 October 1818, commanded the Alban 12, on the Plymouth station, and on 12 August 1819, was advanced to the rank of Captain. Patton retired in 1846, becoming Rear-Admiral in 1852; ViceAdmiral in 1857; and full Admiral in 1863. Admiral Hugh Patton died in London in March 1864, aged 73.

See the following Lot for the medal to his cousin Admiral Robert Patton.

264

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Admiral Robert Patton, Royal Navy, for his services as a Midshipman on board the Bellerophon at the battle of Trafalgar, one of the last surviving officers of that battle Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (Robert Patton, Midshipman.) fitted with silver brooch buckle, together with two original portrait photographs on glass of the Admiral in old age and an earlier portrait silhouette, dark toned, nearly extremely fine £12,000-£16,000 Provenance: Glendining’s, June 1987; Dix Noonan Webb, December 2003.

Robert Patton was the son of Captain Charles Patton, R.N., and first cousin to Admiral Hugh Patton, with whom he served, also as Midshipman, in the Bellerophon at Trafalgar. He entered the Navy in February 1804 as a Volunteer 1st Class on board the Utrecht 64, bearing the flag in the Downs of his uncle Vice-Admiral Phillip Patton. In the following June he removed as Midshipman to the Puissant 74, and to the Bellerophon 74 in November 1804. In the Bellerophon he was engaged in the blockade of Brest, Carthagena and Cadiz, and took part in the battle of Trafalgar. After the death of Captain John Cooke, command of the Bellerophon fell to her First Lieutenant, William Price Cumby, with whom both the young Patton midshipmen were to serve again in different ships.

After having served for three years and nine months in the Niobe 40, Captain J. W. Loring, his old captain from the Utrecht, during which period he assisted at the capture of Le Néarque corvette of 16 guns, he became Master’s Mate, in November 1809, of the Polyphemus 64, Captain William Cumby, flag-ship on the Jamaica station. During this time Patton was Acting Lieutenant for four months and Lieutenant for six months. In April 1811 he joined the Dispatch sloop, in the West Indies, and in July 1812 the Doterel 18, successively employed in the Channel, the West Indies, and North America. In April 1813 and November 1814, he joined the Loire 40 and Junon 38, both on the North American station, where he

performed the duties of First-Lieutenant, and was ‘much employed on boat service against the enemy in the Chesapeake, off New London, &c.’ The Loire captured, in December 1813, the Rolla privateer, of 5 guns and 80 men.

Promoted to the rank of Commander in June 1815, Patton was not actively employed for nearly twelve years. He was awarded an honorary silver medallion by the Royal Humane Society in February 1826 for having, in February 1825, rescued a child from drowning who had fallen overboard from H.M. Ship Havock in Portsmouth Harbour, while a passenger in the Fareham passage boat. He served as Commander from May 1826, until promoted to Captain in April 1827, in the Trinculo 18, on the Cork station.

This was his last appointment. He retired in 1847, becoming retired Rear-Admiral in 1854, retired Vice-Admiral in 1861, and retired Admiral in 1864. Patton is depicted amongst the group of six senior retired officers, all veterans of Trafalgar, illustrated in The Graphic of 1879. At the time of his death, at Fareham, Hampshire, in 1883, aged 92, Admiral Robert Patton appears to have been the senior ranking Trafalgar veteran and, indeed, one of the very last surviving officers of that action.

See the previous Lot for the medal to his cousin Admiral Hugh Patton.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Admiral Robert Patton seated on right

265X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Robert Dodd for his services as an Ordinary Seaman on board the Neptune at the battle of Trafalgar Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (Robert Dodd.) minor edge bruise, otherwise nearly extremely fine £5,000-£7,000 56 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Neptune.

In May 1805, under command of Captain Thomas Francis Fremantle, Neptune joined the British fleet off Cadiz; and in October shared in the glories of Trafalgar. She was the third ship in the weather column.

She got into action about I.45 p.m., when she hauled up for the nearest of the enemy’s ships, and passing immediately under the stern of the French Bucentaure, delivered her broadside into it with terrible effect.

She then continued under the stern and along the starboard side of the Spanish Santisima Trinidad, and luffed up to leeward of the huge four-decker, which had already suffered badly, and which she fought until the Spaniard became wholly unmanageable.

The Neptune was afterwards somewhat severely handled by several ships of the combined van, which raked her after they bore up. She lost forty-four killed and wounded in the battle. Her masts and her standing and running rigging were all more or less damaged, and she had nine shots between wind and water. On the following day she took the Royal Sovereign in tow, but afterwards towed the Victory to Gibraltar (The Trafalgar Roll by R. H. Mackenzie refers).

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

266X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to George Hatton for his services as a Private Royal Marines on board the Revenge at the battle of Trafalgar Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (George Hatton.) small edge bruise, otherwise very fine £5,000-£7,000

59 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Revenge.

Under Captain Robert Moorsom the Revenge took part in the victory of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, and was in the lee column. In attempting to pass through the enemy’s line and secure an advantageous position athwart the hawser of the French Aigle, she fouled the latter’s jib-boom, and while the ships were interlocked delivered a couple of broadsides into the Frenchman’s bows. Then, standing on, she was in the act of hauling up on the port tack, when a tremendous fire was poured into her lee quarter by the Spanish Principe de Asturias. Three two-deckers also hemmed her in, and greatly punished her until they were driven off by the approach of other British vessels. Her injuries in the battle were in consequence severe and her losses heavy, the latter amounting to twenty-eight killed and fifty-one wounded, including her captain. Her bowsprit, three lower masts, maintop mast, and gaff, were badly injured. She received nine shots below the copper; her stern, transoms, and timbers, and several beams, knees, riders, and iron standards, were very much damaged, and so was her hull generally. She had several chain plates shot away, several of her lower deck ports destroyed, and three of her guns dismounted (The Trafalgar Roll by R. H. Mackenzie refers).

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

267

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Surgeon Henry Towsey, Royal Navy, for his services on board the Royal Sovereign at the battle of Trafalgar, one of only eighteen medical officers to survive to claim the medal, he would have been busier than most with the heavy casualties suffered by this ship Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (H. Towsey, Asst. Surgeon, R.N.) fitted with silver ribbon buckle and original ribbon, nearly extremely fine £12,000-£16,000 88 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Royal Sovereign.

Royal Sovereign carried the flag of the second-in-command, Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, with Edward Rotherham as Captain, and led the lee column at Trafalgar, on 21 October 1805. In the actual fighting there was no ship which covered herself with greater distinction.

For a time she was engaged single-handed with several of the enemy’s ships, before tackling Alava’s flagship, the Santa-Ana. Her losses on this occasion amounted to 144, including I4 officers killed and wounded. Her injuries were very severe.

Her main and mizen masts and fore-topsail-yard were shot away, and her fore-mast, having been shot in several places and stripped of nearly the whole of its rigging, was left in a tottering state. By the time the Spanish three-decker Santa-Ana struck to her, the Royal Sovereign was almost unmanageable; and at 6 p.m. Admiral Collingwood, who had succeeded the dead hero as Commander-in-Chief, was compelled to shift his flag into the Euryalus, frigate, by which, and afterwards by the Neptune, she was taken in tow (The Trafalgar Roll by R. H. Mackenzie refers).

Henry Towsey was appointed Assistant Surgeon aboard the Royal Sovereign on 14 September 1805, and served in that ship at Trafalgar. With casualties of 47 killed and 94 wounded, the Royal Sovereign suffered more than most in the battle. Towsey moved to the Formidable in January 1806, and was promoted to Surgeon in December 1810. He was appointed to the Dromedary store-ship in March 1816 and placed on half-pay later that same year. In June 1824 he was appointed to the Nieman on the Cape station but was again placed on half-pay in June 1827. He was finally declared unfit for sea service in December 1839 and went to live in Devon, where he died at Lympstone on 31 March 1860.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

268

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Rear-Admiral F. J. Thomas, Royal Navy, for his services as acting Lieutenant on board the Spartiate at the battle of Trafalgar; he afterwards performed valuable services at Cadiz and elsewhere on the coast of Spain, being promoted to Commander and thanked for his ‘patriotism, bravery, and zeal’ Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (F. I. Thomas, Act. Lieut. R.N.) engraved correction to initials, cleaned, otherwise good very fine £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2000.

88 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Spartiate.

In the weather column Spartiate fought under Sir Francis Laforey in the great victory of Trafalgar, her losses amounting to five killed and twenty wounded. The Minotaur and Spartiate were the two rearmost ships in the weather column, but exchanged broadsides with several of the combined fleet.

They managed to cut off the Spanish 84-gun ship Neptune, of which they contrived to get alongside, and which, after a fight of over an hour, surrendered. The Spartiate had her foretopsail yard shot away, and her masts, yards, and rigging in general were a good deal damaged (The Trafalgar Roll by R. H. Mackenzie refers).

Frederick Jennings Thomas was born in the New Forest, Hampshire, on 19 April 1787, younger son of Sir John Thomas of Wenvoe Castle, Glamorgan. He entered the navy in March 1799, as First Class Volunteer on board the Boston, on the American and West India station, serving in that ship, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, until August 1803. During that period he proved a volunteer on every occasion that involved difficulty or danger. In one instance, while conducting a valuable prize to Bermuda, he thwarted a plan laid by the greatly superior number of prisoners for re-taking the vessel.

In September 1803 he joined the Prince of Wales, bearing the flag of Sir Robert Calder, and took part in the action fought on 22 July, 1805, with the combined fleets of France and Spain off Cape Finisterre. He was nominated Acting Lieutenant of the Spartiate on 19 September, and on 21 October, shared in the glories of Trafalgar. His appointment to the Spartiate being confirmed in February 1806, he served in her off Rochefort, and in the Mediterranean where he assisted at the blockade of Toulon, in the defence of Sicily, and a variety of operations on the coast of Italy, until November 1809.

In December 1809 he joined the Antelope, bearing the flag of Sir John Thomas Duckworth, in which he conveyed His Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador to Cadiz. On his arrival there, Thomas succeeded, although the French army had surrounded the city, in obtaining information on their movements in the interior of Andalusia, which proved of advantage to the interests of Spain, and was forwarded by him to the British government. He also, at imminent hazard, made a survey of

the enemy’s lines and fortifications, which he communicated in a chart to Lord Mulgrave, First Lord of the Admiralty, whose thanks he received in return. Continuing at Cadiz, Thomas was enabled to furnish government with the first information of the enemy’s intention of attacking the valuable fortresses of Tarifa and Cueta. While successfully engaged with a detachment of armed vessels, he boarded, and after a desperate resistance, retook two valuable Spanish ships which had been beguiled by the French under their batteries. In towing these from the shore he was for four hours exposed to a galling fire. He was subsequently presented with the thanks of the merchants of Cadiz in a gold box for his ‘energy and personal risk in defence of the trade.’

In an unsuccessful attack made in October 1810 by the troops under Lord Blayney on the castle of Frangerola, the gun-boat he was in was sunk after an action of two hours, and he himself wounded. Nevertheless he landed and remained with the army, still engaged with the enemy, until obliged to retire on board the Rambler. For his conduct he received the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief, was awarded a second promotal commission, and appointed second-in-command of the flotilla.

On 5 July 1811, he made a valiant but ineffectual attempt to capture a French armed schooner in the River Guadalquivir.

He subsequently, having volunteered his services, bore an important part in the expulsion of the French from Seville and, in about August 1812, became senior commander of the flotilla. During his service on the coast of Spain he was at the storming of twelve batteries, at the spiking or capture of several hundred pieces of ordnance, and at the capture and destruction of some 150 sail of vessels. Towards the end of 1813 he was acting Captain of the San Juan, flagship of Rear-Admiral Linzee at Gibraltar, and returned to England with Linzee in the Eurotas in 1814. His post rank having been confirmed in December 1813, he had no further employment afloat and, having married in 1816, settled in the neighbourhood of Southampton. He accepted the retired rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 October 1846, and died at Hill, near Southampton, on 19 December 1855

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

269X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Edward F. Brayley for his services as a Landsman on board the Swiftsure at the battle of Trafalgar Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp Trafalgar (Edward F. Brayley.) a little polished on the obverse, otherwise good very fine £5,000-£7,000

Provenance: Spink, July 1971.

47 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Swiftsure.

The Swiftsure took part in the pursuit of the combined fleets to the West Indies and back, and was present, under command of Captain William Gordon Rutherford, in the lee column at Trafalgar. She engaged the French Achille, which, in about forty minutes, having had her mizen-mast and foreyard shot away, and having caught fire, ceased firing, and waved a Union Jack at her starboard cathead; she afterwards blew up. The Swiftsure had her own mizen-topmast shot away and mizen-mast badly damaged, and lost seventeen killed and wounded, including a midshipman. After the battle she took in tow the French 74, Redoutable, one of the prizes; but when the latter was found to be sinking, the Swiftsure cut herself loose. It was a dreadful night of wind, rain, and lightning, but she sent her boats and succeeded in saving 170 of the Redoutable’s crew, but five of her own men unfortunately went down in the wreck (The Trafalgar Roll by R. H. Mackenzie refers).

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The Naval General Service 1793-1840 medal awarded to Commander James Eaton, Royal Navy, who as Signal Midshipman of Téméraire at Trafalgar had the honour of repeating from the Victory Nelson’s last immortal signal “England Expects,” &c., and also assisted during the action in lashing to the Téméraire the French 74-gun ships Fougeux and Redoubtable, one on either side, being rewarded with a commission for these services Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Trafalgar, Java (James Eaton, Lieut.) small edge bruise and slight bend to suspension, good very fine £16,000-£20,000 Provenance: Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

51 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Téméraire, including 7 officers.

James Eaton was born at Pimlico, London, in 1783, and was baptised on 11 March 1785, at Llandongo, Monmouthshire.

He entered the Navy on 13 February 1799, as First-class Volunteer on board the Quebec 32, Captain Henry Wm. Bayntun, stationed in the West Indies; became Midshipman, 2 September 1800, of La Prompte 20, Captain Robert Philpot; and on removing to the Hannibal 74, Captain Solomon Ferris, was quartered in the mizen-top, and narrowly escaped destruction, when that ship, having grounded under the enemy’s batteries, was compelled, after a long and deadly resistance, inflictive on her of a loss of 81 men killed and 62 wounded, to strike her colours, in the action off Algeciras, 6 July 1801, on which occasion he was taken prisoner. Being exchanged on the 18th of the same month, he returned home in the San Antonio 74, Captain Hon. George Heneage Lawrence Dundas, one of the prizes taken near Cadiz in the battle of the 13th. After an attachment of 20 months, as Admiralty-Midshipman, to the Atalante 16, Captain Joseph Ore Mansfield, during which period he was very constantly engaged on open-boat service in the suppression of smuggling, and on one occasion, 9 October 1803, assisted at the cutting out, in face of a fiery opposition, of two French ketches and a brig, near St. Gildas, in Quiberon Bay. In March 1804 Mr. Eaton joined the Téméraire 98, Captain Eliab Harvey. Being Signal-Midshipman on the memorable 21 October 1805, he had the honour of repeating from the Victory Nelson’s last immortal signal, “England expects,” &c.; and he also assisted during the action in lashing to the Téméraire the French 74-gun ships Fougueux and Redoubtable, one on either side. For his conduct he was rewarded with a commission dated 13 January 1806, and appointed to the Lion 64, Captains Robert

Rolles and Henry Heathcote. During the nearly six years of his continuance in that ship, Mr. Eaton took out a convoy to China; was severely wounded, while in temporary command of her tender, in an attack made on that vessel by 13 Malay pirate war-junks; and, independently of one or two particular services, co-operated in the reduction of Java. On 8 September 1812, after having been laid up for some time at Haslar Hospital, he was appointed First of the Beaver 10, Captain Edward O’Brien Drury, by whom, in July 1813, he was sent home with despatches containing intelligence of the American Commodore Rodgers and his squadron having put into North Bergen, on the coast of Norway. On rejoining the Beaver he particularly distinguished himself by his intrepidity, on 24 October 1813, in putting off in the jolly-boat, with the only three men out of the whole ship’s company who would volunteer, to the rescue, during a violent gale, of the crew of a Swedish vessel then on the point of foundering. Mr. Eaton, who was compelled to invalid in August 1814, from a severe attack of rheumatism, brought on by overexertion and exposure, with the loss also of the sight of one eye, and who had not since been employed, accepted his present rank of Commander on 26 May 1842.

He married his cousin Anne (born Cannock, Staffordshire) in 1816, and after leaving the Navy moved with her to West Bromwich where he became a successful businessman with interests in coal mines and land. In 1838, he was in partnership with William Salter and William Raybould when they took on a 21-year lease from Lord Dartmouth for the Heath Colliery. He moved into Hill House, Dagger Lane, West Bromwich, in 1837 and died there on 28 February 1857, aged 71 years.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The Naval General Service medal awarded to Samuel F. Diamond for his services as a Private Royal Marines on board the Tonnant at the battle of Trafalgar Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (Samuel F. Diamond) cleaned and lacquered, otherwise good very fine £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Glendining’s, July 1938; David Spink Collection, June 1985.

53 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Tonnant.

Captain Charles Tyler was appointed to the Tonnant in September 1805, and under him she fought at Trafalgar, on 21 October, where she was the fourth ship in the lee column. She was closely engaged with the Spanish 74s, Monarca and Algésiras, the former of which struck to her, but rehoisted her colours on the Tonnant turning her attention to the other 74, whose bowsprit and anchors got entangled with the main rigging of the Tonnant, and the two ships were held fast together. Though the Algésiras made a plucky attempt to board, she got the worst of the encounter, and after a very gallant defence struck to the Tonnant, and was taken possession of by a party of bluejackets and marines. A party was sent at the same time to take over the Spanish San Juan Nepomuceno, but the boat capsized, nearly drowning the lieutenant in charge.

The Tonnant’s injuries were severe. She had all her three topmasts and mainyard shot away, was damaged in the hull, had a bad wound in the rudder, a portion of which was shot away, while a great portion of her starboard quarter piece with the rails and gallery was carried away. Her losses amounted to 76 killed and wounded, amongst the latter being her captain, who was taken below, and had to hand over the ship to the first lieutenant (The Trafalgar Roll by R. H. Mackenzie refers).

Samuel Diamond was born in the Parish of South Bovey, Devon, and attested for the Plymouth Division of the Royal Marines on 24 February 1800, aged 22 years. He served as a Private Royal Marines aboard the Tonnant at the battle of Trafalgar, being discharged to Plymouth Headquarters on 24 April 1808, and ‘set off the rolls’ on 30 October 1815, by reason of ‘discharged - lame arm’.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The fine Trafalgar and life saving group of four awarded to Captain Howard Lewis Parry, Royal Navy and H.M. Coastguard, who served as a Boy on board the Tonnant Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (Howard Parry) fitted with silver ribbon buckle; Boulton’s Medal for Trafalgar 1805, white metal, in silver frame with glass lunettes and rings for suspension, fitted with silver ribbon buckle; Royal Humane Society, large silver medal, unmounted (Lieut. Parry. R.N. 1832) in its original fitted case of issue; R.N.L.I. gold medal, George IV, (Lieut. H. L. Parry. R.N. Voted 25 Jany. 1832) fitted with gold ribbon buckle, as appropriate, the first extremely fine, otherwise very fine or better (4) £12,000-£16,000 53 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Tonnant.

Captain Charles Tyler was appointed to the Tonnant in September 1805, and under him she fought at Trafalgar, on 21 October, where she was the fourth ship in the lee column.

She was closely engaged with the Spanish 74s, Monarca and Algésiras, the former of which struck to her, but rehoisted her colours on the Tonnant turning her attention to the other 74, whose bowsprit and anchors got entangled with the main rigging of the Tonnant, and the two ships were held fast together. Though the Algésiras made a plucky attempt to board, she got the worst of the encounter, and after a very gallant defence struck to the Tonnant, and was taken possession of by a party of bluejackets and marines. A party was sent at the same time to take over the Spanish San Juan Nepomuceno, but the boat capsized, nearly drowning the lieutenant in charge.

The Tonnant’s injuries were severe. She had all her three topmasts and mainyard shot away, was damaged in the hull, had a bad wound in the rudder, a portion of which was shot away, while a great portion of her starboard quarter piece with the rails and gallery was carried away. Her losses amounted to 76 killed and wounded, amongst the latter being her captain, who was taken below, and had to hand over the ship to the first lieutenant (The Trafalgar Roll by R. H. Mackenzie refers).

R.N.L.I. Gold Medal, Voted 25 January 1832: ‘Lieutenant Howard Lewis Parry, R.N., Inspecting Commander, H.M. Coastguard, Rye. 21 November 1831: At daybreak, a large French lugger fishing boat L’Aimée was found ashore in Rye

Bay, East Sussex, with her French colours flying and a light in her shrouds. Lieutenant Parry manned his galley, brought it half a mile overland to a point opposite and launched with four coastguardmen in the face of a violent storm. In four hazardous trips, 21 survivors were brought ashore. By this time, the galley was so damaged that it was no longer seaworthy. Then, using a rope that he had brought ashore from the lugger, he saved the ten remaining survivors.

Lieutenant Parry had been a Boy seaman at Trafalgar.’

Howard Lewis Parry entered the navy as a Boy on 23 August 1803, and served aboard Tonnant at Trafalgar. In November 1809 he became Midshipman of Dolphin, and in February 1811 he transferred to Grasshopper. In the following December he was on board the latter vessel when she had to surrender to the Dutch at Texel, and Parry became a prisoner of war until the peace of 1814. He served successively in Amphion and Pandora on North American, West India and Home stations. In October 1815, he became Lieutenant and served in Ramillies from September 1825, and transferred to the Coast Guard in July 1831. For his rescue of the crew of the Fench ship L’Aimée, he was awarded the gold medal of the R.N.L.I., with ten sovereigns to his four men, and was promoted to Commander on 10 February 1832 ‘for gallant conduct and severe wounds’ received in the Coast Guard service. In April 1833, he was awarded a pension of £91.5s per annum in consideration of his wounds. He retired with the rank of Captain in April 1856, and died in about 1868.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

273

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Samuel Green for his services as a Private Royal Marines on board the Ajax at Egypt and on board the Victory at the battle of Trafalgar, where he was wounded in action Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Egypt, Trafalgar (Samuel Green.) edge bruise and small French silver import stamp, minor nicks, otherwise toned, very fine £14,000-£18,000 Provenance: Cheylesmore Collection, July 1930; Sotheby’s, December 1990; Buckland Dix and Wood, March 1996. One other Samuel Green got the N.G.S. with 2 clasps, Implacable 26 Augt.

1808, 7 July Boat Service 1809. His medal was sold at Glendining’s in November 1927 and is known to be in the Patiala Collection in India.

122 clasps for Trafalgar issued to H.M.S. Victory.

Samuel Green is confirmed as a Private, Royal Marines, aboard the Ajax in Egypt, and aboard the Victory at Trafalgar where he was wounded and received an award of £10 from Lloyd’s. Of the six Seaman and two Marines aboard the Victory who were wounded and survived to claim the medal, only that to Green is known to survive.

Samuel Green was born at Bilston, Staffordshire, in 1777, and attested for the Marines at Wolverhampton on 23 January 1798, a bucklefiler by trade. He joined Ajax from Chatham Headquarters on 1 January 1800, and served in Egypt the following year, being one of the Marines landed to fight with the Army at Alexandria in 12 March. He joined the Victory in April 1803 and the musters confirm his presence aboard for the complete commission until Victory was paid off on 6 January 1806, after which Green was sent back to Chatham Headquarters. He was disbanded from the Royal Marines at Chatham on 20 October 1815.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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A particularly fine example of Alexander Davison’s Medal for Trafalgar 1805 Alexander Davison’s Medal for Trafalgar 1805, pewter with copper rim and integral suspension rings as issued, nearly extremely fine and rare thus £2,000-£3,000 It has long been stated that the Davison’s Trafalgar medal was given exclusively to the surviving crew of H.M.S. Victory, which would suggest a possible striking and issuance of some 600-700 medals. Such a high number is in stark contrast to the seemingly low survival rate for these medals which might indicate a lower number of medals having been struck.

Recent and ongoing research by Arthur Satterley and Sim Comfort has resulted in an article in press for future publication. Amongst other things they have sourced the letter of John Brown, preserved at The Caird Library, National Maritime Museum, London, written on board “Victory, Chatham, December 18th, 1805”. In it Brown writes: “There is three hundred of us Pickt out to go to Lord Nelson Funral. We are to wear blue Jackets white Trowsers and a black scarf round our arms and hats besides gold medal (sic) for the battle of Trafalgar Valued £7 1s. round our necks. That I shall take care of until I take it home to Shew it to you.”

This might suggest that approximately 300 medals were struck and given to the 300 ‘Pickt’ men of H.M.S. Victory who took part in the funeral proceedings on 9th January 1806. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that the medal was both designed and struck by Thomas Halliday at his own expense, rather than Davison. Halliday, whose initials appear on the medal [H.F - Halliday Fecit], is recorded as being a quiet fellow who didn’t trumpet, kept himself to himself, but nevertheless had a successful long term business in Birmingham from c.1803 into the 1830s.

Peter Moser (alias Reynolds) standing with cane seventh from the left

275

X The Matthew Boulton’s Medal for Trafalgar 1805 worn by Peter Moser (alias Reynolds) who served as an Able Seaman on board the Victory Matthew Boulton’s Medal for Trafalgar 1805, white metal (P. Reynolds, Victory) contemporary engraved naming in reverse field, fitted with rings for suspension, corrosion and pitting, therefore fine and rare £2,000-£2,400 Peter Moser (alias Reynolds) received the N.G.S. medal with 3 clasps and is confirmed in the application books for 17 June 1795 (as Moser), Gut of Gibraltar 12 July 1801 (as Moser), and Trafalgar (as Reynolds). Having been ‘beached’ after the peace in 1802, he was unfortunately ‘pressed’ the following year and began using the alias name of Peter Reynolds. In this name he fought aboard the Victory at Trafalgar but his medal, when it was issued over forty years later, bore the name Peter Moser to which he had by then reverted. With the confusion of names it is unsurprising that this medal became separated from his N.G.S. medal which now forms part of the DouglasMorris Collection at the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth.

However, there is more to his story. Discharged from the Navy as Peter Reynolds in early September 1812, now rated as Sailmaker’s Mate, he next appears in 1826, when on 22 July he is admitted as an ‘In Pensioner’ to Greenwich Hospital in the name of Peter Moser.

During his time at Greenwich Hospital he was gainfully employed as a Boatswain’s Mate and subsequently advanced to Boatswain in 1831. He appears in the well known painting by Andrew Morton ‘Naval pensioners at the Royal Hospital at Greenwich entertaining Army pensioners at Chelsea, in the Painted Hall’, and now on display at the National Maritime Museum.

Furthermore, in 1844, Peter Moser (alias Reynolds) received one of the Nelson Testimonial Medals struck for presentation to the Royal Marine guard-of-honour who were present at the ceremonial opening of Nelson’s Column, and also to the men who fought under Nelson at Cape St Vincent, Teneriffe, The Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar, who, at the time of the opening, were pensioners in the Naval Hospital at Greenwich. The full story of Peter Moser (alias Reynolds) is told in Naval Medals 1793-1856 by Captain K. J. DouglasMorris, together with illustrations of Morton’s painting (all participants identified) and of the presentation of the Testimonial Medals.

Peter Moser died at Greenwich on 21 August 1856.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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A rare Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund Honorary Certificate for Trafalgar awarding the sum of Ten Pounds to Seaman William Williams in respect of the wound he received on board the Neptune at the battle of Trafalgar overall 58cm x 43cm, image 35cm x 25cm, contained in original black Japanned metal scroll case, some tears and repairs to margins but image unaffected, excellent condition for age £3,000-£4,000

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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A rare Nelson Testimonial Medal 1844 as presented to eligible In-pensioners of Greenwich Hospital Nelson Testimonial Medal 1844, by E. Avern, obv. bust of Nelson facing left, enclosed by a garter, ‘England Expects Every Man Will do His Duty’; rev. View of the Column in Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery and the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in the background, ‘To Commemorate the Opening of the Nelson Testimonial in Trafalgar Squ.’; exergue, ‘21 October 1844’, 60mm., pewter, pierced for ring suspension, ref. Hardy 97, M.H.531, very fine and rare £800-£1,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2006.

The ‘Gentlemen of the Parish of St. Martins’ had raised a subscription for the purpose of giving a dinner to veteran sailors on the occasion of the ceremonial opening of Nelson’s Column. Unsuccessful in this regard, the fund was instead used to strike a commemorative medal to be awarded to the veterans together with a gratuity of 10 shillings. The medal was duly struck and presented on 2 April 1845 to eligible In-pensioners of Greenwich Hospital; being awarded to 39 who had served at Cape St. Vincent, 35 at the Nile, 45 at Copenhagen and 238 at Trafalgar. A total of 357 awards. Milford Haven states that the medals were struck for presentation to the Royal Marine guard-of-honour who were present at the ceremonial opening of the monument but this is unsubstantiated (Ref: Remember Nelson, by Thomas A. Hardy, 2005 and Naval Medals 1793-1856, by K. J. Douglas-Morris, 1987)

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278

X A rare Centenary of Trafalgar commemorative set of 3 miniature medals representing Nelson’s gold medal actions of St Vincent, the Nile and Trafalgar Centenary of Trafalgar 1805-1905, set of 3 miniature gilt medals by Spink & Son Ltd representing Nelson’s three gold medal actions of St Vincent 1797, the Nile 1798, and Trafalgar 1805, each one suitably inscribed on the reverse, contained in gilt frame impressed ‘Centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar 1805’ with glass lunettes and rings for suspension, contained in fitted display case as issued, extremely fine and rarely seen as a set £2,000-£2,400

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The Naval General Service medal awarded to Francis Prior for his services as Master of the Aeolus at Strachan’s action on 4 November 1805, off Ferrol, when the four French ships that escaped from Trafalgar were captured Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 4 Novr. 1805 (Francis Prior, Master.) better than very fine £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

15 clasps for 4 Novr 1805 issued to H.M.S. Aeolus.

Francis Prior qualified as Master of first rate ships in 1804. He was Master of the Aeolus, Captain Lord William Fitzroy, at Strachan’s action. In the matter of the charge of cowardice levelled against Lord Fitzroy, the log of the Aeolus kept by the Master, Francis Prior, was used as evidence (see James’s Naval History of Great Britain). Francis Prior was still on the active list of Masters in 1850.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

280

X The 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to John D. Lambeth for his services as Landsman on board the Namur on 4 November 1805, as Ordinary Seaman on board the Valiant at Basque Roads, and as Able Seaman in the boats of the same ship at the capture of two French brigs in September 1810 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 3 clasps, 4 Novr. 1805, Basque Roads 1809, 27 Sep Boat Service 1810 (Jno. D. Lambeth) the last four letters of surname corrected from ‘Lambert’, edge bruise and scratch to obverse, otherwise very fine £5,000-£7,000 33 clasps issued for the Boat Service action on 27 September 1810.

‘On the night of September 27th, the boats of the Caledonia, one hundred-and-twenty, Captain Sir H. Neale, Valiant, seventy-four, Captain R. Oliver; and Armide, thirty-eight, Captain R. Dunn, lying in Basque Roads, were despatched under the orders of First Lieutenant Hamilton of the Caledonia, to take or destroy three brigs laden with Government stores, anchored under the protection of a strong battery at Pointe du Ché. As it was known that the enemy had strengthened the position with field pieces, and that a strong body of troops was assembled for the protection of the vessels, a party of one hundred and thirty marines, commanded by Captains T. Sherman and McLachlan, with Lieutenant Little, was added to the seamen from the three ships.

At half-past two the marines were landed under Pointe du Ché, but the alarm was given by the brigs, and under a smart fire Lieutenant Little advanced, captured the battery and spiked the guns. In the meantime Captain Sherman took position on the main road, facing the village of Angoulin, supported by one of the launches with an eighteen-pounder carronade. The enemy advanced from the village and attacked him, but were driven back with loss. The French then made another attempt with a field piece, but were charged with the bayonet, put to flight, and the gun taken.

While this was going on, the seamen had captured two of the brigs, and destroyed the other, and the party re-embarked without losing a man. Lieutenant Little and one man were wounded. The enemy left fourteen dead in the battery, but what loss they sustained from the fire of Captain Sherman’s division and the launch could not be ascertained.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

John Lambeth/Lambert is confirmed on the rolls as Landsman aboard Namur at Strachan’s action on 4 November 1805, as Ordinary Seaman aboard the Valiant at Basque Roads, and as Able Seaman in the boats of the same ship the capture of two French brigs off Point du Ché, in the Basque Roads, by boats from Armide, Caledonia and Valiant. He is shown as Lambeth on all ship’s books but incorrectly as Lambert on the clasp application list for 4 November 1805, and as Lambeth on the clasp application lists for the two latter clasps. He consequently has two entries in the Colin Message roll who describes him as a ‘man of mystery’.

Sold with copied muster lists and some professional research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

281

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant F. J. Turner, Royal Navy, for his services as Midshipman aboard the Sirius in action with a French flotilla off the Tiber in April 1806 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Sirius 17 April 1806 (Francis J. Turner, Midshipman.) extremely fine £14,000-£18,000 Provenance: Hyde Greg Collection 1887; Whitaker Collection 1890.

10 clasps issued for ‘Sirius 17 April 1806’, including two R.N. officers, one R.M. officer, and one Surgeon.

Only 2 medals issued with this single clasp.

On 17 April while cruising off the west coast of Italy, Captain William Prowse in the Sirius 36 gained intelligence of a French flotilla about to sail that morning for Naples. The Sirius closed with the flotilla soon after sunset within two leagues of the mouth of the Tiber, near Civita Vecchia, on the west coast of Italy. At about 7.00 pm, the Sirius attacked the enemy vessels which comprised the Bergère, three brigs, a bomb vessel with two heavy mortars, a cutter and three gun ketches, totalling 97 guns. The action, conducted at pistol shot distance, lasted for two hours until the Bergère hailed a surrender. Some of the other French vessels were badly damaged and had ceased firing but Sirius was prevented from pursuing due to her crippled rigging. Captain Prowse received a vase of 100 guineas for this action from the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund.

Francis John Turner entered the Navy on 12 July 1800, as First-class Volunteer on board the Dorset yacht, Captain Sir Alexander Schomberg, employed off Dublin in attendance upon the Lord-Lieutenant. He served next on the Home and Mediterranean stations from February 1801 until 1 February 1803, in the Glenmore 44, Captains John Talbot and John Maitland, and from 23 September in the latter year until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 19 December 1807, in the Melpomène 38, Captains Robert Dudley Oliver and Sir Peter Parker. In 1804 he assisted, as Midshipman, in twice bombarding the town of Havre-de-Grace. He served in Sirius in action with a French flotilla of 15 sail off the Tiber in 1806 and in Pompée at the reduction of several fortresses on the coast of Calabria in the same year. His last appointments afloat were – 30 December 1807, to the Humber, Captain John Hill, on the Falmouth station; 25 August 1808, to the Comet 18, Captains Cuthbert Featherstone Daly and Richard Henry Muddle, employed in the Bay of Biscay, at Newfoundland, and among the Western Islands; 5 June 1813, after two years of half-pay, to the Goliath 74, Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland, from which ship, stationed at first in the West Indies and next on the coast of North America, he was sent, in March 1814, to the Hospital at Bermuda; and in September of the latter year, for a few months, to the Akbar 50, Captain Archibald Dickson, on the Halifax station.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

282

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to John Wigginton for his services as a Private Royal Marines in the boats of the Monarch at the cutting out of the Caesar on the night of 16 July 1806 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 16 July Boat Service 1806 (John Wigginton.) good very fine

£3,000-£4,000

Provenance: Spink, July 2000.

51 clasps issued for this Boat Service action.

John Wigginton is confirmed as a Private Royal Marines in the boats of the Monarch.

‘A British squadron of six sail of the line and a frigate, under the command of Commodore Sir S. Hood in the Centaur, seventy-four, was cruising off Rochefort in July, when the Commodore learning that a convoy laden with stores for the fleet at Brest, was lying ready for sea in Verdon Road, at the entrance of the river Gironde, under the protection of two brigcorvettes, determined to cut them out. A boat of each ship was selected and sent to the Isis frigate, which ship proceeded off the Gironde, and joined there the forty-four gun frigate Indefatigable, which was watching the convoy. The six boats from the line of battle ships, Conqueror, Prince of Wales, Revenge, Polyphemus, Monarch, and Centaur, under the command of Lieutenant E. R. Sibly of the last mentioned ship, with three boats from the Indefatigable, and three from the Isis, twelve in all, on the evening of June 15th set out from the Indefatigable for the mouth of the Gironde. At midnight they entered Verdon road, and immediately attacked the French sixteen-gun brig-corvette Caesar, with a crew of eighty-six men, fully prepared for resistance.

While cutting away the boarding netting of the brig, Lieutenant Sibly was badly wounded, but she was boarded, and carried after a very gallant defence, her commander, Lieutenant Fourré, being among the slain. The other brig, the Teazer (late British) of fourteen guns, in the darkness of the night slipped her cable, and favoured by the wind and tide, escaped by running up the river, followed by the convoy. In the meanwhile the prize, exposed to a fire from the Teazer and the batteries on both sides of the river, worked out under the direction of Lieutenant Parker of the Indefatigable, and joined the two frigates at anchor in the offing. The British loss was rather severe, Lieutenant C. Manners, of the Revenge, a master’s mate, and seven men were killed, and four Lieutenants, and thirty-five men wounded. A midshipman and nineteen men of the Revenge were made prisoners, their boat being disabled by shot and obliged to run on shore to avoid sinking. Shortly after, Lieutenant Sibly received the rank of Commander.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

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The 2-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Thomas E. Davis for his services as Captain of the Maintop in the Virginie at the capture of the Dutch frigate Guelderland in May 1808, and as Able Seaman in the Berwick at Gaieta in July 1815 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Virginie 19 May 1808, Gaieta 24 July 1815 (T. E. Davis.) a very minor edge bruise, otherwise nearly extremely fine £7,000-£9,000 Provenance: Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

21 clasps issued for Virginie 19 May 1808, and 89 for Gaieta 24 July 1815.

Thomas E. Davis is confirmed on the rolls as Captain of the Maintop in the Virginie, at the capture of the Danish frigate Guelderland in May 1808, and as Able Seaman in the Berwick at Gaietain July 1815.

‘The thirty-eight-gun frigate Virginie, Captain E. Brace, on May 19th, cruising in latitude 46° North, longitude 14° West, saw and chased a strange sail, which proved to be the Dutch frigate Guelderland, thirty-six guns. At a quarter to ten p.m. the Virginie got near enough to hail the stranger and order her to strike, which she refused to do, and was fired into by the British frigate. An action commenced, during which, in wearing, the Guelderland fell on board her opponent, but the night was so dark, and the swell so great, that the British were unable to board. About eleven p.m., the Guelderland, having all her masts and bowsprit shot away, surrendered, with twenty-five officers and men killed, and her captain and forty-nine men wounded. The Virginie had one man killed and two wounded, and her chief damage was caused by her prize running foul of her during the action.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

‘Gaieta, in the Kingdom of Naples, held out in the cause of Napoleon, for several weeks after the Battle of Waterloo. An Austrian force under Baron de Lauer, invested the place by land, and the British ships Malta, eighty, Captain W. Fahie, and Berwick, seventy-four, Captain E. Brace, blockaded it by sea. After several bombardments, the Governor being informed by Captain Fahie of the surrender of Napoleon to Captain Maitland in the Bellerophon, capitulated on August 8th. The casualties on board the British ships in these operations were - Malta, four men wounded, Berwick, one man wounded.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

284X

The 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant Lawford Miles, Royal Navy, for his services as a Midshipman on board the Amethyst at the capture of the Thetis in November 1808, when he was severely wounded, and in the same ship at the capture of the Nieman in April 1809; he was afterwards Master’s Mate on board Lord Exmouth’s flagship Queen Charlotte at the bombardment of Algiers in 1816 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 3 clasps, Amethyst Wh. Thetis, Amethyst 5 April 1809, Algiers (Lawford Miles, Midshipman.) edge bruise and contact marks, otherwise very fine £20,000-£24,000 Provenance: Dalrymple White Collection, Glendining’s, July 1946; Spink, June 1976; Peter Dale Collection, July 2000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

31 clasps issued for Amethyst Wh Thetis, and 26 clasps issued for Amethyst 5 April 1809.

Capture of the Thetis, 10 November 1808 This action was fought near L’Orient, between the Amethyst, thirty-eight, Captain Michael Seymour, and the French frigate La Thetis, of about equal force, but superior in the number of her crew, and having besides a body of one hundred soldiers on board. The engagement began about nine at night, and soon after eleven the Thetis made a desperate but unsuccessful attempt to board the Amethyst. After great slaughter, the French frigate was boarded and taken, being much shattered and entirely dismasted. The captain of the Thetis and one hundred and thirty-four of her men were killed, and one hundred and two wounded, including all her officers except three. The Amethyst suffered severely, Lieutenant Kendal, of the Marines, and eighteen men being killed, and fifty-one wounded. Her mizzen mast was shot away, her other masts much injured, and she had three and a half feet of water in her hold. Just as the action ended, the Triumph, seventy-four, Captain T. M. Hardy, and the Shannon, Captain Broke, came up, and the latter ship, taking the prize in tow, brought her into Plymouth. For this action Captain Seymour received the honour of knighthood, and a sword valued at one hundred guineas from the Patriotic Fund, in addition to the Naval Gold Medal. (Medals of the British Navy

by W. H. Long refers).

Capture of the Niemen, 5 April 1809 At eleven on the morning of April 5th, the thirty-eight gun frigate Amethyst, about forty-two leagues from Cordovan lighthouse, caught sight of a ship steering to the westward. The Emerald, thirty-six, Captain T. L. Maitland was in company, and both ships joined in pursuing the stranger, the French frigate Niemen, forty guns, bound for the Isle of France. The chase was continued during the day, and at seven in the evening, the Amethyst, lost sight of the Emerald and of the enemy, on which he had gained but little. Captain Seymour then altered his course to cross the probable track of the French frigate, and at twenty minutes to ten p.m. discovered her steering to the westward. Soon after eleven p.m. the ships exchanged shots from their bow and stern chasers, and about quarter past one a.m. the Amethyst closed on her opponent, and gave her her starboard broadside. From this time till half past three, a severe action continued, and shortly after, the main-top and mizzen masts of the Niemen were shot away, her main top was on fire, and her guns nearly silenced. In bringing to, to the leeward, the main-mast of the Amethyst through the damaged state of her rigging, fell over the starboard quarter, carrying with it the mizzen mast, and about the same time the main-mast of the Niemen fell. Both ships then ceased firing. A quarter of an hour later, the thirty-eight gun frigate Arethusa, Captain R. Mends,

came up within gunshot, and the Niemen hoisted a light, and fired a gun at the Arethusa, and another at the Amethyst. The Arethusa returned the fire with some of her foremost guns, and the French frigate lowered her light and surrendered. Two officers and thirty-seven men of the Amethyst were absent in prizes, and of her remaining crew of two hundred and twentytwo men and boys, she had eight men killed, and three officers, and thirty-four men wounded. The Niemen with a crew of three hundred and thirty-nine men and boys, lost forty-seven men killed, and had seventy-three men wounded. The Arethusa sustained no loss whatever. The prize, a very fine new frigate, was taken in tow by the Arethusa, her hull being much damaged, and the next day, her foremast fell over the side. She was added to the Royal Navy by the same name.

There is a great similarity between this action and that of the Amethyst and Thetis, in the manner of conducting it, in the comparative force of the combatants, and also in reference to the intrusion of a third party. It is quite evident, however, that in both cases the capture was virtually effected by the Amethyst.

Captain Seymour was created a baronet of the United Kingdom, and the first lieutenant, William Hill, promoted to Commander.

(Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

Lawford Miles entered the Navy 4 August 1806, and while serving as Midshipman of the Amethyst, of 42 guns and 261 men, assisted at the capture, 11 November 1808, off L’Orient, of the French frigate La Thetis, of 44 guns and 436 men, including troops, which was boarded and carried at the close of a furious conflict of more than three hours, in which the British had 19 men killed and 51 (including himself severely) wounded, and the enemy 135 killed and 102 wounded. The injury he sustained on the occasion was at first rewarded by a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, and subsequently by a pension of £6. On 6 April 1809, he was further present in a severe intermittent action of about four hours, which terminated in the capture, with a loss to the Amethyst of 8 men killed and 37 wounded (including himself with a severe contusion), of another of the enemy’s frigates, Le Niemen, of 46 guns and 339 men, of whom 47 were slain and 73 wounded. During his stay in the Amethyst Mr. Miles also served in the boats at the capture and destruction of a convoy off Chasseron Tower; and was a participator in the operations connected with the expedition to the Walcheren. In August 1816, having passed his examination in the course of the preceding year, he was present on board the Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Lord Exmouth, at the battle of Algiers. He was made Lieutenant, 4 April 1825, into the Menai 26, Captain Houston Stewart, on the Halifax station, whence he invalided in the following April; and, since 19 October 1846, has been serving as Agent on board a contract mail steam-vessel.

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285

X The 4-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to John Daniels for his services as an Able Seaman on board the Pompée in three actions in the West Indies during 1809-10, and on board the Astraea off Tamatave in May 1811 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 4 clasps, Martinique, Pompée 17 June 1809, Guadaloupe, Off Tamatave 20 May 1811 (Jno. Daniels.) some scuff marks to the obverse, otherwise very fine £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2000.

Approximately 98 medals were issued with four clasps.

John Daniels (or Daniel) served as an Able Seaman aboard the Pompée at the first three actions, and on the Astraea at Tamatave in 1811. He is not shown on the Admiralty roll for the Pompée clasp (21 issued) but the roll for this clasp is known to be incomplete. He is, however, confirmed as one of 26 additional men ‘verified aboard’ for the action and entitled to the clasp, making the possible issuance for this clasp as many as 47.

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286

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Surgeon Joseph McCarogher for his services on board the Castor at the chase and capture of the French 74 D’Hautpoult in April 1809 Naval General Service 1793-1840, one bar, Castor 17 June 1809 (J. McCarogher, Surgn.) fitted with a contemporary silver pin brooch and original but frayed ribbon small edge bruise, otherwise toned, good very fine £14,000-£18,000 Provenance: Bonhams, October 2013.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

6 clasps issued for Castor 17 June 1809 (real date 17 April).

‘Early in February 1809, the French dispatched a force under the command of Commodore Amable-Gilles Trude, on a mission to resupply the garrison at Martinique. His force comprised the 74-gun ships of the line Courageux, Polonais, and D’Haultpoult. These ships were escorting the en-flute frigates Felicité; and Furieuse. The term en-flute meant a warship with some of its armament removed to make room for cargo.

Trude’s force arrived in the Leeward Islands on 29 March and found that Martinique had already fallen. He anchored his small force off the Iles des Saintes, off Guadeloupe, where they were spotted by patrolling British warships. Admiral Cochrane, on learning of this, ordered that men and heavy guns be landed on the islands to drive the French out to sea, where they could be pursued and brought to action.

Operations on the islands commenced on 14 April 1809 and by 8 p.m. that day, fire from the guns landed by the British had the desired effect and Troude ordered his ships to weigh anchor and put to sea. This had been seen by the Hazard 18 and reported to the blockading squadron which comprised of the flagship Neptune with York, Pompée, Polyphemus and Recruit. By 10 p.m., Pompée and Recruit had caught up with the rearmost French ship, the 74 gun ship-of-the-line D’Haultpoult.

Pompée fired two broadsides into D’Haultpoult without effect and the French ship continued on without returning fire.

At 8.15 p.m., Commander Napier managed to manoeuvre his vessel under the stern of the D’Haultpoult and opened fire. Napier was displaying a level of courage bordering on the insane. The D’Haultpoult was, after all, almost six times the size of his vessel and was several orders of magnitude more powerful. At 30 minutes past midnight, Neptune got close enough to open fire and her broadside killed one and wounded four of D’Haultpoult’s men. At 4 a.m., Recruit got close enough to fire another broadside into the French ship.

Pompée opened fire from long range with her bow-chasers and throughout the night, Recruit continued to harass the French ship. At 10.45 a.m., the French ship’s commander decided to do something about Recruit’s fire, so he briefly turned his ship into the wind and fired a full broadside at the relatively small British vessel. This damaged Recruit’s rigging on the port side, but did no significant damage and caused no casualties. Napier was not intimidated by this and as soon as D’Haultpoult had resumed her course, he continued with his attacks, pulling up to the Frenchman’s stern and letting them have two broadsides through the stern. This continued throughout the day, with Pompée joining in the running battle while she was able to. By daybreak on the 16 April, Recruit had been forced to drop astern of D’Haultpoult as a result of

the damage to her rigging. In the meantime, the chase had been joined by Latona, an 18-pdr armed 38-gun frigate and the Castor, a 12-pdr armed 32-gun frigate. Castor took Recruit’s place off D’Haultpoult’s stern and continued to harass the larger French ship until Pompée closed the range sufficiently to bring her to action properly. The harassing from Recruit and then Castor had slowed the French ship enough for Pompée to come alongside and batter her into surrender.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

Joseph McCarogher began his service at Plymouth Hospital from the 18 December 1807, as a Hospital Mate until 20 May 1808. He then transferred to the Ville de Paris from 21 May 1808, and served as an Assistant Surgeon until 16 September 1808. He then transferred to the Caledonia from 17 September 1808, as an Assistant Surgeon until 31 January 1809. He subsequently served on board the Royal William, Brazen, Castor, Abercrombie, Wolverine, Bacchus, and Swinger from March 1809 until March 1810, being promoted in the process from Assistant Surgeon to Surgeon. He then served on board the Favorite from 25 March 1810 until the 31 January 1811, and on board the Unicorn from 1 February 1811, until 6 October 1814; to the Akbar from 8 November 1814 to 1 January 1817, and finally on board the Newcastle from 1 January 1819, until 17 January 1822.

The following obituary was published in the British Medical Journal, November 1881: ‘Joseph McCarogher, M.D. Consulting Surgeon to the Chichester Infirmary.

On November 5th, in the ninety-fourth year of his age, died, at Chichester, Joseph McCarogher, M.D.Edin. 1818, L.F.P.S.Glasg. 1807. Dr McGarogher began his professional career as a surgeon in the navy. On his retirement, he was granted a pension, which he received till his death. He married the eldest daughter of the later Admiral Sir G. Ommaney, and afterwards settled in Chichester, where he held the position of councillor and alderman uninterruptedly during fifty-four years, and took a prominent part in municipal affairs. He was elected to the civic chair three times, and was appointed a justice of the peace for the city in 1837. He held the office of Honorary Physician to the Chichester Infirmary from 1826 to 1866; and, on his resignation, he was unanimously elected a consulting physician to that institution. As a medical practitioner, Dr McCarogher was skilful and judicious, and acquired a considerable practice in Chichester and the neighbourhood. He was at all times hospitable and kind, and gained the confidence and affection of a large circle of patients and friends.’

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287

X The rare Military and Naval General Service medal pair awarded to Major-General James Clarke, Royal Marines Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Java (James Clarke, 2nd Lieut. R.M.); Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Algiers (James Clarke, 2nd Lieut. R.M.) together with a second Military General Service 1793-1814, 2 clasps, Guadaloupe, Java (Jas. Clarke, Captn. R.M.) the first two with original ribbons with contemporary suspensions attached, edge bruising and contact wear, otherwise nearly very fine, the last with re-affixed suspension, nearly very fine (3) £16,000-£20,000 Provenance: Bonhams, December 2003, pair from family; M.G.S. with 2 clasps acquired privately in September 2014.

Approximately 38 Military General Service medals awarded to Royal Navy and Royal Marine recipients

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

James Clarke was born on 4 August 1788, the oldest son of the late Commander R. W. Clarke, Royal Navy. He joined the Royal Navy in March 1798, aged ten, aboard the sloop Pluto. After serving in her as a Volunteer and Midshipman, he joined the Romney in 1799, on the East India station, where he was successively lent to the hired armed transport Sea Nymphe, employed in conveying artillery and stores to Cosire in the Red Sea, and to the H.E.I.C.’s schooner Lady Popham. In the latter vessel, he was engaged in carrying despatches from Sir Home Popham at Mokha to General Hutchinson at Suez, where he was wrecked on a coral reef off Yembo. Twenty one of the crew drowned, whilst thirteen survived, escaping in two boats and made their way to Jiddah. The Romney returned to England and was paid off in 1803.

He entered the Royal Marines as Second Lieutenant on 19 September 1808, and in the early part of 1809 sailed with the troops in the Dolphin for the West Indies, where, joining the Neptune and Pompée, flagships of Sir A. Cochrane, he assisted at the capture of the French gunship D’Haupoult [clasp for this action not claimed] and served on shore in co-operation with the army at the reduction of Gaudeloupe. After the latter event, which took place in February 1810, he returned to England with prisoners on board the Alcmene frigate. His next appointments from December 1810-October 1814, were on Gibraltar, Clarence and President, being employed on the coast of France, the North Sea and River Clyde. In July 1816 for about 3 months he was with Superb with Captain C .Ekins and was present at the bombardment of Algiers. From March- October he was with the Tees and Conqueror. Then he was with Rear Admiral Plampin on the St. Helena station, whence he returned in April 1819. In October 1821 he went to the Impregnable which was flagship of Sir Alexander Cochrane at Plymouth; then on to Ariadne and Andromache at the Cape of Good Hope, from where he came home in September 1825. From May 1830 for three years he was with the Caledonia in the Channel. At the end of February 1837 he was with the Malabar, off Lisbon. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 14 November 1823 and to Captain on 10 July 1837. In December 1837 he left the Caledonia. He was employed in the Calcutta in the Mediterranean and on the coast of Portugal from September 1840 until November 1842; and then into the Impregnable at Devonport from 2 January 1849, until advanced to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, 12 November 1851, the day after his promotion to the brevet rank of Major.

He acquired the rank of Colonel on 20 November 1854 and was awarded that of Major-General 20 February 1857.

He married in 1817 and again in 1837, and had one son from the first marriage and one son and two daughters from the second.

The book Naval Medals by K. J. Douglas-Morris mentions an M.G.S. to him but with clasp Guadaloupe (p. 156), as does British Battles and Medals, where there is also reference to a Naval Medal. There is no reference to the N.G.S. medal in the roll by Colin Message. His correct entitlement should be the clasp for Gualaloupe only on the M.G.S., together with the N.G.S. for Algiers, as confirmed in the Army List up to his death in 1873.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

288X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Commander Henry Bourne, Royal Navy, for his services as Junior Lieutenant of the Spartan in a brilliant single-handed action with a French squadron off Naples in May 1810 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Spartan 3 May 1810 (Henry Bourne.) a few surface marks, otherwise good very fine £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Wallis & Wallis, October 1995.

34 clasps issued for Spartan 3 May 1810.

Henry Bourne entered the Navy on 12 May 1801, as First-class Volunteer on board the Neptune 98, Captain Edward Brace, bearing the flag in the Channel of Vice-Admiral Gambier. He served as Midshipman, for a few months in 1802, in the Camilla 20, commanded by the same officer and by Captain Henry Hill, then rejoined Vice-Admiral Gambier in the Isis 50, at Newfoundland. He became attached, in January 1804, to the Melpomene 38, Captains Robert Dudley Oliver and Peter Parker employed in the Channel and Mediterranean. He was made Lieutenant on, 4 January 1808, into the Fame 74, Captain Richard Henry Alexander Bennett, off Cadiz, and, on 11 June 1809, removed to the Spartan frigate, Captain Jahleel Brenton. In October of the latter year he assisted at the reduction of Zante, Cephalonia, and Cerigo; and on 3 May 1810, he signalized himself by his exemplary conduct and gallantry, as Junior Lieutenant of the Spartan, whose force amounted to 46 guns and 258 men, in a brilliant and single-handed victory gained by that ship, in the Bay of Naples, after a contest of more than two hours, in which the British sustained a loss of 10 men killed and 22 wounded, over a Franco-Neapolitan squadron, carrying altogether 95 guns and about 1400 men. Mr. Bourne was subsequently employed with Captain Edward Pelham Brenton, who succeeded to the command of the Spartan, on the coast of North America, where he aided in the capture of numerous privateers and other vessels, until promoted to the command of the Rattler sloop, of 16 guns. He was promoted to Commander on 6 November 1813 and was superseded from the Spartan on 24 January 1814. Bourne was granted a pension for wounds on 2 December 1815. With the exception of a few months in 1829-30, when he served at Sheerness as Second-Captain of the Donegal 78, Captain Sir Jahleel Brenton, he held no further appointment

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

289

X The fine 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Purser Benjamin Soden, Royal Navy, for his many services in the Thetis during 1809-10 in the West Indies Naval General Service 1793-1840, 3 clasps, 13 Dec Boat Service 1809, Anse La Barque 18 Decr.

1809, Guadaloupe (Benjn. Soden, Purser) original ribbon, extremely fine £12,000-£16,000 8 clasps issued for Boat Service 13 Dec 1809 and 40 clasps issued for Anse La Barque 18 Decr. 1809.

Cutting out the Nisus at Guadaloupe, 13 December 1809 ‘The thirty-eight gun frigate Thetis, Captain G. Miller, in company with the gun brigs Pultusk, sixteen, Captain W. Elliot, Achates, ten, Captain T. Pinto, Attentive, Lieutenant R. Carr, and schooner Bacchus, Lieutenant C. Jermy, while cruising off the island of Guadaloupe, on December 12th, observed the French sixteen gun brig-corvette Nisus lying at anchor under the protection of a battery in the harbour of Hayes. In the evening, the boats of the squadron under the command of Captain Elliot, assisted by Lieutenants Belchier, Ruel, and Cooke, were dispatched to cut the vessel out. The British landed without opposition, and made their way through a thick wood, and over a high hill, till they reached the rear of the battery, which they attacked and carried, forcing the defenders to abandon it. Leaving Lieutenant Belchier to destroy the guns and battery, a service he effectually performed, Captain Elliot with the boats, supported by the brigs, entered the harbour, and boarded and captured the corvette, with but four men wounded. The prize, a fine vessel of about three hundred and forty tons, was added to the British Navy by the name of Guadaloupe.

(Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

James Benjamin E. Soden, Purser of H.M.S. Thetis thirty-eight was present in the boats of the squadron during the cutting out of the French brig-corvette Nisus and the destruction on land of the battery in Hayes Harbour, Guadaloupe, on the night of 12/13 December 1809. On 18 December following, he was present at the storming of the enemy batteries in the Anse La Barque area, north west of Basse-terre, Guadaloupe, and the capture of the two French frigates Loire and Seine. He was subsequently present in Thetis during the combined operations which resulted in the capture of Guadaloupe on 5 February 1810. Soden was appointed Paymaster in 1827 and was still shown in the Navy List for 1878.

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290X

The 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant John Meares, Royal Marines, for his services as 2nd Lieutenant on board the Active, being wounded in action at Lissa and mentioned in despatches Naval General Service 1793-1840, 3 clasps, 28 June Boat Service 1810, Lissa, Pelagosa 29 Novr.

1811 (John Meares, 2nd Lieut. R.M.) original ribbon, toned, extremely fine £12,000-£16,000 Provenance: Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II 25 clasps issued for Boat Service 28 June 1810, 123 clasps issued for Lissa; and 64 clasps issued for Pelagosa 29 Novr. 1811.

The Alceste, Active and Unitié with French frigates, 29 November 1811

Capture of twenty-five vessels at Grao, 28 June 1810

On November 29th, as the thirty-eight gun frigates Alceste, and Active, Captains M. Maxwell, and J. A. Gordon, and Unitié, thirtytwo, Captain E. Chamberlayne, were cruising in the Adriatic, near the island of Augusta, three strange sail appeared, which proved to be the French forty-gun frigates Pauline, and Pomone, and the frigate built store ship Persanne, from Corfu to Trieste, laden with brass and iron ordnance. On discovering the British frigates, the French ships made sail to the north west, and were chased by the Alceste, and her companions. At eleven a.m. the Persanne finding she could not keep way with the Paulino and Pomone separated from them, and bore up before the wind, and the Unitie was ordered by Captain Maxwell to go in pursuit of her. The Alceste and Active continued the chase of the Pauline and Pomone, and at twenty-four minutes past one p.m. the Alceste under a press of sail to get alongside the French Commodore, a short distance ahead, exchanged broadsides with the Pomone, but a shot carrying away her main top-mast, the wreck fell over on the starboard side, and the Alceste dropped astern. Cheers of ‘Vive l’Empereur,’ arose from both the French ships, but the Active coming up, took the place of the Alceste, and brought the Pomone to close action about two p.m. Shortly after, the Pauline stood for the Alceste and both ships about half-past two p.m. became closely engaged. After an action of thirty minutes, the French Commodore, seeing that the Pomone was getting the worst of it with the Active, and observing the eighteen-gun sloop Kingfisher, Captain E. Tritton, approaching in the distance, hauled his wind, and stood to the westward under all sail. The Alceste then ranged up on the larboard beam of the Pomone and opened fire on her, the Active having unavoidably shot ahead. The main and mizzen masts of the Pomone fell overboard, and immediately afterwards she hoisted a Union Jack in token of surrender. Neither of the British frigates being in a condition to pursue the Pauline, the French Commodore escaped, and reached Ancona in safety. In the mean time the Unitié pursued the Persanne and was galled considerably by her stern chasers. About four p.m. the British frigate got near enough to open her broadside, the Persanne returned it, and immediately hauled down her colours.

The sails and rigging of the Unitié were considerably damaged, but she had but one man wounded. The Persanne had two men killed, and four men wounded. The casualities on board the Alceste, out of a crew of two hundred and eighteen men and boys, were a midshipman and six men killed, and a lieutenant and twelve men wounded.

‘The British frigates, Active, thirty-eight, Captain J. Gordon, and Cerberus, thirty-two, Captain H. Whitby, under the orders of Captain W. Hoste, of the Amphion, thirty-two, were cruising in the Gulf of Trieste, in the month of June. On the morning of June 28th, the Amphion chased a convoy laden with naval stores for the arsenal at Venice, into the harbour of Grao. Captain Hoste decided upon the capture or destruction of the vessels, which, owing to the shoals, could be effected only by boats. In the evening he signalled to the Active and Cerberus, to send their boats to him at midnight, but owing to her distance in the offing the Active was unable to obey the signal in time.

At the hour appointed the boats of the Amphion and Cerberus, commanded by Lieutenant W. Slaughter, second of the Amphion, assisted by Lieutenants D. O’Brien, and J. Dickenson, pushed off, and before daylight landed a little to the right of the town.

On advancing the British were attacked by a body of French troops, and armed peasantry, who were charged with the bayonet, and a sergeant and thirty-five men made prisoners. The town was then entered, and the vessels, twenty-five in number, taken possession of, but it being low water, it was late in the evening, and only after great exertions they were got afloat, and over the bar. In the mean time the boats of the Active came up, and assisted in repelling another attack of the enemy, taking their Commander and twenty-two men prisoners. Five vessels were brought out with their cargoes, and a number of small trading craft, laden with the cargoes of eleven vessels which were burnt. At eight p.m., the boats and the prizes had joined the ships, which had anchored about four miles from the town. The loss of the victors in this dashing affair, was four men killed, and Lieutenant Brattle of the Marines, and seven men wounded. Lieutenant Slaughter was promoted to the rank of Commander in the month of November following.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

Action off Lissa, 13 March 1811 ‘In 1811, Captain W. Hoste in the Amphion, thirty-two, having under his command the Active, thirty-eight, Capt. J. A. Gordon; Cerberus, thirty-two, Captain H. Whitby; and the Volage, twentytwo, Captain P. Hornby, was cruising in the Adriatic. On March 13, off the Island of Lissa, he met with a French squadron of four French and Venetian frigates of forty guns each, two of thirty-two guns, a corvette of sixteen guns, and four smaller vessels, more than double his force. Hoste formed his line of battle, and with the signal, ‘Remember Nelson’ at his masthead, awaited the attack of the enemy, who bore down in two divisions and attempted to break his line. They were received by so well directed a fire that their leading ship La Favourite became unmanageable, and in endeavouring to wear, ran on the rocks.

Part of the French squadron then engaged the British to leeward, while their other ships continued the action to wind-ward, thus placing Hoste between two fires, a French frigate taking her station on the lee quarter, and a Venetian frigate on the weather quarter of the Amphion. After a severe contest both were compelled to strike. The remainder of the enemy then bore off, the Amphion was too crippled to pursue, but the Active and Cerberus chased and captured the Venetian frigate Corona of forty-four guns. Another French frigate, which had struck her colours and surrendered, taking advantage of the disabled state of the Amphion stole off, and with the smaller vessels escaped. The French Commodore Dubourdieu was slain in the action, and his ship being on the rocks was set on fire by her crew and destroyed.

The loss of the British was fifty men killed and one hundred and fifty wounded. The loss of the French was much greater. (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

The Active had a midshipman and seven men killed, her gallant captain lost a leg, and two lieutenants and twenty-four men were wounded. The fore-mast of the Pomone fell soon after her capture, and her hull was so shattered by the well directed fire of the Active that she had five feet of water in her hold. Out of her crew of three hundred and thirty two men, fifty were killed and wounded, among the latter being her captain. For this action, the first lieutenant of the Alceste, and the first and second lieutenants of the Active were promoted to the rank of Commanders. (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

John Meares was 2nd Lieutenant of Marines on board the Active for all three actions.

‘Lieutenant Meares was at the capture of the town of Groa and a convoy of twenty-five vessels on 28 June 1810. Landed at Ortona on 12 February 1811, captured eleven vessels and destroyed two large magazines after planting the British colours at the gate of the town. Wounded at the battle of Lissa 13th March. Landed with his detachment on 27 July near Ragoniza, captured and destroyed twenty-eight vessels after defeat of 300 French soldiers. Present at the capture of Pomone and Persanne 29th November 1811. Has received the War Medal with three clasps.’ (Army List refers).

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291X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Philip Lamb for his services as a Landsman on board the Boadicea in her action with a French squadron in September 1810

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Boadicea 18 Sept 1810 (Philip Lamb.) light contact marks, otherwise good very fine £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

15 clasps issued for Boadicea 18 Septr 1810.

Philip Lamb is confirmed on the roll as a Landsman aboard H.M.S. Boadicea.

‘As the thirty-eight gun frigate Boadicea, Captain J. Rowley, the Otter, eighteen-gun sloop, Commander J. Tomkinson, and the Staunch, brig, Lieutenant B. Street, were lying at St. Denis in the Isle of Bourbon, on the morning of August 9th, two French ships with a prize, were discovered in the offing. The French ships were the forty gun frigate Venus, and the sixteen-gun corvette Victor, and their prize was the British thirty-two gun frigate Ceylon, Captain C. Gordon; which after a chase which began the day preceding, and a hot action lasting over three hours, they had captured that morning. In the action the Ceylon had lost her fore and main topmasts, and the Venus her mizzen mast, and fore and main topmasts. The British weighed and made sail in chase of the enemy, who were making the best of their way towards the Isle of France. The Victor took the Ceylon in tow, but finding the British ships gaining rapidly on her, she removed her men from the Ceylon, cast her off, and stood away to the eastward. At twenty minutes to five p.m. the Boadicea got alongside the Venus, and after a smart cannonade of ten minutes, the French frigate struck her colours. On board her were found Major-General Abercrombie and his staff, who had been captured in the Ceylon. The Boadicea took her prize in tow, and the Otter rendered the same service to the Ceylon, while Captain Gordon resumed the command of his recovered ship. The Victor being too far off to be pursued with any chance of success, the British ships returned to the Isle of Bourbon. In this affair, the Boadicea had two men wounded, the loss of the Venus was nine men killed, and fifteen men wounded. She was a fine new ship of one thousand one hundred tons, and was added to the British Navy by the name of Néréide.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The Naval General Service medal awarded to Surgeon Thomas Gray, for his services as Assistant Surgeon at the defence of the island of Anholt in March 1811, being mentioned in despatches for attending to the wounded of both sides after the action and duly promoted to Surgeon Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Anholt 27 March 1811 (Thos. Gray, Actg. Surgeon.) some light marks to obverse, otherwise good very fine £10,000-£14,000

Provenance: Glendining’s, May 1957; Spink, April 1979.

40 clasps issued for this important action, mostly to Royal Marines but also five R.N. officers and Surgeon Gray who was mentioned in despatches for attending to the wounded of both sides after the action.

One of the most brilliant operations of the War was the defence of the Island of Anholt, in the Baltic, by Captain J. W. Maurice, R.N. with 400 Marines commanded by Major Torrens. This small party, being attacked by 1000 Danish soldiers, beat them off, and forced no less than 520 men to surrender, while the Tartar, 32, Captain Baker, and the Sheldrake, 16, Captain Stewart, pursued a Division of 12 Gunboats protecting their landing, and captured two and sunk a third. The Danish loss amounted to 35 killed and 23 wounded, the British only losing two killed and Major Torrens and 30 men wounded. The clasp eventually issued for the defence of Anholt is the only one which stems partially from the promotion of Royal Marine officers.

Thomas Gray was appointed Assistant Surgeon to H.M.S. St George, 18 May 1809; Assistant Surgeon, Island of Anholt, 9 November 1809; promoted Surgeon, Island of Anholt, 12 June 1811, serving there until 20 October 1812; Surgeon, H.M.S. Port Mahon, 10 November 1812; Surgeon, H.M.S. Leven, 24 September 1814; Surgeon, H.M.S. Comus, 15 October 1814; to half-pay, 1 November 1815. Surgeon Gray was granted a Greenwich Pension on 27 March 1866, but lived only a short time to enjoy it. He died on 7 October 1867.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

293

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant Joseph F. Thompson, Royal Navy, for his services on board the Dictator in her action with Danish ships off Mardoe in July 1812 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Off Mardoe 6 July 1812 (J. F. Thompson, Midshipman.) fitted with silver pin-brooch and original ribbon, toned, extremely fine £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

47 clasps issued for the action Off Mardoe 6 July 1812.

On 6 July 1812, the Dictator, in company with the Calypso and two gun-brigs, was present at the capture and destruction, off Mardoe on the Norwegian coast, of a whole Danish squadron, consisting of the Nayaden of 48 guns, the Laland, Samsoe and Kiel sloops, and several gun-boats, after a long contest.

Joseph Frank Tompson (Thompson on clasp application list) entered the Navy on 17 May 1811.

He was slightly wounded when serving in Dictator’s boats at the capture of Danish gun-boats; and in that ship at the destruction of a Danish squadron in July 1812. He served in Sparrowhawk and Mulgrave until the end of the war. He obtained his commission on 21 January 1824, and was appointed, 15 April following and 5 March 1825, to the Ramillies 74 and Hyperion 42, Coast Blockade ships, Captains William M’Culloch and William James Mingaye. He was placed on half-pay in 1826, advanced to the rank of Commander in 1865 and was resident latterly at Rockmount, St Martin, Jersey.

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294

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant David Briggs, Royal Navy, for his services as Master’s Mate of the Venerable at the capture of two French frigates in January 1814 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Venerable 16 Jany 1814 (David Briggs, Master’s Mate.) extremely fine £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Glendining’s, October 1949 and June 1952; Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

42 clasps issued for Venerable 16 Jany 1814.

The Venerable and Cyane with two French frigates, 16 and 20 January 1814 ‘On January 16th, about seven in the morning, the seventyfour gun ship Venerable, Captain J. A. Worth, with the flag of Rear-Admiral P. C. Durham, on his way to take the chief command at the Leeward Islands, the Cyane, twenty-two gun sloop, Captain J. Forrest, and the brig Jason, a French prize captured some days before, in charge of Lieutenant Moffat, and twenty-two men of the Venerable; fell in, near the Canary Islands, with the French frigates Alcméne and Iphigénie, forty guns each, from Cherbourg, on a cruise.

The Cyane having found that the two ships were enemies, informed the Venerable by signal, which immediately went in chase, and by the superiority of her sailing, at about six in the evening arrived within hail of the Alcméne, the sternmost frigate. To a summons to surrender, the Alcméne hoisted her colours and fired a broadside at the Venerable, which was returned, when the French frigate suddenly bore up under all sail in the smoke, and ran straight on board the seventyfour, expecting that her consort, in accordance with a pre-concerted arrangement, would second her bold attempt.

The frigate was instantly lashed alongside, and Captain Worth with a hundred boarders sprang on her deck, and after a sharp conflict of fifteen minutes, hauled down her colours.

The Iphigénie hauled sharp up and stood away, leaving the Alcméne to her fate. Out of her crew of three hundred and nineteen men and boys, she had thirty-two men killed, and fifty officers and men wounded, including her commander.

The loss of the Venerable was two men killed and four wounded. Meanwhile, the Cyane and Jason, the latter having but two guns on board, continued the chase of the flying Iphigénie, and at ten p.m., the brig, having outsailed the Cyane, opened on the frigate, but finding her guns in reply too heavy, abandoned the contest. An hour or two after the Cyane came up near enough to use her bow guns, and continued exchanging shots with the enemy till nearly five o’clock the next morning, when the Iphigénie hauled up and fired three broadsides at the sloop, which finding she was over-matched, dropped astern, but still endeavoured to keep the chase in sight. Thus passed the remainder of that day, and the whole of the next, and the day after, August 18th and 19th, when

the Cyane lost sight of the object of her pursuit. During this time, the Venerable having removed the prisoners, secured her prize, and repaired her damages, was fast coming up under a press of sail, steering to the north west. At daybreak on the morning of August 20th, the Venerable was within two miles of the Iphigénie, but from her mast head the Cyane was not to be seen. At eight a.m. after a running fight, and having thrown her boats overboard, and cut away her anchors without effect, the French frigate fired a broadside, and struck her colours. Neither of the ships sustained any loss, and the Cyane also escaped without any casualties.

The prizes being nearly new ships, were added to the British Navy, the Alcméne as the Gloire, and the Iphigénie as the Dunira, which name was afterwards changed to the Immortalité.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

David Briggs entered the Navy on 21 March 1806, as First-class Volunteer, on board the Renown 74, Captain Philip Charles Durham. He attained the rating of Midshipman in October following and, after serving for upwards of four years off L’Orient, and in blockading the Rochefort and Toulon squadrons, was paid off 28 March 1810. He joined, in August of the same year, the Armada 74, Captain Adam M’Kenzie, employed off Cadiz and in the North Sea. He removed, as Master’s Mate, in November 1811, to the Hannibal 74, flag-ship off the Texel of his former Captain, Rear-Admiral Durham. He was discharged, in February 1812, into the Christian VII 74, Captains Thomas Browne and Henry Lidgbird Ball. Having passed his examination in March following, he rejoined the Rear-Admiral, soon afterwards, in the Bulwark 74, and, while subsequently proceeding with him to the West Indies, in the Venerable 74, assisted at the capture, off Madeira, by that ship and the Cyane sloop, of the French 44-gun frigates Iphigénie and Alcmène, 16 and 20 January 1814. On 28 of the ensuing month Mr. Briggs became Acting-Lieutenant of the Fox sloop, Captain Frank Gore Willock, and, on arriving in England, he was officially promoted by commission dated 8 July in the same year. After attending, in 1814-15, as First of the Fox, the expedition to New Orleans, whence he conveyed back to Jamaica part of the 2nd West India Regiment, he returned to the Venerable, 10 August 1815, and came home and was paid off 3 May 1816.

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295X

The Naval General Service medal awarded to William Aaron for his services as a Landsman in the boats of the Elizabeth at the capture of the French National xebec L’Aigle in May 1814 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, 24 May Boat Service 1814 (William Aaron.) extremely fine £6,000-£8,000 Provenance: Cheylesmore Collection, Glendining’s, July 1931; Glendining’s, September 1961; Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

12 clasps issued for the Boat Service action of 24 May 1814.

William Aaron is confirmed on the roll as a Landsman in the boats of the Elizabeth, ‘The boats of the Elizabeth seventy-four, Captain E. L. Gower, under the command of Lieutenant M. Roberts, on May 24th, boarded and captured L’Aigle, a French National xebec mounting six-guns, a howitzer, and two swivels, with a crew of forty-one men. The prize was lying under the guns of the island of Vide, near the town of Corfu. The captors appear to have sustained no loss, and in the month of September following Lieutenant Roberts was advanced to the rank of Commander.’

(Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers).

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

296X

The 2-clasp Boat Service Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant George M. Donlevy, Royal Navy, for his services as First-class Volunteer in the boats of the Norge on 23 November 1810, and as Midshipman in the boats of the same ship against American gun-boats on Lake Borgne on 14 December 1814 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, 23 Nov Boat Service 1810, 14 Decr Boat Service 1814 (Geo. M. Donlevy, Volr. 1st Class) nearly extremely fine £8,000-£10,000

Provenance: Payne Collection, Glendining’s, July 1918 (first clasp only); Sotheby’s, June 1971 (two clasps); Peter Dale Collection, July 2000.

42 clasps issued for the Boat Service action of 23 November 1810, and 205 clasps issued for the Boat Service action of 14 December 1814.

George Marlay Donlevy is connected, paternally and maternally, with families of high distinction, being allied, among others, to those of Lord Kilmaine, Sir Richard Annesley O’Donnell, Bart., and Sir Henry Cunningham Montgomery, Bart. This officer entered the Navy on 17 April 1810 (under the patronage of the late Sir H. C. Montgomery, Bart.), as First-class Volunteer on board the Norge 74, Captains John Sprat Rainier, William Waller, and Charles Dashwood; with whom he successively served, on the North Sea, Mediterranean, and West India stations, part of the time as Midshipman, until August 1815. On 14 December 1814, he appears to have been officially reported for his distinguished conduct in the boats at the capture, on Lake Borgne, near New Orleans, of five American gun-vessels under Commodore Jones, which did not surrender until after a stern conflict, in which the British lost 17 men killed and 77 wounded. Mr. Donlevy, who next returned to the Mediterranean, on board the Erne 20, Captain Richard Spencer, passed his examination on 18 April 1816, between which period and the date of his promotion, 18 May 1827, we find him employed on various stations, chiefly as Admiralty-Midshipman and Mate, in the Sparrowhawk 18, Captain Frederick William Burgoyne, Florida 24, Captain Charles Sibthorpe John Hawtayne, Wye 24, Captain W. Willis, Vengeur 74, Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland, Genoa 74, Captain Sir Thomas Livingstone, Prince Regent yacht, Captain Sir Michael Seymour, Nimrod 20, Captain William Rochfort, and Victory 100, bearing the flag at Portsmouth of Sir George Martin. In 1824 he threw up a Mate’s rations on board the latter ship, for the purpose of accompanying, as a Volunteer, the expedition then preparing against Algiers, whither he proceeded in the Goodwill, Lieut.-Commander James Thome. On rejoining the Victory, we find him effecting the very creditable capture, in a boat belonging to one of that ship’s tenders, of a deeply-laden smuggler, having on board a crew of 15 men. He was promoted, 10 May 1827, by Sir George Martin, as above, to a hauling-down vacancy, and was subsequently employed for a year in the Coast Guard. In consequence of total, and, we believe, incurable deafness, he has been unable, since April 1833, to procure further employment.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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297X

The Westminster Abbey Chapel Stall Plate of Vice-Admiral Sir George Murray, K.C.B., Royal Navy Westminster Abbey Chapel Stall Plate of the Order of the Bath, inscribed ‘Sir George Murray, Vice Admiral of the Red Squadron of His Majesty’s Fleet, nominated a Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath, 2nd Jany. 1815’, 22.5cm x 18.5cm, gilded copper plate engraved with inscription and painted crest of Murray, the reverse with maker’s stamp ‘G. Harris, No 31 Shoe Lane, London’, excellent condition and rare £2,000-£3,000 Sir George Murray (1759-1819) had a distinguished Naval career which began when he was eleven years old. He was present at the bloody attack on Sullivan’s Island and the reduction of Rhode Island in 1776.

Under Sir John Jervis he took part in the battle of St. Vincent in 1797, and his was one of the ships chosen

by Nelson for the attack on Copenhagen in 1801. In 1807 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the naval operations against Buenos Ayres. He was promoted to Vice Admiral in October 1809 and died suddenly at Chichester on 28 February 1819, in his sixtieth year.

When the Order of the Bath was enlarged into a Military Division of three classes in 1815, it was intended that all Knights would have their own stall in the chapel at Westminster Abbey with their own personal stall plate affixed. These plates were an official part of the insignia of the Order and, until the early 1820’s, were made up for many (but not all) of the new Knights. Lack of space, however, and the unexpected number of new Knights, precluded the plates being put up in the Abbey. In the late 1970’s all surviving plates were disposed of by the Abbey and many were sold off to interior designers and antique dealers as decorative items, in total approximately 100 K.C.B. plates and 300 C.B. plates, in addition to a small number of K.B. and G.C.B. plates.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

298

X The Naval General Service medal awarded to Captain Richard Beaumont, Royal Navy, for his services in the Endymion at the capture of the United States frigate President on 15 January 1815, the last action for which a Gold Medal was awarded Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Endymion Wh. President (Richd. Beaumont, Midshipman.) with original ribbon, better than good very fine £10,000-£14,000 Provenance: Glendining’s, November 1927; Christie’s, March 1987.

58 clasps issued for Endymion Wh. President including 11 to officers.

‘The Endymion frigate - rated at 40 guns but carrying 48, Captain H. Hope, at the beginning of the year 1815 - formed part of a squadron which was watching the port of New York, where an American squadron was lying ready for sea.

On 14 January, the American 50-gun frigate President, Commodore Decatur, taking advantage of a storm which blew the blockading ships off the coast, came out and set sail for the West Indies. The next morning she was observed by the British, who gave chase and the Endymion being the fastest sailing ship of the squadron, after a pursuit of 12 hours brought the President to action.

An engagement lasting two and a half hours followed when the Endymion, much damaged in her sails and rigging, dropped astern to repair damages, and the American, with her hull pierced and shattered, continued her flight.

Just as the Endymion, who had bent new sails and repaired her rigging, had come up again, and was about to renew the action, the Pomona frigate, Captain Lumley, arrived within gunshot, and firing a broadside or two at the President she at once surrendered. Her masts and rigging were much injured, several of her guns disabled, and she had six feet of water in her hold when Captain Hope took possession of her. Nearly 100 of her crew were killed and wounded; the loss of the Endymion was 11 killed and 14 wounded.

Richard Beaumont entered the Navy on 26 March 1811, as Third-class Volunteer on board the Venerable 74, Captain Sir Home Popham, with whom, after serving off Brest and on the north coast of Spain, he proceeded to the East Indies, as Midshipman, in 1813, of the Stirling Castle 74. He subsequently joined the Akbar 50, Captain Archibald Dickson, and Endymion 44, Captain Henry Hope, both on the Halifax station. In the latter vessel he took part in the memorable action fought on 15 January 1815, with the American frigate President, off Sandy Hook. He afterwards joined the Meander 38, Captains John Bastard and Arthur Fanshawe, at Sheerness, the Prince Regent yacht, commanded at Deptford by Captain Sir Edward Hamilton, and the Bellette 18, Captain George R. Pechell, engaged in protecting the revenue and fisheries on the coast of North America. He obtained a Lieutenancy, 13 October 1819, in the Mersey 26, Captain Edward Collier, on the Halifax station; was next appointed, 6 May 1824, to the Damond 46, Captain Lord Napier, employed on a particular service; and on 6 June 1825, was promoted to the command of the Weazle sloop, in the Mediterranean. He paid off the latter vessel in 1827. He was placed on the reserved list of Commanders in July 1851, and, on 1 April 1856, was advanced to his present rank of Captain.

Captain Beaumont has received a medal for service performed in the Endymion. He was still alive in 1877.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The 2-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Commander W. S. Stanhope, Royal Navy, for his services as a Lieutenant in the Berwick at Gaieta in 1815, and in the Impregnable at Algiers in 1816 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Gaieta 24 July 1815, Algiers (W. S. Stanhope, Lieut.

R.N.) nearly extremely fine £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: J. B. Hayward & Son, June 1975; Dix Noonan Webb, June 2000.

Approximately 88 clasps issued for the attack on Gaieta, near Naples.

William Spencer Stanhope/Roddam was born on 4 January 1793, fourth son of Walter Spencer Stanhope, of Cannon Hall, Yorkshire. He entered the navy in March 1806, as First-class Volunteer on board the Ocean 98, bearing the flag in the Mediterranean of his cousin Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood, with whom he continued to serve as Midshipman in the Ville de Paris 110, until the death of that veteran hero in March 1810. After several appointments he was promoted, August 1812, to the rank of Lieutenant and removed to the Berwick 74, Captain Edward Brace. In that ship he co-operated in the reduction of Genoa and the siege of Gaieta in July 1815. Following Captain Brace, in July 1816, into the Impregnable 104, he fought, on the 16th of the next month, at the battle of Algiers. In 1818 he assumed the surname and arms of Roddam, having inherited, in 1806, the estates of his kinsman and godfather Admiral Robert Roddam, and dispensed also with his former forename of Spencer. Soon afterwards he was placed on half-pay and did not serve afloat again. He was promoted to Retired Commander in October 1854, and died in late 1864, aged 70.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The rare Naval General Service and Army of India campaign pair awarded to Captain George Tincombe, Royal Navy, promoted to Commander for services during the Burmese War from whence he returned with Despatches Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Egypt (G. Tincombe, Midshipman.); Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Ava (1st Lieut.

G. Tincombe, R.N. Actg. Capt.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, light handling marks, otherwise extremely fine (2) £6,000-£8,000 Provenance: Brian Ritchie Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, September 2004.

The earliest N.G.S. clasp in combination with Ava to the Royal Navy, one of only 20 such pairs, nine of which were in combination with Syria. The ‘Actg. Captn.’ shown on his medal for the Burma campaign refers to his post at the time rather than his rank.

George Tincombe was born at Sidmouth, Devon, in 1784 and entered the Navy in March 1800. He served his first eight months at sea as an Ordinary and A.B. in the Wassenaer, employed in the Downs and afterwards in the Mediterranean under Captains Edward Marsh and John Larmour. Tincombe was appointed Midshipman on 1 October 1800, and, having followed Larmour into the troopship Diadem, took part in the operations connected with the expedition to Egypt, and was present at the landing of the Army in Aboukir Bay on 8 March 1801. In 1803, he again followed Larmour, this time into the frigate Clyde 38, in which he served for the next eighteen months chiefly blockading the Dutch coast. In September 1804, he joined Melampus, Captain Stephen Poyntz, stationed in the Channel, West Indies and on the North America station. While in Melampus, he contributed to the capture of two armed brigs each carrying fifty men, most of them troops; four luggers of one long 18pounder and twenty-five men each en route from Bordeaux to Brest; and a Spanish privateer of 28 guns and 192 men, of whom three were killed and several wounded. He also was aboard Melampus when she joined the 74’s Belleisle and Bellona, and assisted in the destruction of the French 74 L’Impéteux.

In February 1808, Tincombe was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of Triumph 74, the command of the Trafalgar hero, Captain Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, Bart. After cruising in the North Sea and the Basque Roads, Tincombe was given charge of a division of gun boats on the Tagus. He was next appointed to the command of a gun boat and was ‘actively engaged’ in the defence of Cadiz, and as a reward for his services he was confirmed a Lieutenant of the Triumph on 4 May 1810.

From December 1810 to September 1814, he was employed in the Armada 74, participating in the blockade of Flushing, the Texel, and Toulon, the unsuccessful attack on Leghorn, the capture of Savona, and in a variety of operations off the Italian coast.

In October 1821, he went with Captain Charles Grant from the Armada, when that officer transferred his broad pendant to the Liffey 50 in the East Indies. While serving in the Liffey, Tincombe witnessed the reduction of Rangoon during the First Burma War, and took part in operations against various stockades on the Irrawaddy. Tincombe returned from the Far East aboard a merchantman carrying despatches in July 1825, and was promoted Commander on 19 August following. His final promotion to Captain came on 1 April 1856. Tincombe was placed on half-pay in 1825 and settled in Plymouth; firstly at 6 Oxford Street, and afterwards at 13 Portland Square. Captain George Tincombe died in Devon sometime in 1868.

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301X

The important Army of India Medal awarded to Rear-Admiral William Burnett Dobson, Royal Navy, who had a ‘brilliant record’ in the Burma campaign of 1824-26, in which he was wounded, six times ‘mentioned’ and specially promoted to Commander: evidence of his outstanding service is to be found in his 10-page entry in Marshall’s Naval Biography Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Ava (Lieut. W. B. Dobson.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, nearly extremely fine £1,800-£2,200

Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Just 27 officers of the Royal Navy received the Army of India Medal with Ava clasp.

William Burdett Dobson was the son of Admiral of the White Man Dobson (1755-1847), a distinguished officer who had served in the American War of Independence. William Dobson entered the Royal Navy as a Volunteer 1st Class aboard H.M.S. Africa in December 1806 and was present at the unsuccessful attack mounted against Buenos Aires in July 1807.

On 23 February 1808, he was transferred as Midshipman to the Polythemus, in which ship he was present at the capture of the French 74-gun ship D’Haupoult and the surrender of the city of St. Domingo. Advanced to Master’s Mate in July 1810, he was next appointed to the Hyperion on fishery protection duties off Greenland, in the course of which his ship was frozen up in the harbour of St. John’s, Newfoundland for four months during the winter of 1812; while still serving aboard Hyperion he was also given charge of prizes of 400 and 500 tons each.

Next appointed to Royal Sovereign in the rank of Lieutenant in January 1814, Dobson was employed at the blockade of Toulon. Having then removed to the Tanais in September of the same year, he served off the Irish coast and in the West Indies before joining the Cadmus on the North Sea Station in December 1816.

In April 1823, Dobson joined the Larne as her senior Lieutenant, under the command of Frederick Marryat, the famous author. And it was in Larne – and other vessels - that he was to serve with distinction in the war in Ava 1824-26, his ‘brilliant record’ of ‘zeal, ability and gallantry’ being the subject of continuous mention by his superiors.

Among other actions he was present at the capture of Rangoon and of Dallah in May 1824, in which latter operations he captured ‘35 large boats and various cargoes.’

Subsequently, whilst in charge of the armed transport Satellite, he had command of all the shipping at Rangoon and was ‘most arduously and hazardously employed from August to November, ten miles in advance of the other men of war,

and three miles above the advanced position of the Army.’

O’Byrne continues: ‘On 4 August 1824, he assisted in capturing the fort of Syriam where the natives had stockaded themselves. He was wounded in the hand in September while contributing to the capture of Penang, and in October he distinguished himself in a brilliant and decisive attack on the fortified village of Than-ta-bain. From 30 November to 9 December whilst still in command of Satellite he was constantly in collision with the enemy near Dallah, at the final assault on the works of which place he headed the soldiery and was nearly the first to enter. On 6 February 1825, he was further instrumental in the capture of a large 36 gun stockade at Than-ta-bain, by laying Satellite in a position to enfilade the strongest of the enemy’s works, and from 5 March to 19 April he was entrusted with the command of the Naval Station at Panland, with the responsible duty of forwarding supplies for the whole of the combined force during its advance on Ava. His name appears several times in the London Gazette. He was recommended to the Lords of the Admiralty and by the Commander in Chief of the forces in Ava, Sir Archibald Campbell. As a reward for these services, he was promoted to Commander and given command of Larne on 25 July 1825.

After leaving Ava the ship visited New Zealand and other places before the crew was paid off, on 4 April 1827.

He was next appointed to the command of Hyperion 42-gun warship, on 23 July 1830, in which ship he was employed in blockade services against smugglers off Newhaven. He relinquished this duty in May 1831 and was subsequently employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Coast Guard from 25 May 1834 to July 1837.

He attained Post rank on 23 November 1841 as Captain of Royal William, a 120-gun 1st rate ship of the line, and subsequently went on half-pay. He eventually retired with the rank of Rear-Admiral and was placed on the half-pay lists of Flag Officers of the Reserve, on 12 April 1862.’

Sold with copied research.

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302

X The important Navarino and Arctic exploration pair awarded to Seaman John Park, Royal Navy, a member of Captain John Ross’s private expedition in the of 1829-33, during which they discovered the Northern Magnetic Pole but were forced to spend four winters in the Arctic Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Navarino (John Park.); Arctic 1818-55 (John Park from 1829 to 1833) contemporarily engraved on the edges, good very fine (2) £20,000-£24,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

By 1829 the Admiralty had been discouraged from continuing the search to find the North West Passage and it therefore fell to private enterprise to continue the search for the route. Captain John Ross was placed in command of this expedition and the plan was to follow the route of Parry’s voyage in 1824-25, by sailing down Prince Regent Inlet and from there finding a route to the west. In May 1829 he sailed in , a small paddle steamer and the first steam ship to be used for Arctic exploration. She was accompanied by a tender named Krusenstern. The ship’s engine was so large that it took up most of the room on board. It was found, during the voyage, that she was faster using sails than using the engine so eventually its use was discontinued. Ross followed Parry’s route across Lancaster Sound and down Prince Regent Inlet to Fury Beach. There they found the stores and food left by Parry when Fury had been abandoned in 1825. From Fury Beach they continued southward tracing the coast of North Somerset to its southern tip, surveying more than two hundred miles of coastline. Instead of turning into Brentford Bay (now known as Bellot Strait) which would, in fact, have led westward as this was the northernmost point of mainland America, Ross continued southward and thus missed the extension of the North West Passage.

Following the coast to the south of Brentford Bay he eventually reached Felix Harbour where they wintered and where they contacted the eskimos. From the ship a number of land journeys undertaken by Lieutenant James Clark Ross, John Ross’s nephew, during which he discovered that the position of the North Magnetic Pole could not be far away. was unable to break out of the ice during the summer of 1830 and remained at Felix Harbour for a further winter. James Clark Ross continued his land exploration during the winter of 1830-31 and in May 1831 located the position of the North Magnetic Pole, where he erected a cairn. He also saw during these land journeys what was later named King William Land, which he explored from its northern tip, Cape Felix, to Point on the west coast. Sixteen years later, this was to be the scene of Franklin’s death and the later abandonment of Erebus and Terror.

of Devonshire in a gale on board the Glasgow.” I then asked, “Were you not on board her at the battle of Navarino?” he replied, “Oh, yes, but that was nothing.” His father having lost his life in the American lakes, where he had volunteered to serve, his mother married Mr More, gunner of the Tenedos, who was formerly in the Hecla, and who recommended him to me. He was a very active, willing young man, and useful in his calling as a barber, but too delicate in constitution for this service. Being a good seaman, and having always conducted himself well, I gave him a strong recommendation, and he was, with Curtis, sent by Admiralty order to the Excellent, to prepare for a gunner’s warrant in the royal navy.’ (Biography by Captain John Ross) Little is known of Park’s later life but in the list of Subscribers to Ross’s Narrative he is shown as care of the John O’Gaunt steamer, Liverpool, which infers that he took up a career in the merchant navy, even though he does appear to have received a commission as Gunner R.N. Sold with Sir John Ross’s Narrative of a second voyage in search of a North West Passage, and of a Residence in the Arctic Regions during the years 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, two volumes, London 1835, the title page inscribed ‘Mr John Park with the author’s best regards’, with many colour plates, later leather binding; also with photograph on glass of Park in later life wearing N.G.S. Medal, and named invitation to Lord Mayor’s Dinner, December 1876, ‘to meet the Crews of The Arctic Expedition’ [ie Alert and Discovery for 1876 expedition].

Throughout 1831, hope continued of the ship clearing the ice and, eventually, late in the season, she broke free and sailed northwards, but she was again caught in the ice before reaching Lancaster Sound and had to spend the third winter at Harbour. Here scurvy hit the crew and it was decided to abandon and to pull the small boats over the ice to Fury Beach to reach the provisions left by Parry. At Fury Beach they found three of the boats left by Parry, and John Ross, with a crew of picked men, sailed ahead to reconnoitre the state of Lancaster Sound. He found it jammed with ice and had therefore to return to Fury Beach where they were forced to spend the winter of 1832-33, their fourth in the Arctic. At Fury Beach they built a house in which to live throughout the winter. When spring came they took to the boats and sailed northwards to Lancaster Sound and, off Navy Board Inlet, they sighted what turned out to be the Isabella which had been Ross’s ship on his 1818 expedition.

They were taken aboard and returned to England. Following this John Ross was knighted and his nephew promoted to Commander.

John Park was born in 1803, at Bridport, in Dorsetshire, was five feet seven inches high, of a sallow complexion, with light blue eyes. His father, who belonged to the Dockyard at Portsmouth, had him bound seven years apprentice to a hair-dresser, a trade he did not like, and when his time was out he went to sea in 1821, on board His Majesty’s ship Euryalus, in which he served three years, when he paid off, and immediately joined the Glasgow, on board of which he served three years in the Mediterranean. Being asked by me, “What was the most remarkable event in his life?” he answered, that he “had shaved the Duke

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303

X The Royal Navy L.S. & G.C. medal awarded to William Leonard, Captain of the Forecastle, H.M. Sloop Orestes, in 1836 after 24 years’ service Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., Anchor obverse (Wm. Leonard, Captain of Forecastle, H.M. Sloop Orestes, 24 Years) with old ring and loop/bar wire suspension, contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise very fine

£1,200-£1,600 Provenance: Cleghorn Collection 1875; Sotheby’s, May 1895; Glendining’s, December 1910; Sotheby’s, July 1979; Dix Noonan Webb, March 2005.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

William Leonard/Lennard entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1809 via the Marine Society. In his subsequent career of 35 years, he won entitlement to the Naval General Service 1793-1840 with clasps for Java and Navarino, the former for services as a Boy 2nd Class in H.M.S. Bucephalus and the latter as a Captain’s Coxswain in the Cambrian.

However, as verified by extensive accompanying research, one of the most dramatic moments of his career occurred on 23 June 1822, when his ship, the Drake, was shipwrecked off Newfoundland with the loss of one third of her crew. In a letter to the Admiralty, a senior surviving crew member, Gunner Thomas Elgar, wrote: ‘At half past seven o’clock the land was observed with heavy breakers ahead - immediately we hauled our wind, but not being enabled to clear the danger on that tack, attempted to stay the vessel, but from the heavy sea her stern took the breakers, and immediately fell broadside on the rocks, where the sea beat completely over her.

The masts were cut away with a view to lightening the vessel, as well as affording a bridge to save the crew, but without success in either point. In a few moments she bilged and there did not appear the slightest prospect of saving a man.

The cutter was launched over the lee gangway but sunk, immediately a man attempted with the deep sea leadline to swim on shore but the current setting so strong to the N.E. he was almost drowned in the attempt.

The only hope remained in the gig (the jolly boat having been washed away) and she was launched from the forecastle [Leonard’s domain] with the Boatswain when fortunately a heavy surf washed her upon a rock not communicating with the Main, and she was dashed to pieces but the Boatswain succeeded in scrambling to the top of the rock with about seven fathoms of line, the rest having been carried away with the wreck of the fore and main masts.

The forecastle, hitherto the only sheltered part of the vessel, was now abandoned for the poop, and all hope of saving the vessel being gone it was deemed advisable to quit her.

The people severally stepped from the poop upon the rock except for a few who endeavoured to swim on shore - most of whom perished.

Captain Baker after seeing the whole crew safe on the rock followed himself, but it was now found that the rock was insulated, and the tide making would cover it. The Boatswain observing this swam with a small line and fortunately reached the Main and coming opposite the rock on which we landed, threw the line across, by which the greater part of the people succeeded in crossing, which would otherwise have been impossible. Captain Baker, not withstanding that he was

repeatedly solicited to cross, resolutely refused alleging till every soul was safe he could not think of it.

Shortly after, the line, from a heavy sea was washed away, and in consequence of the surf and darkness of the night it was quite impossible to obtain another.

Every instant the water continued to rise, when the officers and ship’s company used every endeavour, by tying their handkerchiefs together, to make another holdfast but that proving too weak it was found impracticable, and we were reluctantly compelled to abandon them to their fate.

At daylight when we visited the beach there was not the slightest trace of these unfortunate sufferers ..’

Over the coming weeks a good deal of official correspondence regarding the loss of the Drake was exchanged between the survivors and Their Lordships much of which survives in ADM 1/2789 - and, at length, in November 1822, when everyone had been safely re-assembled back in the U.K., a Court Martial was held at Portsmouth. All the survivors were duly acquitted, and Leonard received from the examining officers ‘great approbation for his zeal and gallantry in saving the lives of his shipmates.’ A few days later, on behalf of the Petty Officers and ratings of the Drake, Leonard wrote a letter to an old Lieutenant of the same ship - ‘in a truly seamanlike style’ requesting that a memorial be erected to mark the bravery of their late skipper, Captain Charles Baker, R.N., a request that the Lieutenant forwarded for the attention of Their Lordships at the Admiralty, among others. And by the end of the same month, Leonard’s suggestion had found favour, so much so that today the resultant memorial tablet may be seen at St. Anne’s Church in H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth.

Not so graciously received by Their Lordships was a request by some of Drake’s survivors for remuneration for the loss of their clothes, an Admiralty minute of 21 November 1822 bluntly stating, “Refused”.

As it transpired, this was not to be the sole occasion on which Leonard experienced the loss of his ship, for, in January 1828, as related in Marshall’s Naval Biography (see entry for Captain Hamilton, pp. 450-2), he was aboard the Cambrian when she collided with the Isis after an action against several privateers ‘within pistol-shot of the fort of Carabusa’. As a result, she ‘fell broadside to on a reef of rocks’ and became a total wreck.

Leonard was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in April 1836, his then Captain recommending him as ‘a man the most exemplary in every respect’, and, although “paid-off” in April 1838, he chose - in common with other old seadogs of Petty Officer status - to rejoin several years later, although on this occasion in the rate of Able Seaman. He was finally discharged in January 1855, by which stage he was in his 60s.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

304

X The important Victorian K.C.B. group of five awarded to Admiral Sir Robert Robinson, Royal Navy, who was mentioned in despatches and specially promoted to Captain for his services in the Syria operations of 1840, besides being awarded the Turkish Gold Medal, the Order of Nishan el Ifikhar and a presentation sabre from the Sultan of Turkey The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Civil) neck badge, 18 carat gold, hallmarked London 1855, and breast star, in silver, with gold and enamel appliqué centre, the reverse engraved ‘R. & S. Garrard & Co., Goldsmiths Jewellers &c. to the Queen, His Royal Highness Prince Albert and all the Royal Family, Panton Street, London’; Naval General Service 17931840, 1 clasp, Syria (Robert S. Robinson, Commr.); Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; St Jean D’Acre 1840, gold, some light contact marks, otherwise good very fine or better (5) £6,000-£8,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

K.C.B. (Civil) London Gazette 7 December 1868.

Robert Spencer Robinson was born on 6 January 1809, the third son of Sir John Robinson, Bt., Archdeacon of Armagh, by Mary Anne, second daughter of James Spencer of Rathangan, Kildare, and grandson of William Friend (1715-1866), Dean of Canterbury.

He entered the Royal Navy in December 1821 and first saw action as a Midshipman in the boats of H.M.S. Sybille against pirates in the Mediterranean in 1826. Having then passed his examination, he served on the South America station in the Dublin, followed by further appointments in the Mediterranean in the Asia and Tyne.

Advanced to Commander in June 1838, he took command of the Hydra in March 1840, in which capacity he distinguished himself in the Syria operations of 1840, gaining advancement to post-rank and the Turkish Order of Nishan el Ifikhar; he was also the recipient of a presentation sabre from the Sultan of Turkey (see Naval Medals 1793-1856, by Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris, for further details of these awards).

Over the next decade he remained on half-pay but in 1850 he took command of the Arrogant in the Channel Fleet and, in June 1854, he commissioned the Colossus, which formed part of the Fleet in the Baltic and Kronstadt in 1855. Having then served as Captain of the Steam Reserves in Plymouth and Portsmouth, he was advanced to Rear-Admiral in June 1860 and joined a commission to enquire into the management of Royal dockyards. And it was direct from this role, in February 1861, that he was appointed Controller of the Navy, an office which he occupied for the next 10 years.

Much has been written about Robinson’s time in office, for it encompassed a vital chapter in the Navy’s transition from wood-built to iron-built ships, in addition to

advances in science and design that heralded a swathe of new ordnance, armour and engines, and crucial improvements to dockyards and ship-building. Much of this vital modernisation faced both internal and external opposition, but Robinson remained firm in his convictions and pulled no punches, the defence analyst Edward Luttwak crediting him with a convincing display of ‘amoral navalism’, namely ‘professionals agitating for the enlargement of the force at their disposal without regard for either the constraints imposed by politics and foreign policy - or any other factors for that matter - or the actual menace posed by rival forces.’

Thanks to Robinson’s unorthodox approach, and his keen eye on developments taking place in France and elsewhere, the Royal Navy maintained its domination of the High Seas, and he maintained his assertive approach as a Lord of the Admiralty under Hugh Childers in 1868-71. A well-known Naval contributor to The Times, Robinson also published Results of Admiralty Organisation as Established by Sir James Graham and Mr. Childers (1871).

Innovation rarely comes without mishaps, however, a case in point being the loss of the recently launched H.M.S. Captain in September 1870, in a Force 9 to 11 gale off Cape Finisterre. She capsized with a loss of 472 lives, among them the son of H. C. E. Childers, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Childers partly, and unfairly, attributed the Captain’s loss to Robinson, thereby bringing an end to the latter’s term in office at the Admiralty.

In addition to his appointment as K.C.B., Robinson was advanced to Vice-Admiral in April 1866 and to Admiral in June 1871. Placed on the Retired List in the following year, he died at his residence in Eaton Place, London on 27 July 1889, and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

305X

The Syria operations group of three awarded to William Cruys, Master at Arms, Royal Navy, late Royal Marines Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (William Cruys.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension (William Cruys, Mas. at Arms, H.M.S. Queen 27 Yrs.); St. Jean d’Acre 1840, bronze, unnamed as issued, contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine (3) £2,000-£3,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006.

William Cruys was born at Millbrook, Cornwall, and joined the Royal Marines in about 1822. He served as a Sergeant aboard the Stromboli at Syria. After 21 years service in the Marines he transferred to the Royal Navy as a Ship’s Corporal in March 1843, a not uncommon occurrence for a marine N.C.O. to transfer to the Naval disciplinary arm at that time. He served for a further 10 years 3 months, mostly as Master at Arms, and received his L.S. & G.C. medal for 27 years service in May 1849.

He was discharged from Albion on 26 July 1854, but signed on again in February 1859, for a short period as an Able Seaman but soon to be Master at Arms again. William Cruys was discharged ashore for the last time in November 1861, having a total service of 34 years 144 days, and getting on for 60 years old.

See Lot 306 for the group awarded to his son.

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306X

The New Zealand and Crimea group of four awarded to William H. Cruys, Boatswain, Royal Navy, who won the Sardinian Medal for Bravery with the Naval Brigade at Sebastopol New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated, 1845 to 1846 (W. H. Cruys, A.B. H.M.S. Osprey); Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Wm. H. Cruys, Cap. Mn. Top H.M.S. Albion) officially engraved Hunt & Roskell naming; Al Valore Militare, Spedizione D’Oriente 1855-1856, silver, mint mark ‘F.G’ (Mr Wm. Cruys, Boatswain Nl. Be.); Turkish Crimea, British issue, unnamed, contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise nearly very fine and rare (4) £4,000-£5,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006.

Only 11 New Zealand medals issued to H.M.S. Osprey, all for 1845 to 1846.

The Al Valore Militare is one of only 50 awarded to officers and men of the Royal Navy or Royal Marines for the Crimea (30 R.N., 20 R.M.).

William H. Cruys, the son of William Cruys, Royal Marines, later Royal Navy, is variously stated to have been born at Portsmouth or Plymouth, in about 1825-26, and also served aboard the Stromboli at Syria, as a Boy 2nd class, aged 14 years in October 1840 (Medal). He served during the first Maori war in 1845-46, as an Able Seaman aboard the Osprey, and after further service in the Racer, joined the Albion as Captain of the Main Top in February 1851. In later musters he was advanced to Chief Boatswain’s Mate, and at the time of his Sardinian award had become Boatswain. This rare award was at the recommendation of Sir Stephen Lushington, Captain, H.M.S. Albion, Commanding the Naval Brigade, for ‘particularly praisworthy’ conduct and was also recommended by Rear Admiral Keppel.

See Lot 305 for the group awarded to his father.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

307X

The First and Second China war group of five awarded to Fleet Surgeon J. I. Crawford, Royal Navy China 1842 (J. J. Crawford, Asst. Surgn, H.M.S. Plover.); Baltic 1854-55; Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol; China 1857-60, 1 clasp, Fatshan 1857; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, pierced and fitted with rings for suspension, these last four all unnamed as issued, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (5) £2,000-£2,400 Provenance: Douglas-Morris Collection, February 1997, since when the Crimean medals have been added for display purposes; Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006.

John Irwin Crawford entered the Navy on 1 June 1838, as Assistant Surgeon aboard the Columbine, employed at first at the Cape of Good Hope and then on the coast of China, where he was present at the capture of Canton, the attacks upon Chapoo and Woosung, and at the operations up the Yang-tse-Kiang. In September 1842, he was transferred to the Plover and on 3 April 1843, he was promoted to the rank of Surgeon. He next served in the Bittern on the coast of Africa, in the Mæander in the Pacific, and in the Horatio, guard-ship at Sheerness and at Hull. On 22 March 1854, he was appointed Surgeon of the Hannibal and went with French troops to the Baltic, from where he returned, after the fall of Bomarsund, with troops and prisoners of war, who suffered much from cholera, to Brest. In the same ship, which bore the flag of Sir Houston Stewart in the Black Sea, he participated in the operations against Kertch, Sebastopol and Kinburn, thus gaining entitlement to the Crimean medal with Sebastopol clasp, and the Turkish medal.

Crawford sailed to the coast of China in Raleigh, to which ship he had been appointed Surgeon on 17 October 1856, but on 14 April following, Raleigh, on her way from Hong Kong, struck on an uncharted pinnacle of rock off the S.E. coast of Macao. She was so badly holed that she had to be beached between the Koko and Typa Islands, where she became a total wreck. Commodore Keppel exhibited great resource in getting away his ship’s company without the loss of a single man, and later in removing all the guns and the ship’s stores. In consequence, Crawford was appointed, as additional, to the Calcutta, in which ship he was present at the destruction of a flotilla of war junks up the Fatshan branch of the Canton river, 1 June 1857.

Since he never informed the Admiralty, at the end of the second China War, that he was already in possession of a first China War medal, he was issued with a second China War medal with clasp. If the Authorities had known of his earlier award, he would have been issued with ‘China 1842’ and ‘Fatshan 1857’ clasps to add to his earlier award. Doctor Crawford was promoted to Fleet Surgeon on 28 July 1864, and retired on 1 April 1870.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

308

X The rare First China and Kaffir War pair awarded to The Reverend Henry Jones, Chaplain & Naval Instructor China 1842 (Rev. H. Jones, Chaplain, H.M.S. Wellesley.); South Africa 1834-53 (Rev. H. Jones. Chaplain & Nl. Instr.) light edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise good very fine (2) £1,800-£2,200 Only 5 Chaplains served aboard ship in the First China War, and only 2 in the South African War of 185054, the latter both in the Castor.

Henry Jones was appointed a Naval Chaplain on 28 September 1837, and served aboard H.M.S. Wellesley during the First China War. He was appointed Chaplain and Naval Instructor aboard H.M.S. Castor on 12 May 1849, and served aboard that ship in South Africa 1850-54.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

309X

The First China War medal awarded to Sergeant Patrick Hinchey, Bombay Artillery, for his services as a Marine on board the H.E.I.C. ship Phlegathon China 1842 (P. Hinchey, Serjeant. Bombay Artillery.) edge bruise and contact marks, otherwise lacquered, very fine and rare £1,000-£1,400 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, July 2004.

A total of 57 Bombay Artillerymen, including five Sergeants, served as Marines on board various H.E.I. Company ships during the China campaign.

Sergeant Patrick Hinchey was the senior of the three men detailed for service aboard the Phlegathon.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

310X

The rare Scinde campaign medal for the battle of Meeanee awarded to Acting Master W. T. Cole, Indian Marine, commanding the Honourable Company’s Vessel Planet Meeanee 1843 (W: T: Cole Act. Mr. Com. H:C:V: Planet) officially impressed naming, fitted with original German silver bar suspension, small edge bruise and minor contact marks, otherwise good very fine £3,000-£4,000

Provenance: Glendining’s, May 1963; Brian Ritchie Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, March 2005.

Only 32 medals with the Meeanee reverse issued to European recipients aboard the Planet (16), with Cole in command, and the Satellite (16). Of these, four recipients from the Planet and five from the Satellite failed to claim their medals. These were returned to the India Office and probably melted down, leaving as few as twenty-three medals actually issued. Cole’s medal was despatched to India in 1850.

W. T. Cole was appointed Acting Master in the Indian Marine on 31 January 1841, and placed in command of the Honourable Company’s Vessel Planet on 31 March 1842.

The Planet, a 397-ton iron river gunboat built at Bombay in 1840, was employed with the Indus Flotilla of six vessels, under Captain A. H. Nott, Indian Navy. The flotilla was used to convey Sir Charles Napier’s army from Sukkur to the left bank of the Indus. Thereafter, the 60 horse-power Planet, together with the H.C.V. Satellite, was detached to accompany the army on its march to Hyderabad and prevent hostile bands from cutting communications.

On 15 February 1843, the Planet was moored on the river about five hundred yards from the British Residency at Hyderabad, when the building was attacked at about nine o’clock in the morning by 8,000 Baluchis with six guns under Meer Shahdad Khan, one of the principal Amirs of Scinde.

The Residency was defended on three sides by the Light Company of the 22nd Regiment, under Captain Thomas Conway, while on the fourth or river side its approaches were covered by Planet’s two 6-pounder pivot guns.

Although heavily outnumbered and limited, according to the Resident, Major James Outram, to fifty rounds per man, the defenders in the Residency compound held off repeated attacks assisted by Cole, who directed a flanking fire from the Planet, for three hours. It was hoped that the Satellite would come up with reinforcements and ammunition, but when the vessel appeared, it was ascertained that she carried neither. At about 11 a.m., Outram told Conway that

he required one hour in which to destroy important papers, and once this was completed the order was given to retire to the steamers.

Covered by a small rear guard, Outram’s Escort, carrying their dead and wounded with them, fell back across the marshes to the vessels. On reaching the river bank, Outram ordered the Satellite to proceed up stream to the ‘wood station’ to procure a sufficiency of fuel lest the enemy should arrive there first and set fire to it. Cole’s Planet meanwhile took in tow a barge moored to the shore. ‘This’, wrote Outram later that day in his report to Napier, ‘being a work of some time, during which a hot fire was opened on the vessel from three guns which the enemy brought to bear on her, besides small arms, and requiring much personal exposure of the crew (especially of Mr Cole, the commander of the vessel). I deem it my duty to bring to your favourable notice their zealous exertions on the occasion, and also to express my obligation to Messrs. Miller [commander of the Satellite] and Cole for the flanking fire they maintained on the enemy during their attacks on the Agency, and for their support during the retirement and embarkation of the troops’ (London Gazette 7 April 1843).

Both vessels were harried by the enemy, who pursued for about three miles and occasionally opened up their guns, but at length, the steamers got clear and reached Napier’s camp at Hala. Next day, Napier, having decided to attack the enemy at Meeanee on the 17th, detached a force of 200 Sepoys under Outram in the Planet and the Satellite to set fire to a wood in which the enemy’s left flank was thought to be posted. The operation was carried out at about 9 o’clock without difficulty, although it was later learnt that the enemy had moved some eight miles to the right during the night.

Nevertheless, Napier considered the incendiarism had ‘some effect on the enemy’. Between January 1844 and April 1846, Cole was employed at Bombay.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

311X

The rare Scinde campaign medal for the battle of Hyderabad awarded to Acting Master B. Higgins, Indian Marine, commanding the Honourable Company’s Steamer Meteor Hyderabad 1843 (B: Higgins Act: Mr. E:I:C:. Sr. Meteor) officially impressed naming, fitted with original German silver bar suspension, good very fine £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2004.

Confirmed on the roll which gives his initial as ‘R’. As Acting Master, Higgins commanded the East India Company steamer Meteor during the battle of Dhubba on 24 March 1843. A total of 52 medals were issued for Hyderabad to the crews of the Meteor (15), Comet (19), and Nimrod (18).

The 61 Indian hands aboard the three steamers, were issued with unnamed medals.

On the day following the battle of Meeanee, six of the opposing principal Amirs surrendered unconditionally as prisoners of war, who were later to be held captive in Hyderabad. On 20 February 1843 a British force accompanied by a party of seamen had taken formal possession of that place, wherein Sir Charles Napier formed a fortified camp. Shere Mahomed amassed an army of some twenty thousand Belooches by the latter days of March, and took up a strongly entrenched position at Dubba, about four miles from Hyderabad. Mahomed hoped to rescue the six Amirs from Napier’s fortified camp as the British came out to attack his lines. Once this intelligence was known, the six princes were moved to the security of the H.E.I.C. Vessel Comet, lying with steam up in the river awaiting immediate orders as circumstances might require. The other steamers, Meteor and Nimrod took up positions to protect the river side of the fortified camp. On 24 March Sir Charles Napier marched out with five thousand men to attack Shere Mahomed at Dubba, where the Belooch army were defeated. No seamen took part in the battle, these three steamers being several miles away from the battlefield, but their crews were awarded the medal for Hyderabad in recognition of their defensive ancillary activities.

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312

X The impressive and important gold presentation cigar case given by General Baldomero Espartero, Duke of Victoria and Regent of Spain, to Lieutenant Frederick Lowe, R.N., on the occasion of the General’s flight from Spain to England in 1843 Presentation Gold Cigar Case, an impressive two-colour solid gold cigar case, applied on both sides with a finely cast and chased high relief knight in armour, the base with engraved presentation inscription ‘Given by Genl. Espartero, Duke of Victoria, to Lieut.

Fredk. Lowe, R.N. 24th Septr. 1843’, indistinct Spanish hallmarks, 125mm x 60mm, the case tested as 14 carat gold, the appliqué mounts tested as 18 carat gold, total weight 260.47 gms, with old manuscript note ‘Given by Genl. Espartero, Duke of Victoria, to Lt. Fredk. Lowe, Commr. of H.M.S.V. Prometheus, Septr. 24th 1843, as a memento of his Excellcy’s arrival in England in that vefsel Augst. 23, 1843’, in original presentation case, an impressive object of outstanding quality and in excellent condition £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2004.

Frederick Lowe was born on 30 October 1811, entered the Royal Naval College in March 1825, and first went to sea in December 1826. He saw service on the North American, Mediterranean, and South American stations and, in August 1834, accompanied an expedition sent from Lima to Para under the orders of Lieutenant Smyth for the purpose of exploring the Pachitca, Maranon, and Ucayali rivers. He received his commission as Lieutenant on 17 November 1837, and assumed command of the steam vessel Prometheus on 23 February 1843. In that ship he effected the escape of General Espartero from Spain by conveying him from Cadiz to England, where they arrived on 23 August 1843, much to the evident relief of the general.

Baldomero Espartero, Duke of Victoria , Duke of Morella, Prince of Vergara, Count of Luchana, Spanish general and statesman (1793-1879). Espartero fought against the French in the Peninsula War, and later against the revolutionaries in South America. After the death of Ferdinand VII in 1833, he supported Isabella II against the Carlists and won important victories in the Carlist War of 1834-39. His agreement with the Carlist general Rafael Maroto at Vergara in 1839 practically ended the war, and in the following year he was rewarded with the title Duque de la Victoria [Duke of Victory]. As a member of the Progressive party in the Cortes from 1837, Espartero played an important political role. His opposition to the Queen Regent, Maria Christina, helped force her to leave the country in 1840. The following year Espartero was made Regent by the Cortes and became virtual dictator of Spain. His ruthless suppression of opposition, notably at Barcelona, soon made him highly unpopular. In 1843 a general uprising took place and the rebels, declaring Queen Isabella to be of age, marched on Madrid, led by General Narvaez. Espartero, driven from office, embarked in the Royal Navy steam vessel Prometheus at Cadiz on 30 July 1843, and fled to England, where he remained until 1847.

He was then restored to his honours and lived in retirement in Logrono until 1854, when he was placed by Isabella at the head of the Progressive party, but resigned in July 1856. After the expulsion of Isabella in 1868, he supported the provisional government, and in 1870 several members of the Cortes offered him the crown of Spain, but he declined it on the grounds of his great age and want of heirs.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

313

X The campaign group of five awarded to Staff Commander Robert Graham, Royal Navy, promoted for services on the coast of Syria and capture of St Jean d’Acre in 1840, and Master of the Calliope in New Zealand in 1846-47 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria, unnamed, not erased; New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1846 to 1847 (B B Graham.

Master H.M.S. Calliope) note first initial; Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, unnamed as issued; St. Jean d’Acre 1840, silver, unnamed as issued, fitted with floreate silver bar suspension; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, unnamed as issued, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (5) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

62 New Zealand medals issued to Royal Navy and Royal Marines with these reverse dates, all to H.M.S. Calliope.

Robert Brown Graham was born circa 1807 and at the age of 20 he joined H.M.S. Isis in August 1827 as a Volunteer 2nd Class. He paid off this vessel in August 1829, but signed on again the following day and remained in the ship until June 1830. In August 1830 he joined Prince Regent as a Master’s Assistant remaining in the ship until January 1832. He next served aboard Revenge in January 1832 as a Master’s Assistant but was discharged to Haslar Hospital in December 1832.

He was next afloat as a Master’s Assistant aboard Vestal in May 1833 and remained in this ship until September 1833. In October 1833 he was Master’s Assistant aboard Favourite where he remained until paying off in February 1837. In April 1837 he was examined at Trinity House, London as was the custom for Officers of the Navigation Branch, and found competent to take charge as Master of any of His Majesty’s sloops of war and smaller vessels.

In November 1840 he was appointed Acting Master of Hazard and served in this ship until October 1841 having taken part in the fleet action of Syria in 1840 being promoted for his services on the coast of Syria, and capture of St. Jean d’Acre. In 1843 he was again examined at Trinity House and found competent to take charge of any of her Majesty’s ships of the fifth and sixth rate. He was next afloat as a Master on joining Calliope in June 1845 and remained in this ship until January 1849. During time spent on the Pacific Station the ship’s Naval Brigade took part in the New Zealand Wars in the South Island during 1846-47.

In January 1846 the Naval Brigade was present at the action which resulted in the capture of ‘Bats Nest’ at Ruapekapeka. The Brigade also fought a number of smaller actions and skirmishes later in the year. In May and June 1847 the Naval Brigade took part in the actions up river at Wanganui.

On leaving Calliope in January 1849 he was further examined at Trinity House in July 1849 and pronounced fit to take charge of any of Her Majesty’s line of battleships and all smaller ships of war. He was placed on reserve half-pay and allowed to take an appointment in the Coast Guard Service in November 1849, being posted to Long island where he served until 1854, prior to returning to active service for the Crimea War. In 1856 he returned to the Coast Guard Service and was posted to Dunbeacon Station, and in 1858 he was transferred to Larne, County Antrim, Ireland. On 11 June 1863, he was promoted to Staff Commander, and following his promotion he was next posted in 1864 to Carlingford, South Ireland, where he is believe to have remained until his name disappears from the Navy List in 1869.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

314

X The rare New Zealand medal awarded to Captain J. C. Hoseason, Royal Navy, commander of the Inflexible in New Zealand in 1847 New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1847 (Commdr. J. C. Hoseason, H.M.S. Inflexible) nearly extremely fine £3,000-£4,000 Only 20 New Zealand 1845-66 medals issued to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines with this reverse date, all to Inflexible, of which Hoseason was the commanding officer.

John Cochrane Hoseason was born in London on 28 August 1809. He entered the Navy on 20 July 1823, passed his examination in 1829, and obtained his first commission, 10 January 1837. His succeeding appointments were – 12 January and 24 April, 1837, and 18 January 1838, to the Dublin 50, flag-ship of Sir Graham Eden Hamond, Rover 18, Captain Charles Eden, and Imogene 26, Captain Henry William Bruce, all on the South American station, whence he returned to England, and was paid off at the close of 1839 – and, 3 February 1840, to the Cambridge 78, Captain Edward Barnard, with whom he served for nearly two years, and was present in the operations on the coast of Syria, and at the blockade of Alexandria. He acquired the rank of Commander on 6 September 1844, and, was in command of Inflexible from 11 June 1846 until 28 September 1849, including operations in New Zealand during 1847. In May 1849, after his supporting help to the forces in New Zealand, Hoseason took the steamer Inflexible to examine the Lemna islands in search of pirates who had recently raided Hong Kong harbour. He was fired at by the enemy as he approached but his superior gunnery silenced the junks, and his boats brought out eight of them.

Hoseason retired with the rank of Captain on 9 July 1864, and died at Dover on 26 June 1884. He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the author of several books including Remarks on the late war with Russia; together with plans for the attack on Cronstadt, Sweaborg, and Helsingfors.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

315X

The rare First Grinnell Arctic Expedition Pair awarded to Thomas Dunning, Seaman, United States Navy, for services in the American brig Advance Arctic Medal 1818-55 (Thomas Dunning, American Brig Advance 1850-51) naming engraved in capitals; American Arctic Expedition Medal 1851, obverse: two sailing ships stuck fast in ice, ‘Advance [&] Rescue’; reverse, inscription in raised lettering, name engraved in running script ‘Presented by the British Residents of New York, to Thos. Dunning, Seaman, in commemoration of his services , in the American Arctic Expedition, sent by Henry Grinnell Esq. in search of Sir John Franklin. 1851’, 38mm, silver, pierced with double ring and bar suspension, some edge bruising and contact marks but generally very fine (2) £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Sotheby’s, March 1982; Morton & Eden, October 2003.

Note: Although both medals show the spelling Dunning, contemporary United States documents refer to the recipient as Dunnin.

The ill-fated Franklin expedition set out in the Erebus and Terror to find a North West Passage west from Lancaster Sound on 19 May1845. From 25 July they were in the company of two whalers in Melville Bay, awaiting an opportunity to get through the ice into Lancaster Sound. This was the last time that the ships were seen by any European; by the Spring of 1848, all 129 men had perished.

During the next 30 years over forty search expeditions by sea and land went out to search for signs of Franklin and his men.

Rewardsof £10,000 from the Admiralty and £3,000 from Lady Franklin were offered for precise information. Lady Franklin appealed to President Zachary Taylor early in 1850, urging him to launch another attempt, but while the President was favourably inclined towards the proposal Congress was not prepared to finance it. Subsequently Mr Henry Grinnell, a wealthy New York merchant, offered to fund an expedition, with Congress authorising a detail of officers and men from the Navy to man it.

Two small brigs, renamed Advance and Rescue were obtained, of 144 and 64 tons respectively; they were fitted out generously with the best equipment available at that time. Conditions on board were severely cramped but their seaworthiness was excellent and their smallness protected them against ice pressure, which was later to prove their salvation. The commander of the expedition was Lieutenant Edwin J. De Haven. Aged 34, he had served in Wilkes’ Antarctic expedition and was considered to be an authority on meteorology and oceanography. Dr. Elisha Kane accompanied the Advance and subsequently won distinction as an Arctic explorer in two expeditions which he led. The Advance was manned by seventeen men, Rescue by sixteen.

On a cheerless day in May 1850, the ships cast off from the navy yard and were towed down the East River by the small steamer Nachant, heartily cheered by the spectators on the wharves and battery. Mr Grinnell and his two sons accompanied De Haven in theAdvance well outside the Hook, and returned to New York in the Pilot boat. De Haven’s instructions were to search Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait as far west as Cape Walker, and to the northward in the Wellington Channel. The ships were to keep in company if possible and to avoid spending the winter in the Arctic unless

it became necessary, but under no circumstances was he to remain longer than two years.

On 19 August the American ships entered Lancaster Sound and encountered two British vessels, the Lady Franklin and Sophia, part of a search party funded by Lady Franklin. Eight days later they discovered Franklin’s winter quarters for 1846, and the graves of three men who had died on board ship were discovered by Captain Penny of the Lady Franklin. However, the weather was now worsening and by 14 September De Haven decided to return to the United States. After slow progress and rapidly deteriorating weather the vessels became locked fast in the ice of the Wellington Channel, and it became clear that the crew would have to spend the winter in the Arctic.

Preparations were made to abandon ship, and officers and men were exercised in dragging loaded sleds on the ice. Soon scurvy appeared in the men and it was necessary to exercise all hands as much as possible. Football, skating, sledding and racing were daily occupations. Theatrical entertainments were devised and national holidays were observed with as much gaiety as could be devised. Christmas day was celebrated by a performance of The Comedy of the Blue Devils, with most of the comedy supplied by the heroine, a burly fellow of about six feet tall whose only qualification for the part was the absence of a beard.

In the last week of April the crew returned to the ships, which were restocked and repaired ready for open water. On 29 May they passed out of the Arctic Circle but it was not until 5 June that the ships finally escaped the ice and floated free once more. On 17 June the Advance arrived at Whale Fish Island, Rescue coming in the following day. After five days rest De Haven decided to return to Barrow Strait and renew the search. On 7 July he fell in with two English whalers from whom he obtained fresh provisions and newspapers and, discouragingly, news of deteriorating ice conditions.

De Haven still continued northward, until on 18 August the ice blocked him. He decided to abandon his efforts and return southwards. The Advance arrived in New York on 30 September, the Rescue a week later.

The Grinnell medal, with a sum of money, was presented to every officer and man who had served on the Advance and Rescue. The presentation took place of Thursday 13 November 1851, on board the U.S.S. North Carolina.

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316

X The rare First Grinnell Arctic Expedition Medal awarded to Harman G. Wille, Carpenter, United States Navy, for services in the American brig Rescue American Arctic Expedition Medal 1851, obverse: two sailing ships stuck fast in ice, ‘Advance [&] Rescue’; reverse, inscription in raised lettering, name engraved in running script, ‘Presented by the British Residents of New York, to Harman G. Wille, Carpenter, in commemoration of his services, in the American Arctic Expedition, sent by Henry Grinnell Esq. in search of Sir John Franklin, 1851’, 38mm., silver, pierced with ring suspension, cleaned, pitted surface through fire damage, otherwise nearly very fine and very rare £5,000-£7,000 Harman G. Wille, U.S.N., served as a Carpenter aboard the Rescue.

In 1845 Sir John Franklin was given the command of Erebus and Terror and was appointed to lead an expedition to find the North West Passage. The expedition set out from Lancaster Sound on 19 May 1845 and were last seen by any European in July of that year. Sir John died on 11 July 1847 and by the Spring of 1848, all 129 men of the expedition had perished in that icy waste. With his fate and that of his men unknown, over forty attempts were made by land and sea over the next 30 years to search for the lost expedition. Rewards and appeals by the Admiralty and Lady Franklin fuelled the searches. These expeditions were to find relics and remains of the Franklin expedition and in the process were able to advance the knowledge of that desolate part of the world.

Following an appeal in 1850 by Lady Franklin to President Zachary Taylor to send a search expedition, a wealthy New York Merchant and Philanthropist, Henry Grinnell, offered to fund two ships, the Advance and Rescue. The ships, of 144 and 64 tons respectively, were placed under the command of Lieutenant Edwin de Haven, U.S.N. and were manned by U.S. Navy volunteers, 33 in all. The well provisioned ships cast off from New York in May 1850 to the rousing cheers of many spectators. On 19 August 1850 the two ships entered Lancaster Sound and found there, two British ships, the Lady Franklin and Sophia, part of the British Arctic Expedition of 1850-51 funded by Lady Franklin. Together they began their search. They were to discover Franklin’s Winter quarters for 1846 and the graves of three men who had died early on. In September, deterioration in the weather prompted a return to the south but the two vessels became fast in the ice in the Wellington Channel and it became necessary for the crews to prepare for a Winter in the Arctic. The crews survived the harsh winter, and due to their small size and robust construction, the two ships survived being crushed by the ice. In April 1851 the crews were able to return to their ships and in June they finally won free of the ice. In July, after replenishing their supplies from two British whalers, De Haven again took his ships north to renew the search but deteriorating conditions in August forced him back. The Advance arrived back in New York on 30 September 1851 and the Rescue a week later.

Each of the 33 men (Advance 16 and Rescue 17) of the gallant expedition received the above silver medal funded and awarded

by British residents in New York and a sum of money. The presentation took place on 13 November 1851 on board the U.S.S. North Carolina. In addition each man was awarded the British Arctic Discoveries Medal 1818-55, Wille’s award being sent to Lord Napier, British Minister at Washington, for onward delivery to Wille himself.

The above medal is one of three known; the others to ‘Thomas Dunning’ and to Lieutenant Edwin J. De Haven, both of the Advance.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

317

X The scarce ‘wide suspension’ L.S. & G.C. medal dated ‘1848’ below the bust awarded in 1850 to John Paul, Ship’s Cook, H.M.S. Inconstant, for 24 years service Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension, dated ‘1848’ below bust (John Paul, Ships Cook. HMS Inconstant. 24 Ys.) very fine £1,800-£2,200 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, March 2008.

Approximately 100 dated ‘1848’ long service medals were awarded, this example being approved on 3 December 1850, the last known award of the ‘1848’ dated issue; the ultimate award is thought to have been made on 6 December 1850 to Frederick Woodrow, Seaman’s Schoolmaster, H.M.S. Volage, for 28 Years service, but this medal has not yet been seen.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

318X

The rare and historic Commission document appointing Mr C. D. Lucas, Royal Navy, as Acting Mate on the steam sloop Hecla, in which vessel, one month later, he won the very first Victoria Cross Original Commission document, signed by Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, appointing Mr C. D. Lucas as Acting Mate on the steam sloop Hecla, dated Hango Head, 21 May 1854, folded and repaired but generally in good condition £1,600-£2,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2006.

Charles Davis Lucas was born in Drumargole, Armagh, Ireland, on 19 February 1834. Serving as a Mate aboard the Hecla, he became the first man to be awarded the Victoria Cross. The Register of the Victoria Cross states of the action: On 21 June 1854 in the Baltic, H.M.S. Hecla, with two other ships, was bombarding Bomarsund, a fort in the Aland Islands. The fire was returned from the shore, and at the height of the action a live shell landed on Hecla’s upper deck, with its fuse still hissing. All hands were ordered to fling themselves flat on the deck, but Mr Lucas with great presence of mind ran forward and hurled the shell into the sea, where it exploded with a tremendous roar before it hit the water. Thanks to Mr Lucas’s action no one was killed or seriously wounded’. (V.C. London Gazette 24 February 1857).

Lucas later attained the rank of Rear-Admiral. He died on 7 August 1914.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

319

X The extremely rare first issue Royal Marines M.S.M. dated ‘1848’ below the bust and with dated edge awarded to Sergeant W. Maxwell, R.M. in 1849 Royal Marine Meritorious Service Medal, V.R., dated ‘1848’ below bust (Serg. W. Maxwell, R.M. 16. Jan: 1849) officially engraved naming, fitted with silver ribbon brooch, toned, nearly extremely fine £1,800-£2,200 Provenance: Fevyer Collection, Spink November 1998; Dix Noonan Webb, March 2008.

The first 16 Royal Marine Meritorious Service medals were issued with the ‘1848’ obverse and ‘16 Jan 1849’ engraved on the rim. There were probably only 39 issued with the ‘1848’ obverse of which about 20 are known, 8 with dated rim and 12 without the dated rim.

William Maxwell, Sergeant Schoolmaster, Chatham Division, served 27 years. His annuity of £10 commenced on 24 April 1849, and he probably died between December 1850 and December 1852.

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320

X The Naval General Service and Arctic Discoveries long service group of four awarded to Colour-Sergeant Isaac Jeffery, Royal Marines Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (Isaac Jeffery.); Arctic Discoveries 1818-1855, unnamed as issued; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension (I. Jeffery. Colr. Serjt. 4th Coy. R.M. 22 Yrs.); St. Jean d’Acre 1840, bronze, edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise good fine and better (4) £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Morton & Eden, December 2006.

Isaac Jeffery was born at Thurber Haverhill in 1817 and was attested at Woolwich on 26 September 1836. He was a Drummer and Private before becoming Corporal in 48 Company, and was later promoted to Sergeant and then Colour Sergeant in 4 Company. He served aboard H.M. Ships Hastings, Enterprise and Crocodile, being discharged without gratuity on 28 September 1858. He joined Captain Richard Collinson’s Enterprise in 1850. The original object of the voyage was to search for Franklin from the west in company with H.M.S. Investigator but the two ships became separated during a gale in the Magellan Straits. Collinson’s journal records that Jeffery suffered from tuberculosis during the voyage, which in all lasted for more than five years. He was awarded the L.S. & G.C. medal in March 1861.

Sold with comprehensive research.

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321

X The rare Baltic 1855 operations C.B. group of four awarded to Colonel J. M. Wemyss, Royal Marine Artillery, whose innovative command of the R.M.A’s mortars at the bombardment of Sveaborg achieved spectacular results: ‘In the thirty daylight hours, during which the bombardment continued, the guns and mortars discharged on either side averaged between 20 or 30 a minute, which will convey some idea of the furious nature of the engagement’ The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, 22 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1843, with narrow gold swivel-bar suspension and ribbon buckle; Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (John M. Wemyss, Lieut. R.M.A.); Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; St. Jean d’Acre 1840, silver, unnamed as issued, fitted with straight-bar suspension and plain faced clasp, the first with slightly chipped central wreaths, one or two edge bruises and minor contact wear, otherwise generally good very fine (4) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2005.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

C.B. London Gazette 2 January 1856.

John Maurice Wemyss was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Artillery in December 1837. He subsequently distinguished himself in the Syria operations of 1840, being mentioned in the despatch of Captain Austin, R.N. of H.M.S. Cyclops. In his own words, taken from his statement of services, Wemyss describes his part in the campaign thus: ‘On 10 September 1840, I landed with the Anglo-Turkish force at D’Jouni Bay on the coast of Syria and remained nine days in the field citadel constructed there. On the 19 September 1840, I re-embarked in the Cyclops, which vessel was much employed in distributing arms, stopping convoys and firing on the enemy whenever they appeared on the coast. On 26 September 1840, I landed with the Turkish force under the orders of Captain Austin, commanding H.M.S. Cyclops, for the purpose of carrying by assault the town of Sidon, and on this occasion was favourably spoken of by that officer for having turned one of the enemy’s guns (mounted in an outwork) on the Egyptian soldiers defending the town, thereby facilitating the disembarkation of the Turkish troops. This piece of service is adverted to in my certificate from the Cyclops. During the remainder of my time in the Cyclops, I served in various ports of the Mediterranean, chiefly at Alexandria, with a sketch of the defences of which I furnished Captain Austin for the information of their Lordships.’

Advanced to 1st Lieutenant in October 1841, and to Captain in October 1851, Wemyss spent most of the intervening period as a Gunnery Examining Officer back in the U.K., but in 1855 he arrived in the Baltic aboard the Orion, and, as the C.O. of the R.M.A’s mortar detachments at the bombardment of Sveaborg on 9 August 1855, distinguished himself sufficiently to be given the Brevet of Major and awarded the C.B., the latter a rare distinction indeed for a Captain of Marines. Of this fact Wemyss’ senior stated: ‘This is the first instance in the Naval service of the C.B. being given for service as a Captain of Marines, but in his case most justly given, as he had an important command and by his throwing away old ideas and pouring in more rapid mortar fire in the first hours than ever had been thought of before, he greatly contributed to the success, as we got up rapidly such a body of fire that it could not be put out.’

While in his Sveaborg despatch, Admiral R. S. Dundas, C.B., noted: ‘The direction of this service (mortar boats) was confided to Captain J. M. Wemyss of the Royal Marine Artillery, assisted by Captain Lawrence, and Captain Schomberg, and every exertion was used by these officers to press the fire of the mortars to the fullest extent, which could be deemed proper.

My especial thanks are due to the Officers and men of the Royal Marine Artillery for the manner in which their important duties have been performed. The cool and steady manner with which they continued to conduct the duties of their staticas deserves the highest praise, and I have much pleasure in calling their Lordships attention to the services of Captain Wemyss, as well as those of Captains Lawrence and Schomberg of that distinguished Corps.’

An indication of the rate of fire of the R.M.A. detachments may be gleaned from the simple statistic that the 15 British mortar vessels expended 3100 shells (equivalent to 1000 tons of iron), hot work that resulted in three of the mortars bursting. Wemyss later wrote: ‘If it is unpleasant to stand over a bursting shell, how much more so was it to have to serve a mortar which is likely to burst the next round. I think our men in the Baltic behaved splendidly in making no difficulty when three mortars had burst and the remainder were so unsound .. I had in the Baltic not only to organize a new service with a long forgotten weapon, and answer for its effects in action being destructive at a great distance, but also I had to depart from the old custom of firing slow.’

Finally, for the purposes of illustrating the devastating effect the R.M.A’s mortars had upon the enemy, the following eye-witness observations are not without interest: ‘By 7 o’clock all was ready for the opening of the bombardment, and at 7.30 Captain Wemyss gave the signal by firing a shell from the Pickle. As every mortar was loaded, the response was immediate and terrific. With a simultaneous roar about five and twenty huge shells sped away, and mounting up, until over Vargon and Gustafsvard, thundered straight down upon them with destructive effect.

Of the opening salvo, one or two exploded short or went over among the shipping in the harbour, but the majority crashed down where intended, right over the magazines, and, on bursting, threw up columns of white smoke, mingled with dark earth and rubbish. At the same moment as the mortars, the gunboats also opened a very heavy fire on the forts of shot and shell from their 68-pounders. The Russian reply was immediate and appalling; as if by magic the smoke of heavy guns issued from every nook and post, high and low, all over the islands, from hundreds of cannon and mortars; a perfect storm of shot, hot and cold, and shell at all angles of cross fire, came towards us, hissing, splashing, ricocheting in every direction. If that awful shower of missiles had reached us with effect, we should, indeed, have been in a bad way! Fortunately, it did us no practical harm, but some of the gunboats had narrow escapes .. Shortly after 9 o’clock it was becoming very evident our shell fire was having a terrible effect, especially on Vargon, from which, as the barracks, stores, and various buildings caught fire in detail, dense columns of smoke began to arise.

The magazines also were becoming denuded of the earth masses atop through the explosion of our embedded shells. Altogether the fire was constant and relentless; while the Russian’s was fitful and almost ineffective. At 10.30 our shells reached a magazine, and a prodigious cloud of white smoke arose over Vargon; from which emerged dark masses of stones, guns, and even men’s bodies. It was followed by a noise like thunder, and a heavy concussion as of an earthquake. When the smoke cleared away, one of the great forts was disclosed a ruin, at which our men manned the rigging and cheered. The tremendous nature of the explosion so frightened the sightseers, especially the ladies at Helsingfors, that they scuttled off in every direction .. great shouts and commotion overhead caused a simultaneous rush on deck, to witness a spectacle on Vargon and Gustafsvard which altogether baffled description, and before which all stood for a time appalled. Grant, in British Battles, compared the scene to ‘the eruption of a volcano,’ and called it a ‘veritable pandemonium,’ which in truth it was. Magazine after magazine, in succession, was exploding with a violence which shook both sea and land for a great distance around. Huge masses of stones, guns, shot and shell, and human bodies were hurled in the air, to descend in a mingled shower. As Grant says, ‘Had the isle been torn from its granite base in the sea the roar of that explosion could not have been more terrific and astounding’; so appalling was it that everyone’s attention was for a time riveted, and the firing on both sides ceased for a few minutes; but this lull was succeeded by such tremendous cheering as must have been almost audible ashore, and the renewal of our fire with increased and incomparable vigour; while the Russians, as well they might, seemed paralysed .. In the evening a final explosion took place on Svarto (west), which set the whole island ablaze, so that by midnight it was a perfect sheet of flame. The bombardment after 9 p.m. gradually subsided, and the last shell was fired at about 3 a.m. on Saturday the 11th, the attack having thus continued without cessation for forty-eight hours ..’

Wemyss died in service, at Portsmouth, in March 1863, having been advanced to Colonel in June of the previous year.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

322

X The extremely rare Naval Long Service medal awarded for Gallantry in the Crimea to Private John McElroy, Royal Marines, who was dangerously wounded at Inkermann and had his left arm amputated, one of only seven such awards for gallantry Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension (John McElroy, Pte. R.M. Woolh. Divn. Crimea.) edge bruise and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Christie’s April 1984; Dix Noonan Webb, May 2011.

One of only seven such awards for gallantry. Another example was sold in the Douglas-Morris Collection, D.N.W. October 1996.

Private John McElroy, 64th Coy Woolwich Division, Royal Marines, was one of seven N.C.O.s and Privates of the Royal Marines to receive a Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, with gratuity, for Gallantry at the Battle of Inkermann, 5th November, 1854, where he was dangerously wounded by gunshot and his left arm subsequently amputated.

The list includes Corporal John Pettyjohn, who also received the Victoria Cross, and it is thought that the ‘Long Service’ medals were awarded for the same action, in dispersing Russian sharpshooters from the caves at Inkermann. McElroy, who also received the Crimea medal with three clasps, Balaklava, Inkermann, and Sebastopol, was invalided from the service on 31 July 1855, after serving seven years, six months and was given a pension for life of £18.4.0 per annum.

The historic value of this medal is compounded by the fact that coincidentally the only surviving Parish ‘Notification of Good Conduct’ is made out to Private John McElroy ‘to whom the Honorary Medal and a Gratuity of £5 has been presented for Gallant Conduct before the enemy’. The words ‘long service and good’ were struck out and ‘Gallant’ written in. These notices were posted in the honoured man’s parish, usually on the door of a church or chapel, or prominently displayed at a public meeting place.

The distinguishing feature on each of the two extant Naval ‘Long Service’ medals for Gallantry is the word ‘Crimea’ inscribed on the edge of the medal, and although a more appropriate award would have been the new Medal for Distinguished Service in the field (D.C.M.), at no time did the Corps attempt to investigate the possibility of rewarding their men with it; indeed, the first D.C.M. to the Royal Marines was awarded for the Soudan in 1885. Further information relating to these rare medals can be found in Naval Medals 1793-1856 by Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris, R.N.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

323X

The fine K.C.B., Army of India, Baltic and Crimea group of seven awarded to Admiral C. H. M. Buckle, Royal Navy The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1873, and breast star by Garrard & Co., silver with gold and enamel centre, fitted with gold retaining pin; Army of India 17991826, 1 clasp, Ava (C. H. M. Buckle, Mid.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming; Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Capt. C. H. M. Buckle, H.M.S. Valorous.) contemporary engraved naming; Baltic 1854-55 (Capt. C. H. M. Buckle, H.M.S. Valorous.) contemporary engraved naming; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, 4th Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamel; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed, mounted on a contemporary bar as worn, fitted with gold pin, generally good very fine or better (7) £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Morton & Eden, December 2003.

C.B. (Military) London Gazette 10 July 1855 K.C.B. (Military) London Gazette 29 May 1875.

Claude Henry Mason Buckle was the second son of Admiral Mathew Buckle. He entered Portsmouth Naval College in 1817 and first went to sea as a volunteer aboard H.M.S. Heron in 1819. During the Burmese War he served on H.M.S. Liffey at the capture of Rangoon in 1824 and in other naval encounters, hence the Ava clasp on his Army of India medal.

Subsequently he served in various ships on the South American and West Indian stations and was Flag-Lieutenant in the San Josef under Sir William Hargood. In 1840-1 he studied the theory and construction of the marine steam engine at Robert Napier’s Vulcan Foundry in Glasgow and was subsequently given command of H.M.S. Growler, a new steam sloop. On the Growler he served on the African station in the suppression of the slave trade. His account (to Commander William Jones, Senior Officer, H.M.S. Penelope) of an encounter between the Growler’s pinnace, under Lieutenant John Lodwick, and a Spanish slave ship off Shebar in 1845, in which two men were killed, includes the following commendation: "I trust that the successful exertions of a handful of brave men in preventing several hundred slaves from being carried off will meet with your approval and I earnestly hope will also induce you to recommend Lieut. Lodwick to the favourable notice and considerations of My Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty". The Buckle Papers include a letter from Admiral J. Bullen (dated 1st February 1850) to Buckle’s father, commenting:

"I beg that you will receive my sincerest congratulations on the late noble brave and spirited conduct of your son against the Pirates on the Coast of Africa .... In 1852 he was appointed Captain of the paddle steamer Valorous and on the outbreak of war with Russia proceeded to the Baltic. He was present at the first bombardment of Bomarsund in the Aland Islands when Valorous maintained fire for almost seven hours, taking part in the second attack and eventual capitulation of the town. He subsequently distinguished himself in the Black Sea. O’Byrne records that he ‘chased the Russian steamer "Vladimir"; under the forts of Sebastopol, receiving their fire; assisted in defeating the Russian land attack on Eupatoria, and in the night attacks on the Quarantine Fort, Sebastopol; "Valorous"; bore the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart at the attack and surrender of Kinburn (Crimean and Turkish Medals, 4th class of the Medjidjie); C.B. and K.C.B.; was gazetted on three occasions’. He was Captain Superintendent at Deptford Dockyard, 1857-63, subsequently promoted to Rear-Admiral on 14 November 1863 and placed on the retirement list on 24 March 1866. He was appointed Vice-Admiral on the retired list on 1 April 1870 and Admiral on 22 January 1877.

See Lot 324 for the recipient’s miniature medals.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

324

X The group of six miniature medals worn by Admiral C. H. M. Buckle, Royal Navy The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s, breast badge, gold and enamels; Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Ava; Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol; Baltic 1854-55; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, breast badge, silver, silver-gilt and enamel; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, the last five mounted on a contemporary wearing bar, nearly extremely fine (6) £400-£500 Provenance: Morton & Eden, December 2003.

See Lot 323 for the recipient’s full sized medals.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

325X

The scarce Royal Marines M.S.M. group of four awarded to Colour Sergeant Daniel Burgess, Royal Marine Light Infantry Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (-. Burgess, R.M. H.M.S. Agamemnon) depot impressed naming, initial illegible through edge bruising; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension (Dl. Burgess, Cr. Sergt. R.M. H.M.S. Cadmus 21 Yrs.); Royal Marines Meritorious Service Medal, V.R. (Daniel Burgess, Col.-Sergt. 53rd Co. R.M.L.I.) officially impressed naming; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed, all cleaned and lacquered, the first with contact marks, therefore good fine, otherwise generally very fine (4) £2,000-£2,400 Provenance: Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997; Dix Noonan Webb, March 2008.

Daniel Burgess was born in Harwich, Essex, circa 1827, and was aged 19 years 6 months when he enlisted for the Chatham Division on 3 February 1847. He served afloat for 14 years of his total servitude of 21 years aboard H.M. Ships Asia (1845-51), Agamemnon (1852-56), Russell (1858-1862), and Cadmus (1864-68). During this period he received promotion to Corporal in September 1856, Sergeant in April 1859, and ultimately to Colour Sergeant in September 1866. He was amongst the men selected to receive the L.S. & G.C. medal when H.M.S. Cadmus paid off in June 1868, and was pensioned to shore on 20 July 1868. His M.S.M. Annuity commenced on 15 June 1895.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

326

X The Victorian campaign group of seven awarded to Admiral G. S. Bosanquet, Royal Navy, twice mentioned in despatches and twice severely wounded in action during the Taeping Rebellion of 1862-63 Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Actg. Lieut. G. S. Bosanquet. R.N.) officially impressed naming; China 1857-60, 3 clasps, Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1858, Taku Forts 1860, unnamed as issued; Egypt & Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (Capt: G. S. Bosanquet. R.N. H.M.S. “Northumberland”); Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, 5th class breast badge, silver, gold and enamels; Order of Osmanieh, 3rd class neck badge, silver, gold and enamels; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, one point bent and enamel chipped on the Osmanieh, otherwise good very fine or better (7) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2001, George Stanley Bosanquet was born on 18 April 1835, and educated at the Royal Naval Academy, Gosport. He served as Midshipman and Acting Mate of Rodney in the Black Sea during the Russian war, until appointed, December 1854, Acting Lieutenant of Spitfire; engaged at the taking of Kertch and Yenikale, at the entrance of the Sea of Azoff; and afterwards as Acting Lieutenant of Rodney in the Naval Brigade until the close of the siege of Sebastopol (Crimean and Turkish Medals, Sebastopol Clasp, and 5th Class Medjidie). As Lieutenant of the Calcutta, flagship, he was engaged at the bombardment and capture of the forts at the entrance of the Peiho river, May 1858; and as Lieutenant in command of the Woodcock, gunboat, he was engaged with the north forts at the entrance to the Peiho river, 1860, when they were captured by the combined English and French land forces (China Medal, 2 Clasps).

In the combined operations against the Taeping rebels, he was in command of the Flamer, gunboat, and served on shore at the taking of Min-hong, Kahding, Na-jow, and Cho-lin, &c., and was severely wounded when in command of the field guns, in the attack on the city of Fung-wha, 9 October 1862 (Mentioned in despatches). It was during this action that Able Seaman George Hinckley, of the Sphinx, won the Victoria Cross for gallantly carrying two badly wounded officers to safety. It seems ironic that a Victoria Cross was given during this campaign, yet that authorities refused to sanction the award of a campaign medal on the grounds that our forces were not officially at war with the Taeping rebels. Bosanquet was subsequently employed in various operations against piratical vessels in the neighbourhood of Chusan in 1863, and was again severely wounded, 28 July 1863, in an attack by rebels on Flamer in Hang-chow Bay (Mentioned in despatches, Gold Medal from Imperial Government of China, and promoted to Commander for distinguished services). He was Captain of Northumberland during the Egyptian war of 1882 (Egyptian Medal, Khedive’s Bronze Star, Osmanieh 3rd Class). Bosanquet was A.D.C. to Queen Victoria from 27 October 1884 to January 1887. Promoted to Vice-Admiral in July 1892, he retired in 1894, and became Retired Admiral in 1898. Admiral Bosanquet died on 12 January 1914.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

327

X The outstanding Victorian gold K.C.B. group of five awarded to Admiral Sir Edward Sotheby, Royal Navy, who was awarded the C.B. and mentioned in despatches on 13 occasions for his protracted command of Pearl’s Naval Brigade in the Indian Mutiny; he further received the Thanks of both Houses of Parliament, the Governor-General of India and the Admiralty and was appointed an Extra A.D.C. to Queen Victoria The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Kinght Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1862, and breast star, silver, with gold and enamel appliqué centre; Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (E. S. Sotheby, Lieut. R.N.); Indian Mutiny 1857-58, no clasp (Capt. Edwd. S. Sotheby, C.B. Pearl.); St Jean D’Acre 1840, silver, some minor chipping to wreaths of the Bath insignia, otherwise generally good very fine (5) £9,000-£12,000 K.C.B. Queen’s Birthday Honours, May 1875.

Edward Southwell Sotheby was born in Clifton on 14 March 1813, second son of Admiral Thomas Sotheby (17591831) by his second wife, Lady Mary Anne, fourth daughter of Jospeh Deane Bourke, 3rd Earl of Mayo.

After attending the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth, he first went to sea in 1828 and was promoted to Lieutenant in October 1835. A tour in the flagship Caledonia in the Mediterranean having ensued, he next joined, as First Lieutenant, the corvette Dido, in which capacity he saw action in the Syrian operations of 1840 and was advanced to Commander in October 1841.

In June 1846, he was appointed to command the sloop Racehorse, in which he participated in operations in the disturbances in China and New Zealand, followed by a tour of duty in command of the Sealark in the suppression of the slave trade off the coast of Africa.

As observed by W. E. F. Ward in his history of the suppression of the Atlantic slave trade, The Royal Navy and the Slavers, ‘the Navy found close inshore patrolling was a much more effective way of throttling the slave trade than making wide sweeps on the sea lanes.’ It was a challenging business, investigating estuaries blocked by sand bars and peering into countless swampy creeks and lagoons, a business which led to numerous, sometimes fatal, cases of fever and malaria.

As recounted by Ward, Sotheby and the Sealark undertook just such activities and, in March-April 1852, the former’s persistence paid off when he captured a Spanish slave brigantine, but only after intense investigation of possible hideouts on the Rio Grande in Portuguese Guinea. It transpired a Spanish trader, who had an operational pseudonym, was covertly involved in slavery activity with local chiefs.

Having carried out no less than 14 thorough but fruitless searches of creeks, Sotheby decided to interrogate the Spaniard and search his lodgings. Nothing appeared to be untoward, but Sotheby remained convinced of the Spaniard’s guilt and, remaining in the area, offered a 100-dollar reward for further information. His enticement did the trick, an African reporting he had knowledge of a slave brigantine and its whereabouts. And so it proved, the ‘fully equipped’

camouflaged vessel being located in a narrow side creek: unable to shift it from its anchorage, Sotheby blew it up.

As it transpired, the African informant gave good value for his money, for he then took Sotheby to a hut which he said belonged to a local chief. Inside, the naval party found a hoard of muskets and assorted slave shackles, a discovery that was quickly followed by the appearance of a native on the scene.

He had escaped captivity but said 19 of his tribe were still being held in the chief’s village, about three miles distant in the bush, held in readiness for an exchange with the Spaniard and his fellow slavers. Sotheby sent word to the chief that the remaining captives were to be brought down to him the following day, failing which he would burn down his village.

The slaves were indeed released the following day, for the chief had decided the game was up, and with them he turned over another Spaniard. The freed slaves also identified two other local chiefs as being equally guilty, even though each of them had signed a treaty abjuring the slave trade for ever. Suffice it to say, the slaves were taken to Freetown for liberation, and the Spaniards sent for trial.

As far back as 1816, the West African Squadron had been ordered to ‘diligently look into the bays and creeks’ in hunting down slavers. Over 35 years later, Sotheby did just that, thereby highlighting the Royal Navy’s unrelenting commitment to ending the abhorrent slave trade.

He was commended for his actions and advanced to Captain in September 1852.

He next took command of the corvette Pearl on the East Indies station and, in July 1857, on the receipt of news of the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny, the Pearl, together with the frigate Shannon, under Captain William Peel, was sent from Hong Kong to Calcutta. Sotheby subsequently took command of the Pearl’s Naval Brigade, which was landed in September and for the following 15 months lent valuable service in the operations in the Oudh.

The extent of those operations is recorded in the pages of The Naval Brigades of the Indian Mutiny 1857-58, by Commander W. B. Rowbotham, R.N., Navy Records Society, Vol. 87, 1947. But by way of summary, the following major actions are worthy of note, Sotheby having described them at length in his official reports:

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

The attack on Sohunpore on 20 December 1857, when the rebels were ejected from their entrenchments; the capture of the fort at Chanderpur on 16 February 1858, when the bluejackets went into action with the Sikhs and Gurkhas; the capture of the fort at Nourainie Ghat on the Oudh side of the river on 18 February 1858 and the attack on the rebels at Phoolpur on 20 February 1858, when three guns were captured.

Such engagements were often of a hotly contested nature, with resultant casualties, Pearl’s 250-strong force of bluejackets eventually suffering a loss of one officer and 17 men killed, and a further 16 wounded. By way of example of such actions, the following account of the capture of the fort at Nourainie Ghat on 18 February 1858 is quoted: ‘At 10 p.m. [on 19 February 1858], I crossed over to the opposite bank, with the force as per margin, to occupy the village and fort of Narinee, the men wading up to their waists, had much difficulty in landing the guns. Not having any spy, or knowing the precise position, and it being very dark, it was midnight when the marines and a party of seamen, under Lieutenant F. G. Pym and Mr. Ingles, got round to the right, through thick jungles, and passing the outer breastworks and other defences found the fort evacuated, whilst the other party with the guns under Lieutenant Turnour, had crept round to the left; we then bivouacked for the night, and conveyed over our baggage and ammunition the following forenoon, under the direction of that enterprising officer Lieutenant H. D. Grant.

Being joined by 1,000 Goorkhas and six guns, the force named in the margin, all under Colonel Rowcroft, left their encampment at two p.m. the same day, to attack the enemy, who had advanced in the morning to retake their abandoned positions. Having passed over a tract of very heavy country, through several thick topes of trees and deserted villages, at five p.m. we discovered the enemy’s position, by their opening a fire from their guns as we came over the hill; ours were immediately got into position, and l returned shrapnel with great precision; the marines and Sikhs, and a few Goorkhas, on their left, when a heavy fire of musketry was kept up, but driving in the enemy’s skirmishers, they rushed to the guns and captured two, the first by Lieutenant Pym and Acting Sergeant Butler, and a few marines, who immediately turned it on the enemy and fired seven rounds, and put them to flight. The enemy’s cavalry, with some infantry and a gun, made several attempts to push forward, but as we steadily

advanced, were driven back and finally fled, quickly followed by the remainder of miles. It now being quite dark, and our party being entirely by themselves, we gave them a parting round, and retired to our first position, where we re-joined our allies quietly smoking their pipes; and, after a few minutes rest marched back to the camp, where we arrived at 10 p.m., to dinner; the men having been at work the whole of that day under a hot sun, and having had no rest the previous night, were completely exhausted.

The enemy’s force was computed about 2,500; with some hundred of cavalry and six guns, three of which were captured.

Gholab Singh, their leader, is reported to be wounded; about 100 are supposed to have been killed; many wounded were removed from the field.

The want of cavalry, as usual, was much felt. The enemy’s position was opposite the Nepaulese army, who had been several times frustrated in attempting to cross; but now, all obstacles being removed, the boats immediately passed up.

It afforded me much pleasure to observe the steadiness and coolness of the seamen under Lieutenant S. W. D. Radcliffe, Mr. Ingles, Mate, and Lord Charles Scott; and the gallant manner that Lieutenant Pym, with the marines, captured the guns, whilst our battery was quickly brought into position by Lieutenant Turnour, and Mr. Foot, Midshipman, and fired with much precision.’

Sotheby and his bluejackets were thirteen times mentioned in despatches, and received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, the Governor of India, the Admiralty and the Naval and Military Commanders in India. Awarded the C.B., he was additionally made an extra A.D.C. to Queen Victoria, in which role he served from 1858 to 1867.

Following the unhappy loss of his new command Conqueror off the Bahamas in December 1861 – she was wrecked on Rum Cay without loss of life – Sotheby’s final appointment was as commanding officer of the Portland Coast Guard Division. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral in September 1867 and retired in April 1870. Advanced to Vice-Admiral on the Retired List in August 1873, he was appointed a K.C.B. in 1875 and became a full Admiral in June 1879.

In retirement, Sotheby devoted himself to philanthropic work and was for many years Chairman of the Blind Institute in Tottenham Court Road. He died at 26 Green Street, London in January 1902 and was buried at Ecton, Northamptonshire.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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328X

The Victorian gold C.B. group of four awarded to Deputy Surgeon-General G. E. Farrell, Indian Medical Service, Surgeon of Shannon’s Naval Brigade and later of the 5th Gurkhas during the Second Afghan War The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (Military) C.B., breast badge, 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1880, lacking swivel-ring straight suspension and now fitted with fluted silver-gilt ring and gold ribbon buckle; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Relief of Lucknow (Asst. Surgn. G. Farrell.); India General Service 1854-94, 4 clasps, North West Frontier, Jowaki 1877-8, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89 (Surgn. G. Farrell, 2nd Punjab Infy.); Afghanistan 1878-80, 3 clasps, Peiwar Kotal, Charasia, Kabul (Surg-Maj. G. Farrell, 5th Goorkha) attractively toned, generally good very fine (4) £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Brian Ritchie Collection, March 2005.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

C.B. London Gazette 29 May 1886.

George Elias Farrell was born in Dublin on 22 October 1831 and trained at Steven’s Hospital, Dublin. He was appointed Assistant Surgeon in the Honourable East India Company’s Service on 4 August 1854, and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland) in 1856. He embarked for India aboard the S.S. Nubia and landed at Calcutta on 17 December 1856. After duty at the General Hospital, Calcutta, he was ordered to report to the Surgeon of the 20th N.I. at Benares in February 1857, but the following month was attached to the 2nd Company, 3rd Battalion, Bengal Artillery, and proceeded with a detachment of that unit to Dinapore on 12 April. He next returned to Benares and was attached to the Loodianah Sikhs and was placed in medical charge of all European troops at the station.

On 19 July, with Bengal in revolt, he was ordered to Calcutta and shortly after his arrival was assigned to accompany the second party of H.M.S. Shannon’s Naval Brigade which, 120-strong, left Calcutta for Allahabad in the river steamer Benares on 18 September, under Lieutenant Vaughan. Vaughan’s party caught up with the rest of the Naval Brigade on 20 October and marched into Allahabad fort with the ship’s band playing at the head of the column. During the Second Relief of Lucknow he found a steady demand for his professional skills. Of the total of 553 officers and men landed from Shannon, four officers and 100 men were killed or died from wounds or disease. One officer and 17 men were invalided, and a further seven officers and 51 men wounded in action.

Following the relief of Lucknow, Farrell was sent with the sick, wounded, and non-combatant members of the Residency garrison to Allahabad, where he was appointed to do duty at the General Hospital until February 1858, when he was ordered to Mean Meer in the Lahore Circle for general duty. He was next attached to the 2nd Punjab Infantry on the Frontier and in April 1860 took part in the expedition against the Mahsud Waziris under Brigadier Neville Chamberlain. Service with Sam Browne’s Cavalry, interrupted by a spell with the 2nd Punjab Infantry in 1865, followed until 1868, when on 4 August, he was promoted Surgeon. Farrell became Surgeon Major in 1873, and in 1877-78 took part in the punitive expedition against the Jowaki Afridis.

During the Second Afghan War he served with the 5th Gurkhas in the Kurram Valley Field Force, under Major-General F. S. Roberts, and was mentioned in despatches for services at Peiwar Kotal and thanked in orders. He continued with the force to Ali Khel and the Shutargardan Pass and returned with the force to Kurram, via the southern route and the Mangiar defile where the rearguard and baggage were suddenly attacked by the Mangal Pathans. The situation was saved by the ‘steadiness and gallantry of the 5th Gurkhas’ who for five hours repulsed every attack. Two officers were severely injured in the encounter, Captain Goad, a transport officer, and Captain Powell of the 5th Gurkhas, both of whom subsequently died of their wounds.

During the second campaign of the war, Farrell started again under Roberts, now commanding the Kabul Field Force. On 6 October 1879 Farrell served with the forward elements of the Field Force which encountered the army of Kabul at Charasia, and put it to rout. Farrell entered Kabul with Roberts’ force a few days later and subsequently served in operations around Kabul and in the defence of the Sherpur cantonment, earning another mention in despatches. Promoted Brigade-Surgeon in December 1883, he was advanced to Deputy Surgeon-General and created a Companion of the Bath in 1886. He last saw active service in 1886-87 during the Burma Campaign. Farrell retired from the Indian Medical Department in September 1893, and died in Dublin on 28 April 1899.

Sold with copied research.

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329

X The M.V.O. group of three awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Lascelles, The Rifle Brigade, formerly Aide-de-Camp to Sir William Peel as a fifteen year old Naval Cadet with Shannon’s Naval Brigade The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O. (4th Class) breast badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamels, the reverse officially numbered 434, in its Collingwood & Co case of issue, this also numbered 4/434; Indian Mutiny 185759, 1 clasp, Lucknow (H. A. Lascelles, Naval Cadet. Shannon) fitted with silver ribbon buckle, first initial corrected; Ashantee 1873-74, 1 clasp, Coomassie (Capt. H. A. Lascelles, 2nd Bn. Rifle Bde. 1873-4) fitted with silver ribbon buckle, contact marks, otherwise about very fine, the first extremely fine (3) £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Brian Ritchie Collection, March 2005.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Henry Arthur Lascelles, the fourth son of the Right Honourable W. S. S. Lascelles, P.C., M.P., and the eldest daughter of the 6th Earl of Carlisle, was born on 4 December 1842, and entered the Royal Navy in 1855. In March 1857 he was one of seven Naval Cadets who sailed in H.M.S. Shannon (510 officers, men and boys, under Captain William Peel, V.C., R.N.) for the China Station. On the Shannon being diverted to India and the formation of the famous Naval Brigade, Lascelles accompanied the first party of 408 officers and men under Peel’s personal command up the Ganges on 18 August 1857, to Allalahabad, where the entire Brigade concentrated by 20 October. On the 27th, Lascelles continued the journey up country to Cawnpore with a party of 170 men and two 8-inch howitzers under, Shannon’s gunnery officer, Lieutenant Young, R.N. However, when the larger part of this detachment went on with the main body of the Naval Brigade to take part in the Second Relief of Lucknow, Cadets Lascelles and Watson, both barely fifteen years old, were left behind in an entrenched camp north east of Cawnpore with Lieutenant Hay’s rifle company of some fifty Bluejackets and Marines, and two naval 24-pounders, in General Windham’s force.

Towards the end of November 1857 a body of rebels, which was being continually reinforced, appeared to the south of the city. To prevent them concentrating, Windham applied to Sir Colin Campbell for permission to take offensive action. Having received no answer after a week he determined to attack the main body. On the 25th a successful advance was made and four guns were taken from the mutineers of the Gwalior Contingent. Three days later, however, Windham was surprised by the enemy who opened a rapid artillery fire on the British forward camp. The Naval guns were immediately sent up to the junction of the Delhi and Calpee roads and returned fire for half an hour before running out of ammunition, whereupon the enemy infantry came on in strength and the British infantry, consisting of two battalions of the Rifle Brigade and H.M’s 88th Regiment, were ordered to fall back. As the Bluejackets and Marines were frantically trying to harness their guns to bullock teams, a shrapnel shell burst overhead causing the draught animals to stampede. In the words of Cadet Watson it then became ‘a case of every man for himself’, and the guns were temporarily abandoned.

The ensuing rescue bid to retrieve the guns was made by the Bluejackets, the 88th and the Rifle Brigade who used their rifle slings in place of the missing traces. Lascelles, having determined to distinguish himself, went forward with the rescue party, but being too small and lacking the strength to be of much use in dragging the guns away, seized instead the rifle of a wounded man of the 88th Regiment and joined them in a bayonet charge.

With the evacuation of Lucknow completed, Sir Colin Campbell returned to see off the rebel forces harassing Windham’s entrenchment. Cadet Watson wrote, ‘On the 29th Lascelles and I were looking over the parapet when we saw a round shot kick up the dust just outside, and over it came, just over us. Lascelles slipped and I bobbed to avoid it, and over we went both of us together! Such a jolly lark we had, and everyone laughing at us. On the 30th Sir Colin Campbell, from Lucknow, having heard the news of our being shut up, arrived with a large force to our rescue, with jolly old Captain Peel.’

Peel, the remarkable son of the great statesman, Sir Robert, now appointed Lascelles and Watson his Aides-de-Camp.

Captain Oliver Jones, R.N., a Half-Pay officer who had come out to India ‘for a lark’ to see what fighting could be done, was evidently impressed with the youngsters’ sang froid: ‘Peel’s A.D.C’s’ he wrote, were ‘fine little Mids., about fifteen years old, who used to stick to him like his shadow under whatever fire he went, and seemed perfectly indifferent to the whizzing of bullets or the plunging of cannon-balls’.

Early on the morning of the Third Battle of Cawnpore, on 6 December, Peel called his A.D.C’s and told them that there was to be ‘a grand attack’ and that they were ‘not to run and blow and go head over heels and get out of breath’. At about nine o’clock they moved off on foot, jogging alongside Peel’s horse, and after a preliminary bombardment of the rebel position, the enemy were driven back. The real work of the day then began with Lascelles and Watson joining the pursuit through and beyond the rebel camp for no less than ten miles. ‘It was most awfully exciting’, Watson told his Mama afterwards, though he was also forced to admit, ‘the only way I could keep up .. was to say to my self “Hoicks over, Hoicks over, Fox Ahead!”’. That night Lascelles and Watson slept deeply if not comfortably under a captured gun.

Lascelles went on to take part in the capture of Futtehghur, the action of Kallee Nuddee and the final capture of Lucknow where with Mate Edmund Verney, Lieutenant Vaughan and Midshipman Lord Walter Kerr, he went forward amidst the dead and the dying to have a look at the Kaiserbagh. Here, however, they met Sir Colin Campbell who interrupted their sight seeing by ordering them to man a captured gun and turn it on the enemy still holding out close by. For his services in the Mutiny Lascelles received a mention in despatches on 29 July 1858 from Vaughan, who had been instructed by the late and much lamented Sir William Peel, who had died from smallpox, to write a letter to their Lordships at the Admiralty giving an account of the movements of the Brigade and bringing to their Lordships attention those whom he had not had the opportunity of publicly mentioning in despatches.

Thus, Vaughan concluded his list with the names of Mr H. A. Lascelles and Mr E. S. Watson, ‘Aides-de-Camp to Sir William Peel, and always in attendance on him in action.’

In 1860, Lascelles left the Navy and was commissioned Ensign in the Rifle Brigade. Promoted Lieutenant in 1865 and Captain in 1872, he embarked with the 2nd Battalion in 1874 to take part in the second phase of the Ashanti War, during which he was present at the battle of Amoaful, advance guard skirmishes and ambuscade actions between Adwabin and the River Ordah, the battle of Ordahsu and the capture of Coomassie.

He retired as a Major in February 1882 and was given the Honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He married the following year, Caroline, the daughter of the Hon. C. Gore, and became Assistant Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for War. He eventually settled in West Sussex at Woolbeding House, near Midhurst, where he was instrumental in raising considerable funds for the building of the King Edward VII Sanatorium at Midhurst and was awarded the M.V.O. when the hospital was officially opened by the King in June 1906. A Justice of the Peace and County Councillor for West Sussex, Colonel Lascelles died in Midhurst on 29 July 1913.

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330

X The Indian Mutiny Medal awarded to Boatswain’s Mate John Harrison, Royal Navy, a member of Shannon’s Naval Brigade who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his conspicuous gallantry at Lucknow Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Relief of Lucknow, Lucknow (John Harrison, Boatsn’s Mate. Shannon.) nearly extremely fine £14,000-£18,000 Provenance: Colonel Walford collection, Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge, July 1897; Brian Ritchie Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, September 2004. Harrison’s Victoria Cross is held by the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

John Harrison, the son of John Harrison, an estate carpenter, was born at Castleborough, Co. Wexford, on 24 January 1832, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 2 February 1850. Rated an Ordinary Seaman on joining his first ship, the Prometheus, he removed to the line-ofbattle ship Agamemnon in February 1853 and served in her throughout the Crimean War. He left Agamemnon in July 1856 as Leading Seaman and Coxswain of the Pinnace, and in the October following joined the Shannon, a new screw steam frigate of fifty-one guns, commanded by Captain William Peel, V.C., R.N. In early 1857 Peel received orders to prepare for service in China, where the exasperating behaviour of the Emperor and his officials in refusing to abide by the terms of the Nanking Treaty had brought the two countries to the brink of war.

Peel was to proceed to Singapore, pick up the Ambassador Extraordinary, Lord Elgin, and convey him to the mouth of the Peiho River, where the latter was to make a last appeal to the Chinese before the Government resorted to full scale naval and military operations. The Shannon sailed on 17 March 1857, and reached Singapore on 11 June. On Elgin’s way out to Singapore, his P. & O. steamer had touched Galle in Ceylon to pick up Lieutenant-General the Hon. T. Ashburnham, who had been appointed to the command of the land forces in China. Ashburnham had sketchy reports of unrest among the Sepoys in India, but it was not until they reached Singapore that the full horror of the insurrection was revealed. Elgin then received an urgent request from the Governor General of India, Viscount Canning, appealing for the troops assigned to the China venture. Unable to contact his superiors in London, Elgin acted on his own authority and diverted the troops. He later won much credit for doing so, but this left only the Shannon to reinforce Sir Michael Seymour’s inadequate naval force on the China Station and press Britain’s claims against the Imperial government.

Arriving at Hong Kong on 2 July, Elgin found that the French Ambassador, with whom he was to make his representations, was still on his way out, and that it would be sometime before he could carry out his mission. He therefore instructed Peel to sail for Calcutta so that he could have talks with Lord Canning. The Shannon entered the Hooghly on 8 August 1857, carrying a detachment of the 90th Light Infantry, picked up at Singapore after their own transport, the Transit, had been wrecked, and was welcomed by the European inhabitants with wild enthusiasm and no small sense of relief. Elgin lost no time in ascertaining the seriousness of the situation and on hearing of the chronic shortage of artillery, immediately offered to place the ship’s company and guns from H.M.S. Shannon at Canning’s disposal. A Naval Brigade was formed and on 13 August, Peel set out for Allahabad taking with him 408 officers and men, six 8-inch 65 cwt. 68-pounders with 400 rounds of shot per gun, a 6-pounder brass gun, a 24-pounder howitzer, eight rocket tubes, and a large quantity of siege train stores. The first part of the journey up the Ganges by river steamer was fraught with difficulties; mosquitoes, heat-stroke, cholera and typhoid were omnipresent, and the usual lower deck problem of drunkenness was exacerbated by the searing heat of the Bengal summer.

However, on marching out of Allahabad for Cawnpore on 28 October, ‘Peel’s Jacks’ or ‘The Shannons’ as they liked to be called, soon proved themselves ‘superb campaigners, able to march, fight, live off the land, handle guns and horses with equal ease, and soon won a fearsome reputation amongst the Sepoys, who firmly believed that the Jacks were all four feet high by five foot wide from snout to tail, carried 9-pounder guns over their heads, and ate human flesh as much as they could, salting down the rest for future consumption’.

By 15 November 1857, the Naval Brigade had reached the Alumbagh, just outside Lucknow, and came under the command of the recently arrived Commander-in-Chief, Sir Colin Campbell. Next day as Sir Colin strove to effect the relief of the Lucknow Residency, Peel’s Naval Brigade, which now consisted of about 200 sailors and marines, with six 24-pounder guns, two 8-inch rocket tubes mounted on ‘hackeries’ (bullock carts), was in action bombarding the thick loopholed outer walls of the Shah Nujeff mosque. It quickly became apparent that it was going to be a tough nut to crack and Peel ordered his guns up to within a few feet of the outer walls ‘as if he had been laying Shannon alongside an enemy’s frigate’. In such an exposed position, ‘The Shannons’ began to suffer casualties not only from the mutineers’ musket fire from the walls but also from a number of rebels in a tree who were tossing out grenades on to the gun crews below. Peel called for volunteers to climb the tree, dislodge the mutineers and spot enemy positions. Three men came forward, Lieutenant Nowell Salmon, R.N., Leading Seaman John Harrison and Able Seaman Richard Southwell. Southwell was killed outright, but Harrison and Lieutenant Salmon succeeded in climbing the tree and ejecting ‘the ruffians who were throwing grenades’. Both Harrison and Salmon were recommended for the Victoria Cross by Peel, and the awards were subsequently announced in the London Gazette of 24 December 1858. The citation read: ‘John Harrison, Naval Brigade, and Nowell Salmon, Lieut. (now Commander). Date of Act of Bravery: 16 Nov. 1857. For conspicuous gallantry at Lucknow, on 16 Nov. 1857, in climbing up a tree touching the angle of the Shah Nujjiff, to reply to the fire of the enemy, for which most dangerous service the late Capt. William Peel, K.C.B., had called for volunteers.’ As there were no posthumous Victoria Cross awards at the time, Southwell’s gallantry went unacknowledged.

Rated Boatswain’s Mate and Petty Officer on 27 June 1858, Harrison was discharged from the Navy on 13 January 1859, and received his Cross from Queen Victoria at an investiture held in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle on 4 January 1860.

Salmon, who later rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and a G.C.B., supplied Harrison with a letter of recommendation by which he obtained a post in the Customs and Excise.

As the result of a wound received during the Second Relief of Lucknow, and a bout of malaria contracted during his service in the Far East, Harrison suffered poor health and made several visits to the Naval Hospital. A man of strong religious convictions, and a firm Protestant, he lived latterly at 5, Stafford Place, Westminster. John Harrison, V.C., never married and died aged 33 on 27 September 1865. He is buried at Brompton Cemetery, West London

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331

X The exceptional Victorian C.B. group of four awarded to Admiral C. Fellowes, Royal Navy, a seemingly fearless bluejacket of ‘splendid strength’ who on one occasion parried the thrust of an opponent’s bayonet and ‘literally tore his arm out of its socket’ Mentioned in despatches on several occasions, Fellowes was promoted to Commander for his gallantry in actions against Chinese pirates in 1854 and to Captain for his deeds in the Second Opium War: wounded at the storming of Canton in 1857, he was the first member of the Naval Brigade to scale the city’s wall and seized a Chinese colour that Queen Victoria later gifted to Greenwich Hospital The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1870, complete with gold ribbon buckle; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Chas. Fellowes. Lieut. “Spartan”; Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; China 1857-60, 2 clasps, Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1858, unnamed as issued, some light contact marks, otherwise good very fine or better (4) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

C.B. London Gazette 20 May 1871.

Charles Fellowes was born at Potterne, Wiltshire on 19 October 1823, the son of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Fellowes, C.B., by his second wife, Mary Anne Catherine, only child of the late Colonel Isaac Humphreys, Bengal Artillery.

On passing his examination in October 1842, Fellowes served as a Mate on the North America, West Indies and Pacific Stations over the next two or three years. And it was during this period - whilst employed in H.M.S. America - that he had his close encounter with a bayonet-toting opponent. John Moresby, a shipmate, takes up the story in The Admirals: ‘An incident occurred in Rio which illustrated the strength and presence of mind of Charlie Fellowes. Three Yankee frigates were in the harbour at the same time as the America and frequent drunken brawls took place between the British and American sailors; in one of the more violent of these incidents, the Brazilian police tried to arrest the ring leaders, but the sailors joined forces against the police and the army was called in to assist. The Brazilian soldiers with fixed bayonets forced the sailors back, wounding several of them.

At this moment, Charlie Fellowes, whose splendid strength and presence attracted notice wherever he went, ran up and placed himself at their head, holding the Brazilians in check as he retreated slowly towards the quay, where his men would be in comparative safety. He accomplished his object and was the last man back to the quay when a Brazilian soldier lunged at him with his bayonet. Quick as a thought, Charlie Fellowes jumped aside and catching the man by the wrist, literally tore his arm out of his socket and flung him on the ground. The affair produced a diplomatic row, the Brazilian Government immediately demanding that Charlie Fellowes be given up to the civil authorities. However the America left Rio at once and heard no more of the matter.’

Advanced to Lieutenant in June 1846, Fellows went on to witness active service in the Spartan and Winchester on the East Indies Station, being landed with the Naval Brigade for the expedition to Pegu. He was subsequently present in the boats of Spartan and Winchester on the Pegu River at the attack on the city of Prome in September 1852 and on the city of Pegu in November 1852, and was commended by Commodore Sir Rowly Lambert, K.C.B., Commander in Chief, East Indies Station.

In November 1854, having been ‘most creditably engaged in various enterprises against pirates in Chinese waters,’ Fellows was selected by Admiral Sir James Stirling to take charge of Winchester’s boats and those of Spartan, five in number, to take action against a robbery which had been committed in one of the channels leading into the harbour of Hong Kong. Early on the morning of the 2nd, he destroyed three boats on the beach in Pilang Bay and burnt six houses, and the stronghold of the freebooters. On the same day the force under his command also brought out two junks which had run on shore in Tynmoon Bay, took two Hong Kong fast boats, torched two junks up a creek, and blew up one of 200 tons, killing from 40 to 50 men and capturing nine guns and seven gingals. During these operations the small British force landed frequently and was exposed to a sharp fire from the enemy who were often concealed behind rocks, some of the boats occasionally grounding. In his subsequent report to the Admiralty, Sir James Stirling expressed his hope that ‘the entire success of the operation, and the very judicious and gallant conduct evinced by Lieutenant Fellowes, and the excellent behaviour of all who were employed under him,

might meet with their lordships approbation’ (London Gazette 8 October 1855, refers).

Fellowes went on to destroy 19 junks at Tyloo, in the island of Lantao, the crews of which had been previously driven out by a few well aimed shot and shell from Encounter, once again winning Sir James Stirling’s highest commendation (London Gazette 8 October 1855, refers).

On 11 November 1854, in Winchester’s launch, he accompanied an expedition under Captain O’Callaghan to co-operate with the Chinese authorities in an attack upon pirates at their headquarters at Coulan, in the island of Tyloo, which was reached on 12th. During the following night he was employed in effectively blockading the Bay of Coulan. In the course of the 13th, he landed under fire from a battery of 20 guns, with a small body of armed men, and assisted at the capture of a second battery of 7 guns, in addition to contributing to the destruction of about 50 strongly armed junks.

On the 14th he was directed to superintend and cover in his launch the landing of 60 ratings and marines who had been embarked on board the P. & O. steam vessel Charles Forbes and who had been directed to search the scene of the previous day’s achievement for prisoners and for lost property. In narrating these events Captain O’Callaghan in his official letter to Admiral Sir James Stirling remarked, ‘For Lieutenant Fellowes, Senior Lieutenant of your flagship, I have to assure you I cannot say too much in his praise - always willing and ready for anything.’ In recognition of his sustained gallantry, Fellowes was promoted to Commander in January 1855.

Having then served in Winchester in the Gulf of Peter the Great in August 1855, whilst searching for the Russian squadron commanded by Vasily Zavoyko, Fellowes was appointed to the Cruiser in July 1856. And it was in that capacity that he added further laurels to his distinguished record back on the China Station, a notable action being his part in the capture and destruction of more than 70 heavily armed junks in Fatshan creek in June 1857.

Subsequently, at the storming of Canton City in the following December, he was attached to the 3rd Division of the Naval Brigade, under Sir Robert McClure, and with Captains J. L. C. Hamilton and J. F. Slight, had charge of the scaling ladders. In the event, he was the first man of the Naval Brigade over the city wall and received a wound in the head. As a reward for his gallantry on that occasion, in which he also captured a Chinese colour, he was promoted to Captain in February 1858 (London Gazette 11 January 1856, refers).

Having then served as Flag Captain to the C.-in-C. of the Channel Squadron and C.-in-C. of the Mediterranean Station, Fellows commanded the Duke of Wellington and the Duncan, the latter on Coast Guard duties at Queens Ferry. But it was during his next appointment, as Flag Captain to Rear-Admiral William Stewart, C.B., Admiral Superintendent, Devonport, that he was himself nominated a Companion of the Bath in May 1871.

Fellows served as Superintendent of Chatham Dockyard in 187479, in which period he was advanced to Rear-Admiral. Further advanced to Vice-Admiral in December 1880, he hoisted his flag as Commander in Chief of the Channel Squadron aboard Minotaur in July 1885 and was likewise employed when he died suddenly at Gibraltar in March of the following year, aged 62. His body was brought back home, and he was buried with full Naval Honours in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

332X

The very rare ‘1860’ New Zealand medal awarded to Captain C. E. H. Vernon, Royal Navy, who had earlier participated in the Franklin Search Expedition from 1848 to 1854 as a Lieutenant in the Plover New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1860 (Commander C. E. H. Vernon, H.M.S. Cordelia) officially impressed naming, fitted with silver ribbon brooch, nearly extremely fine £3,000-£4,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, March 2008.

One of only six known New Zealand War medals dated 1860 awarded to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, and a unique date to H.M.S. Cordelia; three are also known to H.M.S. Iris and two to H.M.S. Niger.

Vernon’s Medal was issued on 12 November 1870. 29 medals (4 to R.N. officers, 16 to R.N. ratings, and 9 to R.M. N.C.Os. and men) were awarded to H.M.S. Cordelia for the Second New Zealand War. Of these 29, 20 are known as extant including this one with reverse dated 1860, three with undated reverses, and the remainder with reverse dates 1860-1861.

Charles Egerton Harcourt Vernon was born in 1827, and his seniority as Lieutenant in the Royal Navy dated from 2 February 1849. He was posted to Daedalus on 27 July 1849, and to Plover in September 1851.

As a Lieutenant he took part in the Franklin Search Expedition in the Plover, under Captain Moore, wintering at Port Clarence during 1851-52, and during another commission of the Plover, under Commander Maguire, from 1852-54, wintering at Point Barrow during 1852-53 and 1853-54. A vessel from the Pacific squadron communicated with the Plover each year, after the departure of the Herald. In 1851, H.M.S. Daedalus (Captain Wellesley) was sent to Port Clarence on this duty, and it would seem that Vernon transferred from Daedalus to Plover at that time. The Amphitrite took up Captain Maguire in 1852.

On 30 June 1852, Captain Moore of the Plover recommended Vernon for his active and zealous conduct during the Arctic expedition; and on 29 October 1854, Commander Maguire spoke in the highest terms of Vernon’s valuable services in the Arctic Seas. On 24 February 1859, Captain Loring reported his useful proceedings in the Navigator Islands.

Promoted to be a Commander in April 1855, he was posted to Surprise in March 1856, and to Cordelia in April 1857. In 1859 H.M.S. Cordelia paid a punitive visit to the Samoan island of Savii, to demand the surrender of a young chief who had murdered an English trader by the name of William Fox two years earlier. After destroying houses and canoes the chief was delivered up and then promptly strung to the yardarm, his body being returned for burial. The effect of the punishment was as marked as it was lasting.

Cordelia saw service in New Zealand during 1860 and 1861, but Vernon was made Acting Captain of Iris in December 1860, and promoted to Captain in August 1861. Captain Vernon died on 14 May 1872.

Sold with copied record of service.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

333X

The rare and important New Zealand medal issued to Able Seaman J. Hay, for his services in H.M. Colonial Steamer Victoria New Zealand 1845-66, reverse undated (J. Hay, A.B. H.M.C.S. Victoria) officially impressed naming in later style similar to that for East & West Africa medals, fitted with silver ribbon brooch, suspension claw tightened, very fine and very rare £4,000-£5,000

Provenance: Corbett Collection, Glendining’s, June 1994. Dix Noonan Webb, March 1908. Sold with an old unsigned manuscript note which states, ‘Presented by Wyon Simm of Wellington, a descendant of the Great Wyon family of die sinkers & medalists. March 1938’.

Hay’s medal was issued on 29 March 1888, having been struck from well-used dies, and was one of two medals to this ship sent to the Agent General in New Zealand in that same year.

The naval personnel of this vessel constituted the first ever official Australian force to engage in war services and, although 40 men of Her Majesty’s Colonial Steamer Victoria were entitled, only 10 actually received the medal. Of the 10 medals issued, one is known with the dated reverse 1860 to 1861 to Harold Ford, A.B., and is in a private collection in Sydney. The medal to Mate William Horn, also dated 1860 to 1861 was in the Douglas-Morris Collection, sold by Dix Noonan Webb in October 1996 for £3,800, and is now in the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

The dated medal issued to George Marey was in the Kuriheka Collection in New Zealand and was auctioned at Dix Noonan Webb in June 2006 for £10,000. One is known to William Jones A.B. and has the undated reverse, as have all late issues of the Maori War Medal; this is now in the Australian War Memorial at Canberra, where it forms the nucleus of a ‘Colonial’ collection being put together there. The medal sent to Samuel Smith c/o Department of Defence, Melbourne, in 1905, is apparently lost. With the knowledge of the known medals, it is safe to assume that of the 10 issued, 7 were issued with the dated reverse 1860 to 1861, and three were issued with the undated reverse.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

334X

The Victorian campaign group of four awarded to Robert Carron, Captain of the After Guard, Royal Navy Crimea 1854-56, 3 clasps, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol (R. Carron) contemporary engraved naming; Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1860 to 1861 (R. Carron, Captn. Aftr. Gd., H.M.S. Cordelia) officially impressed naming; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue (R. Carron) contemporary engraved naming, light contact marks but generally very fine (4) £2,800-£3,400 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2007.

Robert Carron was born at Plymouth, Devon, on 13 May 1827, and joined the Royal Navy on 12 September 1847. He served aboard H.M. Ships Acteon (September 1847 to February 1848) and Caledonia (March 1848 to June 1851) before joining Vengeance in July 1851. Whilst in this ship he served ashore in the Crimea with the Naval Brigade (Medal with 3 clasps sent to Excellent 19 January 1856). He was discharged from Vengeance to Pembroke in April 1855 and served aboard this ship in the Baltic during that year (Medal sent to Cambridge 26 May 1857). He next served aboard Edinburgh (June to August 1856) and Cambridge (August 1856 to April 1857), before joining Cordelia in April 1857. Whilst in this ship he served ashore with the Naval Brigade in New Zealand in 1860-61, one of only 29 officers and men from Cordelia to earn the New Zealand medal.

Robert Carron was invalided from Cordelia in May 1861 and subsequently joined Cambridge (May to November 1861), Satellite (November to December 1861), Indus (December 1861 to October 1862), Phoebe (October 1862 to November 1867), Impregnable (November to December 1867), and Indus (December 1867 to June 1871). He was not entitled to the L.S. & G.C. medal and took his pension to shore on 18 July 1871.

Sold with full research.

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335

X The magnificent G.C.B., G.C.V.O. group awarded to Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Frederick Hotham, Royal Navy, the only man known to have been eligible for two differently dated New Zealand campaign medals The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, G.C.B. (Military) Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash badge, 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1887, and breast star, silver with gold and enamel appliqué centre; The Royal Victorian Order, G.C.V.O., Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash badge and breast star, silver-gilt and enamels, both pieces unnumbered; Jubilee 1887, clasp, 1897, silver; Coronation 1902, silver; Coronation 1911; New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1860 to 1861 (Chas. Hotham. Midn. & Lieut. Naval Brigade 1860. 61. 63. 64.) officially engraved naming; Egypt and Sudan 188289, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (Capt: C. F. Hotham. C.B. R.N. H.M.S. “Alexandra.”); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, unless otherwise described, very fine or better (10) £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Douglas Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997; Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Charles Hotham was born on 20 March 1843, a descendent of Baron Hotham (created 1621). He entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet aboard H.M.S. Forte on 14 February 1856, and served aboard James Watt and Cordelia from 1857 to 1860, receiving promotion to Midshipman in February 1858.

He joined Pelorus from 27 December 1860 to December 1862, and whilst in this vessel he took part in the early actions of the Second Maori War in 1860-61. He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant on 20 March 1862, and to Lieutenant on 17 February 1863 whilst at Excellent. His next appointment was to Curacoa on 20 April 1863, in home waters but this vessel was subsequently transferred to the Australian Station and was quickly engaged in action during the latter part of the Second Maori War. Hotham saw action during a frontal assault on 20 November 1863, on the Maori Redoubt at Ragariri by 90 seamen, armed with revolvers and cutlasses, from H.M. Ships Eclipse, Curacoa

and Miranda, under Commander R. C. Mayne, where they were twice repulsed. During another immediate assault led

by Commander Phillimore and Lieutenant Downes, First Lieutenant of Miranda, on 20 November 1863, Charles Hotham suffered a severe gun shot wound in the lower half of his right leg. The Surgeon reported ten days later than he was doing well. Hotham’s conduct was favourably noticed

by Commodore Wiseman on 30 November 1863 and was reported to the Admiralty (London Gazette 13 February 1864).

Some time previously he had been sent in charge of a detached party of seamen to escort a Military Officer across mud flats in the rear of the enemy’s position, ‘for which services he was specially mentioned’. He was also Mentioned in Despatches on a further three occasions (see London Gazettes of 13 February 1864, 19 February 1864, and 15 July 1864). The Admiralty authorised his promotion to Commander as soon as possible commensurate with

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

his completion of the correct amount of sea time by London Gazette 15 July 1864. He received his promotion to Commander on 19 April 1865 when he was only 23 years old, and after being paid off from Curacoa in July 1865, he was placed on half pay for two years.

Hotham’s next appointment was the Command of Jaseur from 1867 to 1871, where he received promotion to Captain on 29 December 1871, aged 28 years. He subsequently Commanded Charybdis from 1877 to 1880, and served as Flag Captain of Alexandra from November 1881 to February 1883.

In the latter vessel he was engaged during the Egyptian War in the attacks on the forts at Alexandria, and was publicly thanked for his services four days later on 15 July 1882. He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Naval Brigade, and by London Gazette dated 19 July 1882 was awarded the C.B., and Osmanieh 3rd Class.

Hotham commanded Ruby from April 1885 to March 1886, and during 1887 he was appointed Assistant to the Admiral Superintendent of the Naval Review and was awarded the Jubilee Medal. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 6 January 1888, aged 45 years, and appointed a Lord of the Admiralty from January 1888 to December 1889. His next appointment was Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station from 1890 to 1893, flying his flag aboard Warspite. He was promoted to ViceAdmiral on 1 September 1893 and awarded the K.C.B. on 24 May 1895. From December 1897 until July 1899 Hotham was Commander-in-Chief Sheerness, flying his flag aboard Wildfire.

Following Promotion to Admiral on 13 January 1899, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief Portsmouth in October 1900, until promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 30 August 1903. At the Funeral of Queen Victoria on 2 February 1901, he was a supporter of the Royal Coffin, and was subsequently awarded the G.C.V.O. He was awarded the G.C.B. on 9 November 1902 for services at the Coronation of King Edward VII. Hotham died on 22 March 1925.

He is the only man known to have been eligible for two differently dated New Zealand Campaign Medals, serving aboard Pelorus as a Midshipman for the 1860-61 Campaign, and aboard Curacoa as a Lieutenant R.N. for the 1863-64 battles. Men who fought in two separately dated actions were not entitled to a clasp (or a second differently dated Medal) for their additional participation. When such an instance occurred, as happened in this unique case, it was marked solely by extra details engraved on the edge of his 1860-61 dated Medal (i.e., ‘Midn and Lieut Naval Brigade 1860-61-6364’). He also received the rare distinction of being awarded all of the Jubilee and Coronation Medals issued between 1887 and 1911.

Charles Hotham’s obituary given in The Times, 22 March 1925, states: ‘Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Hotham, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., the Senior Officer of his rank in the Royal Navy, whose death was announced, came of a distinguished naval family which has given many sons to the Imperial Forces. The eldest son of Captain John Hotham, his great Grandfather was a brother of the first Baron Hotham and thus the Admiral of the Fleet was related in the second and third degree to innumerable

other naval officers. He gravitated to the Royal Navy almost as a matter of course, and won early advancement to the highest positions. He was a member of that important Board of the Admiralty which, under Lord George Hamilton, was responsible in 1889 for the great Naval Defence Act, which considerably raised the strength of the Fleet and placed the sea power of the Empire on a firm basis. Although he later held high Command afloat, and filled administrative posts ashore, it was not his good fortune to participate in the war work of the Fleet which he had helped to create. He had, however, the rare distinction of being appointed Commander in Chief on three occasions, China, the Nore and Portsmouth.

‘Charles Frederick Hotham was born on 20 March 1843 and entered the Royal Navy in 1856 when he was barely 13.

He was not yet 20 when he was promoted to Lieutenant and, while serving in this rank in Curacoa, flag ship on the Australian Station, he was engaged in the New Zealand War of 1863 where, in Command of a party of small arm men, he repeatedly distinguished himself, and especially at the attack on Rangariri in November 1863. His conduct was favourably reported at the Admiralty and backed up by his previous good record. He obtained Commander’s rank as soon as he had completed the required two years Lieutenant’s service. From 1867 to 1870 he Commanded the Jaseur, screw gun vessel serving in the Mediterranean and on the West Cost of Africa and in December 1871 being still three months short of 29 he was promoted to the rank of Captain.

‘After some years on half pay, as was then customary, in the course of which he married Margaret, daughter of Mr David Milne-Home, of Wedderburn, Berickshire, and niece of Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, Captain Hotham Commanded the Charybdis for a commission in China. In 1881 he was Captain of the battleship Thunderer in the Mediterranean, and in the following year was in the Alexandra as Flag Captain to Admiral Sir Beauchamp Seymour, afterwards Lord Alcester, at the bombardment of Alexandria and during the subsequent operations on the coast of Egypt. For this service he was made a C.B., and also received the Egyptian Medal with clasp ‘Alexandria’, and the Khedive’s bronze Star, as well as being awarded the Turkish Order of Osmaniah 3rd Class.

In February 1886 he became Assistant to the Admiral Superintendent of naval Reserves, and served as a member of a Commission for Regulating Naval Contracts. On 6 January 1888 he became a Rear Admiral and a few days later was appointed to a seat at the Board of Admiralty as a Junior Sea Lord in succession to Lord Charles Beresford, which he held for two years.

‘From February 1890 to March 1893 he was Commander in Chief at the Nore and in October 1900 he was appointed Commander in Chief at Portsmouth where he served until Lord Fisher succeeded him in August 1903. While there he had the duty of directing the Naval ceremonial at the Funeral of Queen Victoria on 2 Februarj 1901 in acknowledgement of which he was, on 8 March, nominated a G.C.V.O. He was raised to the dignity of G.C.B., at the Coronation of King Edward, and was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in August 1903 at the exceptionally early age of 60, and was placed on the Retired List in 1913 on attaining 70 years.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The New Zealand war medal awarded to W. G. Underdown, Ship’s Cook on board the Eclipse New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1863 to 1865 (W. G. Underdown, Ship’s Cook, H.M.S. Eclipse) nearly extremely fine £600-£800 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

69 medals issued to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines with these reverse dates, all to H.M.S. Eclipse.

William G. Underdown was born on 7 January 1820, in the parish of Upnor, Kent. He joined the Royal Navy aboard H.M.S. Blenheim as a Boy 2nd Class on 19 April 1839. Whilst he was in this ship he was promoted to Boy 1st Class on 3 November 1842. On joining Skylark in June 1843 he was rated Gunroom Steward and in this rank he subsequently served in the following ships; Speedy February 1845, Griffon April 1846, Rifleman February 1850. Somewhat surprisingly whilst in the latter ship he was rerated Ordinary Seaman in March 1852. On next joining Dolphin in August 1853 he was again rated Gunroom Steward. In his next ship Phoenix April 1854 he was rated an Able Seaman and on joining Spy in July 1854 he was rated Captain’s Steward. In Terror which he joined in May 1857 and remained for four years he was rated Ship’s Cook, a rate in which he continued to serve aboard Icarus January 1861 and Eclipse October 1862.

During the four year commission he served in Eclipse, mainly on the Pacific Station, he was landed for service on shore with the Ship’s Naval Brigade in 1863. Over the next two years the officers and men of Eclipse took part in the Second Taranaki Campaign including the attack on Katikara and Ta Tarairnaka in 1863, the Waikato War of 1864 when she was the first ship to enter Waikato Heads, and the Taranaki War in 1865. Whilst serving with the Waikato Flotilla in November 1863 the Naval Brigade took part in this action at Rangiriri.

In addition to landing men for service on shore Eclipse entered the rivers and took part in bombardments of the enemy forts. Her 110 pdr Armstrong gun was particularly useful in this role. In 1865 the ship’s Naval Brigade supported the military operations at the Bay of Plenty and the East Cape. In February 1864 the ship’s Naval Brigade took part in the actions at Te Awamutu and Rangiawhia and in April 1864 the action at Gate Pa, Tewranga.

On the return of Eclipse to England in February 1867, he was paid off and next served aboard Camelion April 1867, and Orwell June 1871. He was discharged to shore with pension from Orwell on 14 July 1873, having served 21 years 143 days.

He was not awarded a Long Service & Good Conduct medal as his character assessments varying from Very Good, Good, and Fair to Indifferent served to debar him from the award.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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X The New Zealand and Abyssinia campaign pair awarded to Commander W. F. Murray, Royal Navy New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1863 to 1864 (W. F. Murray, Midmn. H.M.S. Curacoa); Abyssinia 1867 (Lieutt. W. F. Murray. H.M.S. Argus) both fitted with silver ribbon buckles, light contact marks, otherwise nearly extremely fine £2,000-£2,400 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

188 medals issued to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines of H.M.S. Curacoa with these reverse dates, including 26 officers.

William Frederick Murray was born on 5 January 1845, and entered the service as a Naval Cadet when aged 13 years 3 months, aboard the Training Ship Britannia. On passing out from Britannia he gained three months sea time. He served as a Naval Cadet aboard Amphion September 1859 and whilst in this vessel he was promoted to Midshipman on 8 December 1860, and ‘loaned’ for service aboard Formidable February 1863 and Victory April 1863.

He was next appointed to the Steam Frigate Curacoa December 1862, Flag Ship of the Australian Squadron, Commodore 2nd Class Sir William Wiseman, Bart. In this vessel he took part in the closing actions of the second New Zealand war during 1863 and 1864. As a member of Curacoa’s Naval Brigade he was landed for service on shore and was present at the actions at Rangiawhia on 20 November 1863, Te Awamutu and Rangiawhia on 21-22 February 1864. He was transferred to Harrier on 21 March 1864, and took part in the action at Gate Pah, Tauranga on 29 April 1864. During his service in Harrier he was promoted to Sub Lieutenant on 6 September 1864, and on returning to England he was appointed to the Royal Navy College at Excellent on 1 April 1865. On passing out he obtained 2nd class Certificates in Seamanship and Gunnery and a 3rd Class Certificate in Navigation.

In the rank of Sub Lieutenant he was appointed to the paddle sloop Argus on 7 September 1865, for service with the East Indies Squadron. Promoted to Lieutenant on 11 September 1866, he was present in this vessel during the Abyssinian War of 1867-68. Argus was much involved at Zoulla, Armesley Bay in the movement of the large sailing transports. After four years aboard Argus he was paid off to the receiving ship Duke of Wellington and granted eight weeks leave. He was then appointed to Excellent for a short Gunnery Course in February 1870 and then served aboard Vanguard September 1870 and Iron Duke April 1871. He was invalided from the latter vessel to Plymouth Hospital September 1871. Passed as fit October 1871 he was next appointed to Black Prince in June 1872, lent for a short period to Helicon August 1872, and then joined Pallas in August 1872. He returned to England aboard the S.S. Malta in April 1873 and was invalided from the service on 1 October 1873, with the rank of Commander. He died shortly afterwards on 8 November 1873.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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X The rare New Zealand campaign pair awarded to George Loxley, Ordinary Seaman on board the Curacoa, later H.M. Coast Guard New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1863 to 1866 (George Loxley Ord H-M-S-Curacoa) officially impressed naming; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Geo Loxley Boatmn. H.M. Coast Gd.) engraved naming, very fine (2) £1,400-£1,800 Provenance: Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, October 1996; Dix Noonan Webb, March 2008, reunited shortly afterwards with L.S. & G.C. medal.

188 medals issued to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines of H.M.S. Curacoa with these reverse dates, of which some 70 are known, mostly dated 1863-1864 but including one dated 1863-1866 and 3 undated to R.N. ratings. This medal is therefore probably unique to Naval Forces with these dates.

Douglas-Morris records in Naval Medals 1857-1880: ‘George Loxley’s medal was issued later than normal, 4th August 1873, with the incorrect dated reverse of ‘1863 to 1866’. It is not without interest that a duplicate medal issued in 1879 to Able Seaman Martin Murphy, also from H.M.S. Curacoa, had included at the end of the engraved edge details the dates ‘1863-66’.

George Loxley was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire on 1 March 1841, and first entered as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. Victory on 16 November 1857, and soon drafted as Boy 1st Class to H.M.S. Orion in April 1858 to serve there until November 1861, when drafted to H.M.S. Asia (1861-63). He later served aboard H.M.S. Curacoa as an Ordinary Seaman from April 1863 until February 1867, followed by H.M. Ships Minotaur (1867-69) where he was advanced to Able Seaman in March 1869, then Northumberland (1869-73). In December 1873 he was placed on the books of H.M.S. Valiant as a boatman upon joining the Coast Guard Service, rising to Commissioned Boatman in December 1881, after earning his LS & GC medal on 14 June 1875, with 15 years service to his credit. He was pensioned on 7 November 1883.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The rare Crimea and New Zealand campaign group of four awarded to Private James Lukes (alias Lucas), Royal Marines Crimea 1854-56, 3 clasps, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol, unnamed as issued; New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1864 (J. Lucas, Pte., R.M. H.M.S. Falcon) officially impressed naming; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension (Jn. Lucas Pte., 58th Co. R.M.L.I. 21 Yrs.); Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, unnamed, light contact marks, edge bruise to the second, otherwise good very fine or better (4) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Just 12 New Zealand medals issued to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines with this reverse date, all of them from H.M.S. Falcon.

James Lukes (alias Lucas) was born in Blandford, Dorset in September 1827 and joined the Royal Marines at Poole in May 1847. Drafted to the 58th Company of the Portsmouth Division, he first served at sea in H.M.S. Prince Regent in the period March 1848 to February 1851. But it was in his next seagoing appointment in the Britannia that he first witnessed active service, when he was landed with the Royal Marine Brigade in the Crimea and saw action at Balaklava and before Sebastopol; his service record refers but makes no mention of his presence at Inkermann.

Further seagoing appointments having ensued, Lukes served variously in the Falcon and Esk in the period October 1863 to October 1867 and, more specifically, in North Island, New Zealand in early 1864, when he was landed from the former ship as a member of its 12-man Naval Brigade contingent. Lukes was finally discharged in October 1867, the same year in which he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal.

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340

X The unique Victorian campaign and long service group of six awarded to Petty Officer S. Ford, Royal Navy, one of just six naval recipients of the ‘Red River 1870’ clasp Abyssinia 1867 (S. Ford Boy. 1. Cl. H.M.S. Argus); Canada General Service 1866-70, 2 clasps, Fenian Raid 1870, Red River 1870 (A-B: S. Ford, H.M.S. Royal Alfred) officially impressed naming, the Red River clasp of later issue type; South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (“Shah” S. Ford. P.O. 2nd Cl. H.M.S.) officially re-engraved naming; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (S. Ford. Qr. Mr. H.M.S. “Helicon”); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Samuel Ford P.O. 2nd Cl. H.M.S. Shah.) engraved naming; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, some adhesive deposits to reverses, light contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (6) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Just eight Fenian Raid 1870 clasps and six Red River 1870 clasps were awarded to the Royal Navy, and only four medals with both clasps.

Samuel Ford was born in Lymington, Hampshire on the 13 November 1850, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1865. Having then been advanced to Boy 1st Class he joined H.M.S. Argos in May 1867, in which ship he served in the Abyssinia operations of 1867-68. Advanced to Ordinary Seaman in December 1868, he joined the Royal Alfred in March 1869 for services on the Canadian Lakes and was present at various skirmishes with the Fenians in addition to the action at the Red River in 1870. He also gained promotion to Able Seaman in January 1873. Upon his return to England after a four-year commission aboard Royal Alfred, Ford served in Excellent from January 1874, Malabar from September 1875, back in Excellent from April 1876 and in Penelope from June 1876 until December 1877. And during his next seagoing appointment in Triumph, from May to -November 1878, he was advanced to Petty Officer 2nd Class. Moreover, Ford went on to witness further active service, firstly in the Shah’s Naval Brigade in the Zulu War in 1879, and afterwards as a recently promoted Petty Officer 1st Class in Helicon at the bombardment of Alexandria on 11 July 1882. Further seagoing appointments having ensued in the interim, he was finally pensioned ashore in April 1889, after completing 20 years adult service.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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X The Abyssinia and long service pair awarded to Petty Officer A. L. McDonald, Royal Navy, Boatswain’s Mate aboard the Challenger on her historic scientific voyage around the world 1872-76 Abyssinia 1867 (A. L. McDonald, A.B. H.M.S. Spiteful); Royal Naval LS & GC, V.R., narrow suspension (Alfd. L. McDonald, Bos. Mate H.M.S. Challenger.) engraved naming, nearly extremely fine (2) £1,400-£1,800 Alfred Leonard McDonald was born at Redbridge, Hampshire, on 4 February 1841, and joined the Navy on 10 February 1864, as an Able Seaman on board the Dauntless. He joined Spiteful in November 1865 and served in that ship until September 1869, during which period he took part in the Abyssinian Expedition, and in subsequent operations against the slave trade in the Arabian Gulf and Burma, and had the honour of taking possession of the Nicobar Islands in March 1869. McDonald joined Challenger as a Petty Officer 1st Class in November 1872 and served in her until June 1876. During this period he took part, under Commander J. F. L. P. Maclear, in her scientific voyage round the world from 1872-76.

He served in the Alert from September 1878 under the same officer, now Captain, in her similar voyage round the world from 1879-82. McDonald left the Alert in September 1882 and was discharged to shore and pension in February 1884.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The African campaign group of four awarded to Admiral W. Marrack, Royal Navy, who was mentioned in despatches for his services with the Naval Brigade in the Ashantee operations of 1873-74 Ashantee 1873-74, no clasp (Lt. W. Marrack, R.N. H.M.S. Seagull 73-74); South Africa 1877-79, no clasp (Lieut: W. Marrack, R.N, H.M.S. “Active”); Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1902, silver, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (4) £1,200-£1,600 William Marrack was born in Penzance, Cornwall on 18 February 1847, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in December 1860. His first seagoing ship was H.M.S. Warrior and it was in her that he was appointed Midshipman in July 1862. Advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in March 1867, he undertook further studies at the R.N.C. Portsmouth and on passing his examinations was appointed a Lieutenant in April 1870. And it was in this rank that he joined the screw gun vessel Seagull on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Coast Station in April 1871. He was subsequently actively employed in the Ashantee War, when he joined the expedition to Elmina in June 1873, with charge of one of Seagull’s boats. And on landing, he commanded one of five companies of the Naval Brigade, services that gained him a mention in despatches (London Gazette 15 July 1873, refers).

Following further postings on the North America and Mediterranean Stations, he joined the screw corvette Active at the Cape in the summer of 1878, which appointment led to his participation in operations in the Zulu War. He was subsequently highly praised by Rear-Admiral F. N. Sullivan for his command of Active in the absence of her captain in the period November 1878 to March 1879. He next served as First Lieutenant of the Wolverine, flagship of Commodore J. C. Wilson in Australia, receiving advancement to Commander in June 1882 and appointment to the command of the guardship Valiant in Bantry Bay in the following year. Having then commanded the Linnet on the China Station, he attended a course at the R.N.C. Greenwich and was promoted to Captain in December 1888. A period in command of the training ship Calypso then ensued, for which he received an Admiralty Letter of Appreciation, prior to his appointment to the command of the battleship Collingwood in 1896-97, in which he was present at the Jubilee Fleet Review. Advanced to Rear-Admiral in January 1902, Marrack next undertook a Senior Officer’s Course on Strategy and Tactics back at Greenwich. Having then been advanced to Vice-Admiral in November 1906, he was placed on the Retired List at his own request. He nonetheless retained his naval links as an Assessor to the hearing of Admiralty Appeals in the House of Lords, in which role he served until 1920. He had meanwhile been advanced to Admiral on the Retired List and died at Plymouth in January 1926.

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The fine Victorian C.B. group of six awarded to Rear-Admiral U. C. Singleton, Royal Navy, whose active service career spanned four decades and four conflicts; he first distinguished himself in the Second China War, in which he was mentioned in despatches and specially promoted to Lieutenant, and added a commendation to his accolades for actions against pirates in Chinese waters in 1866-67 His subsequent services as second-in-command of the Naval Brigade in the Perak Expedition 1875-76 were no less distinguished, gaining him three further mentions and independent command on the Perak River; and he rounded off his active service career with a final mention as Senior Naval Officer at Trinkat in Egypt in the early 1880s C.B. (Military) breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, hallmarked London 1890, complete with ribbon buckle; Baltic 1854-55 (U. C. Singleton. Midn. H.M.S. Hecla); China 1857-60, 2 clasps, Canton 1857, Fatshan 1857 (U. C. Singleton Mate H.M. Brig “Elk”); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Perak (Commdr. U. C. Singleton. R.N. H.M.S. “Ringdove”); Egypt & Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, no clasp (Captn. U. C. Singleton R.N. H.M.S. Jumna.) impressed naming; Khedive’s Star, dated 1884, adhesive deposit to reverse centre of C.B., light contact marks, otherwise very fine and better (6) £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II C.B. London Gazette 24 May 1892.

Uvedale Corbet Singleton was born on 14 September 1838 and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet aboard the training ship Britannia in 1851. As a Midshipman in Hecla during the Baltic operations he was present at the bombardment and taking of Bomarsund in 1854 and, following his transfer to Hastings, at the bombardment of Sveaborg in 1855.

Advanced to Mate in September 1857, he next witnessed active service in the Elk in the Second China War, when he was present in her cutter at the boat action at Fatshan Creek in 1857, and was landed for service with the Naval Brigade at the capture of Canton in 1857. For his services at Fatshan in May-June 1857, he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1 August 1857, refers), and specially promoted to Acting Lieutenant in February 1858. Subsequently confirmed in that rank, Singleton enjoyed a spate of seagoing appointments in the 1860s, among them Haughty in 1866-67, when he was commended for his services in several encounters with pirates in Chinese waters.

Having then been advanced to Commander in December 1869 and appointed to the command of the Ringdove in January 1874, he was landed as second-in-command of the Naval Brigade in the Perak Expedition in the following year. The Brigade, under the overall command of Captain A. Buller, R.N., was drawn from Ringdove and her consorts Modeste and Thistle, the whole co-operating with Major-General Francis Colborne’s operations on the Perak River. Singleton was subsequently present at the capture of Kinta and afterwards conducted the transport of troops and stores from Durien Sabatong, the highest point on the river navigable by ships, to the front, and later still held independent command on the Perak River.

He was thrice mentioned in despatches by Captain Alexander Buller, R.N., Senior Naval Officer, Straits of Malacca, the announcements appearing in the London Gazette on 3 February 1876 and stating: Firstly: ‘Commander Uvedale C. Singleton of Her Majesty’s ship Ringdove rendered great service in his whaler by leading the Flotilla up the river and sounding ahead to discover the passages.’

Secondly: ‘I beg to bring to your favourable consideration the conduct of Commander Singleton of Her Majesty’s ship Ringdove who acted as my Second-in-Command. His services were of great value to me and he carried out my orders with promptitude, displaying great energy and sound judgement.’

And thirdly: ‘I have much pleasure in bringing to your notice the conduct of Commander Singleton of Her Majesty’s ship Ringdove who acted as my Second-in-Command during the Expedition. His services were of the greatest use to me, rendering me much important assistance in carrying out the details connected with the Brigade at all times, encouraging the men when in difficulties with their heavy loads and always to the front when work was to be done.’

It had indeed proved to be an arduous campaign and in his despatch dated 17 January 1876, Vice-Admiral A. P. Ryder, Commander-in-Chief East Indies, paid the following tribute to the fine work of the Naval Brigade: ‘The services of the Naval Brigade has been highly appreciated by MajorGeneral Francis Colborne. The heavy work performed by our seamen on the Perak River consisted of poling (oars were no use), numerous boats heavily laden with guns, ammunition, and stores for many consecutive days against a strong current (4 knots), the river being very shallow, but full of deep holes, under a broiling sun (latitude 3 degrees north), and in carrying guns, rockets, ammunition, in addition to their own accoutrements, through the jungle over roads so nearly impassable that only seven miles could be gained each day.

For nearly a month the Naval Brigade under Captain Alexander Buller and Commander Uvedale Singleton had nothing to eat but preserved meat, supplemented occasionally by wild buffalo, no vegetables or bread.

The officers and men were constantly wet through by rain; they had frequently to wade through water and mud over their waists. For the last three days of the advance on Kinta they threaded their way through a thick jungle, which during the whole of that time, allowed them no sight of the sky. During the ten days advance they had no cover of anything but slept in the ‘open’. Captain Buller attributes their entire immunity from any disease previous to the attack on Kinta to his having fortunately been able to provide them with waterproof sheets.’

On paying off from Ringdove in April 1877, Singleton spent six months on shore before being appointed to the command of the Durham in November 1877, but he was superseded on his advancement to Captain in March 1878 and placed on half-pay.

Not to be outdone, he secured command of Jumna in January 1882 and took part in the operations in Egypt and the Sudan and served as Senior Naval Officer at Trinkitat. He was yet again mentioned in despatches, this time by Rear-Admiral W. Hewitt, V.C., K.C.B., K.C.S.I., Commander-inChief, East Indies: ‘My thanks are due to Captain Uvedale C. Singleton of Her Majesty’s ship Jumna for the very efficient manner in which he carried out the duties of Senior Naval Officer at Trinkat.’ (London Gazette 27 March 1884, refers).

Singleton’s final command was the Neptune, in which ship he participated in the summer manoeuvres of 1890. Placed on the Retired List at his own request in June 1891, he was awarded the C.B. in May 1892 and advanced to Rear-Admiral in May 1893.

Following his retirement, he served as a Justice of the Peace for Co. Meath in Ireland and died in Dublin in February 1910.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The Victorian campaign group of four awarded to Captain F. Stirling, Royal Navy, who was specially promoted for his command of the Naval Brigade landed from H.M. ships Thistle and Fly during the Perak campaign but was later a victim of the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ when his ship was lost with all hands in February 1880 Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, unnamed as issued; China 1857-60, 1 clasp, Canton 1857, unnamed as issued; India General Service 1854-94, 1 clasp, Perak (Commdr. F. Stirling, R.N. H.M.S. “Thistle”); Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, unnamed as issued, extremely fine (4) £4,000-£5,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006.

Francis Stirling was born on 1 April 1839, son of Charles Stirling, of Muiravonside House, Linlithgow, West Lothian.

Having attended Edinburgh Academy, he entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet in March 1852 and joined Highflyer in May 1853, in which he was appointed Midshipman in March 1854. He subsequently served in that ship in the Crimea, including the bombardment of Sebastopol, 17 October, and the subsequent night attacks. Transferring to the Sans Pareil in June 1856, in which he was appointed Mate, he saw further action in the Second China War 1857-60, when he was landed with the Naval Brigade and participated in the assault, capture, and occupation of Canton.

Advanced to Lieutenant in July 1859, he was subsequently present at the loss of the Bombay when she was burnt on 14 December 1864. On that occasion, when everything that could be thought of to save life had been done, Commander Wilson said to him, standing on the forecastle amid falling spars and burning ropes, the flames bursting through the upper deck, and the ship in momentary danger of blowing up, “Now, Stirling, we can do no more; we will jump overboard and swim to the boats.” His answer was calm and firm, “There is no hope for me; I can’t swim.” He was only saved, after great peril and painful suspense, from under the bows of the ship by a volunteer boat’s crew, at the imminent risk for a second time of their own lives.

As Commander of Thistle during the Perak campaign of 187576, Stirling commanded the 3rd Division of Naval Brigade during operations against the Malays in the Straits of Malacca and defeated the Malays in two attacks at Passir Sala, for which he was specially mentioned for his zeal and energy.

He also planned and carried out the attack and capture of Passir Sala, and subsequently commanded the Naval Brigade operating against Sungsi U’Jong, including the capture of

the enemy’s stockades in the Buket Putas Pass. For his ‘distinguished service’ in the Malay Peninsula he was specially promoted to Captain on 9 March 1876.

Stirling was immediately placed on half-pay whilst awaiting a suitable command which eventually came in September 1878, in the shape of the training ship Atalanta. A sailing frigate, built in 1844, Atalanta was converted into a training ship for ordinary seamen after the tragic loss of the Eurydice in March 1878 with her complement of some 300 men and boys. The Atalanta left Portsmouth on 7 November 1879, having on board 15 officers and 265 men and boys. It was Atalanta’s third voyage in the capacity of a training ship and early in the cruise yellow fever broke out and the Stirling decided to run for Bermuda, where he arrived on 29 January 1880. Two days later the ship sailed for home, having considerably shortened her timetable, and from the date of her leaving Bermuda the Atalanta was never heard of again. A terrific gale raged from the 12th to the 16th of February and it is possible that the vessel was overwhelmed by this. The Channel Squadron under Admiral Hood made an exhaustive search over a wide area but without result, and in May the Admiralty was compelled to conclude that the Atalanta was lost.

A Naval Officer, writing after the loss of the Atalanta, said: ‘The noble character of Captain Francis Stirling is alone sufficient reason for speaking of his sad death, apart from the great calamity in which his ship and her living freight are included. I speak with confidence when I say that no officer in the Navy had won more universal affection and respect among those with whom he had served than Francis Stirling .. his calmness in danger will, one may trust, have stood all around him in good stead in their last moments.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

345

X The extremely rare Perak Expedition C.G.M. group of three awarded to Petty Officer 1st Class H. Thompson, Royal Navy, who cut down some Malays who were about to kill Dr Townsend of the Buffs during an attack at Kotalama in January 1876 Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, V.R., 2nd issue (Henry Thompson. A.B: R.N: Perak River. 1876.) officially engraved in upright capitals; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Perak (H. Thompson. A.B. H.M.S. “Philomel”.); South Africa 1877-79, no clasp (H. Thompson, P.O. 1 Cl: H.M.S “Orontes”) minor edge bruise to the first and some very light surface and edge marks, otherwise toned, nearly extremely fine (3) £16,000-£20,000 Provenance: American Numismatic Society, Morton & Eden, May 2006.

Three C.G.M.s were awarded for the Perak Campaign, namely to Able Seamen Henry Thompson, Harry Bennett and David Sloper, all of H.M.S. Philomel’s Naval Brigade; the C.G.M. pair awarded to Bennett formed part of the Douglas-Morris Collection (Part I), Dix Noonan Webb, October 1996, and was reoffered in these Rooms December 2008.

The recommendation for Henry Thompson’s award, jointly with Harry Bennett, was signed by Commander Garforth, R.N.: ‘On 4 January 1876 during the attack made by the Malays at Kotalama on Brigadier-General Ross, his staff and the Philomel’s Naval Brigade, Henry Thompson and Harry Bennett saved the life of Doctor Townsend attached to the Buffs, by cutting down the Malays who were about to spear him when he was on the ground in a helpless condition, these seamen at the time being separated from the main body, caused through the thickness of the bush.’

Henry Thompson was born at Harwich, Massachusetts, U.S.A., on 3 June 1840. He signed a Continuous Service Engagement of 10 years on 1 February 1868, but his early service is unknown until he joins Crocodile as Leading Seaman on 1 January 1873, moving to Duke of Wellington on 1 August, before joining Philomel on 25 August 1873. He was advanced to Able Seaman on 13 April 1875, and served in Philomel until 5 September 1877, including the Perak campaign of 1875-76. He next joined the Duke of Wellington on 6 September 1877, for some reason being disrated to Leading Seaman on 8 February 1878, before joining Orontes on the following day. In this ship he was advanced to Petty Officer 2nd Class on 15 September 1878, and to Petty Officer 1st Class on 10 April 1879, seeing service in South Africa during the Zulu war.

He remained in Orontes until joining the Duke of Wellington on 16 June 1882, and served in this ship until he was shore pensioned on 9 February 1884.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

346

X The rare Arctic Discoveries and Zulu War pair awarded to Master at Arms R. D. Symons, Royal Navy, who served in H.M.S. Alert’s ‘Hercules’ and ‘Poppie’ sledging parties, two members of the former team suffering amputation on account of frostbite South Africa 1877-79, no clasp (B. Symons, S. Corpl. 2.Cl: H.M.S. “Active”); Arctic Medal 1875-76 (R. D. Symonds, A.B. H.M.S. Alert) light contact marks and a bit polished, otherwise nearly very fine (2) £4,000-£5,000 70 Arctic 1875-76 Medals were awarded to members of H.M.S. Alert’s crew.

Robert Denham Symons (sometimes given as Symonds) was born in Rotherhithe, Surrey on 19 February 1852 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in February 1868.

Joining H.M.S. Alert as an Able Seaman in April 1875, he subsequently participated in the ship’s Arctic expedition, travelling that autumn with Lieutenant W. H. Hay’s sledge ‘Hercules’. Departing the ship on 25 September, and returning on 15 October, two of its eight-man team suffered amputation because of severe frostbite.

Then in April and May of 1876, Symons made two trips with Lieutenant G. A. Giffard’s sledge ‘Poppie’, the first outing lasting for 30 days and the second 18 days. His three trips totalled 68 days away from the Alert.

Sledging aside, Lieutenant Giffard and Symons had charge of the expedition’s printing press and established ‘The Arctic Printing Office’ which was situated ‘within half a minute’s walk of the foremost Quarter Deck ladder.’

He subsequently served aboard the Active off South Africa from March to April 1879 and was shortly afterwards advanced to Ship’s Corporal 1st Class. He became Master at Arms in June 1885 and was finally pensioned ashore in February 1895.

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347

X The unique Victorian gold C.B. and Royal Visit to India C.S.I. group of nine awarded to Vice-Admiral Hon. H. Carr Glyn, Royal Navy, who served with distinction in command of a gunboat flotilla on the Danube in the summer of 1854, gaining special promotion to Commander and one of just two Turkish General Service Medals in gold awarded to Naval officers; then, on being appointed A.D.C. to Admiral Lord Lyons in the Crimea, he was attached to Lord Raglan’s staff at the battle of the Alma, thereby becoming one of only two Naval officers to gain entitlement to the relevant clasp The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1875, complete with gold ribbon buckle; The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, C.S.I., Companion’s breast badge, gold and enamels, with central onyx cameo of a youthful Queen Victoria, the motto of the order set in rose diamonds, suspended from a five-pointed silver star and gold bar suspension, complete with gold top suspension; Crimea 1854-56, 2 clasps, Alma, Sebastopol (H. C. Glyn. Lieut. H.M.S. Britannia) contemporary engraved naming, clasps attached in reverse order; Ottoman Empire, Medal of Iftihar 1855, gold; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed; Order of the Medjidie, 3rd Class neck badge, silver, gold and enamel; Portugal, Kingdom, Order of Aviz, breast star, silver-gilt, gold and enamels; International, Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes & Malta, Knight of Honour and Devotion neck badge with trophy of arms suspension, silver-gilt and enamels; together with Prince of Wales’ Visit to India 1875-76, large silver medal, the edge officially numbered ‘246’, and a small silver medallet for the same, minor enamel chips to the Turkish and Portuguese orders, otherwise generally very fine or better (10)

£10,000-£14,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

C.B. London Gazette 29 May 1875.

C.S.I. London Gazette 8 March 1876.

Henry Carr Glyn was born on 17 April 1829, the fourth son of George Carr, 1st Lord Wolverton, and entered the Royal Navy as a First Class Volunteer aboard America in March 1844.

He subsequently saw extensive service on the Pacific, East Indies and China Stations, and in 1850, in the latter theatre, under Commander Edmund Lyons, he distinguished himself in the suppression of piracy. On one occasion, in fact, he came prominently under the notice of the authorities for his gallant conduct in boarding a pirate junk. During the engagement Captain Lyon’s Brig happened to sheer off from the pirate junk which had just been boarded, and young Carr Glyn, with his Commander, and about a dozen others, was left on board to fight the crew and take the ship, in which enterprise they were, after some heavy fighting, successful.

On the outbreak of the Crimea War, Carr Glyn was appointed First Lieutenant of Britannia, the flagship of the Naval Commander in Chief, Vice-Admiral J. W. D. Dundas, and was subsequently chosen to command the small naval gunboat flotilla on the Danube. His orders were to assist the Turkish Army, together with a party of 30 English Sappers and 15 French Pioneers, in securing a bridgehead over the River Danube at Giugevo.

Travelling by sea to Varna, the naval party then journeyed on horseback to Rhoustchouk, a distance of some 130 miles. They arrived on 10 July 1854 to find a Russian Army 70,000 strong, under Prince Gortschakaff, threatening a Turkish force of a few thousand men which had crossed the Danube and was now camped on the northern bank at Giurgevo. Having thus become separated from the main Turkish Army it was soon clear that the small force would be unable to withstand the impending Russian offensive. Immediately on arrival Carr Glyn, assisted by Midshipman His Serene Highness Prince Leiningen, took command of the few Turkish gun boats on the river and thrust them down a narrow loop stream which split away from the main river above Giurgevo. By this action he placed the boats between the two armies and, though under heavy fire from the north bank, maintained his position and relieved the pressure on the small isolated Turkish advance party.

Prince Gortschakaff, uncertain as to the strength of the newly arrived British force, decided against an immediate attack. While

he hesitated, the naval party assisted the sappers in constructing a pontoon bridge, 787 yards long, using 55 commandeered boats.

The bridge was completed by 10 August and the main Turkish Army, under Omar Pasha, was now in a position to cross the Danube River and to counter the Russian threat. In conclusion to this spirited affair it might be claimed that Carr Glyn’s actions had been entirely responsible for thwarting the Czar’s intention of invading Bulgaria. Certainly he was generously rewarded, being mentioned in despatches and promoted to Commander. He was also awarded the 3rd Class Order of Medjidie and was given a Gold Turkish General Service Medal, the latter being one of only two awarded to British Naval officers, Midshipman His Serene Highness Prince Leningen receiving the other.

Admiral Lord Lyons, being much satisfied with Carr Glyn’s conduct, appointed him to his staff as A.D.C., and in this capacity he was seconded to attend on Lord Raglan and was present at the battle of Alma on 24 September 1854. In consequence he received the Crimea Medal with ‘Alma’ clasp, one of only two such distinctions issued to Naval officers; see Clowes, Volume 6, page 432.

Following the Crimea War, Glyn saw varied service off the West Coast of Africa and in the Mediterranean, and he was advanced to Captain in August 1861 after being commended by Commodore Seymour for his valuable assistance in conveying troops to New Zealand in the Miranda.

In 1870 he assumed command of the ironclad Warrior – today residing in all her glory at Portsmouth – and in March 1874, after being appointed an A.D.C. to Queen Victoria, he was ordered to ‘meet and attend the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia while in England.’ (his service record, refers). He was appointed a C.B. On appointment to the command of Seraphis in 1875, he conveyed the Prince of Wales to India for the Royal Visit. In recognition of these services, he was created a C.S.I. in 1876, and also received the large oval Silver Commemorative Medal issued to senior dignitaries.

Carr Glyn became Rear-Admiral in September 1877 and Vice-Admiral in June 1882. He died suddenly from an attack of peritonitis in February 1884.

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The Prince of Wales’s suite in India. Glyn standing second from right.

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348X

The rare and outstanding South Africa 1877-79 and Egypt 1882 operations campaign group of five awarded to Vice-Admiral W. des V. Hamilton, Royal Navy, who was twice mentioned in despatches for his protracted service in H.M.S. Active’s Naval Brigade in South Africa; fortuitously for posterity’s sake, he was a gifted correspondent, descriptions of the actions fought at Quintana in February 1878 and Inyezane in January 1879 being but two fascinating accounts to appear in his privately published Letters from Kaffraria and Zululand, 1877-78-79 Jubilee 1897, silver, unnamed; Coronation 1902, silver, unnamed; South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1877-8-9 (Lieut: W. des V. Hamilton, H.M.S. “Active”); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (Lieut: W. des V. Hamilton.

R.N. H.M.S. “Alexandra.”); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, some very light contact marks and pitting from star, otherwise nearly extremely fine (5)

£4,000-£5,000 Just seven South Africa Medals with ‘1877-8-9’ clasps were awarded to R.N. officers.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

William des Vaux Hamilton was born on 17 September 1852, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in April 1866.

to a man, and we advanced and took the heights without any further resistance … ‘

Appointed a Midshipman in June 1868 and advanced to Sub Lieutenant in September 1872, he lent valuable service in H.M.S. Vulture in connection with the suppression of the slave trade in East African waters in 1874-75.

Thanked by the Admiralty for the ‘zeal he displayed’ in the capture of a slave dhow, he was specially promoted to Lieutenant.

Afterwards, as part of Colonel Pearson’s column, Hamilton and his bluejackets joined the garrison at Eshowe. And by way of closing a period of 18 months ashore, they served in General Crealock’s column in the advance on Port Durnford. He was again mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 5 March 1879, refers).

Having then joined the Active in July 1877, he was landed as secondin-command of her bluejackets for operations against the Gaikas, his introduction to the local climate taking its toll: ‘Weather very hot; my face is the colour of the dining-room curtains after they were dyed, and my nose is in a dreadful state.’

In October 1880, Hamilton joined the Alexandra, in which capacity he witnessed further action at the bombardment of Alexandria in July 1882, in addition to serving in the Naval Brigade at the occupation of Port Said.

During this period ashore, he was employed destroying railway lines with gun-cotton and was strongly recommended by Admiral Sir B Seymour.

Oppressive heat aside, Hamilton was present in several skirmishes in Transkei, as well as the more important action at Quintana on 9 February 1878, when he commanded the rocket party:

Later in 1882, he was appointed to the royal yacht Victoria & Albert and on leaving her in September 1883, he received promotion to Commander. A succession of senior appointments ensued, among them Flag Commander on the Australian Station from 1884 to 1889, and Captain of the North American Station from 1892 to 1895.

‘My party of bluejackets, and the rocket apparatus, were sent away to a hill on the right, where I was told to cover the advance of the Fingoes … to get there they had to ascend a steep incline, directly in front of where my party were extended in skirmishing order. When about half way up the incline, the Kaffirs opened fire from behind a ridge, where they lay concealed, and over which the Fingoes must pass to get into the bush behind. Our allies object very much to being shot at, and looked very like retiring, when I got a message from Captain Upcher to advance and support them. Away we went, leaving our rocket apparatus behind … the firing from the ridge was pretty brisk … we could not do much in the way of returning fire, as we only saw a black head bob up for an instant amongst the long grass and other good cover they were in. When about thirty yards from the top, we doubled up at them, and away they bolted into the bushes, and out of sight in an instant … the casualties on our side were one bluejacket severely wounded in the foot – when we were advancing up the hill – and four Fingoes wounded. The bluejacket is doing very well and has been since sent down to hospital at King William’s Town … ‘

Hamilton was subsequently appointed Chief of Staff to Admiral Sir John Hopkins K.C.B., Commander in Chief on the Mediterranean Station, in which capacity he received the Jubilee Medal in 1897 and, as an A.D.C. to King Edward VII, the Coronation Medal in 1902.

His next appointment was as second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet, but his health deteriorated due to an attack of fever, as a result of which he was invalided to England. His advancement to Vice-Admiral was announced just two days before his death in February 1907.

As cited above, his extensive correspondence from South Africa was subsequently published in Letters Lieut. W. Des. V. Hamilton, R.N. (of H.M.S. Active), from Kaffraria and Zululand, 1877-78-79, together with correspondence from his two brothers who were actively employed in Afghanistan 1878-80 (‘Printed by Their Father for Private Circulation’, The Dublin Steam Printing Company, 1881); a file containing copies of the recipient’s entries is included.

Hamilton’s letter home from Ibeka, dated 17 February 1878, added: ‘Captain Upcher was good enough to make a favourable report of our little exploit, and you will be glad to hear I am mentioned in despatches …‘ Subsequently, in the Zulu War, he commanded a company of the Naval Brigade at the battle of Inyezane, where he and his bluejackets charged the Zulu positions. His letter home from Eshowe, dated 24 January 1879, takes up the story: ‘The Zulus had chosen and excellent position to attack us. At every side we were surrounded by high hills, covered with brushwood, and in a moment they opened fire on us from all quarters. Their object was, I suppose, to cut off the waggons, and our immense line prevented any reinforcements being brought up … The Zulus were all around us, and finding it impossible to do much where we were, we moved to the rear and extended along the road. A kraal on the left of the road was at first occupied by the Zulus, but before we came up it was taken by two companies of the natives under Captain Hart, our rocket party having sent a rocket right through the place first.

Along the road we were exposed to fire from both sides, as the high ground on one each side was occupied by the enemy. Whilst there, I had five men wounded in my company, two very severely. As there appeared no chance of our fire driving the Zulus from their position, we kept advancing with a view to charging the ridge and forcing them to retire. Before doing so we were reinforced by one company of the Buffs, under Colonel Parnel, and Captain Hart’s natives. Captain Hart was most anxious to advance at once; he and Captain Campbell finally rode on, almost alone. I followed, bringing up my company as fast as I could, followed by the Buffs. Two of the Buffs were killed there, and Colonel Parnel’s horse was shot under him; our other company of bluejackets was some distance behind. The Zulus did not wait for us; they bolted www.noonans.co.uk All lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyer's premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)

349

X The campaign group of six awarded to Admiral F. G. Eyre, Royal Navy, who served in the Senior Service for over 50 years, a career encompassing active service in the Zulu War to transport duties in the Great War and a spell of ‘special service’ in connection with the manufacture of poison gasses South Africa 1877-79, no clasp (F. G. Eyre, Midsn. R.N, H.M.S. “Boadicea”); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (R. Adml. F. G. Eyre.); Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1911; Italy, Kingdom, Order of the Crown, 3rd Class neck badge, gold and enamels, in its Cravanzola, Roma, fitted case of issue, nearly extremely fine (6) £1,000-£1,400 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Francis George Eyre was born at Marylebone, Middlesex on 4 February 1864, the son of the Rev. Charles Eyre, onetime Rector of Great Melton, Norfolk; his elder brother, Cresswell, also enjoyed a distinguished naval career. Young Francis entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in July 1876 and, on passing out, joined the steam corvette H.M.S. Boadicea on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station. It was during this seagoing commission that he was appointed Midshipman and present in operations in the Zulu War. Following his promotion to Sub. Lieutenant in early 1883, Eyre attended a gunnery course at Excellent before joining the Albatross on the China Station, where he was advanced to Lieutenant in April 1886. Over the coming decade or so, besides several seagoing appointments, he attended numerous courses and gained 1st Class Certificates in Seamanship, Torpedo and Pilotage, in addition to Gunnery. He also gained steady promotion, being appointed Commander in June 1898 and Captain in June 1903, when he took command of the cruiser Venus in the Mediterranean.

In November 1905, Venus was part of a British Squadron that was ordered to be present at Genoa for the opening of the new harbour by the Italian King and Queen. In the course of the latter’s visit to the British flagship Goliath, the steamboat of the Italian ship Garibaldi was involved in an accident and received assistance from the Royal Navy.

For these services the King of Italy bestowed decorations on selected officers and men of the British ships present, and Eyre was appointed a Commander of the Order of the Crown.

On returning home, he was appointed Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance in January 1911, in which post he was advanced to Rear-Admiral and remained employed until July 1914. As there were very few commands for Flag Officers on the outbreak of war, Eyre characteristically offered his services in any capacity in which they might be of use. Thus, in July 1915, he was granted pay and allowances for ‘Special Service’ in connection with the manufacture of poison gases. His next appointment was for duties with the Transport

Service, and he was employed in this capacity in the Mediterranean until early 1916.

Promoted to Vice-Admiral in October 1918, Eyre was placed on the Retired List at his own request in February 1919. Having then been advancement to Admiral (Retired), he died in January 1941, aged 77.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

350X

The Boer War C.B. group of five awarded to Major-General H. C. Money, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who distinguished himself in the action at Kassasin in 1882 when he captured two of the enemy’s Krupp guns The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with ribbon buckle; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, 1 clasp, Tel-El-Kebir (Lieut: H. C. Money, R.M.L.I.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (Lt. Colonel H. C. Money, R.M.L.I.); Coronation 1902, silver; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, court mounted for display, the second with edge bruising affecting final letter of unit, very fine, otherwise nearly extremely fine (5) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006.

Herbert Cecil Money was born on 20 September 1857, and joined the Royal Marines at Chatham on 1 September 1876. He served in the Battalion of Royal Marines sent to South Africa for special service in the Zulu war of 1879, though this service did not qualify for the medal.

He then served in the R.M. Battalion throughout the war in Egypt in 1882, being present at the occupation of Port Said, and the actions at Tel-el-Mahuta, Mahsaneh, Kassasin, 28th August, and Kassasin, 9th September; on this latter occasion he was specially mentioned in despatches for gallantry in the capture of two of the enemy’s Krupp guns. He was present at the battle of Tel-elKebir, and after that commanded a company until the arrival of the Battalion in England.

Money served with the Royal Marine Battalion sent to Egypt in 1884 for service in the Soudan, and acted first as Adjutant and afterwards as Regimental Transport Officer, being present at Suakin during the nightly attacks made upon the town in the months of May, June, July and August. He served as a Special Service Officer during the Boer War, from 3 February 1900 to 24 December 1901, graded as A.A.G.; he was in command of prisoners of war in S.S. Mongolian at Simonstown, and afterwards Commandant of prisoners of war at Green Point, Cape Town, during which time nearly 17,000 passed through his hands (mentioned in Lord Roberts’ despatch, 10 September 1901). For his services during the war Money was made a Companion of the Bath, London Gazette 26 June 1902. He was appointed A.D.C. to the King in October 1905; promoted Colonel Second Commandant, September 1906; Colonel Commandant, July 1909; Major-General, October 1910.

Placed on the Retired list in January 1920, Major-General Money died on 27 March 1939.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

351X

The rare Tel-el-Kebir C.G.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant Harry Henry, Royal Marine Light Infantry Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, V.R., 2nd issue (Corporal H. Henry, R.M.L.I.) officially impressed naming; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, 1 clasp, Tel-El-Kebir (Corpl. H. Henry, R.M.L.I.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Harry Henry, Sergt. No. 960 Chat. R.M.L.I.) impressed naming; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, suspension claw tightened on the first, pitting from star but generally very fine (4) £12,000-£16,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2009.

Only 6 C.G.Ms. were awarded for the operations in Egypt 1882, including two for the battle of Tel-el-Kebir.

Recommendation dated 27 September 1882, submitted by Howard S. Jones, Colonel Commanding Royal Marines, Ghezireh Camp, Cairo, in respect of Lieut. J. Bernard, Cpl. Harry Henry and Bugler J. F. McDaniel, the latter two men subsequently being awarded the C.G.M.: ‘Following up with his half company, on September 13th, 1882, a very superior force of the enemy, killing a great number and driving the remainder on to our cavalry.’

Harry Henry was born in Dartford, Kent, on 19 August 1858, and entered the Royal Marines at Walmer in February 1876. He disembarked with the Royal Marine Battalion in Egypt on 19 August 1882, and was mentioned in General Wolseley’s despatch of 24 September 1882, for his services at Tel-el-Kebir. He was also present in the engagement at Kassassin, where he received a ‘wound on the vertex of the head by a fragment of shell’. He was promoted to Sergeant on 20 October 1882, for ‘special service in Egypt’, and returned to the Chatham Division in England. On 19 January 1883 he was presented with his C.G.M. by H.M. The Queen.

Sergeant Harry Henry, a musician by trade, was finally discharged at Chatham on 20 August 1897, due to length of service. He subsequently enrolled into the Royal Fleet Reserve from July 1902 for two years.

Sold with three original Parchment Certificates of service and discharge and two copy portrait photographs.

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352

XX The rare Victorian campaign group of four awarded to Captain C. K. Purvis, Royal Navy, who commanded an ‘armoured train’ in the action at Kassassin, in which he was severely wounded Canada General Service 1866-70, 1 clasp, Fenian Raid 1866 (Midshipman C. K. Purvis, H.M.S. Fawn) officially impressed naming; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (Lieut.

C. K. Purvis, R.N. H.M.S. “Penelope”); Ottoman Empire, Order of Osmanieh, 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamels; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (4) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, October 1996; Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Only seven ‘Fenian Raid 1866’ clasps to H.M.S. Fawn.

Charles Kennedy Purvis was born on 26 September 1849 and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in March 1863. Appointed a Midshipman in H.M.S. Fawn in December 1864, he remained likewise employed for two years and witnessed active service off Canada in the Fenian operations in 1866.

He subsequently gained advancement to Sub. Lieutenant in the Royal Oak in June 1869 and to Lieutenant in the Topaze in September 1873, followed by further seagoing appointments in the Hornet in 1875-80 and the Penelope in 1881-82. And it was from the latter ship that he was landed for special service in the Egypt operations, with command of one of the two ‘armoured trains’ deployed in the Egyptian war zone. In reality these were no more than an armed truck, one being manned by seamen and the other by marines.

The bluejackets’ four-wheeled gun-truck, commanded by Lieutenant Purvis, had steel-plated sides that were ‘fairly bullet proof’, with sandbags hung around the outside for good measure. An awning was added over the truck’s open top and it was armed with a 40-pounder gun. A separate box-car, similarly fitted with steel side plates and sandbags, had two compartments for the 230 shells - mostly shrapnel - and charges, entrance to each magazine being only from the top. Since no steam engines could be obtained, Purvis’s naval train was pulled from Ismailia to Nefiche by 16 horses, four abreast, on 26 August 1882.

On 1 September, Purvis and his train moved up to Kassassin where, on the 9th, he and his 20-strong party of bluejackets saw action in the defence of the camp against an Egyptian reconnaissance party. Having been working the train on the line a little beyond the camp, the enemy turned their guns on it. Purvis and his 2nd in Command, Sub. Lieutenant James Erskine, dismounted to take some observations. They were standing close together when a shell burst near them, a small portion of which struck Purvis on the foot, tearing a portion of it off, and necessitating immediate amputation at the ankle joint.

Subsequently, to rub salt into his wounds, while on his way to Ismailia to be placed aboard the Orontes, he was struck by a tow rope which brought on inflammation and made a second amputation above the ankle imperative.

On a somewhat happier note, on Christmas Eve 1882, Purvis was one of two officers in the R.N. Hospital Haslar to receive their Egypt campaign medals from the hand of Queen Victoria. Moreover, he received special promotion to Commander and was mentioned in General Sir Garnet Wolseley’s despatch in the following terms: ‘In command of detachment working 40-pounder on truck; regrets very much the loss of his valuable services.’

Discharged from Haslar in January 1883, Purvis joined the Coast Guard but he returned to sea with command of the Flora in 1887-89. His final appointment was in the harbour based Audacious and he was placed on the Retired List as a Captain in October 1896. He died on 2 June 1916.

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353

XX The exceptional Victorian exploration and campaign group of four awarded to Commander Wyatt Rawson, Royal Navy, whose sledging exploits in the Arctic Expedition of 1875-76 are the stuff of legend, his 132 days on the ice witnessing much hardship and many adventures, exploits that are today commemorated by the appropriately named Cape Rawson and Mount Wyatt Earlier, in the Ashantee War, in which he was wounded at the battle of Amoaful in January 1874, he was twice mentioned in despatches and specially promoted to Lieutenant, but it was for his navigation of Sir Garnet Wolseley’s desert force through the night to Tel-el-Kebir and subsequent death that he is perhaps best remembered Ashantee 1873-74, clasp, Coomassie (Lt. W. Rawson. R.N. H.M.S. Himalaya. 73-4); Egypt & Sudan 1882-89, 1 clasp, Tel-El-Kebir (Comdr. W. Rawson. R.N. A.D.C.); Arctic Medal 1875-76 (Lt. W. Rawson. R.N. H.M.S. Discovery.); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, some minor marks, otherwise nearly extremely fine (4) £40,000-£50,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000, acquired privately from the Douglas-Morris Collection.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II The ‘Coomassie’ clasp is unique to H.M.S. Himalaya.

Wyatt Rawson was born in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales on 17 August 1853, the youngest son of Christopher Rawson; his elder brother rose to be Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, K.C.B. Young Wyatt passed some of his formative years in Canada, where he gained his first taste of sledging and ice work, prior to following in his brother’s footsteps and joining the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in May 1867. Appointed a Midshipman in H.M.S. Minotaur in the following year, he removed to the Narcissus in December 1870 and was advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in January 1873.

A year later, Wyatt joined the Himalaya as an Acting Lieutenant, the commencement of his distinguished part in the Ashantee War, in which he served ashore on attachment to Active’s Naval Brigade and was severely wounded by a bullet in the thigh at the battle of Amoaful on 31 January 1874. He was twice mentioned in despatches for his valuable contribution to the Brigade’s transport services, the second of those ‘mentions’ from Commodore Hewett stating: ‘He did very excellent work while attached to the Land Transport Service, not only for the Naval Brigade but also in assisting the Control which has been very noticeable. His energy and tact did much to encourage the carriers, and as there was often very great difficulty in procuring people to transport stores and provisions to the front, the value of Mr. Rawson’s services cannot be over-rated.

There being a vacancy in the Himalaya for a Lieutenant, I gave this officer an acting order to fill it, and he has proceeded to England in that ship.’

That special promotion to Lieutenant was confirmed 31 March 1874 and, no doubt, came with the blessing of Sir Garnet Wolseley, who, by all accounts, had been much impressed by the young naval officer.

When, soon after his return to the U.K., it was announced that Arctic exploration was to be resumed through Government agency, young Rawson was, according to his obituary notice in the Royal Geographical Society’s Journal, ‘one of the foremost and most eager of the volunteers and was appointed Third Lieutenant of the Discovery in April 1875.’

On arrival in Arctic waters, in Lady Franklin Bay, Rawson was transferred to the Alert, the expedition’s second ship, in order to report back to Captain Nares in the Discovery the former’s selected wintering position, when known. He consequently joined the Alert with a sledge crew in late August 1875, but his efforts to get back over the ice to the Discovery in October were thwarted by prevailing conditions. By way of consolation, the furthest point he and his sledge crew reached was subsequently named Cape Rawson.

A tough winter in the Alert ensued, when it is said the long, dark hours were brightened by Rawson’s cheerful disposition.

And with the return of the sun in the Spring of 1876, he set off once more for the Discovery, this time travelling with Lieutenant Egerton and the Danish dog-driver Petersen, with nine dogs.

What followed was a nightmare struggle for survival, Petersen in particular succumbing to frostbite, his feet and hands remaining frozen. But for the exertions of Rawson and Egerton, the Dane would certainly have died. At one point, as they struggled to regain the Alert, the dogs bolted past Rawson, who held on to their harness for dear life, and was dragged along by them. But his iron grip saved the day and Alert was reached that evening. Captain Clements Markam, who had accompanied the Alert as far as Greenland, later wrote: ‘The work of these two young officers on this occasion stands out conspicuously amongst the many deeds of devotion to which the annals of Arctic adventure abound.’

Of subsequent events, an excellent summary appears in the above quoted obituary notice: ‘Rawson and Egerton started again on their perilous errand on March 20th, and, after many adventures and much hardship succeeded in reaching the Discovery on the 24th. Rawson was incessantly employed on sledging work for the remainder of the season. Returning to the Alert on April 4th, he pioneered a route across Robeson Channel to the Greenland coast from the 10th to the 18th, and again crossed to Greenland with Lieutenant Beaumont. Rawson accompanied that distinguished Arctic traveller along the northern coast of Greenland until May 10th, when the two explorers ascended a hill, afterwards named Mount Wyatt, 2050 feet above the sea. The return journey was then commenced

by Rawson, with a dying man on the sledge, and he reached Polaris Bay on June 3rd.

From that time, his services were devoted to the succour of returning explorers. On one occasion he attacked and killed a musk ox without a gun, and armed only with a stick and a knife which he fastened to the end of it; ever on the lookout to procure fresh meat for the sick. On the 22nd he started on a journey for the relief of Beaumont, and he did not return to his ship until August 3rd. He was away sledge travelling for 132 days; and his coolness and sound judgment, indomitable perseverance and inspiring cheerfulness showed him to possess all the highest qualities of an Arctic explorer.’

Yet he was still just 23 when the expedition returned home in November 1876.

In the following year, he was appointed to the Alexandra, bearing the flag of Admiral Hornby in the Mediterranean, and he continued to serve on that station and in the Sea of Marmora until 1880, when he was invalided home to the R.N.H. Haslar, suffering from rheumatic fever. Having then in the interim married Maud Hegan, to whom he had been attached for several years, he joined the corvette Champion on the Pacific station. And his next appointment, to the royal yacht Victoria & Albert in October 1881, made his future advancement all but certain.

Meanwhile, however, plans were afoot for the campaign in Egypt and, mindful of his earlier encounter with Rawson in the Coomassie operations, Sir Garnet Wolseley applied to the Queen for the young naval officer’s services as his A.D.C., a request to which she duly acceded.

And so, by September 1882, Rawson was actively employed on the General’s staff, as the latter planned his advance on the lines at Tel-el-Kebir. And as part of his plan, he enlisted Rawson to navigate the Highland Brigade to its starting position in the early hours of the 13th. That task was duly executed to perfection but as one of the first to penetrate the enemy’s positions, Rawson was mortally wounded by a rifle shot and removed to the rear.

When, at length, victory was assured, Wolseley rode back to console his wounded A.D.C., assuring him of a battlefield promotion to Commander. And in his subsequent despatch, he spoke of his exemplary powers of desert navigation and conspicuous gallantry.

Rawson was evacuated in the troopship Carthage and succumbed to his wounds just as the ship was entering Malta harbour on 21 September. He was by order of General Wolseley given a public funeral with full ceremonial honours and was buried at Bighi Cemetery.

On hearing of his death Queen Victoria sought to comfort his young widow, who was expecting their first child, and on the birth of a daughter, Her Majesty expressed the wish to be Godmother.

The baby girl was duly christened Victoria Alexander Wyatt Rawson and in later life married Admiral Sir Frank Larken. K.C.B., C.M.G.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

The high esteem by which Rawson was held by his Commander-in-Chief was such that Wolseley and his personal staff paid for a monument to be erected in the Portsmouth Garrison Chapel, on which are inscribed the words: ‘Sacred to the Memory of WYATT RAWSON Commander Royal Navy.

A.D.C. to General Sir G. Wolselev, G.C.B. He fell while acting as guide to the Second Division at the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir 13 September 1882 aged 29.

No man more gallant fell that day.

He served in the Ashantee War 1873-74 and in the Arctic Expedition 1875-76.’

A bronze bust to his memory stands on a pedestal at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

But the loss of one of Empire’s sons was marked by other means of commemoration, Piper Corbett of 1st Seaforth Highlanders penning a poignant poem: ‘Over the desert at midnight, with a rapid, silent stride

Never a word said the dying man of his pain on his hapless fate,

Were marching the British soldiers and their gallant sailor guide.

But the eager words came, ‘General, didn’t I guide you straight?’

God help them all if he failed to find his way in the gloom aright,

It was a star you know, a star, a star that backward fell.

For his comrades’ lives and his country’s fame were placed in his hands that night.

His young life closed with the service done and the trust fulfilled so well.

Never a faltering moment unsteadied the ranks he led:

As long as an English voice shall speak of the Tel el Kebir fight

They pressed on their silent way with the sailor at their head.

Will be heard the brave young sailor’s name who guided them straight that night

On through the gloom and darkness that screened them from watchful foes Till the goal they sought was safely gained as the sudden morning rose

Nor say that his work was ended with the deed that led to death, May be a nobler mission wrought with his dying breath,

Quick the alarm was sounded, quick was the onslaught made,

For shall not the words he uttered like a living watchword thrill

Hard was the fight, but the foe fell back from the British fire and blade.

To the hearts of men enlisted in a higher service still

Many a heart that late beat high was stilled in that hour for aye,

Led through the gloom and darkness by the light of a guiding star.

And among the first of the British men, fell the man who led the way.

God, keep us following where it leads till the doubtful path goes straight,

Sadly they bore him back to die, and the kindly general came Bent over his friend with grateful thanks, pity, and promised fame.

And the march shall end and the conflict cease where it shines on the golden gate.’

On through the unknown country while the goal yet lies afar,

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

354

X The impressive K.C.B, C.V.O. group of ten awarded to Admiral Sir Richard “Crush-me Dick” Poore, Bt., Royal Navy, who was mentioned for gallantry in action with the Naval Brigade against the Malays in Perak, and for distinguished services with the Armoured Train in Egypt; he was later Commander-in-Chief at the Nore 1911-15 The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, and breast star, silver with gold and enamel appliqué centre, fitted with gold pin for wearing; The Royal Victorian Order, C.V.O., Commander’s, neck badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamels, the reverse officially numbered ‘C274’; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Perak (Sub. Lieutt. Richd. Poore. R.N. H.M.S. “Philomel”); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 2 clasps, Alexandria 11th July, The Nile 1884-85 (Lieut: R. Poore, R.N, H.M.S. “Invincible”); British War Medal 1914-20 (Adml. Sir R. Poore.); Coronation 1902, silver; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, 4th Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamel; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamels; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, these last seven on original ‘Cavalry’ style mounting bar as worn; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Grand Officer, silver breast star; Italy, Kingdom, Order of the Crown set of insignia, comprising sash badge, gold and enamels, and breast star by Cravanzola, Roma, silver, gold and enamels, generally good very fine or better (13) £12,000-£16,000 Richard Poore was born on 7 July 1853, and joined the Navy as a Cadet in December 1866. As Sub-Lieutenant of the Philomel, he served with the Naval Brigade during operations against the Malays in the Straits of Malacca in 1875-76, attached to the Larut Field Force, comprising 7 officers and 98 seamen and marines. During the advance of this force from the mouth of the Larut to Qualla Kangsa, a detachment of the troops was attacked by a concealed body of Malays and would have been cut to pieces but for the extreme gallantry by shown by the seamen, who had been formed up as a guard for Brigadier-General Ross, in command of the Field Force. Lieutenant Wood, Sub-Lieutenant Poore, and seamen Henry Thompson, Harry Bennett and David Sloper gained special commendation for their bravery in this affair (all three seamen being awarded the CGM, the only such awards for this campaign).

Poore was specially promoted to Lieutenant for his services during this campaign.

Poore was Lieutenant of Invincible at the bombardment of Alexandria, 11 July 1882, where he had the honour of firing the last shot, as described by Frank Scudamore in his chapter on Lord Kitchener from A Sheaf of Memories: “The signal to cease fire had been made from the Flag-ship, and was, of course, instantly obeyed; but it appears that on the Invincible was a piece of ordnance – an early type of quick-firer (I believe) – which when once prepared for action could not be unloaded without considerable danger to its gun-crew. “Gunnery Jack” who had to deal with this weapon was Lieutenant Richard Poore - now Admiral Sir Richard Poore, Bart. (retired), but then affectionately known in the Service as “Crush-me Dick.” He accordingly asked and received permission to fire his piece. Every ship in the fleet, of course, had read the signal, and all glasses were braqués on the fort, which was Poore’s objective. “ ‘Crush-me,’” said Kitchener, “laid his gun well and true, and the shell sped. An excellent shot – it landed plump in the centre of the upper works. An immense cloud of dust and debris darkened the air for a moment. But when this cleared away, an old woman rushed frantically from an outhouse and chased in some fowls, afraid lest harm befall them.”

Some hours earlier during the bombardment, seeing that the gunners in the lower battery of Mex had abandoned their guns, a party of twelve volunteers, under Lieutenant Bradford, including Lieutenants Poore and Lambton, landed through the growing swell and breaking surf, and spiked six smooth-bores, and disabled two 10-inch rifled muzzle-loaders by exploding charges of gun-cotton in their muzzles.

In the period that followed, Lieutenant Poore was of great assistance to Captain J. A. Fisher, who devised and improvised an armoured train which at once became exceedingly useful for reconnoitring purposes, and which was first employed in action on July 28th. Lieutenant Poore served in the armoured train throughout the remainder of the campaign. The train had a busy day on August 4th, when it accompanied a strong reconnaissance to Mallaha Junction, and there came into contact with Arabi’s outposts, and on the following day, the train was for the first time seriously engaged. On the 5th it steamed out under Captain Fisher at about 4pm. On board were Sir Archibald Alison, Admiral Seymour, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Tuson, R.M.A., and 7 other officers including Poore. A train followed with 700 men of the Marine battalion, and in conjunction with a military force from Ramleh, and another contingent of 200 blue-jackets and 1000 Marines, engaged some 2,000 of the enemy at Mallaha Junction.

On our side two men were killed and 16 wounded. The armoured train continued to make reconnaissances of this kind but the value of them was doubtful, as the positions taken were never held.

Poore, still Lieutenant of the Invincible, next served with the Naval Brigade landed for service in the Sudan, with the Nile Expedition for the relief of General Gordon at Khartoum, in 1884-85. His services during this campaign were equally distinguished, especially when in command of the steamer Nassif Rheir while passing the Cataracts between Wadi Halfa and Dongola, and when crossing the desert with the 2nd Division of the Naval Brigade. He was mentioned in dispatches and promoted to Commander for these services.

Poore was later promoted Captain of the Royal Yacht; he was ADC in attendance on King Edward VII on the occasion of his Coronation, 9 August 1902; promoted Rear-Admiral in August 1903, and Rear-Admiral in Mediterranean Fleet in November 1904; awarded C.V.O. on 11 August 1905, on the occasion of the visit of the French fleet to Cowes; promoted Vice-Admiral in March 1907, and Commander-in-Chief, Australian Station, February 1908 to December 1910; K.C.B. June 1909; Admiral, 17 July 1911; Commander-in-Chief at the Nore 1911-15; retired 1917; Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour 1917; Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy 1917.

Admiral Sir Richard Poor, who had succeeded his father as 4th Baronet in 1893, married in 1885, Ida, daughter of Bishop Graves of Limerick. She was the author of Recollections of an Admiral’s Wife, 1916, An Admiral’s Wife in the Making, 1917, and Harbour Lights, 1922. Admiral Poore died on 8 December 1930.

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355X

The important Victorian K.C.B. group of nine awarded to General Sir Henry Tuson, Colonel Commandant, Royal Marine Artillery, who commanded the R.M.A. in Egypt in 1882, and all Marine Forces during the Sudan campaign at the battles of El-Teb and Tamaai The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge in 18 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1881, and breast star in silver with gold and enamel centre, the star lacking one central crown fitment; China 1857-60, 2 clasps, Taku Forts 1860, Pekin 1860, unnamed as issued; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 3 clasps, Tel-El-Kebir, Suakin 1884, El-Teb_Tamaai (Lt. Col: H. B. Tuson. R.M.A.); Jubilee 1887, clasp, 1897, silver; Ottoman Empire, Order of Osmanie, 3rd Class neck badge, silver, gold and enamels, lacking cravat loop and mounted for display as a breast badge; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882; Germany, Sax-Coburg-Gotha, Silver Wedding Anniversary Medal 1899, these last six mounted for display; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, 3rd class neck badge by Stopin, Paris, silver, gold and enamel, lacking tips of three points; Germany, Saxon Duchies, Ernestine House Order, 2nd type, Commander First Class set of insignia, comprising neck badge, gold and enamels, and breast star in silver with gold and enamel centre, some enamel damage to wreath in this, unless otherwise described, generally very fine or better (11) £10,000-£14,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II Henry Brasnell Tuson was born at Boulogne in about 1836, son of Lieutenant James Tuson, R.N., and joined the Royal Marine Artillery as a 2nd Lieutenant in April 1854. He served in China in 1858-60, and commanded a detachment on an expedition against pirates from 26 August to 5 September, 1858 (mentioned in despatches), and was present at the capture and destruction of 100 junks and 236 guns; was also present at the attack on the Peiho forts on 25 June 1859, the capture of the Taku Forts in 1860, and took possession of the forts and city of Tientsin; was employed in the Flotilla in September 1860 until the notification of the treaty and return of the Army to Tientsin.

He received his Egyptian medal and clasp from the Queen in person at Windsor Castle on 21 November 1882.

He commanded the Royal Marine Artillery of the Battalion of Royal Marines sent out to South Africa for special service in the Zulu war of 1879, but did not see active service. He served as Lieutenant-Colonel in command of the R.M.A. Battalion throughout the whole campaign in Egypt in 1882, and commanded a combined force of R.M.A. and R.M.L.I. at the reconnaissance in force at Mallaha Junction (mentioned in despatches). He afterwards commanded the R.M.A. Battalion in the actions at El Magfar, Mahsaneh, Kassassin 28th August (despatches), Kassassin 9th September, and Tel-el-Kebir, also at the occupation of Cairo and Aboukir Forts (C.B., Brevet of Colonel, extra ADC to the Queen, Medjidie 3rd class).

Advanced to Colonel Commandant R.M. in November 1886, Major-General in May 1888, and Lieutenant-General in August 1893, he was promoted to K.C.B. in May 1895. His Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Duke of Edinburgh), being anxious to mark, upon his accession to the Duchies, his long association with the corps of Royal Marines, of which he was Honorary Colonel, conferred upon Tuson, as Deputy-Adjutant-General of the corps, the decoration of the Saxe-Ernestine Order, 1st Class, in November 1893. Tuson was placed on the retired list, on account of age, on 30 April 1901, and died at Kingston-upon-Thames on 21 December 1916.

Tuson commanded the Royal Marine forces of the Mediterranean, East Indian and China squadron during the naval and military operations in the Eastern Sudan, and at the battles of El-Teb and Tamaai, the advance on and relief of Tokar, and the advance on Tamanieb. He was twice mentioned in naval and military dispatches, his services officially acknowledged by the Lords of the Admiralty, and publicly made known at the Headquarters of the four Divisions of Royal Marines (Suakin and El-Teb-Tamaai clasps, Osmanieh 3rd class).

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

356X

The Victorian C.B. group of three awarded to General G. H. T. Colwell, Royal Marine Light Infantry, second in command of the Marines at the battles of El-Teb and Tamaai The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with ribbon buckle; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, El-Teb_Tamaai (Major G. H. T. Colwell, R.M.) impressed naming; Khedive’s Star, dated 1884, the second with pitting from star, otherwise nearly very fine (3) £2,600-£3,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006.

George Harrie Thorn Colwell was born on 29 September 1841, and joined the Royal Marines as a Second Lieutenant on 11 August 1858; First Lieutenant, 20 April 1860; Captain, 14 November 1872; Major, 1 July 1881. He served in Egypt during the last part of the campaign of 1882, and was present at the surrender of Fort Ghemil. He commanded the force of Royal Marines occupying Port Said, after the cessation of hostilities, from October 1882 to March 1883. Colwell was subsequently detached in temporary command of a Battalion, composed of Royal Marines of the Mediterranean, East India, and China Fleets, for service in the Soudan in 1884, serving as Second in Command, and was present at the battles of El-Teb and Tamaai, the relief of Tokar, and the march to Tamanieb. He was mentioned in despatches for his services at the battle of Tamaai, especially for bringing ‘two of our Companies through the temporary retirement of the Square’. He received the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel for his services in Egypt, dated 21 May 1884 Colwell was appointed a Companion of the Bath on 21 June 1887, on the occasion of the celebration of the completion of the fiftieth year of Her Majesty’s reign. He was promoted to Colonel on 21 May 1888; Colonel Second Commandant, 20 November 1889; Colonel Commandant, 23 March 1895; Major-General, 10 May 1897; received medal for Queen’s Jubilee, 1897; LieutenantGeneral, 19 October 1900; General, 30 January 1902. General Colwell retired on 29 September 1906, and died at Southsea on 12 June 1913.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

357X

The Sudan campaign medal awarded to Lieutenant P. D. M. Henderson, R.N., who served with Hecla’s Naval Brigade and was promoted for his conduct at the battle of El-Teb Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, El-Teb (Sub-Lieut. P. D. M. Henderson, R.N. H.M.S. Hecla.) impressed naming, light pitting from star, otherwise better than very fine £1,800-£2,200

Percy Douglas Melville Henderson entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in 1875 and participated in the Egyptian and Sudanese operations while serving as a Sub-Lieutenant aboard H.M.S. Hecla. Landed with the Naval Brigade, he was present at the battle of El-Teb and promoted for his conduct on this occasion. Sadly this recognition was to be short-lived, the unfortunate Henderson afterwards developing a serious drinking problem which would mar his career up until his departure from the Service in 1894. Court Martialled for ‘wilful disobedience of a lawful command and drunkeness’, Henderson was summed up by the C-in-C. East Indies as ‘An incorrigible drunkard and not a desirable officer to be detained in H.M.’s Service.’

Previous evidence from Commander Markham had done little to assist the defendant’s case: ‘This officer’s consumption of wine has been greatly in excess, especially in the matter of spirits.’ The final word was left to a Naval Record Office clerk who inscribed Henderson’s service papers with the following entry: ‘Retired on half-pay. . . in consequence of being considered a dipsomaniac.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

358

X The Soudan campaign medal awarded to Captain H. M. Heathcote, R.N., who commanded one of the Naval Brigade’s Gardner Guns at the battle of Tamaai Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Tamaai (Lieut. H. M. Heathcote, R.N.) impressed naming, extremely fine £2,000-£2,400 Herbert Moultrie Heathcote entered the Royal Navy on 9 April 1867; Sub-Lieutenant, 28 July 1873; Lieutenant, 28 December 1877. As Lieutenant of Humber, he served during the naval and military operations in the Eastern Soudan in 1884, with the Naval Brigade under General Graham. He was in charge of one of the Gardner guns at the battle of Tamaai, and was later employed in Transport duty (Mentioned in despatches). Promoted to Commander on 1 July 1898, he was promoted Captain on the Retired List on 24 April 1902.

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359X

The Sudan pair awarded to Lieutenant W. H. H. Montresor, R.N., mentioned in despatches for El-Teb and killed in action defending the Naval Brigade’s Gardner Guns at the battle of Tamaai, one of only five British officers killed in this action Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, El-Teb_Tamaai (Lieut. W. H. H. Montresor, R.N. H.M.S. Euryalus.); Khedive’s Star, dated 1884, nearly extremely fine (2) £6,000-£8,000 William Hughes Hallett Montresor joined the Navy in 1868, becoming Sub-Lieutenant in 1874 and Lieutenant in 1879. He served with the Naval Brigade in the Sudan campaign, was mentioned in despatches for El-Teb and killed in action at Tamaai when his Gardner gun was overwhelmed by the enemy. It is very possible that he was shot by our own troops as they attempted to shoot down the approaching horde of arabs.

Memorial in St. Anne’s Church, Portsmouth - "Sacred to the memory of Lieut. W. H. H. Montresor RN, HMS Euryalus. Second and eldest surviving son of Admiral F. B. Montresor. Born March 11th 1855 Died March 13th 1884. Killed whilst bravely defending the guns of the Naval Brigade at the Battle of Tamaai in the Soudan, Egypt."

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360X

The rare Abu Klea group of three awarded to George Holden Woodman, Engine Room Artificer in the Safieh during her epic rescue in February 1885 of Sir Charles Wilson’s ill-fated party on its attempt to reach Khartoum, in the course of which he was severely scalded when the Safieh’s boiler took a direct hit Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 2 clasps, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (G. Woodman, E.R.A.) impressed naming, engraved correction to initial; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (G. Woodman, Eng. Rm. Artifr., H.M.S. President) impressed naming, engraved correction to initial; Khedive’s Star, dated 1884-6, light pitting from star, otherwise very fine (3) £2,600-£3,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

With small detachments from the naval brigade and with 20 marksmen from the mounted infantry, Charles Beresford began his advance up the river on the steamer Safieh, to rescue Sir Charles Wilson’s party. His armament consisted of two Gardner machine guns and two 4-pounder brass mountain guns. The engine-room staff consisted of Chief Engineer Benbow, two engine-room artifisers, Royal Navy, J. T. Garland and G. Woodman, and one chief stoker, Royal Navy, an Arab engineer and six Soudanese stokers. The Safieh could steam at the rate of some 2.5 knots only; so, even if navigation had been unimpeded, progress would have been extremely slow.

Early on 3 February the Safieh sighted the 3-gun Dervish fort at Wad Habeshni, which put a shot into the steamer’s boiler. Between 1900 and 2000 the Gardner silenced the only Dervish gun that could bring fire upon the steamer after she had anchored on the bank opposite the fort, some 450 metres distant from it. Undoubtedly, this silencing of the fort’s guns saved the steamer from destruction.

Wilson’s party slipped past the fort in the darkness, the sick and wounded being transported in a nuggar (which, although fired on, suffered little damage) and the remainder marching along the opposite bank. The enemy were deceived into believing that both the Safieh and the nugger had been abandoned; the result being that the enemy fire ceased for the night. The damaged boiler had cooled by ll00. Chief Engineer Henry Benbow went to work on it as soon as it could be touched, and, after ten hours of unremitting labour, he succeeded in repairing it.

“Too much credit,” said Beresford, “cannot be given to this officer, as he had to shape the plate, bore the holes in plate and boiler, and run down the screws and nuts, almost entirely with his own hands, the artificers and everyone in the stokehold having been scalded severely by the explosion when the shot entered the boilers.”

Beresford later stated that he would have recommended Benbow for the Victoria Cross but was under the impression that the latter’s service was not of the type that would have qualified for the award. Benbow was later promoted to be Inspector of Machinery.

At 0500 on 4 February the fires of the boiler were re-lit; every precaution having been taken, however, to raise steam as quietly and unobtrusively as possible. At 0550, when day was about to break and all was ready, the Dervishes realized that the Safieh had not been deserted and brought the guns to bear upon the steamer; but, before they could open fire, Beresford weighed anchor and proceeded up the river, as if steaming for Khartum.

He only travelled for some half a kilometre until, finding a place in which he could turn in safety, put about and steamed past the fort at the highest speed possible, using his rifles and machine guns with maximum effect. Below the fort he found the nuggar aground, with the sick and wounded still in her and within range of the Dervish guns. At length both steamer and nuggar were able to move down to the area where Wilson, with his party, were awaiting them. All were taken on board, and at 17h45 the camp at Gubat - the main base of the relief force at this time - was reached.

This episode of the rescue of Wilson’s relief force involved a decisive psychological victory against the Mahdi’s forces at a critical juncture in the fortunes of the desert column. It should be borne in mind that the capture of Khartum had cemented the Mahdi’s control over the entire region. In point of fact, he had despatched an army of some 30 000 men against Gubat. However, the rescue of Wilson’s ill-starred expedition restored British prestige in the eyes of the Dervishes to such an extent that the commander of the latter restrained his forces until the British had quit the neighbourhood of the river. The fact that the extremely vulnerable force at Gubat was not attacked is an indication of the extent of Beresford’s psychological victory.

George Holden Woodman was born at Horley, Surrey, on 2 April 1853, and joined the Royal Navy on 1 April 1878, aged 25, a fitter by trade. Rated Acting Engine Room Artificer he joined H.M.S. Pembroke, the newly commissioned Royal Navy Supply School at Chatham. Brief service aboard Monarch and Devastation was followed by his appointment to the Falcon in July 1878, in which ship he was confirmed as E.R.A. in August 1879. He moved to Royal Adelaide in October 1881 and the following month returned to Pembroke. Thereafter he served ashore at Duncan, Pembroke, Vernon and Pembroke again until joining Monarch in September 1884 and his attachment to the Nile Flotilla from October 1884 to April 1885. He received his L.S. & G.C. medal in May 1886, and promotion to E.R.A. 1st Class on 1 April 1888, and to Chief E.R.A. 2nd Class later in the same month. He was advanced to Chief E.R.A. 1st Class in April 1894, and ended his days at President (R.N. College) from May 1896 to 30 April 1900, when he was shore pensioned.

Sold with copied record of service and medal roll confirmation, together with an original edition of Nash’s Magazine for May 1914, with Admiral Beresford’s own account of the Safieh’s adventures in ‘Running the Gauntlet’ which mentions Woodman’s presence on board.

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X The rare Great War C.B., royal visit M.V.O. group of six awarded to Major-General H. S. N. White, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who saw action with the Camel Corps at Abu Klea The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Civil) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarked London 1916, complete with ribbon buckle; The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O., Member’s 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamels, the reverse officially numbered ‘430’; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 2 clasps, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (Lieut. H. S. N. White, R.M.L.I.) impressed naming; British War Medal 1914-20 (Brig. Gen. H. S. N. White. R.M.L.I.); Coronation 1902, silver; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882 [note should be 1884-6] mounted court-style for wearing, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (6) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Just four Royal Marine officers received the Egypt & Sudan medal with clasps ‘The Nile 1884-85’ and ‘Abu Klea’.

C.B. (Civil) London Gazette 1 January 1917.

M.V.O. 4th Class London Gazette 11 March 1906. An award for ceremonial work and Guard of Honour duties during the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to India 1905-06.

Herbert Southey Neville White was born on 23 July 1862, the son of the Reverend H. S. White, of Tunstead, Norfolk, and was educated at Marlborough. Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Chatham Division of the Royal Marine Light Infantry in September 1882, he was embarked for ‘special service’ in the flagship H.M.S. Alexandra in May 1884, namely for duties ashore in the Royal Marine Battalion in Egypt and the Sudan.

He subsequently participated in the defence of the Sphinx Redoubt at Suakin from 17 June to 24 October 1884 and was one of four Marine officers appointed to the Royal Marine detachment of the Guards Camel Regiment in the advance up the Nile to rescue General Gordon at Khartoum. During that period, he was present at the actions of Abu Klea and Abu Kru (Gubat) and at the reconnaissance in force at Metemmeh, and the attack on the convoy of wounded, and at all other operations in the Bayuda Desert during the advance on the Nile.

At Abu Klea and Abu Kru in particular, White and his men were heavily engaged with the Guards Camel Regiment in their defensive squares, their accurate rifle fire undoubtedly contributing to the defeat of the Dervish onslaught. But such was the scale and ferocity of the enemy attack in the former affair that our losses, accrued in just 10 minutes, were 76 killed and 82 wounded. The Mahdists took approximately 1,500 casualties. In The River War, Winston Churchill described the battle at Abu Klea as ‘the most savage and bloody action ever fought in the Sudan by British troops.’

On his return from Egypt, White was posted to the Divisional Headquarters at Chatham. Then, in September 1886, he was embarked in the steam corvette Canada, in which he served with the North America and West Indies Squadron. Having then been appointed to the Naval Intelligence Department at the Admiralty in December 1889, he was promoted to Captain on 1 June 1892. He returned to sea in the battleship Ramillies in the summer of 1895, the flagship of Admiral Sir John Hopkins, K.C.B., Commander in Chief on the Mediterranean Station.

He next held a staff appointment in the Chatham Division, during which period he was advanced to Major in October 1899 and received the Coronation 1902 medal for his command of a Guard of Honour to Edward VII. White then returned to sea in the flagship Bulwark on the Mediterranean station, followed by a tour of duty in the battleship Renown in which he commanded the detachment of Royal Marines who, on the occasion of the visit to India in 1905-06 by the Prince and Princess of Wales, were called upon for guard and ceremonial duties. For these services he was awarded the M.V.O. 4th Class.

Advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1907, White returned to the Admiralty as an Assistant Director in the Naval Intelligence Department, prior to being appointed Inspector of Marine Recruiting in October 1910. And on his promotion to Brigadier-General in January 1914, he became Colonel Commandant at the Royal Marine depot at Deal. He remained likewise employed for the duration of the Great War, being awarded the C.B. (Civil) and placed on the Retired List as a Major-General in May 1918. He died in February 1938.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

362

X The Soudan campaign pair awarded to Lieutenant M. H. M. Seymour, Royal Navy, who was killed in action at the battle of Tofrek on 23 March 1885 Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 2 clasps, Suakin 1885, Tofrek (Lieut. M. H. Seymour R.N. H.M.S. Dolphin.) impressed naming; Khedive’s Star, dated 1884-6, extremely fine (2) £6,000-£8,000 Montague Hamilton March Gruggen (changed to Seymour in 1876) was born in Chichester, Sussex, on 29 September 1854, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in January 1868. Appointed a Midshipman in January 1870, he enjoyed varied service over the coming decade and was advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in July 1874 and to Lieutenant in August 1878. Having then attended torpedo and gunnery courses, and continued his studies at the R.N.C. Greenwich, he was appointed to H.M.S. Dolphin for services in Egypt and the Sudan.

Seymour was subsequently selected as a member of the Royal Marine Battalion assigned to Sir John McNeill’s column for the advance on Tamaai; a vast, unwieldy column with some 1,500 baggage animals, its progress was slowed by the harsh terrain and thick bush. On 23 March the force halted at Tofrek, about six miles from Suakin, and work was commenced in constructing a three-square defensive zeriba. Command of one of the redoubts, protecting the square entrusted to the Royal Berkshire Regiment, was given to Seymour.

However, as work was still proceeding, a report was received of ‘the enemy collecting to the front’, swiftly followed by another with news that they were ‘advancing rapidly’. Sir John McNeill immediately gave orders to call in the working parties and in the next instant the cavalry came galloping in and, close behind them, a howling mob of 5,000 Hadendoa tribesmen.

The working party of the Berkshire Regiment rushed back into their zeriba, and stood to their arms, moments before for the main thrust of the enemy’s attack fell upon their position. Swarming over the low bush fence and unfinished sandbag parapet at the south-west salient, the Hadendoa set about the defenders with their long razor sharp swords, and it was in the course of this determined assault that Seymour and five of his bluejackets, who had charge of the Gardner guns, were overrun and killed, and two of his sailors wounded; the Gardner guns were in the process of being placed in position at the time of the attack, and jammed after firing only a few rounds.

The battle lasted just 20 minutes but was marked for its acts of bravery and the fanatical devotion of the Hadendoa.

As the smoke and dust cleared away, a shambles of bodies of men and animals was revealed. The British lost seven officers and 63 men killed, and six officers and 89 men wounded. And there were 80 casualties amongst the Indian infantry along with 150 civilian camel drivers and 750 transport animals killed or maimed. Added to which at least 1,500 of the Hadendoa tribesmen suffered death or wounds around and within the zeribas.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The rare India General Service medal awarded to Mr. Frederick Kennedy, who was awarded the C.I.E. for his services as Manager of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company’s fleet during the Burma operations of 1885-87 India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (Mr. F. C. Kennedy, C.I.E.) good very fine

£1,000-£1,400

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2003.

Frederick Charles Kennedy was born in Leith in 1849, the son of Peter Cuming Kennedy, a tweed merchant, of Edinburgh. Having no inclination to join his father in business, he decided to become a civil engineer. However, having qualified, he was dissatisfied with his progress and financial prospects, believing that he would have to look beyond the borders of Scotland if his ambitions were to be fulfilled. Accordingly, he offered his services to the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company (I.F.C.), of Glasgow.

Formed in 1852, the Company had sent four paddle steamers to Burma for the prosecution of the second Burmese War and, on being taken over by private enterprise in 1865, it grew into the greatest river fleet the world has known.

For his own part, Kennedy was engaged by the Company to replace Archibald Colquhoun, the Assistant Manager, who had died suddenly in Rangoon in October 1877. That Kennedy was appointed as the new Assistant Manager over the heads of Assistants already serving in Burma is indicative of him possessing notable qualities and promise.

During the Burmese operations of 1885-87, as Manager of the I.F.C. in Burma, he directed the Flotilla throughout the campaign. He had already been told that most of the Flotilla Company’s fleet, which then comprised 35 steamers and 63 flats, plus a number of despatch launches, would be required to take the expeditionary force from Rangoon upriver. In the event, 26 steamers, twenty-eight flats, seven barges and four steam launches were requisitioned and prepared for various uses, mainly as transports for troops and stores, but some of them for fighting purposes. Some idea of the ability of these paddlers with their flats to accommodate personnel on their spacious decks can be gained from the number of Indian troops embarked by Thooreah, which had three decks, and her two flats: no less than 2,100 men.

In recognition of his valuable services during the campaign Kennedy received the India Medal and was created a Companion of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.), the award being announced in the London Gazette of 29 May 1886. He subsequently became General Manager of the Company in 1894 and remained as such until 1906.

Later still, his highly successful career continued apace in his role as Managing Director of the London and Edinburgh Shipping Co. Ltd., so successful that by the time of his death in Edinburgh in April 1916, aged 68, he had amassed a fortune of some £250,000.

Sold with comprehensive research and a copy of Irrawaddy Flotilla, by Alister McCrae and Alan Prentice, in which Kennedy’s career is described in detail.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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X The Baronet’s Badge and M.V.O. group of eight awarded to Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Graves-Sawle, Bt., Royal Navy, who was mentioned in despatches for his command of the Naval Brigade in the Gambia in 1894, which role he assumed after Flag Captain E. H. Gamble had been wounded Baronet’s Badge, of the United Kingdom, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse inscribed ‘Graves-Sawle of Penrice 1836’, hallmarked London 1929; The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O., Member’s 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse officially numbered ‘110’; Egypt and Sudan 188289, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (Lieut: C. J. Graves-Sawle. R.N. H.M.S. “Superb”); East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Gambia 1894 (Commr. C. G. Sawle R.N., H.M.S. Raleigh.); China 1900, no clasp (Captain C. J. Graves-Sawle, R.N. H.M.S. Bonaventure.); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882; Greece, Kingdom, Order of the Redeemer, 3rd Class neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, with neck cravat in its Lemaitre, Paris case of issue; Spain, Kingdom, Order of Naval Merit, 2nd Class breast star, silver-gilt and enamels, some enamel chips to the last two, otherwise nearly very fine or better (8) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

M.V.O. London Gazette 2 June 1903: ‘The King has been graciously pleased, during His Majesty’s visit to Malta, to make the following appointments to the Royal Victorian Order.’

Charles John Graves-Sawle was born on 28 April 1851, the second son of Sir Charles Brune Graves-Sawle, 2nd Baronet, and Member of Parliament for Bodmin. His grandfather took the additional name of Sawle, having inherited the estates of that ancient Cornish family at Penrice. Charles’s descendants numbered Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves, who led the van at the ‘Glorious First of June’ in 1794’ and Sir Thomas Graves, Vice-Admiral of the Blue and second-in-command to Nelson at Copenhagen.

And he continued his family’s naval tradition, after attending Somerset College, Bath. His obituary in The Times, published on 19 February 1932, takes up the story:

He was A.D.C. to King Edward VII in 1906 and was advanced to RearAdmiral on the Retired List in 1907. He became High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1913. He died on 18 February 1932.

Sir Charles married in 1887 Constance Mary, daughter of General C. F. T. Daniell, and had one son in the Coldstream Guards who was killed at Ypres, and two daughters, one of whom died in 1926; the other is the wife of Colonel R. P. Cobbold. The Baronetcy becomes extinct.’

Sold with a fine array of card-mounted studio portrait photographs, approximately 15 images of which half are contained in a photographer’s proof portfolio, together with copied research.

‘He entered the Royal Navy in March 1865. He served in the Hercules and Bellerophon and was promoted to Lieutenant in April 1876. He went to the Mediterranean in October 1880 as Lieutenant of the Superb and served there about six years. He was present at the bombardment of Alexandria in July 1882 and during the operations of the Egyptian War, for which he received the Medal with clasp ‘Alexandria 11th July’ and the Khedive’s Bronze Star.

In 1888 he became Second in Command of the Canada on the North American Station. He was appointed in January 1890 as First Lieutenant of the battleship Anson, Flagship of Rear-Admiral Tracey in the Channel Squadron and was promoted to Commander in December 1890.

The following summer he went to the Cape as Commander of Raleigh, Flagship of the Commander in Chief Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, K.C.B. It fell to the Rear-Admiral to conduct certain punitive expeditions in West Africa in one of which Commander Graves-Sawle took a prominent part. After Flag Captain Gamble had been wounded he took command of the Naval Brigade landed from Raleigh, Alecto, Satellite, Magpie and Widgeon at Bathurst, on the River Gambia, in February 1894, in co-operation with two companies of the 1st West India Regiment, to punish a rebellious slave trading chief named Fodi Silah. For his services he was Mentioned in Despatches and received the General Africa Medal with clasp ‘Gambia 1894’. In the following August he received his first independent command, the light cruiser Mohawk, in North American waters and in December 1896 he was promoted to Captain His first service as Captain was as Flag Captain to Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford in Crescent, on the North American Station. In 1900 he went to China as Captain of the Bonaventure. As Captain of the cruiser Aboukir in the Mediterranean on the occasion of King Edward’s visit to Malta in 1903 he was made an M.V.O. Following his father’s death in April 1903, and the death of his brother without issue in August of the same year, he succeeded to the Baronetcy and property. He did not seek another appointment and retired.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The unusual and rare campaign group of three awarded to Captain J. N. Lalor, Royal Marine Light Infantry and Niger Coast Protectorate Force, who, having won ‘mentions’ for the capture of two Arab dhows off Zanzibar in 1890, and for his cool conduct and bravery at Witu later that year, was mortally wounded in the Alecto’s steam cutter while carrying out a reconnaissance of Brohemie Creek on the Benin River in 1894 Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 2 clasps, Suakin 1885, Tofrek (Lieut. J. N. Lalor, R.M.L.I.); East and West Africa 18871900, 2 clasps, Benin River 1894, Witu 1890 (J. N. Lalor, Niger Coast Prot.) the ‘Witu 1890’ clasp loose on ribbon; Khedive’s Star, dated 1884-6, minor contact marks, otherwise very fine and better (3) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007.

James Nicholas Lalor was born in Dublin in April 1863 and was commissioned Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in September 1882. Appointed an Instructor of Gunnery in April 1890, and advanced to Captain in July 1893, he first saw active service with the Royal Marine Battalion defending Suakin. He was subsequently engaged in the operations in Eastern Sudan 1884-85, being present at the action at Hasheen on 20 March 1885, the attack on Sir J. McNeill’s zareba at Tulufik on the 22 March, the attack on the square of Guards and Marines near Tofrek on 24 March, and at the taking and burning of Tamaai on 3 April, being severely wounded during the latter engagement.

Lalor next served in the Indian Ocean in command of cruising boats, and was mentioned in despatches in 1890 for the capture of two Arab dhows off Pemba Island and Zanzibar. He then served with the Royal Marine Battalion that formed part of the Naval Brigade under Vice-Admiral Sir E. R. Freemantle in the punitive expedition against the Sultan of Witu, and won a second “mention” for his deeds in the attack along the Witu road, the Admiral noting he was ‘struck with the cool conduct of the Marines under Lieutenant-Colonel Poole and Lieutenant Lalor, R.M.L.I., a considerable body of the enemy being at one time in front of them at less than 200 yards’.

He further noted that he was ‘bounded to mention specially

Lieutenant W. C. Slater in command of the Field Guns, and Lieutenants E. M. Hewett and A. T. Hunt, R.N. and Lieutenant James N. Lalor, R.M.L.I. as efficient Company Officers’.

Having then been seconded for service with the Royal Niger Coast Protectorate, in the rank of Captain, Lalor took part in the Benin River Expedition of 1894 against Chief Nanna of Brohemie Town, Brohemie Creek. In an attempt to reconnoitre the enemy’s positions, the steam cutter from H.M.S. Alecto was sent up the creek under LieutenantCommander Heugh, accompanied by Major C. Crawford, Consular Agent to the Niger Coast Protectorate, Lalor, six ratings and a native interpreter. However, the cutter came under fire from a battery of concealed guns, which, though at length silenced by rockets, killed the coxswain and wounded others, Lalor mortally so - the cutter in a sinking state barely made it back to the Alecto. For this action Heugh was awarded the D.S.O., two ratings the C.G.M. and Lalor a posthumous mention in despatches - ‘Captain Lalor also, though so severely wounded, was endeavouring to support me [Heugh] in bringing the boat out of this difficulty’.

Sold with copied services papers and extracts of Vice-Admiral Fremantle’s despatches for the Witu Expedition of 1890 and Rear-Admiral Bedford and Lieutenant-Commander Heugh’s despatches for the Benin River Expedition of 1894.

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366

X The fine Knight Bachelor’s Great War C.B. group of nine awarded to Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Carpendale, Royal Navy, ‘a handsome blue-eyed man with a barking manner’; in a far cry from his distinguished naval career – which included service in the M’wele anti-slavery expedition of 1895-96 - he served as Deputy Director-General and Controller of the B.B.C. in 192338, in which role he was noted for his ‘famous quarter-deck manner … belied as often as not by an ultimate twinkle in his eye’ The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with neck cravat in its Garrard & Co case of issue; Knight Bachelor’s Badge, 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, hallmarked London 1933, in its fitted case of issue; East and West Africa 1887-1900, for Mwele 1895, no clasp (Lieut. C. D. Carpendale, H.M.S. St George); 1914-15 Star (Capt. C. D. Carpendale, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Commre. 2. Cl. C. D. Carpendale. R.N.); Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1902, silver; Jubilee 1935, good very fine or better (9) £2,000-£2,400 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Knight Bachelor London Gazette 22 June 1932.

C.B. London Gazette 3 June 1918: ‘For war services.’

Charles Douglas Carpendale was born on 18 October 1874, the son of the Reverend William Henry Carpendale and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in July 1888. A diligent student, he gained 12 months sea time and was immediately appointed a Midshipman in July 1889, in addition to being awarded the Ryder Memorial Prize. Having then served on the Mediterranean station in H.M.S. Collingwood, he was confirmed in the rank of Sub. Lieutenant in October 1893.

Appointed to the cruiser St. George - flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, C.-in-C. at the Cape of Good Hope, in March 1895, he was advanced to Lieutenant and witnessed active service in the Naval Brigade in anti-slavery operations in 189596. The Arab Chief Mbarak, with his stronghold at Mwele, had been slave raiding contrary to new legislation introduced by the British Government and he refused to see a delegation sent to meet him. Reprisals were inevitable, and a Naval Brigade under Rawson marched inland and captured Mwele with a loss of three killed and 11 wounded; just nine no-clasp East and West Africa Medals with the ‘Mwele 1895-96’ edge inscription were awarded to officers.

Returning to the U.K. in early 1896, Carpendale obtained a 1st Class Certificate in gunnery in Excellent and was appointed to the command of the torpedo boat destroyer Whiting, in which capacity he was present in the 1897 Jubilee Review and received the Medal.

Further foreign service ensued, on the North America and China stations, followed by a appointments in the Naval Ordnance Department at the Admiralty and at the R.N.C. Greenwich, and he was advanced to Commander in June 1904 and to Captain in December 1910. Back at sea in the period leading up to the Great War, he served in the cruiser Edgar, flagship of Vice-Admiral George Le C. Egerton, C.B., Commander in Chief at the Cape of Good Hope and South Africa Station, and in the cruiser Good Hope as Flag Captain to Rear-Admiral Frederick C.D. Sturdee, C.V.O., G.M.G., Commanding the 5th Cruiser Squadron.

In September 1914, he took command of the cruiser Donegal, serving with the 6th Cruiser Squadron in the Grand Fleet,

and he remained likewise employed until appointed to the command of the light cruiser Colleen in August 1915. Then on relinquishing this appointment in July 1917, he took command of the cruiser Achilles in the North America and West Indies Squadron, prior to ending the war as a Commodore 2nd Class in Charge of Auxiliary Patrol. He was awarded the C.B. in June 1918 and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 16 September 1919, refers), and appointed an A.D.C. to the King.

Carpendale’s final seagoing appointment was in command of the Benbow in 1919-21, in which period he landed a party of Royal Marines at the time of the Occupation of Constantinople during the Greco-Turkish War. He was advanced to Rear-Admiral and – at his own request – was placed on the Retired List in the summer of 1923. He was however advanced to Rear-Admiral (Retired) in October 1926.

B.B.C. Subsequently recruited by Lord Reith, he served as Deputy Director-General and Controller of the British Broadcasting Corporation (B.B.C.) in 1923-38, in addition to holding the Presidency of the International Broadcasting Union in 1925-35.

Throughout his service he was mainly concerned with administration, but his personal touch was nonetheless widespread and, in emergencies such as the General Strike of 1926, he was always ready and welcome to lend a hand in the studio. His common-sense approach - feet firmly on the ground - was appreciated by all and smoothed the way for the Corporation’s rapid expansion, as well as serving as a means of calming more temperamental members of staff. In fact, Carpendale’s transparent integrity and famous ‘quarterdeck manner’ – always accompanied by a twinkle in his eye and a ready smile – did much to promote confidence in his leadership, so much so that it said the staff adored him. He was certainly well-known for his participation in their social activities, ranging from dances and sporting events to taking part in plays.

But such physical activity was very much up his street, his recreations including winter sports, riding and mountaineering.

The Admiral, who was appointed a Knight Bachelor in June 1932 and served as the Ministry of Information’s Liaison Officer at the Air Ministry in the Second World War, died in March 1968.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The unique Ashanti 1896 C.M.G., Dawkita 1897 D.S.O. group of six awarded to Commander F. B. Henderson, Royal Navy - the remarkable defence of Dawkita, over four days and nights, with 40-odd men pitched against an army of Sofas 7000 strong, stands out as one of the great epics of Empire, so too Henderson’s extraordinary bravery in giving himself up to the enemy to parley for the freedom of his men; he refused to kneel before the Samory and his elders, even having been shown the head of his most trusted officer The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top riband bar; East and West Africa 1887-1900, 2 clasps, Dawkita 1897, 1897-98 (Lieut. F. B. Henderson. R.N.) second clasp loose on ribbon; Ashanti Star 1896; British War Medal 1914-20 (Commr. F. B. Henderson. R.N.); Coronation 1911, enamel work slightly chipped in places, generally very fine and better (6) £30,000-£40,000 Provenance: Richard Magor Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, July 2003.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

C.M.G. London Gazette 26 June 1902.

D.S.O. London Gazette 8 March 1898: ‘In recognition of services in conducting operations against the Sofas in 1897.’

Francis Barkley Henderson was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire on 8 July 1859, fourth son of the Rev. J. H. Henderson and Anne, daughter of Rear-Admiral H. G. Morris, R.N. Educated at Britannia, he was appointed a Midshipman in October 1874 and, four years later, on promotion to Sub. Lieutenant, he joined H.M.S. Bacchante, sailing in her during her world cruise with the Dukes of York and Clarence as fellow Midshipmen.

And on passing for Lieutenant in June 1882, he was awarded the Goodenough Medal for the best examination in gunnery.

But in July 1884, his promising career seemingly came to a halt, when he was invalided from the active list.

In the following year, however, he took up appointment as Private Secretary and A.D.C. to Sir W. E. Maxwell, K.C.M.G., Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, and accompanied him to Kumassi during the Ashanti Expedition of 1896, experience that no doubt assisted him in gaining appointment as a Travelling Commissioner in the Colony for the next six years. And it was during the course of this appointment that he commanded the small force allocated to the Defence of Dawkita in 1897.

Not enough, perhaps, has been written of this gallant little affair, but in his Africa General Service Medals, Richard Magor provides a full and entertaining account of proceedings. As the author successfully illustrates, Henderson’s feat is wholly worthy of comparison to other 19th century epics, Rorke’s Drift among them. For reasons discussed at length by Magor, including aggressive behaviour towards Europeans and friendly tribesmen, Henderson raised the Union Flag at Dawkita in the full knowledge that his actions might be met with severe local opposition. Apart from anything else, the Sofas were said to be starving and his occupation of Dawkita effectively blocked their way to forage for food. He also took the trouble to warn the appropriate Chiefs that if they continued to molest his people, their actions would be considered as hostile ones This, of course, was like a red rag to a bull, and within a short period of time, the Sofas were on the warpath to Henderson’s little three-compound settlement. Henderson takes up the story in his subsequent despatch: ‘The Sofa army appeared over the hill in front of the town, massed in a huge square, numbering, as far as we could estimate, about 7000 men. Their mounted men, of whom they had about 400, tried to pass to the rear of the town on our left, but were driven back by some Lobis, and then, passing along the river bank, occupied the water-hole distant about 350 yards from our front. The Bonas, who were to have held this, made no resistance. I felt very much the want of this water-hole, want of water being one of the chief causes of my having, eventually, to retire.

At 4.30 p.m. their riflemen (numbering over 1000) opened a heavy fire on us from the cover of the bush. They showed some skill in skirmishing and their fire was well directed, though high. I had been informed on good authority that they were very short of ammunition, but this want had evidently been supplied from some source, as they were able to keep up an almost un-intermittent fire through that night, the next day and the best part of the next night, and at intervals heavily for the rest of the four days. At night I only replied to their

fire by an occasional volley, when they came to the edge of their cover.’

Such were the odds faced by the gallant defenders of Dawkita, a tiny force of arms comprising an African surveyor, Mr. George E. Ferguson, a native Police Officer and 41 Constables of the Gold Coast Constabulary, all of whom, under their gallant commander, found themselves pitched against the full might of several thousand Sofas, an army which they engaged and held off for four days and nights. Amazingly, given that they were outnumbered by 160-1, the defenders suffered just two men killed and eight wounded, while the Sofas are believed to have lost at least 400 warriors.

It had been at dusk on the fourth day of the defence that Henderson had decided to evacuate Dawkita and retire to Wa, where reinforcements were expected, and after marching through the night, he duly met up with Captain Cramer, who had 50 men, two guns and some rocket launchers. Henderson later reported in his despatch that he regretted having to leave the Government’s tent behind, which had been used as an awning in the defence and was ‘riddled with bullets’, but was pleased to report that the Union Flag, which ‘had been flying since my occupation of the place’, was saved. He also made light of what had clearly been a terrifying 40-mile dash for Wa. Inevitably, however, this bid for freedom proved in vain, for the agitated Sofas hot-footed it to Wa, encircled Henderson’s barely increased force and recommenced hostilities. Painfully aware that their position was now hopeless, and in a desperate attempt to save his men, Henderson put his life on the line by suggesting he parley with the enemy Prince, whom he knew to be both ‘treacherous and cruel.’ His despatch continues: ‘I then laid this proposition before the other officers, who at first opposed the plan on the grounds of the risk I should incur, Ferguson especially saying that I should be uselessly courting death in some unpleasant form. In the end they concurred and a letter was written to the Prince stating that we had not come here to fight his people and could not understand why he had followed me here .. ‘ Of subsequent developments, Magor states: ‘The next morning a Chief came to the British to enter into further discussion, and for reasons unknown, other than Henderson’s extreme gallantry, it was decided that he would indeed have to accompany the Chief back to his Prince for a face to face encounter of the terrifying kind. Given the near suicidal nature of this undertaking, it was decided that if Henderson was detained by the Prince, his men were to evacuate Wa as soon as possible.

Henderson found the Prince surrounded by all his Chiefs and young courtiers and behind them about 1000 riflemen.

The palaver commenced and after the usual preliminaries Henderson said he had not come to fight the Sofas but to prevent the French from occupying the country. He confirmed that he wished to march to Daboya en route for Kumassi. Just as things seemed to be about to be agreed the Prince’s priest created trouble and he was told that all his men and stores had to come to the Sofa camp and he must write the requisite order, which Henderson refused to do. He however wrote to Cramer to tell him the result of the palaver and assumed that if the palaver failed and he was detained, the British force was to make its way that night to Daboya.

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Henderson was then put under guard and his messenger returned with some food and Cramer’s suggestion that he should offer £1000 for his release; this Henderson would not do but offered the sum for free passage for all of the force, which was declined.

The Sofas threatened Henderson who, alone and powerless, must have had a particularly anxious time. He was told to wait while his fate was decided and after a wait of one and a half hours was brought before the Council, when he was told: ‘That they had examined my head (figuratively of course) and had seen that I was a good man and would therefore do me no harm but send me down to the Coast but I was a big man and must see the Alimany in Jimini first.’

The next day the Sofas moved to Wa where Henderson found the Headman of the Carriers, George Watson, bound.

In the afternoon Henderson was called to see a head just brought in, which was that of Mr. Ferguson ‘I need say nothing of my feelings at this abrupt information of the death of a friend, whose loyalty, courage and intelligence I had so fully learned to appreciate.’

An eyewitness said that Ferguson, who had been wounded and was deserted by his hammockmen, was found in the morning by two Sofas at whom he pointed his empty revolver.

They ran away and returning with others shot him and then cut off his head.

On 18 April the party left on horseback to visit Somary at Jimini and on the 26th reached the Komoe river and three days later arrived at Hara Monkoro, Samory’s seat of Government, where he met him and his elders and 3-4000 riflemen formed up in an oval. The spoil, guns, etc., captured at Wa was carried around in a kind of procession, followed by Henderson in his hammock. He refused to kneel before the Samory but shook his hand instead and then sat down on a chair beside him and a review of the troops took place.

He was then sent to comfortable quarters with an orderly to preserve him from intruders.

Several conversations were held with Samory in which he laid great stress on friendship with the English and did not consider that either were responsible for the conflict at Dawkita, saying “it came from God.” After more talks Samory, who was intensely suspicious, decided to send Henderson to the coast. He left on 4 May with a letter for the Governor and he left accompanied by 16 of his people and a Sofa escort. Henderson by then was ill with dysentery and in a somewhat critical condition owing to a poor diet and lack of any medicines.

Eventually Henderson arrived at Kumassi and after four or five days he had recovered sufficient strength to be carried to the coast.’

In due course, too, he submitted his official despatch to the powers that be, and before long word was buzzing around the corridors of Whitehall about that gallant Lieutenant Henderson, R.N., the travelling commissioner who kept 7000 warriors at bay with less than 50 men. But his peculiar status of ex-Naval Officer come Colonial Office salesman caused some difficulty with the authorities delegated the task of rewarding his remarkable services. At one stage, it seems, he was up for both the C.M.G. and a D.S.O., but as Magor confirms, even higher awards were discussed: ‘ .. there was talk of recommending Henderson for the Victoria Cross and the Queen herself much hoped that Mr. Henderson’s gallant conduct would meet with some honorary recognition as ‘Her Majesty was much impressed with his story and has known him personally for a long time as a brother Officer of the Duke of York.’ ‘ But in the end, and it seems likely as a result of indirectly upsetting some senior F.O. desk wallahs by entering into negotiations with the Sofas, Henderson received a solitary D.S.O. He also became the only white recipient of the East and West Africa Medal with ‘Dawkita 1897’ clasp, the creation of which caused yet further ruffled feathers along the corridors of power; only a roll for the 43 native recipients survives.

Following the Dawkita episode, Henderson remained employed in the Gold Coast Colony, and served as Acting Chief Commissioner of Ashanti from 1902, in which year he received his C.M.G., until 1904, when he was invalided home.

Recalled to the Royal Navy in October 1914, he was attached to the Naval Intelligence Department at the Admiralty, and afterwards lent to M.I. 5 at the War Office, where he served until being demobbed in July 1919.

The Commander, who retired to Little Blakenham, Suffolk, and whose recreations included shooting and lawn tennis, died there in March 1934. He was onetime a J.P. and also a member of the Royal Geographical Society.

Note: The above described East and West Africa Medal was originally sold in the Lovell Collection at Sotheby’s in 1977, and subsequently as part of the Upfill-Brown Collection in these Rooms in December 1991. It was subsequently united with the recipient’s other Honours and Awards by Richard Magor, after appearing at auction at Glendining’s.

Magor also added the ‘1897-98’ clasp, based on the fact that the original roll reveals Henderson signing for it in his capacity as Acting Chief Commissioner. Interestingly, for the record, his original set of dress miniatures also includes this clasp; see the relevant article by C. B. and R. A. Hill, M.B.E., in the O.M.R.S. Journal.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The unique Uganda Mutiny C.M.G. group of four awarded to Lieutenant C. W. Fowler, Royal Navy The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s, breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with ribbon buckle; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, Suakin 1885 (Lieut. C. W. Fowler, R.N. H.M.S. Carysfort) impressed naming; East and Central Africa 1897-99, 2 clasps, Lubwa’s, Uganda 1897-98 (Lt: C. W. Fowler, R.N.) mounted on original wearing bar together with related ribbon bar, nearly extremely fine (4) £8,000-£10,000 The clasp ‘Lubwa’s’ is unique to the Royal Navy.

Charles Wilson Fowler was born in December 1859 in Cookham, Berkshire, the ninth of 13 children of Captain George Campbell Fowler, R.N. Like his father, he joined the Navy as a Cadet in January 1873, becoming Midshipman in June 1875, Sub-Lieutenant in April 1880, and Lieutenant in December 1883. He was Lieutenant of Carysfort during the naval and military operations near Suakin in 1884-85.

Fowler was ‘allowed to resign from the navy to avoid court martial after sending a letter to his Captain accusing him without foundation of ‘scandalous conduct.’ He went to Uganda where he was appointed 3rd Class Assistant, Uganda Protectorate, in July 1896. He was Assistant Collector at Port Victoria, January to September 1897, and was at Lubwa’s during the Sudanese mutiny in November 1897. The mutineers were invested in Lubwa’s Fort by Captain E. M. Woodward, Leicester Regiment, with a very small force, and after several skirmishes they evacuated Lubwa’s and moved by launch and canoes up the Nile towards Mruli. Included in the medal rolls is Lieutenant Fowler, R.N., in command of 58 Swahilis. He was appointed 2nd Class Assistant and Superintendent of Marine in April 1898, and invested with the C.M.G. in January 1899 ‘for services rendered during the Uganda Mutiny’.

The following extracts are taken from Major J. R. L. Macdonald’s official report and despatches: ‘Lieutenant C. W. Fowler, late R.N., was especially mentioned for his conduct in the engagement at Lubwa’s Hill, 19th October, 1897, again distinguished himself on the 24th November, though ill at the time. He was present at the fights of the 7th and 11th December, 1897, made a gallant effort to sink the enemy’s dhow on the 5th January, 1898, and subsequently served with the Unyoro column, and commanded in the minor engagement of the 10th April, 1898, when he inflicted a severe defeat on Mwanga’s Mahommedans.’

In more detail: Early October 1897: ‘Lieutenant Fowler, late R.N., at Port Victoria, also took steps to defend his fort, and to cut the bridges over the Sio River; but he was only able to partially carry out this step. On hearing that Lieutenant Fowler was in danger, Mr Jackson and I [Macdonald] advanced to his assistance with all the men we could raise.’

‘On the 19th instant the mutineers, to the number of 300, assisted by some 150 Waganda Mahommedans, attacked our camp. The engagement commenced at 6 a.m. by a fierce attack on two sides of the camp, the mutineers coming on with the greatest determination. This attack was repulsed, but not until some had got within 50 yards of our line. The fight then continued until nearly 11 a.m., the mutineers bringing up supports, and making repeated attacks. About 11 a.m. when

they appeared to have somewhat exhausted their attack, I made a counter-attack on the left with 100 Swahilis under Captain Kirkpatrick and Mr Mayes, on the right a few Swahilis under Lieutenant Fowler, assisted by some fifty Wasoga under a sub-Chief called Kyrania. This counter-attack was completely successful, and the enemy were driven down the hill, and retired to the fort, where they have since remained. Our total loss amounted to 16 killed, 18 severely wounded, and 12 slightly wounded. I cannot speak too highly of the gallantry of the Europeans and Indians. The Wasoga, as a result of our victory, came forward in large numbers, and on the 20th we were joined by an army of Waganda under the Sekebobo. The enemy are now invested in the fort.’

‘Lieutenant Fowler kept his men incessantly at hand, assisted in repulsing the first attack on our right, and took part in the final counter-attack, when his courage and judgement were productive of the best results.’

‘On the 14th January [1898] Lieutenant Fowler took the steam-launch and a sailing boat which had meanwhile arrived close to the enemy’s new fort under a heavy fire, and shelled their dhow, with a view to rendering it useless.’

‘On the night between the 4th and 5th January the mutineers began effecting their escape from the fort by means of this vessel. A party of some sixty embarked and crossed to a small promontory lying north of the station.. and proceeded to intrench themselves. On the second night Lieutenant Fowler, late R.N., made efforts with canoes and a Maxim to sink the dhow but without success, as the gun jammed, with a broken mainspring, and from that moment his canoemen absolutely refused to go anywhere near the dhow.’

‘On the 14th January Lieutenant Fowler succeeded in getting near enough to the dhow to severely damage it with Hotchkiss fire, and on the following day the mutineers themselves destroyed it.’

‘On the 10th April, 1898, Lieutenant Fowler and Corporal Brodie, acting under the orders of Captain Harrison, with a column of under 100 men, surprised the Mahommedan camp in Bugoma, and, after a brisk fight, in which he lost eleven killed and wounded, completely defeated the enemy and vigourously pursued them. The enemy lost fifty-five killed and twenty prisoners, and their camp and baggage.’

His last appointment appears to have been as SubCommissioner of the Nile Province. He died on 19 March 1907.

The group is accompanied by two fine portrait photographs of Fowler wearing these medals; original letter notifying him of his appointment to be Commander of St Michael and St George ‘for services rendered during the Uganda Mutiny’; and original warrant for C.M.G. and accompanying transmission document, 23 January 1899.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

369

X The rare East and West Africa Medal awarded to The Reverend E. T. Fyffe, Chaplain, Royal Navy East & West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Benin 1897 (Revd. E. T. Fyffe, Chapn. H.M.S. Forte.) extremely fine £800-£1,000 Only three Naval Chaplains received the Medal with ‘Benin 1897’ clasp.

Ebenezer Thomas Fyffe was born in Cumberworth, Surrey in 1851 and studied Theology at Queens’ College, Cambridge. On being ordained Deacon in 1874, he served as Curate of Newton Blossomville St. Nicholas, near Bedford until December 1876, when he joined the Royal Navy as a Chaplain. He also qualified as a Naval Instructor in the following year.

He subsequently enjoyed several seagoing appointments, including service on the Mediterranean and China stations, in addition to a tour of duty in H.M.S. Forte off the West Coast of Africa in 1897, when he was landed with the Naval Brigade in the Benin operations.

On finally coming ashore in 1903, he was appointed the Rector of Holy Trinity Landcross, Bideford, Devon, in which capacity he served until 1920. He died at Nailsworth, Gloucestershire in August 1925.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The East and West Africa Medal awarded to Gunner E. D. Howlett, Royal Marine Artillery, who was killed in action as a member of Naval Brigade at Benin City in February 1897 East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Benin 1897 (E. D. Howlett, Gr. R.M.A., H.M.S. St. George.) toned, nearly extremely fine £2,400-£2,800 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2005.

Three officers and eight men of the Naval Brigade were killed during the Benin expedition.

Edwin Daniel Howlett was born in Edmonton, London on 28 April 1876, and joined the Royal Marine Artillery in May 1894. Subsequently deployed ashore with H.M.S. St. George’s bluejackets as aprt of the Flying Column in the Benin operations, he was killed by a gun shot wound to the chest outside the city on 18 February 1897 (London Gazette 7 May 1897, refers). On that date, after a running bush fight for five hours and the city’s capture, it was found to be in the most terrible state from human sacrifices offered to delay the advance. Seven pits, 40-50 feet deep, were discovered, with 12 to 15 bodies in each, the dead and the dying being intermingled.

Howlett’s medal was sent to his father on 24 April 1898.

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371

X The rare Dongola 1896 campaign D.C.M. group of seven awarded to Captain Frederick Jenvey, Royal Marine Artillery Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (Cr. Sgt. F. Jenvey. R.M.A.); Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (4477 C/Sgt. F. Jenvey R.M.A.); 1914 Star (R.M.A. 4477 Qr. Mr. Sergt. Ins. F. Jenvey, R.M. Brigade.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt F. Jenvey.

R.M.A.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (4477 Frederick Jenvey, Qr. Master Sergt. R.M.A.); Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 5 clasps, Sudan 1897, The Atbara, Khartoum, Gedaref, Hafir (4477 Colr. Sgt. Fredk. Jenvey R.M.A.) light contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (7) £12,000-£16,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, November 1996; Thomsom, Roddick & Medcalf, October 2005.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.C.M. recommendation submitted to the Queen 16 May 1899 (AO 153/99). The medal was awarded for the Battle of the Atbara and was presented to him by the Queen at Windsor Castle on 1 July 1899. A photograph of Jenvey appears in Navy and Army Illustrated for 27 July 1899. His service documents all read “Specially recommended for services in Dongola Expedition by Senior Naval Officer, 25th November 1896” and “Mentioned in Despatches 21st October 1896 for services in Dongola Expedition”.

Apart from a small handful of Royal Marine officers attached to the Egyptian Army, the only Royal Marines to take an active part in Kitchener’s advance up the Nile were those under Captain Oldfield, R.M.A. who, with nine Corporals and Bombardiers, was sent to Egypt in June 1896 to train and supervise the Egyptians who manned the guns of the little fleet of gunboats which accompanied the Army’s advance. Although they were represented by a handful of men, the Royal Marines succeeded in making their mark on the campaign, as, for example, when Colour Sergeant Jenvey quitted the gunboats and accompanied a Naval Rocket Party during an attack on the Dervishes camp. His later recollections were published in the History of the Royal Marine Artillery: “Several days were employed in trying to coax the enemy out into the open, but without success; so the Sirdar determined to attack, and finding by reconnaissance that they had constructed numbers of huts of dry grass in their camp, sent word to Captain Keppel, R.N., for a rocket party from the gunboats. I was fortunate enough to be selected from our small detachment, and at 10.30 p.m., on the 5th inst., the party consisting of fourteen native gunners and myself, under the charge of Lieut. Beatty, R.N., with one rocket tube and a good supply of 24-pound Hale’s war rockets, left for Atbara camp, probably the smallest Naval Brigade on record.

Camels carried the gear, and we marched. Moving all night we reached the Sirdar’s camp - thirty miles - next day at 11 a.m.

- Dervish camp eight miles distant.”

After describing the night march which brought the AngloEgyptian Army within one mile of the Mahmud’s entrenched camp, and the opening of fire by the Artillery and rocket tubes, Jenvey goes on: “On account of the distance and the nature of the ground, I was unable to get in any good work with the rockets, so the General gave us permission to move to the right of the Artillery, and we took up a good position at 500 yards range, where I was able to get in some good shots, setting their camp on fire in several places. By 7.30 a.m., our artillery had made it so warm for them that the Sirdar determined to assault the position, and the ‘Advance’ was sounded. All the bands and pipes of the Highlanders struck up their liveliest

airs, and in quick time they started on their journey, passing through us and the artillery, who had ceased firing. I had fired all my rockets, so we followed in rear of the firing line.

The sight was truly magnificent, and one I am never likely to forget. The enemy now shewed us what stuff he was made of, pouring in a hot rifle fire, and our fellows began to drop.

At about 300 yards our line halted, fired two volleys and again advanced. At 150 yards the ground sloped gently down to their position: here we were met by a perfect hail of fire, and many were hit. A halt was called and ‘independent fire’ ordered for two or three minutes, when the ‘Advance’ again sounded, and on we moved up to the zareba, and with a charge and cheer were at the enemy with the bayonet. The result was never for a moment in the balance, from trench to trench our men fought their way in grand style and the position was ours.”

Sergeant Jenvey was one of five R.M.A. mentioned in Egyptian Army Orders of May 29th as having been brought to the notice of the Khedive for good service, the others being Sergeants Seabright, Prior, Russell, and Sears. All except Prior were awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Frederick Jenvey was born at Hilsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, on 21 November 1868, and enlisted into the Royal Marine Artillery at Gosport on 21 October 1891, a former Police Constable. Embarked at various times aboard the Shannon, Audacious and Edinburgh, he was promoted to Bombardier in March 1894 and to Corporal in May 1896.

He was promoted to Sergeant in November 1896 and detached for service with the Egyptian Army, being further promoted to Colour-Sergeant in April 1898. For his services in the Dongola Expedition he was mentioned in despatches, specially recommended, and awarded the D.C.M., one of eight such awards to the R.M.A. Furthermore Jenvey was the only R.M.A. recipient of the Khedive’s medal with these five clasps. He was promoted Quarter Master Sergeant and Instructor of Musketry in May 1902, and received his L.S. & G.C. medal in October 1906. Following service with the Royal Marine Brigade at Ostend and Dunkirk in August and October 1914, Jenvey received a Commission as Temporary Lieutenant for service with the South African Heavy Artillery Brigade, as part of the Union Defence Force in German West Africa. Each battery had a nucleus of R.M.A., and was completed with officers and men from the Cape Garrison Artillery. Jenvey was placed in command of “A” Battery 6-in Q.F. gun on an armoured train during operations in German West Africa, April to June, 1915. He served with the R.M.A. Division from June 1917, was promoted Temporary Instructor of Gunnery in 1918, and retired in 1919. He died of pneumonia at Portsmouth on 2 April 1920.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

372

X The extremely rare West Africa campaign service group of four awarded to Commander Virgoe Buckland, R.D., Royal Naval Reserve and Mercantile Marine; having been awarded the ‘1899’ clasp to his East and West Africa Medal for his command of a naval rocket detachment in the Bulu Expedition, he added a unique naval officer’s award of the Africa General Service Medal to his accolades for his part in the North Nigeria operations in 1904 East and West Africa 1887-1900, 2 clasps, Benin 1897, 1899 (V. Buckland. Act. Lieut. R.N.R., H.M.S. Phoebe.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, N. Nigeria 1904 (Lieut. V. Buckland. R.N.R.); British War Medal 1914-20 (Commr. V. Buckland. R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1918, good very fine or better (4) £2,600-£3,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Virgoe Buckland was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 17 February 1866, and first went to sea in the Mercantile Marine in the early 1880s. Having then obtained his Master’s certificate in January 1893, he joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a Sub. Lieutenant in October 1895.

Advanced to Acting Lieutenant on passing his gunnery and torpedo courses, Buckland was appointed to H.M.S. Phoebe on the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa stations in August 1896, in which capacity he was attached to the Naval Brigade in Rear-Admiral Rawson’s punitive expedition to Benin in the following year. Remaining employed off West Africa, and having briefly served in the Sparrow and Fox, he commanded the steam yacht Ivy in the Niger Coast Protectorate in 1898-99, when he came ashore with charge of a small rocket detachment in the Bula Expedition against Chief Olog Bosheri. The latter, who had been responsible for the murder of Consul J. R. Phillips in Benin in 1897, was captured, tried and hanged; Buckland added the rare ‘1899’ clasp to his East and West Africa Medal.

In the following year he was appointed Assistant Marine Superintendent in Niger Coast Protectorate, in which capacity he took part in the expedition against rebellious tribes at the head of the Benue River around Yola, and thus became entitled to the Africa General Service Medal with clasp ‘N. Nigeria 1904’.

Advanced to Commander in November 1905, Buckland was placed on the Retied List at his own request in February 1907, but he was recalled in the Great War ‘for special service with the Nigerian Marine’. He remained likewise employed for the duration of the war and was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, in addition to the Reserve Decoration in 1919. He died on 8 May 1949, aged 83.

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373

X The rare Defence of Legations group of seven awarded to Colour-Sergeant A. S. Roberts, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who was commended by the Admiralty for his part in the famous siege; afterwards engaged with the R.M. Brigade in the Royal Naval Division, he was present at Ostend and at the defence of Antwerp in 1914, and was wounded by a gunshot to his left arm in Gallipoli in May 1915 China 1900, 1 clasp, Defence of Legations (Pvte. A. S. Roberts, R.M.L.I.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (A. S. Roberts, Corpl., R.M. H.M.S. Partridge); 1914 Star, with clasp (PLY.8649 Sergt. A. S. Roberts, R.M. Brigade.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (PLY. 8649 Cr. Sgt. A. S. Roberts. R.M.L.I.); Defence Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (PLY.8649 A. S. Roberts, Clr. Sgt., R.M.L.I.) light contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (7) £8,000-£10,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

78 Medals with ‘Defence of Legation’ clasps were awarded to the Royal Marines, the above example likely forming a unique set of awards to the Corps.

Alfred Shaftsbury Roberts was born in Brighton, Sussex, on 24 September 1878, and joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry in London in June 1897. Following recruit training at Walmer, he was posted to the Plymouth Division and embarked in H.M.S. Centurion in September 1898.

Coming ashore to Wei Hei Wei on the China station in January 1900, he served as a member of the Legation Guard at Pekin throughout the famous siege of the Foreign Legations by Chinese troops in June-August 1900. And he clearly distinguished himself in one form or another, his service record noting that he was commended by Their Lordships of the Admiralty in a letter dated 6 December 1900. He was, moreover, advanced to Corporal in April 1901.

Having then returned to the U.K., Roberts joined the Partridge in April 1902 and served off the coast of South Africa during the closing stages of the Boer War, the commencement of a flurry of seagoing appointments in the period leading up to the Great War. He was advanced to Sergeant in July 1907.

In August 1914, he was embarked for Ostend, followed by a tour of duty in the R.M. Brigade at the defence of Antwerp in September-October 1914. Next embarked for the Dardanelles, he was wounded by a gunshot to his left arm in Gallipoli on 3 May 1915, but he was back in action with the 63rd Royal Naval Division in France in the following year, where he was advanced to ColourSergeant in July 1916.

Thereafter, Roberts served in the battleship Albion and remained likewise employed until September 1918, having in the interim, having completed 20 years, transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve. Demobilised in February 1919, he continued to serve in the R.F.R. until transferred to the Coast Guard in January 1920, following which he received his L.S. & G.C. Medal in August 1921; the lateness of the award was occasioned by a poor character assessment whilst serving in the Monarch back in 1903. He died in September 1950.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The interesting C.B., C.V.O. group of seven awarded to Commodore W. O. Boothby, Royal Navy, the youngest Captain in the Royal Navy of his day, whose premature death curtailed a most distinguished career The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, complete with ribbon buckle; The Royal Victorian Order, C.V.O., Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse officially numbered, ‘C473’, in its numbered Collingwood, London case of issue; Coronation 1911, silver, unnamed; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (W. O. Boothby, Midn.

R.N., H.M.S. “Superb.”) some pitting; China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (Commr. W. O. Boothby, R.N., H.M.S. Endymion); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, unnamed, the C.B. and medals mounted as worn; Sweden, Order of the Sword, Commander’s neck badge, gold and enamels, in Carlman, Stockholm case of issue, very fine and better (7) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007.

William Osbert Boothby was born at Whitwell, Derbyshire, on 7 January 1866, the second son of the Rev. Evelyn Boothby, Vicar of Whitwell. He entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet in January 1879 and became a Midshipman in 1881. He served aboard the Superb during the Egyptian War of 1882 and was present at the bombardment of Alexandria. He was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in September 1885, Lieutenant in September 1886, receiving five firsts, and Commander in January 1899. As such he served on the Endymion in the China War of 1900. He served in Admiral Seymour’s Expedition to Pekin, and was mentioned in the Admiral’s despatch (London Gazette 10 May 1900), ‘Commander William O. Boothby, of H.M.S. Endymion, in command of the seamen from that ship, and at times, of others also. He was in every engagement, and I specially noticed his energy and activity’. The Endymion’s log for 10 June 1900 also records, ‘Sent landing party consisting of two rifle companies of twenty file each, all marines, two 9-pdr. field guns crews and two Nordenfeldt .45 machine guns crews under Commander Boothby ..’

On 23 September 1900, Commander Boothby was awarded the Testimonial on Vellum by the Royal Humane Society for attempting to save the life of Leading Seaman W. E. Kirkham of the Endymion, who had fallen overboard off Taku Bar on the Pieho. Boothby received special promotion to Captain in January 1903 and was at that time the youngest officer of that rank in the Royal Navy.

He was appointed Flag-Captain of the Illustrious, flagship of the Channel Fleet in November 1906, and in 1908 was appointed to command the

new armoured cruiser Minotaur. His ship was selected to escort the Royal Yachts Victoria and Albert and Alexandra, carrying King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Revel, to meet Tsar Nicholas II. For his services he was invested with the M.V.O. 4th Class by Edward VII and the Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class with diamonds by the Tsar. In 1908 the Minotaur as part of the 5th Cruiser Squadron escorted the King and Queen of Sweden from Cherbourg to Portsmouth on a royal visit. For this service he was invested with the Order of the Sword. In September 1909 Boothby was appointed Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord and in January 1911 he was appointed Captain of the Fleet to the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, with the rank of Commodore.

On the occasion of the Coronation of George V, Boothby was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath, and was advanced to C.V.O. in June on the occasion of the Coronation Naval Review at Spithead. In 1913, increasingly suffering from lumbago and a hernia, Commodore Boothby was admitted to St. Thomas’s Hospital for an operation. Never fully recovering, he died of heart failure on 20 May 1913, and was buried at St. Martin’s, Canterbury. His passing was universally regretted in the Navy, which, in little more than a years time was to need all the officers it could muster of Boothby’s character and experience.

Sold with a copy of a detailed unpublished typescript biography of the recipient, including a long account of the China operations in a letter to his mother, a copied photograph and riband bars.

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The unique Boer War ‘defence of Ladybrand’ D.S.O. group of nine awarded to Colonel F. White, Royal Marine Light Infantry; a taste of his mettle in action first emerged at the battle of El-Teb, when he charged headlong into an enemy redoubt and cut down an assailant with his sword, prior to being rescued by four of his men, one of whom ‘clubbed and brained’ another assailant with the butt of his rifle - all five were duly ‘mentioned’ by Colonel Tuson Small wonder then that Commandant Fourie and his Boer Commando was told where to go on offering White an opportunity to surrender his vastly outnumbered garrison at Ladybrand in September 1900, the resultant defence winning the latter the D.S.O. and the admiration of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 3 clasps, Alexandria 11th July, El-Teb_Tamaai, Suakin 1884 (Lieut: F. White. R.M.L.I. H.M.S. “Temeraire”; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Wittebergen (Major F. White. R.M.L.I.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lt. Col. F. White. D.S.O. R.M.L.I.); 1914-15 Star (Bt. Col. F. White. D.S.O.); British War and Victory Medals (Bt. Col. F. White.); Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, 4th Class breast badge, silver gold and enamels; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, mounted for wear, minor chipping and light contact marks, generally very fine or better (9) £8,000-£10,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 1995.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Just four D.S.O.s were awarded to the Royal Marines for the Boer War. D.S.O. London Gazette 27 September 1901.

Frederick White was born on 14 October 1861, the son of the late Major George White, R.M.L.I., and was himself commissioned in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in February 1879.

He subsequently served in the Egyptian Expedition of 1882, taking part in the bombardment of Alexandria, the occupation of the lines of the town, and the occupation of Port Said.

White again saw active service in the Sudan in 1884 when he was present at the battles of El-Teb and Tamaai, and the relief of Tokar, for which services he received the Order of Medjidie and was also mentioned in Colonel Tuson’s despatch for El-Teb: ‘Lieutenant White was personally ordered by the Major-General Commanding to charge the left redoubt of the enemy’s position at Teb with his company. He rushed to the front, when two of the enemy sprang on him, one on each side. He cut one man down twice with his sword, when Private Birtwhistle rushed to his assistance and forced his bayonet right through the black, breaking it short off. The black then severely wounded Private Birtwhistle, who clubbed his musket and brained him. The other black was stopped attacking Lieutenant White

by Private F. Yerbury, who caught the man by the hair of his head, spinning him round and round so that he could not use his assegai, when Sergeant-Major Hirst rushed to the front and despatched him. Those four were also in a dangerous position in front of the attack at the time, as the fire from the side of the square was still continued on each side of them.’

Advanced to Captain in August 1888 and to Major in September 1896, White served on the Staff of the Royal Marines from June 1896 to February 1899, prior to his D.S.O. winning exploits in the Boer War. During that conflict he acted as a Special Service Officer from February 1900 until April 1902, his assorted appointments including those of Deputy Assistant Adjutant General at the Headquarters in Cape Town, Railway Staff Officer at Sterkstroom, Commandant at Bethulie Bridges, and a District Command under the Military Governor of Orange River Colony.

of ground, endured a heavy shell and rifle fire with unshaken resolution, repulsed every attempt of the burghers and held the flag flying until relieved three days later by the forces under Generals White and Hamilton.’

Another account of White’ stoic defence of Ladybrand appears in The Times History of the War in South Africa 1900-1902: ‘This little post was held by 80 men of the 1st Worcester Regiment, 43 Wiltshire Yeomanry, and 30 local volunteers, the whole under the command of Major F. White, R.M.L.I. On the evening of September 1st, a patrol came in with a report of the approach of the enemy from Modderpoort, and on the 2nd, at 7.30 a.m., a letter, signed by Commandant Fourie, was sent in asking for the immediate surrender of the garrison. White, having replied that if Fourie wanted the garrison he had better come and take it, posted the whole of his slender force on an intrenched hill to the south-west of the town. Fourie, with 800 men, opened shell and rifle fire, worked up to the post, and surrounded it on all sides. For three days and nights, however, the little garrison held firm. Of the Worcesters, Lieutenants Dorman and Moss and Corporal Kirkham, and of the Yeomanry Lieutenant Henderson and SergeantMajor Lyford deserve special mention in this very fine defence, which Major White directed with marked resolution and ability. The town was relieved by Bruce Hamilton on the morning of September 5th.’

White was awarded the D.S.O., in addition to being mentioned in Lord Robert’s despatch of 4 September 1901.

Advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in April 1903 and awarded the Brevet of Colonel in April 1906, he retired in the rank of Colonel in April 1909.

Recalled for service on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he served as a Draft Conducting Officer from 1915-19.

The Colonel died at his home at St John’s Park, Blackheath in December 1924.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

Present in operations in the Orange River Colony, including the action at Wittebergen, he was mentioned in the despatches (London Gazette 19 September 1901, refers). He received the Queen’s Medal with the clasps ‘Cape Colony’ and ‘Wittebergen’, the latter being one of only seven issued to Royal Marine personnel, three of them to officers of which White was the most senior; his King’s Medal with two clasps was one of just 11 awarded to the Royal Marines.

But it was for his gallant defence of Ladybrand that he was awarded the D.S.O., an action admiringly described by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in The Great Boer War: ‘On 2 September another commando of Free State Boers under Fourie emerged from the mountain country on the Basuto border and fell upon Ladybrand, which was held by a feeble garrison consisting of one company of the Worcester Regiment and 43 men of the Wiltshire Yeomanry under the overall command of Major F. White.

The Boers, who had several guns with them, appear to have been the same force which had been repulsed at Winburg. Major White, a gallant Royal Marine, whose fighting qualities do not seem to have deteriorated with his distance from salt water, had arranged his defences upon a hill, after the Wepener model, and held his own most stoutly. So great was the disparity of the forces employed that for days acute anxiety was felt by the General Staff lest another of those humiliating surrenders should interrupt the record of victories and encourage the Boers to further resistance.

The Boer attack was beaten back each time by the constancy of the British defence. The thin line of 150 soldiers, covering a mile and a half

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X The rare Transport Medal group of three awarded to 1st Class Engineer W. J. Barrett, Mercantile Marine, who served aboard the American Ladies Hospital Ship Maine during the Boxer Rebellion and the Boer War Transport 1899-1902, 2 clasps, China 1900, S. Africa 1899-1902 (J. Barrett) note single initial but as given on the roll; British War and Mercantile Marine War Medals (William J. Barrett) official correction to one letter of surname, together with hospital ship Maine white metal commemorative medallion for the American Ladies Hospital Ship Fund and ‘United Spanish War Veterans 1898-1902’ lapel badge, the reverse stamped U.S.S. Maine, nearly extremely fine and rare (5) £2,600-£3,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2006.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

William John Barrett was born in London in 1871 and was apprenticed to Lester & Perkins, Shipwrights in January 1888. That apprenticeship served, he joined the Atlantic Transport Line in 1893, an American company that operated its ships under the British flag. Barrett subsequently served in the company’s steamers as a Junior Engineer from December 1893 to June 1897, as 5th, 4th, and 3rd Engineer and, from August 1897 to July 1901, as 2nd Engineer. And it was in the latter rank that he served off South Africa and China in the American Ladies Hospital Ship U.S.S. Maine from September 1899 until January 1903.

The Maine was originally the Atlantic Transport Line steamer Swansea, renamed in 1899 and lent to the British Government as a hospital ship for use in the Boer war and later in China during the Boxer rebellion. The Maine was fitted out as a hospital ship in London by Messrs.

Fletcher & Son and Fearnall Ltd, the costs being met by the American Ladies Hospital Ship Fund, under the Chairmanship of Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of the future Prime Minister, who struck the above medallion to help with their fund raising.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Board of Trade Continuous Certificates of Discharge (2), and his Certificate of Competency as First Class Engineer, together with several letters of recommendation (1895-1903), including those written by the Master and Chief Engineer of the Maine; his application for U.S. citizenship in New Orleans in 1905; Permission to Wear the War Medals of the Mercantile Marine authority and related forwarding letter, dated 29 May 1924; and a selection of card-mounted family photographs, including the recipient in uniform.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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X The spectacular and historic group of sixteen Decorations and Medals awarded to Sir Clements R. Markham, K.C.B., F.R.S., who served as Geographer to the Abyssinian Expedition of 1867-68, and became known as the ‘Father of Polar Exploration’ The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt, hallmarked London 1895, and breast star, silver and silver-gilt; Abyssinia 1867 (C. R. Markham Esqre. Geographer to the Force) fitted with silver ribbon buckle; Arctic Medal 1818-55, unnamed as issued, fitted with silver ribbon buckle; Jubilee 1897, silver; Brazil, Kingdom, Order of the Rose, breast badge, gold and enamels, fitted with silver ribbon buckle, crown suspension neatly re-affixed; Portugal, Kingdom, Order of Christ, 2nd class set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, and breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamels, one point of star neatly repaired; Norway, Order of St Olaf, 2nd class set of insignia, comprising neck badge, 2nd type, gold and enamels, and breast star, 1st type, by I. Tostrup, Kristiania, silver, silver-gilt and enamels; Sweden, Order of the North Star, 2nd class set of insignia, comprising neck badge, gold and enamels, and breast star, silver.

Together with the following Society awards: 1. Royal Geographical Society, Founder’s Gold Medal, W.IV.R. obverse, 55mm, 128.68g (Clements R. Markham. 1888) lacking obverse glass lunette 2. Society of Arts Manufacturers and Commerce, silver medal, 56mm (To Clements R. Markham, for his paper “on the Tinnevelly Pearl Fisheries” 1867) 3. Society of Arts Manufacturers and Commerce, silver medal, 56mm (To Clements R. Markham, Esq., C.B., for his paper on “the Agricultural Statistics of India” 1875) 4. Society of Arts Manufacturers and Commerce, silver medal, 56mm (Clements R. Markham, C.B., F.R.S, for his paper on “the cultivation of Caoutchoue-yielding trees in British India” read 5th April 1876) 5. London Annual International Exhibition of all Arts Industries and Inventions, bronze medal 51mm (C. R. Markham C.B., F.R.S. for Services) 6. Grant Medical College, bronze medal, 51mm unnamed 7. France, Societé Imperial d’Acclimatation, Fondée le 10 Fev 1854, silver medal by Alphée Dubois, 50mm (M. Markham, Quinquina dans l’Inde 1864) 8. Congress of Peru, Lima 1892, Gold Medal, 45mm, 97.79g, specially struck reverse inscription (Á Clemente R Markham Por Sus Trabajos Historicos) [For His Historic Works], a few enamel chips but generally very fine or better (20) £40,000-£50,000

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Sir Clements Robert Markham geographer and historical writer, was born at Stillingfleet, Yorkshire, on 20 July 1830. After two years at Westminster School, he entered the navy in 1844 and spent four years in H.M.S. Collingwood on the Pacific Station, mainly in South American ports, where he picked up a working knowledge of Spanish. Many things in the service were distasteful to him, but he remained in it for a further three years in order to join H.M.S. Assistance as a Midshipman under Captain Austin on his Franklin Search Expedition of 1850-51 (Arctic Medal).

After a year of wandering (1852-53) among the Inca ruins of Peru, which made him a life-long friend of the Peruvian people, Markham joined the civil service, and in 1854 was transferred to the board of control of the East India Company. In 1860 he was charged with the collection of young cinchona trees and seeds in the forests of the Eastern Andes, and with the acclimatisation of the plants in India. The difficulties were great, but the result was a complete success, leading in time to the supply of quinine at a very low price. From 1867 to 1877 he had charge of the geographical work of the India Office. In 1868 he accompanied Sir Robert (afterwards Baron) Napier as Geographer on the Abyssinian Campaign. He was present at the capture of Magdala, and it was he who discovered the body of the Emperor Theodore (Abyssinian Medal). In 1871 he received the C.B., and in 1873 was elected F.R.S. Markham took an active role in promoting the revival of Arctic Exploration, and sailed in 1875 as far as Greenland with the expedition of Sir George Nares, on which occasion his cousin Sir Albert Hastings Markham was second-in-command. In 1877, he left the India Office and retired from official life, only to redouble his geographical and historical studies, travelling widely and writing incessantly. He had joined the Royal Geographical Society in 1854, and maintained a role as one of its honorary secretaries for 25 years (1863-1888). He became president of the society in 1893, and during his 12 years’ tenure he vigourously directed

its policy of encouraging exploration and geographical education.

He was frequently consulted by the government, on issues such as the difficult question of the boundary between British Guiana and Venezuela. He received the K.C.B. in 1896.

For the next few years, Markham threw heart and soul into the promotion of Antarctic exploration, securing funds by urgent appeals to public and private sources. On the joint committee of the Royal Society and the Royal Geographical Society, which was responsible for the National Antarctic Expedition of 1901, it was Markham who selected Commander Robert Falcon Scott as leader, pressing his strong preference that the expedition should consist of naval men under the sole command of a naval officer, with a small civilian scientific staff. The expedition was highly successful, but Markham took little interest in later South Polar achievements (he was not a supporter of Shackleton) until Captain Scott planned the expedition in the Terra Nova in 1910, when his former ardour was rekindled. Captain Scott drew much of his inspiration and encouragement from Markham, and in one of his final farewell letters wrote, ‘Tell Sir Clements I thought much of him and never regretted him putting me in command of the Discovery.’

For many years, Sir Clements Markham’s reputation was established throughout the world as the leading British geographer and his achievements were recognised by his many awards, not least the gold Founder’s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society.

Sir Clements Markham died in London on 30 January 1916.

Amongst the many memorials is a bronze bust, presented by the government of Peru, which today stands guard at the portals of the Royal Geographical Society’s main entrance to Lowther Lodge in Kensington.

Sold with a first edition of The Life of Sir Clements R. Markham K.C.B. F.R.S., by Admiral Sir Albert Markham K.C.B., London 1917.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The unique campaign group of seven awarded to Commissioned Supply Officer J. Vanstone, Royal Navy Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 (J. Vanstone, Sh. Std., H.M.S. Thrush); Africa General Service 1902-56, 2 clasps, Aro 1901-1902, Somaliland 1908-10 (168537 Ship’s Std: J. Vanstone. H.M.S. Thrush); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (168537. J. Vanstone, Sh. Std., H.M.S. Fox); 1914-15 Star (Wt. Std. J. Vanstone.

R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Wt. V.O. J. Vanstone. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (168537 Jim Vanstone, Ship’s Steward, H.M.S. Fox), minor official corrections to rate on the third and last, contact marks to the earlier awards but generally very fine and a unique combination of medals and clasps to the Royal Navy (7) £2,600-£3,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2004.

All of the recipient’s pre-Great War Medals and clasps are verified on the published rolls, and constitute a quite unique combination of such honours to the Royal Navy. One of just 15 crew members of H.M.S. Thrush to earn the clasps ‘Cape Colony’ and ‘South Africa 1901’ to his Queen’s South Africa medal, he went on to become the only crew member to add the ‘Somaliland 1908-10’ clasp to his earlier distinction for ‘Aro 1901-1902’ to his Africa General Service medal, the former for subsequent service aboard the Fox - it is worth noting that only 46 men of the Royal Navy ever received the ‘Aro 1901-1902’ clasp in the first place.

Jim Vanstone was born at Cawsand, Cornwall in July 1877 and entered the Royal Navy as a Ship’s Steward Boy in June 1892. As stated above, he went on to witness extensive active service in the Thrush, initially in the Boer War, and afterwards in the Aro expedition of 1901-02, a further clasp being added to his Africa General Service Medal for participation in the Somaliland operations of 1908-10 aboard the Fox, in which ship he also served in the Persian Gulf operations of 1909-14 and was awarded his L.S. & G.C. medal.

On the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Vanstone was serving as a Ship’s Steward in the battle cruiser Lion, and he was subsequently present in her at Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914, when she was hit by enemy fire on three occasions, Dogger Bank on 24 January 1915, when she was

so badly damaged by the combined fire of the Blucher, Moltke and Seydlitz that she had to be towed back to port by the Indomitable, and again at Jutland on 31 May 1916, when she suffered serious casualties. Aside from those ships that were actually sunk at Jutland, none sustained more casualties than the Lion, suffering as she did six officers and 93 ratings killed, and another 43 wounded. Nor, too, did many ships survive such punishment, her main deck, funnel and port side all being liberally peppered with ‘great black splashes’ where enemy gunfire had found its mark - no better evidence of this damage can be found than in the photographs that appear in Fawcett’s and Hooper’s The Fighting at Jutland. Remarkably, given such statistics, the Lion’s guns were continuously in action, few accounts of the battle failing to mention the good effect she had on all who saw her, a reflection, too, of the aggressive tactics of Sir David Beatty, who was anxious to get to grips with the enemy.

Vanstone transferred to the training establishment Impregnable as a Warrant Steward in June 1917, where he was still serving at the end of the War, and remained a regular right up until his death, as a result of heart failure, in December 1927.

By that stage he had attained the ranks of Commissioned Victualling Officer (w.e.f. 1921) and Commissioned Supply Officer (w.e.f. 1923).

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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X The scarce Africa General Service medal awarded to Leading Hand Mourovia for his services aboard the South Nigerian Gunboat Jackdaw on the Aro Expedition 1901-02 Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Aro 1901-02 (Ldg: Hand Mourovia. S.N. Gunboat Jackdaw) high relief bust, officially impressed naming, good very fine £800-£1,000 Provenance: Spink, April 1999.

29 ‘Aro 1901-02’ clasps were awarded to the South Nigerian Gunboat Jackdaw.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

380

X The unique 3-clasp Africa General Service medal awarded to J. D. Fernandez, a Domestic and later Officer’s Steward in the Royal Navy who served in all three Somaliland expeditions between 1902 and 1920 Africa General Service 1902-56, 3 clasps, Somaliland 1902-04, Somaliland 1908-10, Somaliland 1920 (J. D. Fernandes, Dom. 3 Cl., H.M.S. Fox) unofficial rivets between clasps, good very fine £2,000-£2,400 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2009.

Joaquin Domingo Fernandes was born in Goa, India on 1 July 1884. He is described on his service paper as a ‘Man of Colour’. A Servant by occupation, he entered the Royal Navy as a Domestic on 7 November 1903. He served on the Fox, November 1903-November 1905, during which time he gained his first ‘Somaliland’ clasp. As Domestic 2nd Class and then as Officer’s Steward he then served on the Hyacinth, May 1907-April 1911, during which time he gained his second clasp. He was appointed Officer’s Steward 1st Class when on the Swiftsure in September 1913, on which he served until February 1915. Further wartime service aboard the ships Euryalus and Juno followed. Post-war he served aboard the Odin, September 1919 - September 1920, during which time he gained his third Somaliland clasp.

Sold with copied record of service and extract from published roll in which he is listed as the only recipient of three clasps to the Africa General Service Medal to the Royal Navy.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The rare Visit to Ireland pair awarded to Able Seaman H. Skinner, H.M. Coast Guard, late Royal Navy Visit to Ireland 1903 (H. Skinner, Commd. Boatman) officially engraved naming, complete with shamrock brooch-bar; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (H. Skinner, Boatn., H.M. Coast Guard), impressed naming, the first polished, about very fine, the second rather better (2) £600-£800 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2004.

Only 19 Visit to Ireland 1903 medals awarded to the R.N. and H.M. Coast Guard.

Hubert Skinner was born at Lytchet, Dorset in June 1861 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in January 1877. Having witnessed no active service, he transferred to H.M. Coast Guard in June 1893, was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in October 1897 and was a Commissioned Boatman based at Killary Bay at the time of the royal visit to Ireland in 1903. Skinner was pensioned in May 1910 but was recalled in August 1914 in the rate of Able Seaman, and served in one capacity or another at the R.N. College Osborne until, tragically, in April 1917, he ‘hanged himself during a fit of temporary insanity’ while on leave.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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The scarce Edward VII Royal Marines M.S.M. group of three awarded to First Sergeant Instructor of Musketry Charles Monk, Royal Marine Artillery China 1857-60, no clasp (C. Monk. R.M.A.) depot impressed naming, suspension re-affixed; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Chs. Monk Sergt 15th Co R.M.A.) engraved naming, suspension re-pinned; Royal Marines Meritorious Service Medal, E.VII.R. (Charles Monk, 1st Sergt. Inst of Musky. 15th Co. R.M.A. 20th March 1912.) officially impressed naming, first two with edge bruising and contact marks, good fine, the last good very fine (3) £1,400-£1,800 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2008.

Approximately 40 Edward VII Royal Marines Meritorious Service Medals were awarded, of which only about 13 are known extant. This medal was the latest dated of the known medals of Edward VII. Charles Monk was born at Cardington, Bedfordshire, and joined the Royal Marines in 1859, aged 19.

He served as a Private R.M. aboard H.M.S. Imperieuse in China and was discharged from the Royal Marines in 1879.

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383

X The important Polar Medal group of four awarded to Fleet Surgeon G. M. Levick, Royal Navy, who served in the Northern Party in Scott’s Antarctic Expedition 1910-13 and also acted as a zoologist and photographer The story of the Northern Party’s fight for survival is one much imbued with the spirit of the ‘Golden Age of Polar Exploration’, and a story of survival that rightly won wide admiration; of Levick’s zoological contribution to the expedition, he undertook a pioneering study of Adélie penguins, his findings finally appearing in Antarctic Penguins in 1914 Specially advanced to Fleet Surgeon for his services in Antarctica, he went on to witness active service in H.M.S. Bacchante off Gallipoli and latterly trained Commandos in the art of survival in extreme conditions in the wilds of Scotland 1914-15 Star (Ft. Surg. G. M. Levick. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Ft. Surg. G. M. Levick. R.N.); Polar Medal 1904, G.V.R., 1st issue, silver, 1 clasp, Antarctic 1910-13 (Surgeon G. M. Levick. R.N. Terra Nova.) mounted as worn, good very fine (4) £20,000-£24,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

A total of 59 silver medals or clasps were awarded for Scott’s Last Expedition, of which 33 were to the Shore Party and only 11 to Naval or Military officers. Levick was one of two Surgeons present on the expedition.

George Murray Levick was born in Newcastle on 3 July 1876, the son of a civil engineer, George Levick, and his wife Jeannie; his elder sister was the sculptor Ruby Levick, who exhibited at the Royal Academy.

Levick studied medicine at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and was commissioned as a Surgeon in the Royal Navy in November 1902. And it was in that capacity, and as a zoologist, that he applied for and was granted leave of absence to accompany Scott’s Antarctic Expedition of 1910-13.

As a member of Scott’s shore party, Levick joined the Northern Party under the command of Lieutenant V. L. A. Campbell, together with Priestly the geologist and three seamen - Abbott, Browning and Dickason. What ensued became one of the great epics of exploration in Antarctica.

Having spent the first 10 months of their northern sojourn at Cape Adare, where several journeys of exploration were carried out and extensive scientific observations taken, the Northern Party were embarked in the Terra Nova in January 1912 and proceeded to Evans Cove in Terra Nova Bay, where it was intended they carry out a six week expedition.

As a result of adverse ice conditions, however, the Terra Nova was unable to come and pick them up, and Levick and his comrades were left stranded, with few provisions, and the daunting prospect of the imminent arrival of the Polar winter: what followed over the next nine months was a story of endurance and courage rarely matched in the annals of exploration.

Wearing light summer clothing, and equipped with light tents, it was quickly apparent that if they were to survive more substantial shelter was required. To that end, the six-man team constructed a giant snow cave or igloo, from which

they rarely ventured other than to hunt for seal and penguin.

Such was Levick’s devotion to his fellow explorers during this perilous time, that he was affectionately nicknamed ‘Mother’.

In early August the sun returned and Levick and his comrades prepared the sledges for the return to Cape Evans. Setting off on 30 September 1912, they reached Cape Roberts four weeks later, having in the interim come upon the welcome contents of an old depot left by Shackleton’s 1907-09 expedition. In fact they discovered yet further supplies at Cape Bernacci and at Butter Point, discoveries that enabled their safe return to ‘Hut Point’ on 6 November, but, here, of course, they learnt of the tragic fate of Scott and his party.

A full account of the Northern Party can be found in Antarctic Adventure, Scott’s Northern Party by R. E. Priestly, while the diary kept by Commander V. L. A. Campbell is to be found in Scott’s Last Expedition, Volume II. Levick is mentioned throughout in both accounts and appears in several photographs.

His study of penguins was published by Heinemann as Antarctic Penguins in 1914 and some 30 of his photographs were reproduced in Scott’s Last Expedition, Volume II. On his return to naval duties, Levick was specially promoted to Fleet Surgeon and served off Gallipoli in H.M.S. Bacchante and in the Grand Fleet. And following his retirement, he pioneered the training of blind people in physiotherapy and established the Public Schools Exploring Society in 1932, which took groups of schoolboys to Scandinavia and Canada, and he remained its president until his death.

Shortly after the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, Levick, who was then 64, took up the role of a specialist

The Northern Party on their return to Cape Evans on 6 November 1912. From left to right: Dickason, Abbott, Browning, Campbell, Priestley, Levick

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

in guerilla warfare at the Commando Special Training Centre at Lochailort, Scotland. He taught fitness, diet and survival techniques, many of which were published in the training manual Hardening of Commando Troops for Warfare in 1944. Moreover, he was enlisted as a consultant for Operation ‘Trace’, a plan for hiding a small observation party in a secret chamber, dubbed ‘The Stay Behind Cave’, in the event of Gibraltar falling to the Axis.

On his death in May 1956, Levick was the subject of numerous obituaries, Major D. Glyn Owen of the British Exploring Society writing: ‘A truly great Englishman has passed from our midst, but the memory of his nobleness of character and our pride in his achievements cannot pass from us. Having been on Scott’s last Antarctic expedition, Murray Levick was later to resolve

that exploring facilities for youth should be created under as rigourous conditions as could be made available. With his usual untiring energy and purposefulness, he turned this concept into reality when he founded the Public Schools Exploring Society in 1932, later to become the British Schools Exploring Society, drawing schoolboys of between 16 and 18 years to partake in annual expeditions abroad into wild and trackless country … ‘ Sold with a large quantity of photographs (approx. 140 images), mainly of penguins and taken by Levick on the Expedition, some of them mounted in a pair of old albums, together with two images of him in Antarctica and a studio portrait of him in uniform, wearing his Polar Medal.

Note: Levick’s original polar journal was sold at Christie’s in April 2000 for £93,950.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

384X

The impressive ‘Flag Officer Royal Yachts’ G.C.V.O., Great War C.B. group of thirteen to Admiral Sir Henry Buller, Royal Navy, who commanded H.M.S. Highflyer in her epic engagement with the German cruiser Kaisar Wilhelm der Grosse off Rio de Oro in August 1914, an action extensively portrayed in the pages of ‘Deeds That Thrill The Empire’ The Royal Victorian Order, G.C.V.O., Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt and enamels and breast star, silver, with gilt and enamel centre, both officially numbered ‘581’ on reverse, in Collingwood, London numbered case of issue; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, in damaged Garrard, London case of issue; 1914-15 Star (Capt. H. T. Buller, M.V.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. H. T. Buller.

R.N.); Defence Medal 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1953; Russia, Empire, Order of St. Anne, Third Class breast badge by Keibel, gold and enamels, two reverse arms chipped, these last seven mounted court-style as worn; Belgium, Order of the Crown, Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, by Wolravens, Brussels, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt and enamels, and breast star, silver with silver-gilt and enamel centre, in case of issue; Roumania, Order of the Star (Military), Second Class set of insignia, by Resch, Bucharest, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, and breast star, silver, with silver-gilt and enamel centre, in case of issue, unless otherwise described, good very fine and better (14) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Spink, July 2000.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

G.C.V.O. London Gazette 11 August 1930: For services as Flag Officer Royal Yachts.

C.B. London Gazette 1 January 1919: ‘In recognition of services during the War.’ The original recommendation states: ‘Sank Kaiser Wilhelm de Grosse. Extract from letter to RearAdmiral, Carnarvon: Captain Buller’s action has their Lordship’s complete approval in every respect for the humane and correct manner in which he did his duty.’

Henry Tritton Buller was born in 1873, the son of Admiral Sir Alexander Buller, G.C.B., of Erie Hall, Devon and Belmore House, West Cowes, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in January 1887. Regular seagoing duties aside, his subsequent career appointments also included his services as First Lieutenant of the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert in 1902-04, for which he was awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne in October 1904 and advanced to Commander, and as Commanding Officer of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth between January 1908 and June 1911. On the Prince of Wales passing out of the college in 1911, Buller was appointed M.V.O. (London Gazette 12 April 1911, refers) and advanced to Captain. His next appointment was Flag Captain Home Fleets at Portsmouth, 1911-12, whence he was appointed to the command of H.M.S. Highflyer, the training ship for special entry cadets.

On the day hostilities broke out in 1914, Buller in Highflyer captured to S.S. Tubantia, carrying German reservists and a gold shipment. Three weeks later, he found the German commerce raider Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse, coaling in Spanish territorial waters off the mouth of the Oro River, West Africa. On offering the faster vessel the chance to surrender, Buller received the signal: “Germans never surrender, and you must respect the neutrality of Spain.” But since it was known that the commerce raider had abused Spanish neutrality by using the river mouth as a permanent base for some weeks, Buller gave warning that he would attack in half an hour, allowing time for the colliers to withdraw with such personnel as the German captain felt fit.

Deeds That Thrill the Empire takes up the story: ‘As soon as the period of grace had elapsed the Highflyer again inquired if the enemy would surrender, and when the answer came, “We have nothing more to say,” the action opened without further parley. The British cruiser let fly with one of her 6-inch guns at a range of just under 10,000 yards; but the shot fell short. The enemy’s guns were smaller - 4.1-inch - but much more modern, and before our shells began to hit the enemy the German projectiles were falling thickly around and upon the Highflyer. One shell went between a man’s legs and burst just behind him, peppering him with splinters. Another struck the bridge just after the captain had left it to go into the conningtower, and knocked a searchlight overboard.

All this time the Highflyer was steaming in so as to get her guns well within range; and when the 100lb shells began to hit they “kept on target” in a manner that spoke well for the training of our gunners. One shot carried away a 4-inch gun on the afterdeck of the enemy. Another burst under the quarter-deck and started a fire; a third - perhaps the decisive shot of the action - struck her amidships on the water-line and tore a great rent in her side.

From stem to stern the 6-inch shells tore their destructive way, and it was less than half and hour after the fighting began that the “pride of the Atlantic” began to slacken her fire. The water was pouring into the hole amidships, and she slowly began to heel to port. Three boat loads of men were seen to leave her and make for the shore … The Highflyer immediately signalled that if the enemy wished to abandon ship, they would not be interfered with; and as the guns of the Kaiser Wilhelm had by this time ceased to answer our fire, the Highflyer ceased also, and two boats were sent off with surgeons, sick-berth attendants and medical stores, to do what they could for the enemy’s wounded.

The ship herself was battered beyond all hope, and presently heeled over and sank in about fifty feet of water.

Although Highflyer had been hit about fifteen times her losses amounted to only one man killed and five slightly wounded. The enemy’s loss is unknown, but it is estimated that at least two hundred were killed or wounded, while nearly four hundred of those who had escaped in the colliers were captured a fortnight later in the Hamburg-America liner Bethania … ‘ The same source concludes: ‘It was noteworthy as being the first duel of the naval war and as being the first definite step in the process of “clearing the seas.” It is not often the Admiralty evinces any enthusiasm in the achievements of the Fleet, and the following message despatched to the victorious cruiser is therefore all the more remarkable: “Admiralty to Highflyer – Bravo! You have rendered a service not only to Britain, but to the peaceful commerce of the world. The German officers and crew appear to have carried out their duties with humanity and restraint, and are therefore worthy of all seamanlike consideration.”

Buller departed Highflyer in May 1916, when he was appointed Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord at the Admiralty, but he returned to sea as Flag Captain in the Barham in April 1918, and as Commanding Officer of the Valiant at the war’s end.

A succession of ‘royal appointments’ ensued in the 20s and 30s, commencing with his command of the Malaya during the Duke of Connaught’s visit to India in early 1921. He was appointed C.V.O. (London Gazette 25 March 1921, refers) and advanced to RearAdmiral. He then served as Officer Commanding H.M.’s Yachts during the period of King George V’s cruise in the Mediterranean, and was appointed K.C.V.O. (London Gazette 22 April 1925, refers).

And finally, on relinquishing his appointment as Flag Officer Royal Yachts, he was raised to G.C.V.O. (London Gazette 11 August 1930, refers). Placed on the Retired List as an Admiral in the following year, he was also appointed a Groom in Waiting and Extra Equerry to the King.

The Admiral, who settled in Horsham, Sussex, remained employed as an Extra Equerry to King George VI and Elizabeth II, and died in August 1960.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including warrants and statutes for the recipient’s previously awarded K.C.V.O., dated 22 April 1925, and his C.B., dated 1 January 1919, together with a variety of newspaper cuttings, menus, reports and letters, covering the Duke of Connaught’s visit to India in 1921, when the recipient commanded H.M.S. Malaya.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

385

X The rare and important Great War armoured train operations group of seven awarded to Captain A. S. Littlejohns, Royal Navy, attached Royal Australian Navy, who was awarded the C.M.G. for his command of H.M.A.T. Jellicoe and two other armoured trains in France and Flanders in 1914-15, when he was wounded in action by shellfire at Antwerp 1914 Star, with clasp (Act. Commdr. A. S. Littlejohns, C.M.G., R.N. Armd. Trains.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Commr. A. S. Littlejohns. R.N.); Belgium, Order of Leopold, Knight’s breast badge, with swords and silver palm; Military Decoration, 1st Class, silver-gilt; Croix de Guerre, AI, with bronze palm; Thailand, Order of the White Elephant, Officer’s breast badge, in silver, silver-gilt and enamels, with rosette, mounted as worn but lacking reverse pin, toned, good very fine (7) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Morton & Eden, December 2015.

77 1914 Stars issued for service with Armoured Trains, including 6 to officers, all under the command of Acting Commander Littlejohns.

C.M.G. London Gazette 22 December 1915: ‘In recognition of distinguished service in command of armoured trains in Flanders.’

Belgian Order of Leopold London Gazette 28 April 1916: ‘In recognition of his services in connection with armoured trains in Belgium.’

Belgian Croix de Guerre London Gazette 14 September 1918.

Astle Scott Littlejohns was born on 13 June 1873, the son of W. J. Littlejohns, R.N. of Greenwich Park, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in January 1886. Having then attained the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, but in the face of some rather average reports from his superior officers, he resigned his commission at his own request in February 1902.

Recalled on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Littlejohns was assigned to the command of the Royal Naval Armoured Trains in France and Flanders in the acting rank of Commander, a role in which he excelled. Given charge of three armoured trains - H.M.A.T. Jellicoe, H.M.A.T. Deguise, and H.M.A.T. Churchill - he covered the withdrawal of the Royal Naval Division at Antwerp and was slightly wounded by shellfire during a sortie from the city.

His trains then supported the Allied forces during the battles of Ypres, Givenchy, La Bassée, and Neuve Chapelle. The Jellicoe, which he personally commanded, was armed with three 4.7inch guns and, a handful of R.N. and R.M. personnel aside, was manned by around 70 Belgian volunteers. His services were duly recognised by King Albert I, in addition to his award of the C.M.G. and a mention in despatches (London Gazette 17 February 1915, refers).

Having then served as a Transport Officer at Marseilles, Littlejohns was appointed to the command of the Cicala in October 1916 and remained likewise employed until January 1918. Then in March of the latter year, he was appointed Assistant to the Commonwealth Naval Representative in London, the same year in which he was advanced to Captain in recognition of his war services. Finally, in January 1920, he took over the duties of Naval Representative to the Commonwealth of Australia, in which capacity he held the rank of Captain in the Royal Australian Navy and was thanked by the GovernorGeneral.

The origins of his Thai White Elephant award remain uncertain, but his service record states that he was granted restricted permission to wear the insignia in early 1927. Captain Littlejohns died in December 1939.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

386X

The Great War group of three awarded to Petty Officer G. Baxter, Royal Navy, attached Armoured Trains 1914 Star, with clasp (206500 G. Baxter, P.O. Armd. Trains.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (206500 G. Baxter. P.O. R.N.) the last with very faintly impressed naming, good very fine (3) £400-£500 Provenance: Spink, April 1999.

M.I.D. London Gazette 17 April 1918.

77 1914 Stars issued for service with Armoured Trains.

George Baxter was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire on 4 March 1883, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in September 1899. Having then witnessed extensive seagoing experience in the interim, he was discharged as a Petty Officer ‘time expired’ in March 1913. Recalled in September 1914, Baxter was quickly re-employed in land operations in armoured trains and posted to H.M.A.T. Churchill.

Three heavy armoured trains were built in Antwerp in September-October 1914, mounted with British naval guns, and placed under the overall command of Commander A. S. Littlejohns, R.N., with Lieutenant-Commander P. H. Riddler, R.N., as his second-in-command. Known from 9 November as H.M. Armoured Trains Jellicoe (Commander Littlejohns) with three 4.7inch guns, H.M.A.T. Déguise (Belgian Captain Servais) with three 4.7-inch guns, and H.M.A.T. Churchill (Lieutenant-Commander Riddler) with two 6-inch guns, these three armoured trains fought around Antwerp until 7 October, then retreated via Ghent, in support of General Rawlinson’s advance to Ypres.

H.M.A.T. Churchill became operational at Oostende after the retreat from Antwerp and in December went into action in the area around Oostkerke against German batteries to the south of Dixmude. From the end of December 1914 to March 1915, the three trains were continuously in action, sometimes in support of an assault (Jellicoe at la Bassée on 10 January), but in particular in counter-battery or bombardment missions in action to neutralise trench lines. Hence Jellicoe in action at Beuvry 20-24 January, Churchill at Oosterkerke on 28-29 January, and against an observation post at Ennetieres on 11 February, Déguise at Beuvry firing on a rail junction on the 15th, among other targets, and Churchill against a battery at Fleur d’Ecosse on 3 March.

The guns of the trains were extremely effective, notably against troop concentrations. On 18 February, H.M.A.T. Déguise fired seven shells at German troops to the South-West of La Bassée. These actions brought the trains within range of the German artillery. The Germans scored hits, but the armour protection and swift manoeuvring of the trains normally protected the crews, except on 25 January when Jellicoe was hit, wounding two men and killing the Belgian engine driver. Between 10 and 13 March, the three trains supported the action at Neuve Chapelle. On that occasion, Field Marshal Sir John French paid a surprise visit to H.M.A.T. Churchill, which was the command train for Commander Littlejohns. Towards the end of March 1915, the three trains were withdrawn from service.

Baxter’s subsequent appointments included the minesweeping sloop Alyssum from December 1915 to February 1916, the Queenstown depot Colleen and the Grimsby base Pekin, and he was demobilised in March 1919.

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387X

The rare Great War D.S.M. group of five awarded to Stoker Petty Officer A. Britton, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry in H.M.S. Laurel at the battle of Heligoland Bight in August 1914, his actions subsequently featuring in Deeds That Thrill the Empire Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (289893 A. Britton, Sto. P.O., H.M.S. Laurel); 1914-15 Star (289893 A. Britton D.S.M., S.P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (289893 A. Britton. S.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (289893 Alfred Britton, Sto. P.O., H.M.S. Hecla:) mounted as worn, nearly very fine (5) £2,400-£2,800

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2002.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

One of 23 D.S.M.s for the battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914, the only D.S.M.s to be gazetted in 1914.

D.S.M. London Gazette 23 October 1914. The recommendation states: ‘George H. Sturdy, Chief Stoker, and Alfred Britton, Stoker Petty Officer, both of H.M.S. Laurel, who both showed great coolness in putting out a fire near the centre gun after an explosion had occurred there; several lyddite shells were lying in the immediate vicinity.’

Alfred Britton was born at Stanstead, Suffolk on 23 November 1879, and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class in September 1898. Having then been advanced to Stoker Petty Officer in December 1908 and awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in September 1913, he joined the destroyer H.M.S. Laurel in April 1914 and remained likewise employed for the duration of the Great War. Of events in the Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914, Deeds That Thrill the Empire takes up the story: ‘When the action was at its hottest, the Laurel, Liberty, Lysander and Laertes found themselves suddenly in action against three of the enemy’s cruisers and a number of destroyers. In the early stages of the action Laurel and Liberty, which had been sent in advance of the light cruisers, were both exposed for some time to an attack of overwhelming strength.

The Laurel, under Commander Frank Rose, found herself in action, and almost unsupported, against two German cruisers and a number of destroyers, whose efficiency had not yet been affected by meeting ships that could reply to them on equal terms, and she suffered severely. The first shell that struck her went into the engine room, killing and wounding a number of men. Next, her forward gun was struck, and put out of action, while the troubles of the engineers’ department were soon after increased by a shot which demolished the after funnel and started a fire which threatened the destruction of the ship. In close action the fore bridge is always the main object of attack; and so it was in this case. Commander Rose was struck in the left leg by a shell splinter early in the action; but he refused to leave his post of danger. His wound was hastily bandaged; and when, some time later, he was struck in the other leg, he still declined to be taken below, although, since he could no longer stand, he was compelled to hand over the command of his ship to Lieutenant Charles Peploe. By the time assistance arrived the Laurel was almost as done as any warship could be - and it was, quite likely, a German shell that saved her. She lay, almost helpless, an easy target for the enemy, when a shot struck her amidships; and, whether it set her oil fuel smouldering, or whether it was a particularly damaging sort of shell that did not quite “come off,” it enveloped her in a thick cloud of black smoke. Before it cleared away to disclose the target more distinctly to the enemy, our cruisers had arrived, and the Laurel was saved.’

Britton was finally demobilised in October 1920.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

388

X The Great War group of three awarded to Captain C. B. Partridge, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who was killed in action in H.M.S. Good Hope at the battle of the Coronel in November 1914 1914-15 Star (Capt. C. B. Partridge, R.M.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. C. B. Partridge.

R.M.L.I.) together with Memorial Plaque (Charles Burnett Partridge) extremely fine (4) £600-£800 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2002.

Charles Burnett Partridge was born at Anchor Gate Lodge, Portsmouth on 29 May 1880, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Sylvanus Partridge, the Governor of H.M. Prison, Portland.

Educated at Bath College, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in January 1899 and gained advancement to Lieutenant in the following year. A noted rifle shot who achieved top score when the R.M. team took the United Services Cup at Bisley, he likewise excelled in sailing and golf competitions and served as an Instructor of Musketry in Malta.

On the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Partridge was serving in the rank of Captain in H.M.S. Good Hope, with command of the R.M. detachment, and it was in this capacity that he was killed in action at the battle of the Coronel 1 November 1914.

A Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During the Age of Steam 1824-1962 takes up the story: ‘Both Admirals [Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock aboard H.M.S. Good Hope and Admiral Graf Von Spee aboard the Scharnhorst] became aware of the proximity of each other about 31 October, and at 6.40 p.m. on 1 November the squadrons made contact off Coronel, Chile.

An attempt on the part of Admiral Cradock to engage while the light was good and targets were clear was frustrated by the superior speed of the German squadron, which kept out of range until the setting sun reflected the British ships in sharp silhouette against the horizon. The German ships being in the evening haze were almost invisible.

The sea was rough and the 6-inch guns on the lower decks of the two British armoured cruisers could not be brought into action. Another handicap was that the crews had only joined the ships in August of 1914, and since that time had been afforded but scant opportunity of gunnery practice.

At 7.04 p.m., after an hour of manoeuvring the first shot was fired at a range of 11,500 yards. This was extreme for the British but easy for the sixteen 8.2-inch guns of the big German cruisers. At her third salvo the Scharnhorst struck Good Hope on the fore deck and destroyed the 9.2-inch guns. Admiral Cradock knowing that his only hope was to close the range to enable his 6-inch guns to have full play, steamed towards the enemy. By 7.23 p.m. the range was down to 6,600 yards, with Good Hope firing with all guns she could bring to bear. Darkness was now coming on and the range again decreased to 5,500 yards. Good Hope was now on fire in several places and afforded a clear target to her enemies. In desperation Cradock endeavoured to approach to within torpedo range, being met with salvo after salvo from the two enemy cruisers. At 7.53 p.m. Good Hope blew up with her Admiral and all hands.’

Partridge is commemorated on the Plymouth Memorial.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

389X

The Great War D.S.C. and Bar, A.F.C. group of six awarded to Group Captain V. GaskellBlackburn, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service, who, having participated in the first ever carrier-borne air strike in 1914, spotted for the Severn and Mersey against the Konigsberg in East Africa and was twice decorated for his gallant deeds in the Kut-elAmara and Ctesiphon operations of 1915-16 Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, hallmarked London 1915; Air Force Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (Flt. Lieut. V. G. Blackburn, D.S.C. R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col. V. Gaskell-Blackburn, R.A.F.); Coronation 1937, mounted as worn, generally good very fine (6) £12,000-£16,000

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007.

Vivian Gaskell-Blackburn was born in Leeds in 1892 and, shortly after leaving Uppingham, learnt to fly a Bristol biplane at Brooklands, taking his Pilot’s Certificate in September 1913 (No. 617). Commissioned in the Royal Naval Air Service on the outbreak of hostilities, he was quickly in action, piloting an Admiralty Type 74 “Folder” Seaplane in the famous Cuxhaven Raid on Christmas Day 1914, the world’s first carrier air strike. The operation, in essence an air reconnaissance of the Heligoland Bight, including Cuxhaven, was made by nine seaplanes, the pilots and their machines being conveyed to a point about 12 miles to the north of Heligoland before being lowered onto the water from the seaplane carriers Empress, Engadine and Riviera - the Arethusa and Undaunted, and eight destroyers, acted as escort. Seven of the seaplanes rose without any difficulty into the air, but the remaining two machines refused to become airborne with their heavy weight of bombs and had to be swung back on board their parent carriers. The former, with their pilots huddling deeper into their draughty cockpits in the clear, icy air, set course for Cuxhaven. Gaskell-Blackburn’s subsequent experiences, and those of his Observer, C.P.O. Mechanic J. W. Bell, are described in R. D. Layman’s definitive history, The Cuxhaven Raid: ‘After coming under fire from trawlers and destroyers, Gaskell-Blackburn ran into fog that ‘rendered navigation extremely difficult’, so much so that he was unable to tell where he crossed the coastline .. To the north-west he noted a number of destroyers steaming seaward and what appeared to be a British seaplane heading the same direction. Also to the north, Bell observed, were three battlecruisers and about 15 other vessels, all making heavy smoke .. The first three cruisers ‘opened an extremely hot anti-aircraft fire,’ as did the battlecruisers as the Short flew between the two groups of ships. The German fire was accurate for height, but the shells burst behind the planes. He reported, ‘I came then to the outskirts of Wilhelmshaven and was again subjected to an extremely hot anti-aircraft fire .. the most accurate and fiercest fire during the trip.’ A small-calibre shell or a large metal fragment from a heavier missile tore through a main float and damaged a starboard under-carriage strut, damage

Bell could see by peering from his cockpit. Gaskell-Blackburn aimed two bombs at what he believed was the land battery responsible; it did not fire again, and my observer reported that he thought we did damage it’ .. With fuel running short, Gaskell-Blackburn decided not to take the return route via Wangeroog and the other Frisian islands, but headed westnorth-west over the mainland. The fog closed in again during this inland flight, forcing him to keep to 700 feet. Every time the Short emerged into a momentarily clear patch of sky, he reported, it was fired at by anti-aircraft guns or rifles ..

Gaskell-Blackburn reached the coast near Baltrum Island, Norderney’s neighbour to the east, emerging into clear sky, quickly recognising Norderney and heading north to seek the carriers ... ‘

Layman next describes Gaskell-Blackburn’s ditching and rescue by the submarine E. 11, the latter already having picked up another pilot: ‘About ten minutes later E. 11’s lookouts spotted an airship to starboard - in fact the Zeppelin L5 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Klaus Hirsch - a complication compounded by the additional arrival of two more R.N.A.S. seaplanes, both dangerously short of fuel (No. 814 crewed by GaskellBlackburn and Bell, and No. 815 by Oliver and Bell). Both swept down and landed alongside the submarine, just as Nasmith spotted another looming danger in the form of a periscope (it was, in fact, the British submarine D. 6, hastening to the scene to offer assistance) .. Nasmith, tackling the problem of rescuing four airmen in the face of what appeared to be imminent underwater and aerial attack, acted with the cool-headed precision that would win him fame later in the war. Casting off the tow-line to [Miley’s] No. 120, he manoeuvred E. 11 so close to No. 815 that Oliver and Bell were able to step aboard her, then hailed Gaskell-Blackburn and Bell to swim to the submarine. Doffing their flying clothes and the impedimenta that Malone had insisted upon, they dived from their tilting plane and were hauled, dripping, aboard E. 11.

Although the airship was now closing fast, Nasmith was obedient to the orders to destroy abandoned aircraft if

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II possible. Since E. 11, like most British submarines in 1914, as yet lacked a deck gun, he ordered a machine-gun up from below and began to pepper the seaplanes’ floats with it. Oliver joined in with his pistol.

Before this fire could have any effect, the aerial menace got too close for comfort, and Nasmith ordered a crash dive.

With L5 nearly overhead, he waved his cap defiantly as he made for the conning tower hatch. It has often been claimed that the gesture confused the airshipmen into thinking E. 11 was a U-boat capturing enemy planes and caused them to delay dropping bombs. Gaskell-Blackburn thought so at the time. But there is nothing in German accounts to suggest the gesture was even seen, and Hirsch’s report makes it clear he was quite aware that the submarine was an enemy craft. He saw the rescue of the airmen clearly just before he sent two bombs crashing down. Their explosions shook both E. 11 and D. 6, although the former had time to dive to 40 feet before they went off and the latter was 60 feet down. The men on each submarine thought their boat was the target, but Hirsch’s account indicates he was aiming simply in the general vicinity of the seaplanes and the submerged E. 11, hoping any or all might be damaged. Observing no effect from the bombs, he headed seaward toward the Harwich Force.

Nasmith meanwhile took E. 11 down to rest on the seabed, where at 20 fathoms the submariners shared their Christmas turkey and plum pudding with their five unusual guests.’

Gaskell-Blackburn was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 19 February 1915 refers), and his Observer, C.P.O. Mechanic J. W. Bell, was awarded the D.S.M. In the operations against the Königsberg in East Africa in July 1915, while piloting a Henri Farman biplane out of Mafia Island, Gaskell-Blackburn was commended for his work in spotting the fall of shot from H.M’s monitors Severn and

Mersey. And in the following month, on the 15th, he carried out a reconnaissance with Flight Commander Cull, D.S.O., this time in a newly delivered Cauldron G. III aircraft, in order to assess the damage caused the enemy cruiser; an excellent photograph of Gaskell-Blackburn at the helm of his Henri Farman, taken on Mafia Island in July 1915, is in the collection of the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

Next actively employed during the advance on Kut-elAmara in Mesopotamia in 1915, he carried out excellent air reconnaissance work, coming under heavy fire on the afternoon of the 28 September while carrying despatches between General Townshend, G.O. commanding, and Lieutenant-Commander E. C. Cookson on the river steamer Comet - the latter was killed and won the Victoria Cross on this day. Gaskell-Blackburn was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 8 December 1915), and awarded the D.S.C. And for his subsequent services in the Ctesiphon operations, he added a brace of “mentions” to his accolades (London Gazette 5 May and 13 July 1916), and a Bar to his D.S.C., and was advanced to Flight Commander.

Appointed a Lieutenant-Colonel in the newly established Royal Air Force, and subsequently awarded the A.F.C., GaskellBlackburn retained his links with the Senior Service by gaining permission to wear a beard. He then took command of No. 55 (Bombing) Squadron at Mosul and won a final “mention” ‘for distinguished service rendered during active operations in Iraq during 1920-21’ (London Gazette 10 October 1922 refers).

Thereafter he held many further commands, among them an Armoured Car Company in Iraq during 1931 and a period as Commandant of the School of Balloon Training at Larkhill. He was finally placed on the Retired List as a Group Captain in 1947 and died in October 1956.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

390X

The unique Great War German South-West Africa 1914 operations D.S.O. group of four awarded to Colonel J. M. Rose, Royal Marine Artillery Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top ribbon bar; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Col. J. M. Rose, R.M.A.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col. J. M. Rose. R.M.A.) extremely fine (4) £1,800-£2,200

Just 23 awards of the D.S.O. were made to the Royal Marine Artillery during the Great War, Rose’s award being unique for the German South-West Africa operations of 1914.

D.S.O. London Gazette 14 September 1918: ,’For the manner in which he organized and commanded the Royal Marine Artillery unit in German South-West Africa during 1914.’

John Markham Rose was born on 22 March 1865, and educated at Cheltenham College and the R.N.C. Greenwich.

Commissioned as a Probationary Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Artillery in September 1892, he was advanced to Captain in September 1895 and to Major in August 1904, in addition to qualifying as an Intelligence Officer.

Soon after the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Rose, now a Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, was advanced to the temporary rank of Colonel and seconded for services in the German South-West Africa campaign, in command of an R.M.A. detachment.

He departed on his mission in October 1914, with three officers and 50 men, and four 4-inch and four 12-pounder guns on field carriages. Having then landed at Walvis Bay, his unit joined the Central Force under General Mackenzie, and remained likewise employed until April 1915. It then transferred to the Northern Force under General Louis Botha, under whom Rose and his Marine gunners were present at the occupation of Karabib and Windhoek in the summer.

Shortly thereafter, he was invited to raise the South African Heavy Artillery, a task successfully accomplished with his departure from Cape Town in August 1915, with five batteries and some 650 officers and men under his command. He subsequently led his ‘Heavies’ in the Ypres salient from April-August 1916. In March 1917, Botha wrote an official letter of thanks: ‘The record of this officer’s very real and valued connection with the South African Heavy Artillery will be perpetuated and remembered with much pleasure and satisfaction by all those who are interested in the corps and its excellent achievements.’

From September 1917 to July 1918, Rose was a staff officer attached to the Royal Naval Air Service’s Aegean Wing, and he retired in the rank of Colonel in the following year.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

391

X The Great War group of three awarded to Sister Jessie Shepperd, for her services with the Auxiliary Hospital Unit at Antwerp in 1914 1914 Star (Sister J. Shepperd, Aux. Hosp. Unit. Antwerp); British War and Victory Medals (J. Shepperd) official correction to the second, extremely fine and rare (3) £1,000-£1,400 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2006.

A total of just 32 1914 Stars were issued to this unit.

Jessie Shepperd served as a Nursing Sister with the French Red Cross at the First British Field Hospital at Antwerp in Belgium from August 1914 to April 1915. Her 1914 Star was issued under Admiralty authority and is named in the usual large ‘Naval Brigade’ style of impressed lettering. The unit was sent to Antwerp in August 1914 and included, in addition to six women medical officers, 12 fully trained nurses, cooks, orderlies, and electricians, in charge of x-ray equipment.

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392

X The poignant Great War campaign pair and U.S. Presidential Gold Watch for Lifesaving group awarded Captain A. G. Cromack, Mercantile Marine, for the rescue of the crew of the American schooner Maria O. Teel in January 1915; the very same watch that was recovered from his body in the North Sea after his command the S.S. Rio Colorado was mined and sunk in March 1917 British War and Mercantile Marine War Medals (Arthur G. Cromack), together with U.S. Presidential Gold Hunter Cased Watch for Saving Life at Sea, American Watch Co., Waltham Mass., No. 16177574, 14 carat, the front lid engraved with the Seal of the President of the United States of America, the inside back lid with presentation inscription ‘From the President of the United States [Woodrow Wilson] to Arthur G. Cromach (sic), Master of the British steamship Rio Colorado in recognition of his humane services in effecting the rescue at sea, on January 14, 1915, of the master and crew of the American schooner Maria O. Teel’, with 14 carat chain and attached fob compass in the form of a ship’s wheel, contained in its original Edwards & Zanner Co, Jewelers, Washington D.C., wooden presentation case, the medals a little polished but generally very fine, the watch apparently in good working order (3) £6,000-£8,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II Some 294 watches were presented in the period 1880-1939, in gold and in silver; an example of an 1863 watch (18 carat) sold at Sotheby’s in New York in June 1994 for $26,450 (estimate $10,000-15,000).

Arthur Garbutt Cromack was born in Darwen, Lancashire on 25 January 1872 and first went to sea as an apprentice in February 1888, aged 16. He subsequently qualified for his 1st Mate’s certificate in February 1895.

Of subsequent events in January 1915, when, as captain of the S.S. Rio Colorado, he effected the rescue of the crew of the American brig Maria O. Teel, official correspondence states: ‘In the extract giving particulars of 14 January 1915, you will note that the American schooner Maria O. Teel of Boston was sighted with distress signals, and that after the captain [Cromack] of the S.S. Rio Colorado had noticed the schooner, notwithstanding the tempestuous weather prevailing, he ordered the steamer to proceed as close as possible to the unfortunate American schooner, whereupon it was noticed that the schooner put up signals to the following effect: “Stand by” – “I am a complete wreck” - “Do not abandon me.” The captain of the steamer hailed the schooner and asked whether the crew desired to be taken off, and they replied that they did.

Notwithstanding the exceptional high and tempestuous seas prevailing, the boat was lowered from the steamer, with the Second Officer and four seamen in it, and after considerable difficulty and danger, the entire crew, including the Master and nine men, were taken off the schooner. The sea was so high and tempestuous that it was impossible for the lifeboat to lay alongside the schooner, and the crew jumped overboard and

was picked up by the various men in the lifeboat of the S.S. Rio Colorado. All this happened between 1.50 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. on 14 January 1915, at which latter time the crew of the schooner was placed safely on board the RioColorado and landed at her next port of call.’

According to one newspaper report, the Master of the American schooner was not the most welcome of guests, for he was ‘a very rough and ignorant man’ who had a tendency to ‘grow violent.’

Tragically, Cromack was killed on 22 March 1917, when the Rio Colorado struck a mine in the North Sea. A related newspaper report states: ‘The evidence showed that an explosion occurred which caused the vessel to sink. Eight lives were lost. The captain was last seen in the water wearing a lifebelt. When the body was found there was in the pockets a gold watch, presented by the President of the United States for having saved the crew of an American ship.

A verdict was returned of “Found drowned in the North Sea, death being due to an explosion, probably caused by a mine.” ‘ Aged 45, Cromack left a widow, Florence, of Prospect Street, Scarborough, in which town he was buried in the Manor Road Cemetery.

Sold with the Great War pair and Defence Medal awarded to his son, Arthur G. Cromack of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, together with a rolled gold hunter cased watch, inscribed ‘Arthur G. Cromack, from his Father, Always Play the Game’; and various original news clippings and copies of Department of State correspondence concerning the award of his ‘gold watch with chain and charm’.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

393X

The Great War K.C.M.G. group of ten awarded to Admiral Sir S. H. Carden, Royal Navy, who was in command of Naval operations in the Dardanelles until March 1915 The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, K.C.M.G. Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, and breast star, silver, with appliqué centre in gold and enamels; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Suakin 1884 (Lieut: S. H. Carden, R.N. H.M.S. “Thalia.”); East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Benin 1897 (Comdr. S. H. Carden, H.M.S. Theseus.); 1914-15 Star (V. Adm. S. H. Carden.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (V. Adml. S. H. Carden.); Coronation 1902, silver; Coronation 1911; France, 3rd Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, gold and enamels, usual chips to enamels; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, the last nine mounted as worn, the earlier campaign medals nearly very fine, otherwise good very fine or better (11) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2001.

Sackville Hamilton Carden was born on 3 May 1857, and entered the Navy in 1870. He served as Lieutenant of Thalia during the Egyptian war of 1882 (Medal, Khedive’s Star); First Lieutenant of Dryad during the naval and military operations near Suakin, in the Eastern Soudan, 1884 (Suakin Clasp). As Commander of Theseus served in the punitive naval expedition commanded by Rear-Admiral Rawson, C.B., and landed from the Squadron to punish the King of Benin for the massacre of the political expedition, 1897, ending at the capture of Benin City, 18 February 1897 (General Africa Medal, Benin Clasp); Officer of the Legion of Honour; Rear-Admiral, 15 November 1908; Rear-Admiral in Atlantic Fleet, August 1910 to August 1911; Admiral Superintendent of Malta Dockyard, August 1912 to September 1914; Vice-Admiral, 27 August 1914; Vice-Admiral Commanding Allied Fleet at the Dardanelles during attacks on the forts from 19 February to 16 March 1915, when he resigned owing to illness. He was appointed K.C.M.G. in recognition of services rendered in connection with Naval operations of the war, 1 January 1916.

When the Dardanelles campaign was mooted with considerable optimism by Winston Churchill, and others, to overcome the stalemate on the Western Front, Carden was chosen to implement the plan to force the Narrows by sea power alone. The attempt to achieve this failed completely and was followed by the equally incompetent landings at Gallipoli, by which time Carden had been incapacitated by illness.

Admiral Carden died on 5 May 1930.

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394

X The excessively rare Lake Tanganyika 1915-16 Expedition D.S.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant A. E. Wainwright, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, “The Old Loco Driver” and mainstay of that remarkable team of Jack Tars who transported two gunboats through 100 miles of African jungle to successfully challenge German superiority on Lake Tanganyika - and inspire C. S. Forester’s “The African Queen” Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1916; 1914-15 Star (S. Lt. A. E. Wainwright. R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. A. E. Wainwright. R.N.V.R.) extremely fine (4) £20,000-£24,000 Provenance: Richard Magor Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, July 2003.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 31 May 1916: ‘In recognition of his services in command of a motor boat on Lake Tanganyika on the occasion of the destruction of the German gunboat “Hedwig von Wissman” on 9 February 1916.’

No single achievement during the Great War was distinguished by more bizarre features than the successfully executed undertaking of 28 daring men who transported a ‘ready-made’ Navy overland through the wilds of Africa to destroy an enemy flotilla in control of Lake Tanganyika.

In the summer of 1915, the key to success in Central Africa lay in the overwhelming German supremacy on Lake Tanganyika. Just how this was challenged by a force of two motor boats commanded by an eccentric Naval Officer with a talent for public relations is one of the most extraordinary stories of the whole War. To cover the three thousand miles or so that lay between Cape Town and the Lake, the boats had to be hauled by steam traction engines and ox trains over more than a hundred miles of extremely wild and difficult country, where there were no roads or communications of any kind. The whole journey, by barely navigable rivers and narrow-gauge railways, through country where sleepingsickness and other ghastly diseases were rife, is one of the strangest passages in the history of the Royal Navy. The two

boats, with a small expeditionary force under the command of Commander G. Spicer Simpson, R.N., arrived at Cape Town towards the end of June 1915. By the 23 December the Mimi and Toutou, as the boats were christened, had been successfully launched on the Lake, and three days later the first action was fought.

Lieutenant A. E. Wainwright, R.N.V.R., who had established his authority from the beginning, was a man to whom everyone turned in an emergency. He was already known affectionately to the ratings as “The Old Loco Driver”. In fact he was a great deal more. He had worked for many years in Africa, not only on coming up with the railway from Beira to Rhodesia, but on transport work with oxen, traction engines and native labour.

He had a large farm in Rhodesia, raising cattle and growing mealies, which he had left in charge of a partner in order to return home and enlist in Kitchener’s Army.

Commander Spicer Simpson was deferential, almost apologetic towards Wainwright, as if he were a bit afraid of him. He never gave him a direct order, it was always “Mr. Wainwright, I am thinking you might do this or that”, or “I’d be much obliged to you, Mr. Wainwright,” all without the least hint of sarcasm. He could not have failed to notice that the

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

battle had enhanced and clinched the admiration of all hands, officers and men alike, for “The Old Loco Driver”.

The first encounter with the enemy took place on 26 December, resulting in the capture of the German gunboat Kingani, a vessel of 30-40 tons, armed with one gun. A 12pounder was mounted on her, and as H.M.S. Fifi she proved to be a valuable addition to the British Flotilla. This left the enemy with two ships, the Graf von Gotzen, a vessel of 400-500 tons carrying one 4-inch and two smaller guns, and the Hedwig von Wissman, a gunboat of about three times the tonnage of the captured one.

Wainwright was placed in command of the Mimi, whilst Spicer Simpson embarked in the Fifi and on 6 February 1916 the Hedwig von Wissman was attacked by both of them, and sunk after a running fight of three hours duration. The result was largely due to the skilful manoeuvring of the two British vessels. The Mimi kept astern of the enemy and out of range of his after gun, causing him to tack from side to side in order to bring his foremost gun to bear, and thus delaying him until the Fifi could get within range. Finally a high explosive shell from the Fifi destroyed the enemy’s engines. Before she sank, the Germans abandoned ship, and all except two Europeans and three natives, who had been killed, were picked up by the Fifi and Mimi. It would have been satisfactory if the third

and largest of the German ships could have been accounted for by the British Flotilla, but she did not risk an engagement.

After being bombed by a Belgian aeroplane, she was scuttled by the Germans in Kigoma Harbour, on the eastern shore of the Lake.

So ended Germany’s command of Tanganyika. Apart from the material loss inflicted on the enemy, the success of the Naval Expedition did much to enhance British prestige among the natives, not only in the immediate neighbourhood of the Lake, but also in the northern districts of Rhodesia and in adjacent German territory.

In consequence of the great success of the expedition, Spicer Simpson was awarded the D.S.O., Wainwright and two other officers the D.S.C., and 12 ratings the D.S.M. For further reading, in addition to the more well known title Phantom Flotilla, there is a superbly illustrated article, Transporting a Navy Through the Jungles of Africa in War Time, which appeared in The National Geographic Magazine in October 1922, by Frank G. Magee (copy included). Although C. S. Forester’s famous novel The African Queen has a somewhat different story line, it was undoubtedly inspired by the Lake Tanganyika Expedition of 1915-16. So, too, of course, the subsequent Oscar-winning film starring Humphrey Bogart.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

395X

The exceptional Great War Tigris Flotilla operations Posthumous V.C. awarded to Lieutenant-Commander C. H. Cowley, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, the “Pirate of Basra”: having served on steamships up and down the Tigris and Euphrates rivers pre-hostilities, he mastered Arabic and made many local friends, and was ideally suited to serve as a river-pilot, interpreter and intelligence agent for the British - small wonder then that his Turkish captors murdered him after he was taken prisoner in a suicidal attempt to reinforce the Kut garrison in the Julnar in April 1916 Victoria Cross, the reverse of the suspension bar engraved (Lt. Comdr. C. H. Cowley, R.N.V.R.), the reverse centre of the cross dated ‘24 April 1915’, in its Hancocks & Co case of issue; together with his original Buckingham Palace memorial scroll in the name of ‘Lt. Commander Charles Henry Cowley, V.C., R.N.V.R.’, extremely fine £180,000-£220,000

Provenance: Private sale by Cowley’s descendants to Spink & Son and thence to the R. C. Witte Collection.

V.C. London Gazette 2 February 1917 - joint citation with Lieutenant H. O. B. Firman, R.N.: ‘At 8 p.m. on 24 April 1916, with a crew from the Royal Navy under Lieutenant Firman, R.N., assisted by LieutenantCommander Cowley, R.N.V.R., the Julnar, carrying 270 tons of supplies left Falahiyah in an attempt to reach Kut. Her departure was covered by all artillery and machine-gun fire that could be brought to bear, in the hope of distracting the enemy’s attention. She was, however, discovered and

shelled on her passage up the river. At 1 a.m. on the 25th, General Townshend reported she had not arrived, and that at midnight a burst of heavy firing had been heard at Magasis, some eight and a half miles from Kut by river, which had suddenly ceased. There could be but little doubt that the enterprise had failed, and the next day the Air Service reported the Julnar in the hands of the Turks at Magasis.

The leaders of this brave attempt, Lieutenant H. O. B. Firman, R.N., and his assistant - Lieutenant-Commander C. H. Cowley, R.N.V.R. - the latter of whom throughout the campaign in Mesopotamia performed magnificent service in command of the Mejidieh - have been reported by the Turks to have been killed; the remainder of the gallant crew, including five wounded, are prisoners of war.

Knowing well the chances against them, all the gallant officers and men who manned the Julnar for the occasion were volunteers. I trust that the services in this connection of Lieutenant H. O. B. Firman, R.N., and Lieutenant-Commander C. H. Cowley, R.N.V.R., his assistant, both of whom were unfortunately killed, may be recognised by the posthumous grant of some suitable honour.’

Charles Henry Cowley was born in Baghdad in February 1872, the eldest son of Henry Victor Cowley, an Irishman who was Senior Captain of the Euphrates and Tigris Steamship Company. His mother was half Armenian, being the daughter of Captain A. C. Holland, a former officer of the Indian Navy who later became a Tigris river boat captain, and Sushan Minas, a refugee from Persia who had fled to Baghdad in the 1830s, following the massacre of her parents.

However, under English Law at the time of his birth, Cowley

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II was a British subject - a significant distinction in light of future events.

Educated in Liverpool, Cowley joined the training ship Worcester as a Cadet in January 1885 and, in July 1888, he was apprenticed to McDiarmid & Co., with whom he gained his first seagoing experience under sail. Four years later, on the sudden death of his father, he joined his mother at her adopted home in Baghdad, where he followed his grandfather and father into Lynch Bros employ on the waterways of Mesopotamia. A professional to his finger tips, he quickly soaked up the local language and customs, so much so that a fellow employee observed that by the outbreak of hostilities, no man carried greater influence over the Arabs than Cowley.

By August 1914, he was the company’s senior captain and in command of the Mejidieh, in which steamer he was ordered from Basra to Baghdad to evacuate all British nationals who wished to leave. His command having then been formally requisitioned by the Royal Navy, he went on to play a critical role in carrying troops back and forth on the Euphrates and Tigris, fine work that also came to the attention of the Turks, who sentenced him to death in absentia at a military court hearing held in Baghdad - and even sent him a message declaring him to be a ‘pirate’. Such accusations appealed to Cowley’s sense of humour and, far from being perturbed, he took to flying the ‘skull and cross-bones’ flag whenever he returned to Basra.

Among the more notable operations carried out by the Mejidieh in this period was her part in shelling enemy troops during the capture of Kurnah, when she had embarked two 18-pounder guns and some gunners from the R.G.A. Cowley’s ‘meritorious conduct’ was duly noted by their Lordships and he received a special letter of thanks from the Admiralty.

While during the rapid advances made in the spring and summer of 1915, Cowley’s command was a leading participant of “Towshend’s Regatta”, often acting as a floating H.Q. for the General and his staff. Later still, after the tide turned at Ctesiphon, the Mejidieh was the means by which hundreds of wounded men escaped Basra.

In August 1915, in an effort to protect Cowley in the event of capture, he was appointed to the temporary rank of Lieutenant-Commander in the “Wavy Navy”, and duly borne on the books of H.M.S. Espiegle for service with river steamers in Mesopotamia. But by this stage his reputation for being an infuriating thorn in the side of Turkish interests was sufficient to prompt an attempt to have him murdered, an assassin with a dagger boarding the Mejidieh one night in November 1915, only to seriously wound Captain Wingate, who was occupying the bed normally used by Cowley. Here, then, admirable evidence to contend that his subsequent decision to join the ill-fated Julnar enterprise was doubly courageous.

Of his subsequent V.C.-winning exploits, Stephen Smelling’s history of Great War Naval V.Cs states: ‘Cowley received orders to take Julnar to Amarah on 14 April.

The following day a call for volunteers to crew her resulted in every man of the Tigris Flotilla stepping forward. Twelve unmarried men were selected: Leading Seaman William Rowbotham, Engine Room Artificer Alexander Murphy, Leading Stoker Herbert Cooke, Able Seaman Montague Williams, Stoker Charles Thirkill, Stoker Samuel Fox, Able Seaman Herbert Blanchard, Able Seaman John Featherbee, Able Seaman Harold Ledger, Stoker George Foreshaw, Able

Seaman Alfred Veale, and Able Seaman William Bond. And on 19 April Wemyss reported Julnar commissioned ‘for special duty’. Like Reed’s rank, the steamer’s new status was to be a brief one, lasting only as long as the mission.

Six days were spent in Amarah fitting out. Reed wrote: ‘All cabin woodwork was removed from the inside, and the mast and top-deck stanchions were cut away. The ship was plated with armour 3/8-inch thick round the bridge and over the boiler and engine rooms, bags of atta [flour] being placed between the armour and the ship’s sides to give additional protection against bullets and shell splinters.’ The steamer was then carefully loaded with around 270 tons of food and medical provisions until, in Able Seaman Bond’s description, she resembled a floating ‘pyramid.’ Julnar left Amarah on 21 April and, with the river in flood, made good progress en route to her last staging post, between Arab Village and Fallahiya (referred to by Wemyss as Abu Roman Mound). She arrived in the afternoon of 23 April, just as an Easter Service was drawing to a close.

Originally, it was intended to mount the operation that same night, but it was postponed for 24 hours, adding to the consternation of those who suspected the mission to be already compromised. That night Firman dined aboard H.M.S. Dragonfly. Seated alongside him was Colonel Aubrey Herbert M.P., a noted Turcophile attached to Wemyss’ staff. Herbert, a gifted linguist and veteran of Gallipoli, had volunteered to join Julnar’s crew, but his request was turned down. He thought Firman ‘an attractive, good-looking fellow,’ who seemed ‘very glad to have got the job, and felt the responsibility.’

The following day Herbert, together with Wemyss and the rest of his staff, wished Firman and his men well. Cowley, an old friend of Herbert’s, was in great spirits. ‘He is a proper Englishman,’ Herbert wrote in his diary. ‘He laughed and chafed with Philip Neville [Wemyss’ Flag Lieutenant] and me …’ Cowley made a deep impression on Wemyss, too.

‘Such a charming man,’ he recorded, ‘the very best type of a gallant, middle-class Englishman who couldn’t make out that he was doing anything out of the way in volunteering for this business.’ By 8 p.m. on 24 April all was ready aboard the heavily laden steamer and Herbert stood among a crowd of soldiers and seamen to see her off: No cheers were allowed. They pushed off, almost stationary, into the river, that was a glory of light with the graceful mehailahs in an avenue on both sides of it, with masts and rigging a filigree against the gorgeous sunset. The faint bagpipes and the desert wind were the only music at their going …

Steaming slowly into the gathering darkness, the Julnar soon passed out of sight. About five minutes later she negotiated a floating pontoon bridge. Not long after the night sky ahead was filled with the blaze of Turkish flares. Julnar maintained her course, her crew uncertain whether the pyrotechnical display was in response to them or a feint attack designed as a diversion. Whatever the reality, enemy reaction was weak in the early stages, with only a few bags of meal being set alight.

Indeed, little damage was sustained during the first hour, although Able Seaman Williams, at the helm, had a narrow escape when ‘a shot went right over the bridge’ hitting but not wounding him.

Julnar steamed on ‘without further incident,’ according to Reed, until she reached the enemy position at Sannaiyat.

‘Here,’ he wrote, ‘very heavy rifle fire was opened on the Julnar from both banks … and before we had gone

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

much further the ship was riddled with bullets. They kept penetrating the engine-room and falling down among the engines.’ Leading Stoker Cooke and Seaman Blanchard were both slightly wounded and the crew were only spared heavier losses by what Murphy described as ‘wretched’ shooting.

Reed wrote: ‘After we had passed Sannaiyat, the enemy fire slackened off considerably, although there were occasional bursts of rifle fire and nipping from both banks. The Julnar made a good run until we arrived opposite the Turkish position along the Sinn Bank, where the ship came under heavy fire, this time from artillery as well as from rifles. A fragment of shell penetrated the boiler-room and put the oil burners out, but otherwise did no damage of any consequence. Hostile fire still followed us upstream and at about 11.40pm, five minutes after passing the Sinn Bank position, I could hear the Turks, during a lull in the firing, bringing down guns to the riverbank some distance ahead. Three or four minutes afterwards the enemy opened a heavy and effective fire on the Julnar from guns on the riverbank near Magasis Fort …’

Murphy, one of a number of men cut by flying splinters, had been subconsciously measuring the Turkish response ever since leaving Arab Village. It ranged in ferocity from ‘murderous shell fire’ to ‘most systematic artillery fire’, but at Es Sinn he adjudged the reception ‘greater than ever’.

Three shells ‘passed clean through the ship’, he wrote, before another struck the bridge, killing Lieutenant Firman instantly.

According to Reed the shell pierced Julnar’s armour ‘with ease’ and her captain, standing on the right of the bridge, had no chance. Cowley, who was standing near him at the time, was also hit in the back, though not seriously according to Murphy.

Also wounded, if not then, shortly after, was Williams. Julnar was now drawing heavy fire and with no room for manoeuvre there was little opportunity for taking avoiding action. One shell smashed into the stern and fires flared along the top deck where piles of protective atta bags were set alight by the hail of splinters and bullets. On each occasion Leading Seaman Rowbotham darted out from cover to douse the flames.

‘How we survived such a fire I cannot tell, and how our casualties did not become larger I don’t know,’ wrote Murphy.

With Firman dead, Cowley took control, though still feeling the effects of his back injury. He must have known their chances were bleak against a thoroughly alerted enemy, but he would not countenance abandoning their mission. With the stoic Williams at the wheel, Julnar ploughed on through a storm of fire. For five more minutes she defied the odds, until the old mud fort at Magasis loomed up on the right bank.

Here the river broadened briefly, the strong current flowing north for almost two miles before twisting south-west for the final run-in to Kut. Julnar was nearly opposite the fort, where the river curved sharply, when disaster overtook the brave crew. Unbeknown to Cowley, an underwater chain straddled the Tigris at this point. It is not clear whether it was placed there as an obstruction or was used to operate a ferry, but the effect was the same. Julnar struck the cable head-on, the current swinging her stern round towards the right bank, where it grounded below the Magasis Fort, within sight of Kut. Julnar had already slipped a similar wire in the early stages of her mission, but on that occasion the cable was clearly visible and enemy fire almost non-existent. At Magasis, Julnar was trapped within easy reach of gun batteries at the water’s edge.

As shells burst around him Cowley made desperate attempts to pull clear, with Williams putting the helm first hard a-port and then hard a-starboard. But it was all to no avail, Julnar was stuck fast and nothing they tried could free her. Like a sitting duck in a shooting gallery, Julnar was peppered. Every few seconds shells crashed through the atta bag walls. The damage was bad enough, but it would have been infinitely worse but for the fact that many shells failed to detonate. One dud actually landed on the bridge, close to Cowley, and Williams promptly picked it up and threw it overboard, before making a last attempt to pull the boat clear.

His failure signalled the end of Julnar’s mission. With shells reducing her superstructure to matchwood, Cowley and Williams took shelter and remained under cover for almost three-quarters of an hour, while the bombardment continued unabated. By the time the fire eventually slackened, Julnar resembled a sieve. Her upper decks were ‘absolutely riddled’, her crankshafts were wrecked and the bridge was scorched and scarred by fire. But her Colours were never struck.

Instead, remembered Able Seaman Bond, ‘we watched them burn down’. Their fate no longer in any doubt, Cowley ordered a white lamp hoisted as a sign of surrender, only to see it shot away. A red lamp was raised in its place, and, soon after, the firing ceased.

Reed, who had been down below throughout Julnar’s passage, then received a message to go up on the bridge, ‘There,’ he later stated, ‘I found Lieutenant-Commander Cowley with several Turkish officers. He explained to me that finding it impossible to get the ship under way again, he had decided to surrender in order to avoid useless loss of life’. All hands were mustered on deck and taken ashore, to be greeted with the comment: ‘You were very brave but fools; we knew you were coming 48 hours ago!’

The prisoners were led on to a raft and ferried to the opposite bank, where they were placed in a camp, under armed guard, about 100 yards from the river. Just before leaving Julnar for the last time, Lieutenant-Commander Cowley was heard by Seaman Williams to remark, ‘I am finished now, I shall be killed.’ Initially, however, they were well treated. The injured, including Cowley, had their wounds daubed with iodine and around 3 a.m. Reed and Cowley were placed in a tent together. Reed recorded: ‘Next morning we were all marched to another camp about five miles distant, where we were again placed in tents, Lieutenant-Commander Cowley and I still being together.

About an hour after our arrival Lieutenant-Commander Cowley was sent for and after an absence of about 20 minutes, he was brought back and informed me that he had been interrogated by a Turkish Staff Officer. Shortly afterwards a Turkish officer came to the tent and said that they could not allow two officers to remain in the same tent. I was accordingly moved to a tent by myself a few yards away. Half an hour later I was informed that I had to proceed to Baghdad at once with the crew of the Julnar. I requested permission to go and say goodbye to Lieutenant-Commander Cowley before I left, but I was told by a Turkish officer that that was not necessary, as they were waiting for a horse for Lieutenant-Commander Cowley, who would probably catch us up on the way. That was the last time I saw LieutenantCommander Cowley. He was walking up and down in front of his tent and except for two very slight wounds, one on his

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

face and the other in his hand caused by shell splinters, he was in perfect health ..

Snelling continues: ‘Within days of the doomed enterprise, lurid stories began to spread that Cowley had been murdered in cold blood. In stark contrast to the official Turkish account which spoke of him being killed in action, it was variously alleged that he had been shot after attempting to escape, killed by a Turkish officer after an argument during which he drew a revolver, executed as a traitor on the instructions of Khahlil Pasha, commander of the Turkish forces besieging Kut, and, most astounding of all, that he had been murdered personally by Khahlil in a drunken rage.

Following the capture of Baghdad, investigations started by Cowley’s colleagues among the naval flotilla and taken up by his friends and relatives began yielding the evidence that formed the basis for the war crimes inquiry that was to continue after the war ended. Among many interviews was one in which a Turkish P.O.W. claimed that when Cowley was brought before Khahlil, he was asked: “How dare you come back to these parts? Did you not realise that we, aware of your knowledge of this country, would regard you as a spy?’

To these questions Cowley was said to have responded with a show of defiance, insisting he was British, that he was acting under orders and that ‘it was no affair of Khahlil’s’.

In trying to reconstruct his final movements, the most compelling evidence appeared to come from a captured officer, a Jewish interpreter who was attached to the Turkish 13th Army Corps when Cowley was brought ashore. Cowley

‘seemed quite well and was talking Arabic with the Turkish officers.’ The following morning, together with other members of Julnar’s crew, he was taken across the river to the Turkish H.Q. at Fallahiyah. There he was questioned by a staff officer about his nationality. During this interview Cowley was said to have given ‘unfortunate’ answers. A heated argument followed, during which Cowley allegedly warned his interrogator that the ‘Ottoman Government would be held responsible for any bad treatment.’ But his words had no effect. What followed, according to the Turkish interpreter, was never confirmed beyond doubt, although British investigators were clearly convinced of its veracity. In summarising his conclusion, they reported: ‘On leaving the tent in which Cowley was lying, the Turkish officer ordered the Guard over the tent to shoot Cowley through the canvas. This was done.’ ‘ The investigation into the exact nature of his demise was quietly wound up in 1920 and no one was ever prosecuted for the murder of the “Pirate of Basra”. Nor was his grave, said to be at Fallahiyah, ever located.

His service record, meanwhile, is endorsed with the following Admiralty statement: ‘There is evidence to suggest he was captured alive and a strong presumption that he was murdered by the Turks.’

His mother, who was resident at Keddery Street in Ashar, near Basra, was presented with her son’s V.C. by Rear-Admiral Drury Wake, the Senior Naval Officer, Mesopotamia, at the latter place on 25 August 1917. But an examination of the R.N. roll in T.N.A. ADM 171 89 reveals that his next of kin were never issued with his Great War campaign awards.

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396

X The fine Great War submariner’s D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Engine Room Artificer 2nd class R. E. Jupp, Royal Navy; decorated for his prominent part in the E. 11’s famous patrol in the Sea of Marmora in May 1915, he was nonetheless reduced from Chief E.R.A. to C.E.R.A. 2 by Nasmith, V.C., for swearing at his No. 1, Lieutenant D’Oyly-Hughes - in normal circumstances Jupp’s punishment might have been far greater, but Nasmith was acutely aware of his value to the E. 11’s operational future Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (272396. R. E. Jupp, E.R.A. 2 Cl. H.M. Submarine E.11.); 1914-15 Star (272396, R. E. Jupp. D.S.M. E.R.A. 2. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (272396 R. E. Jupp. C.E.R.A. 2 R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (272396 R. E. Jupp.

C.E.R.A. 2, H.M.S. Lucia), mounted as worn, contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise generally very fine (5) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006.

D.S.M. London Gazette 13 September 1915: ‘For service in submarines in the Sea of Marmora.’ The recommendation states: ‘H.M. Submarine Ell Sea of Marmora 18 May to 7 June 1915. Passed through the Dardanelles on night of 18 May. On 23 May sank Ottoman gunboat Peleng-I Derya and on 24 May sank Naval Auxiliary Naga and S.S. Hunkar Iskelesi. On 25 May the transport ship Stamboul was torpedoed.

On 28 May S.S. Bandirma was sunk and on 31 May the troop transport S.S. Madeline Rickmers torpedoed. The S.S. Tecielli was sunk on 2 June and finally on 7 June while passing out through the Dardanelles sank troopship S.S. Ceyhan. In total eleven ships were sunk or disabled during the mission.’

Reginald Jupp was born at Horsham, Sussex in October 1884 and entered the Royal Navy as an Acting Engine Room Artificer 4th Class in July 1907. Transferring to the submarine branch in October 1912, he was serving as an Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class at the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914.

Jupp was undoubtedly a forceful character, and one who played a vital role in the E. 11’s remarkable patrols in the Sea of Marmora, a contention which is amply supported by the definitive account of those exploits, namely Dardanelles Patrol, by Peter Shankland and Anthony Hunter, which was first published in 1965 - indeed the authors duly acknowledge Jupp’s valuable contribution to their eye-witness material. From the numerous references to him in the text, it is possible, too, to place Jupp aboard the E. 11 from the commencement of hostilities, so he had earlier shared in her gallant attempt to penetrate the Baltic in October 1914, an operation that was hindered by engine trouble and the regular attention of the enemy; nearly rammed by German patrol vessels on the 19th, she returned home on the following day after being spotted by an aircraft that directed a flotilla of destroyers in pursuit of her; and having survived that ordeal, E. 11 was again nearly rammed after delivering an unsuccessful torpedo strike in Heligoland Bight in December of the same year - her target was an enemy

ship returning from the bombardment of Scarborough. As recounted in Dardanelles Patrol, Jupp told Nasmith “Bad luck, sir” when it was apparent the torpedoes had missed, the latter responding, “It’s just as well I missed. She was too close. We would have both gone up together.

But I’ll tell you this, Jupp, I won’t smoke or drink till I’ve sunk an enemy warship.” Nor did he.

Yet it was, of course, for her subsequent deeds in the Dardanelles campaign in 1915, that the E. 11 won undying fame in the annals of submarine warfare, and Reginald Jupp his D.S.M. The spring of 1915 found the E.11 attached to the Fleet in the Mediterranean and, with Lieutenant-Commander Martin Eric Nasmith in command, she proceeded to make history at a rapid rate. It was in the middle of May that she left for her perilous passage through the Dardanelles, and before she was through them she ran into her first encounter with the enemy. When the Narrows had been successfully negotiated, and the submarine rose to get fresh bearings, two battleships were seen to be lying a little further on. Such an opportunity was not to be let slip without an effort, and, necessarily keeping the periscope above water, Lieutenant-Commander Nasmith at once proceeded to put his boat in a suitable position for launching a torpedo. Unfortunately, the Turks sighted the periscope a minute or two too soon, and instantly the battleships began blazing away with their light guns as hard as they could.

At the same time they ‘upped anchor’ and got under way, so there was nothing for it but for the E.11 to dive and hide herself until the furore had subsided. She was far too slow to catch the battleships if she ran submerged, and if she rose to the surface she would almost certainly have been breached by a shell. After a little, therefore, she gently settled herself on the bottom of the Straits, and there she remained until dusk.

That same evening she pushed on into the Sea of Marmora, where for several days she alternately rested and cruised about without finding

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II anything that was worth the expenditure of a torpedo. LieutenantCommander Nasmith made Constantinople the centre of his operations during the whole of this raid, and his first reward came one Sunday morning, just before half-past six, when a big gunboat was seen cruising off the port. The submarine was ready for instant action, and in less than a minute the fatal torpedo was underway. At 6.25 the gunboat was hit; at 6.30 she had sunk, but not without giving the E.11 something of a shock.

While she was heeling well over to the water’s edge, a shot was fired that went clean through the submarine’s periscope, carrying away about four inches of the diameter a few feet from the base, and leaving the rest standing. Had the shot struck about six feet lower, it would very probably have made a breach in the conning tower, and so rendered the submarine helpless, as she would not have been able to dive.

The very next day brought an adventure which, if it was not so exciting, at any rate did not lack in interest. A big steamer was sighted making her way from Constantinople towards the Dardanelles, and the E.11 came to the surface a short distance ahead, fired a shot across her bows, and brought her to a standstill. There happened to be a facetious American newspaper correspondent on board, and when Lieutenant-Commander Nasmith hailed “Who are you?” - meaning, of course, to inquire what the ship was and what was her business - this gentleman replied by giving his own name and that of the paper for which he was working. This was not good enough for the E.11. A few more questions elicited the fact that the ship was a Turkish transport, the Nagara, and when he got as far as that, Nasmith promptly replied, “Right. I am going to sink you”. “May we have time to get off?” queried the newspaper man, by this time rather subdued.

“Yes”, came the answer from the submarine, “but be d... quick about it.”

The Turks were so quick that they upset two of their boats in lowering them, and capsized several men into the water, though all of them managed to get into safety again. Then Nasmith went on board the ship to see what she carried. There was a six-inch gun, destined to strengthen the forts on the Dardanelles; there were several sets of mountings for weapons of large calibre; and there was a great quantity of ammunition for heavy guns on its way to the Dardanelles. The ship was, in fact, loaded from keel to upper deck with war material; and when the crew, and the American correspondent, had withdrawn to a safe distance, the submarine drew off, fired a torpedo, and sent the ship to the bottom.

The most audacious act of the E.11 was, however, her raid on Constantinople itself. Early one morning, while she was slowly cruising off the mouth of the harbour, she hailed a Turkish merchantman to stop; but the enemy ignored the demand and ran for all he was worth toward the harbour, with the E.11 in hot pursuit. It may have been this incident that gave Nasmith his inspiration; but however that may be, the E.11 found herself early one morning lying actually within the port of Constantinople itself. Observations were cautiously taken, and it was seen that a number of enemy transports were lying alongside the wharfs and that some of them actually had troops on board. The harbour of Constantinople is traversed by tricky currents, and although the E.11 fired two torpedoes, neither of them hit the object at which it was aimed. Nasmith’s intention was, of course, to sink the transports, and although the first torpedo did not do that, it blew up a barge with such force that the transport Stamboul, lying close by, was so badly damaged that she had to be run ashore in order to save herself from sinking. The second torpedo did not hit a ship, but it exploded against the quayside and destroyed a considerable length of it. In the Turkish capital itself the moral effect of this attack was tremendous. Hearing the explosion of the two torpedoes and the noise of the guns - for the Turkish batteries went on firing long after the E.11 was safely out of sight - the civil population jumped to the conclusion the Allied Fleet had arrived before their city.

This by no means ended the thrilling experiences of the E.11. Before she set out on her return journey from the Sea of Marmora she had sunk in all one large gunboat, two transports, three small ships, and one ammunition ship (the Nagara), and had forced another store ship to run ashore; and when, on her way back, she was about to enter the Dardanelles again, Nasmith sighted another transport coming up astern, and he waited until

she came along and then torpedoed her and sent her to the bottom. In all the E.11 destroyed eleven ships, no bad record for a small vessel with a crew of 30 officers and men, who had to face the gravest perils singlehanded from the time they entered the Dardanelles until they left them.

On the way out these perils were encountered in a most alarming form.

As the E.11 was making her way seawards beneath the surface, those on board became aware of a resistance which was not of the sea, and every now and then a faint bump was heard against the vessel’s side. Instinctively and instantly everyone on board realised what had happened.

The submarine had fouled the cable by which a floating mine was chained to its anchor on the sea bed, and the cable, instead of slipping past the smooth hull, had somehow become entangled in the forward hydroplanes.

Any one of those ominous bumps might suffice to explode the mine and send the submarine to the bottom like a log. It was impossible for Nasmith to manoeuvre his boat in an effort to get rid of the thing, for he was passing through the most thickly mined area of the whole Straits, and any deviation from the set course would almost certainly have taken the boat straight to destruction. Nor could he rise to the surface and send a man out to detach the machine, for the churning screws of the patrol boats could be heard overhead. There was nothing for it but to carry on as slowly and as carefully as possible and to trust to Providence. For eleven miles the submarine crept on with sudden death dangling from her bows, a death from which those on board were saved only by the lightness of the bumps by which the mine had announced itself. A sharp blow would have detonated it. One can imagine what feelings of relief there were when the boat at last reached an area where she could ‘break surface’ in safety. Once afloat again, it did not take long to disentangle the cable and drop the mine over the side.

His courageous services brought Lieutenant-Commander Nasmith the award of the Victoria Cross, while the two other officers on board, Lieutenant Guy d’Oyly-Hughes and Lieutenant Robert Brown, R.N.R., received the Distinguished Service Cross. All the Petty Officers and men were granted the D.S.M. Remarkably, Nasmith, his crew and the E. 11 returned to the Sea of Marmora for two further protracted and highly successful patrols. On the first of them, in July-August 1915, which lasted for 29 days, they sank the Turkish battleship Barbarossa, a gunboat, six transports, a steamer and 23 dhows, in addition to bombarding enemy troops and other military objectives along the coast. And on the second, which lasted for 42 days in November-December 1915 - the longest patrol accomplished by any submarine to date - they sank a destroyer, 11 steamers and 35 sailing ships.

As recounted in Dardenelles Patrol, however, it was during an attack on an enemy steamer in the E. 11’s second trip to the Sea of Marmora that Jupp lost his temper with the First Lieutenant, Guy D’Oyly-Hughes, an outburst that resulted in his demotion to C.E.R.A. 2. The No. 1 had berated him at the time it was taking to close the engine exhaust vent so that the submarine could dive - “When are those bloody engines going to be ready?”: Jupp responded in kind - “When you bloody well keep out of it!”: ‘Nasmith [next] dealt with the case of the defaulter, Jupp - the large Chief E.R.A. with the great black shaggy beard. Everybody was tired, and outbursts of temper and frayed nerves were to be expected, but this was a serious breach of discipline. It is against the regulations, and the tradition, of the Navy to answer an officer back, whatever the provocation. Jupp should have kept quiet when D’Oyly-Hughes swore at him, but he would have been within his rights if he had lodged a complaint afterwards. The special problem here was that Jupp was a valuable man who could not be replaced. The way Nasmith settled the case was this: He degraded Jupp from Chief E.R.A. to Second, and promoted Brooker from Second to Chief, instructing him to act under Jupp’s advice and supervision. Thus he punished Jupp without depriving himself of his great experience and efficiency with the engines .. ‘ Jupp remained employed as a submariner for the duration of the War, and beyond, finally being pensioned ashore in June 1929.

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397

X The outstanding Great War ‘River Tigris’ operations D.S.O. group of four awarded to Lieutenant-Commander Mark Singleton, Royal Navy, who accomplished the remarkable feat in his small armed tug of bringing to surrender a body of about 11 officers and 250 Turkish troops; indeed it was the opinion of the official historian of the campaign that greater daring than Singleton’s cool audacity could hardly be imagined Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top riband bar; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. M. Singleton. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Commr. M. Singleton. R.N.) contained in an old leather case, good very fine (4)

£4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2016.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.O. London Gazette 13 September 1915: ‘For his services during the advance from Qurnah and capture of Amara at the beginning of June 1915. Lieutenant Singleton was in command of the armed launch Shaitan, and displayed great skill and energy in pursuit of the enemy gunboat Mamariss and other craft. He went ahead of the main force through Amara in a gallant manner, and performed the remarkable feat in his small armed tug of bringing to surrender a body of about 11 officers and 250 Turkish troops, whom he had intercepted, and causing a large number to retire, thus largely contributing to the surrender of the town.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 21 January 1916; 5 April 1916; and 21 September 1917.

Mark Singleton was born in Theale Wedmore, Somerset, on 24 June 1887, and entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in Britannia in May 1902. Advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in May 1907 and to Lieutenant in December 1909, he was serving in the base ship H.M.S. Espiegle in the Persian Gulf on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, and was subsequently employed with naval units co-operating with military forces in Mesopotamia.

By May 1915 the Turks had been driven from the lower reaches of the Tigris, and in order that the Navy might render assistance to the Army in following them up, a number of flat bottomed tug boats were commandeered and commissioned as H.M. Ships for use on the river. One of these, the Shaitan, was placed under Singleton’s command. Crewed by eight men, his boat was armed with a 12pounder quick-firing gun in her bows and a smaller gun aft.

Advancing from Qurnah in June, the Shaitan, due to Singleton’s skilful boat handling, got ahead of the other small craft, and reached a point three miles south of Amara on her own. As she entered the reach of the river immediately below the town, which was situated on the east bank, large numbers of enemy troops were seen crossing the river to the western bank by a bridge of boats and getting into a barge secured to the Turkish gun boat Mamarris. The bridge of boats was then opened, the enemy gun boat clearly going to depart up river. Singleton immediately opened fire with the 12-pounder, causing

the troops to abandon the barge for a safer spot on the west bank.

Shaitan then steamed on and as she passed through the bridge of boats found the town was occupied in force. Half a battalion of Turks, moving through the streets to the river front, smartly retreated.

Around the next bend on both banks yet more troops were retiring from the Shaitan which was in effect surrounded. The Turks held their fire for fear of drawing the attention of Shaitan’s 12-pounder, and she continued upstream for about half a mile, whence Singleton called on a party of about two hundred Turks with six officers to surrender.

The Bluejacket’s disarmed them and, taking their weapons on board, compelled them to march down river abreast of the tug. On the way back to Amara, Singleton took more prisoners, who emerged from trees and threw down their arms; and, unattended, the sorry Turkish party obediently walked to the now deserted town where they sat down by a coffee shop and awaited the arrival of British troops.

Thus Singleton, at the expenditure of only two or three shells, captured 250 Turkish troops and 11 officers and contributed largely to the evacuation of Amara by 2000 troops. It was the opinion of the official historian of the campaign that greater daring than the Singleton’s cool audacity could hardly be imagined. He was awarded the D.S.O. Having taken part in further advances up river over the course of the next three months, and been mentioned in despatches, Singleton, due to heavy casualties and sickness, became the Senior Naval Officer on the Tigris although only 26 years of age. And in February 1916, he was given command of the 98-ton gunboat Stonefly, in which capacity he was twice mentioned in despatches for further actions on the Tigris and the Euphrates.

Returning home in January 1918, he was invested with his D.S.O. at Buckingham Palace that March and saw out the War with the Harwich Force in command of the destroyer Patrician. Placed on the Retired List on account of ill-health in December 1923, the gallant Singleton died on 21 December 1952. Sold with copied research, including record of service and extracts from Deeds that Thrill the Empire, and Tigris Gunboats by Vice-Admiral Wilfrid Nunn.

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398X

The rare Great War Gallipoli operations C.G.M. group of seven awarded to Colour-Sergeant C. J. ‘Charlie’ Braddock, Royal Marine Light Infantry, a well-known boxer who was decorated for facing-off a far superior force of Turks at Achi Baba in May 1915 Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, G.V.R. (Ch.B.2013. Pte. C. J. Braddock, R.M.L.I. Chat. Bn. R.N. Divn.); 1914 Star, with copy clasp (Ch.14298 Sergt. C. J. Braddock R.M. Brigade); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Ch.14298 Pte. C. J. Braddock. R.M.L.I.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (Ch.14298 C. J. Braddock. Sergt.

R.M.L.I.) heavily polished and worn, otherwise fine or better (7) £12,000-£16,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 1998.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

C.G.M. London Gazette 2 July 1915: ‘Behaved with distinguished gallantry on May 1st during operations south of Achi Baba. When the enemy in greatly superior numbers attacked an outpost of 30 men he volunteered in company with Lieutenant Cheetham and one other man to counter-attack the enemy on a flank in the open under heavy fire, thus assisting to save the outpost line.’

Charles James Braddock was born in London on 11 March 1887, and entered the Royal Marine Light Infantry at the recruiting depot in Deal in March 1904. Posted to the Chatham Division, he started to make a name for himself as a talented boxer in the period leading up to the Great War, winning numerous bouts by knockout. And that fledgling career in the ring – which eventually extended until 1923 - led to him purchasing his discharge in May 1914, when he was enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve.

Recalled on the outbreak of hostilities, he joined the R.M. Brigade in the Royal Naval Division and served in the Dunkirk and Antwerp operations in September-October 1914. But it was for his subsequent deeds in Gallipoli that he was awarded the C.G.M., following the award of a certificate by the G.O.C. of the Royal Naval Division ‘for courageous and gallant conduct in the Field’ on 1 May 1915.

On that occasion, when the Royal Marines bore the brunt of Kemal’s third attack on 29 April to 1 May 1915, the Chatham and Portsmouth Battalions suffered 337 casualties. The History of the Royal Marines in the War of 1914-1919 takes up the story: ‘On 1 May, the Turks attacked again at 4 a.m., but this was broken by fire. Another attack was made at 4 p.m., along the front of Quinn’s Post and Lone Pine trenches. The Turkish attack came across Johnston’s Jolly and 1000 Turks attacked Chatham R.M.L.I., who opened rifle and machine-gun fire, which broke the Turkish attack when about 200 yards off, and by 6 p.m., the enemy had retired. Lieutenant J. Cheetham was awarded the D.S.C. for his courage and initiative in the defence of this position. Private (acting Sergeant) C. J. Braddock (Chatham), the well-known heavy-weight boxer, was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, for volunteering, in company with Lieutenant Cheetham and one other man to counter-attack the enemy on a flank in the open under heavy fire, thus assisting to clear the line.’

Braddock was advanced to Corporal in October 1915 and saw further action in France, being specially promoted to Sergeant ‘for good services in the Field’ in February 1917. He returned to the U.K. six months later and remained employed on depot duties for the remainder of the war, in which period he no doubt continued to hone his boxing skills. Having then served as a Barrack Police Sergeant and been awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal in July 1920, he was discharged in June 1922.

Recalled on the renewal of hostilities, he was appointed a Colour-Sergeant in April 1940 and served as an orderly at Deal.

Sold with the recipient’s original parchment Certificate of Service, together with a Certificate for Wounds and Hurts for fractures received in a gymnasium accident in December 1917.

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399

X The notable Great War decoy ship operations D.S.C. group of five awarded to Engineer Lieutenant J. M. Dowie, Royal Naval Reserve, who was decorated for his gallant deeds in the Q-ship Baralong in August-September 1915, when he was present at the destruction of the U-27 and U-41 Famously, the former action led to accusations of ‘cold-blooded murder’ by members of Baralong’s crew, who boarded the liner Nicosian when six of the U-27’s survivors were seen to seek refuge in her. The accusations were refuted by Baralong’s skipper Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert, R.N., at the time, but some 20 years later he wrote: ‘Without further ado, these [three German submariners] were shot. Meanwhile, the Marines continued their search and found the remainder, who, in default of surrender, were too put to death likewise, and buried at once.’

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarked London 1916; Transport Medal 1899-1902, 1 clasp, China 1900 (J. M. Dowie); 1914-15 Star (Eng. Lt. J. M. Dowie, R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Eng. Lt. J. M. Dowie, R.N.R.) generally extremely fine £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 19 November 1915.

James Munro Dowie, who was awarded his Transport Medal for services in the S.S. Duke of Portland during the Boxer Rebellion, joined the crew of the Q-Ship Baralong on her commissioning in March 1915. He was subsequently present in her controversial action with the U-27, an engagement that ended in international outcry and claims of cold-blooded murder.

The incident in question took place on 19 August 1915, on which date an enemy submarine torpedoed the White Star passenger liner Arabic, causing 45 deaths. Informed of the liner’s loss, the Baralong, under Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert, R.N., with Sub. Lieutenant Gordon Steele, R.N., the future Kronstadt raid V.C., as his First Lieutenant, set off in pursuit of the offending U-boat. By all accounts tempers were running high among the crew, the recent loss of the Lusitania fresh on their minds, not least the tragic images of dead women and children laid out in the morgue at Queenstown, their operational base. As it transpired, the Baralong never did catch up with the U-boat responsible for the Arabic’s demise, but she did discover the U-27 engaging the Letland Line’s Nicosian.

Herbert immediately ordered action stations and fought a classic engagement which resulted in the destruction of the enemy submarine with no loss to his own crew.

He then observed a number of German survivors attempting to clamber up the side of the Nicosian and, fearing that they might attempt to scuttle or set fire to her, he ordered his men to renew their fire. Several Germans were undoubtedly killed in this manner, but at least another six got aboard and quickly disappeared below deck. What happened next will probably never be known for certain, too many conflicting accounts having shrouded the true version of events, but in his original report Herbert merely stated that he sent a party of his Marines aboard to apprehend the enemy submariners, but fearful that they might have gained access to the Nicosian’s fire-arms in her charthouse, he warned a Lance-Corporal not to hesitate to open fire on them if necessary. Herbert continues: ‘A thorough search was made, which resulted in six of the enemy being found but they succumbed to the injuries they had received from lyddite shell shortly afterwards and were buried at sea at once.’

Some 20 years later, after the furore had somewhat abated, Herbert wrote a differing account which confessed to three of the enemy having been found hidden in the propeller-shaft alley: ‘Without further ado, these were shot. Meanwhile, the Marines continued their search and found the remainder, who,

in default of surrender, were too put to death likewise, and buried at once.’

This latter account bears striking similarities to those taken from the Nicosian’s passengers, some of whom reported their version of events to the German Ambassador in the United States, thereby sparking off the entire controversy, a situation further fuelled by the Baralong having been seen flying the ‘Stars and Stripes’ as part of her neutral disguise.

Although the official Admiralty version of events would later compromise Herbert by its conspicuous absence of exoneration for his actions, for the moment at least he was the architect of the destruction of an enemy submarine, a feat that resulted in him being awarded the D.S.O. Three of his men received D.S.M.s, including the Lance-Corporal who had headed the boarding party.

Quickly re-christened the Wyandra, and given a new C.O., Lieutenant-Commander A. Wilmot-Smith, the ex-Baralong was back in action in the following month, when, on news being received of the loss of three British steamers over a nine-hour period, she was despatched to find the culprit. Heading for the area in question, south-east of the Fastnet, Wilmot-Smith came upon the steamer Urbino, lying stopped and under fire from the U-41. By means of skilful manoeuvring, he managed to close the range for his hidden guns to 500 yards, his ‘Panic Party’ all the while distracting the U-Boat’s commander, Kapitan-Leutnant Claus Hansen. Wyandra’s subsequent barrage of fire blew the U-41’s conning tower to pieces, and she slipped below the surface leaving just two survivors both of whom were picked up and unjustly claimed another example of a ‘murderous act’.

Wilmot-Smith was awarded the D.S.O., Dowie his D.S.C., and two ratings the D.S.M., it being noted by Keble Chatterton that Dowie’s award ‘was a well-deserved decoration, for much depended on the Engineers in these ships, and they had much to suffer.’ He was also the very first R.N.R. Engineer Lieutenant to be so honoured in the War. And he appears to have remained employed on Q-ship duties in the Mediterranean, his service record bearing the following endorsement: ‘Great credit due to him for steaming the ship some 18,000 miles whilst employed on special service and for raising steam in emergency as quickest possible time.’

His service record further notes that he removed to the troopship R.I.M.S. Hardinge in February 1916 and was embarked for the U.K. at the year’s end, following which he appears to have returned to the merchant service.

Sold with Registered packet and named card boxes of issue for Great War campaign medals.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

400X

The Great War Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Gold Marine Medal awarded to Captain J. Penwill, Mercantile Marine, whose gallant deeds in an open boat saved the lives of eight of his crew following the loss of his command S.S. Costello to submarine attack Liverpool Shipwreck & Human Society, Gold Marine Medal (To Captain James Penwill, S.S. “Costello” for Gallant Service 3rd August 1915) complete with gold buckle in its R. C. Oldfield case of issue, extremely fine £1,800-£2,200 The S.S. Costello was torpedoed and sunk by the U-28 95 miles off Bishop Rock on 3 August 1915, while bound for Genoa from Liverpool. Of James Penwill’s subsequent deeds, Liverpool Shipwreck & Humane Society records state: ‘For bravery, foresight and skill in saving the lives of eight members of his crew, immersed in the sea owing to the capsizing of the ship’s boat in boisterous weather after leaving their vessel sunk by a submarine on 3 August 1915. The crew left the Costello in two boats, which became parted.

In Captain Penwill’s boat there were nine men and himself, none of whom belonged to the Deck Department and were totally ignorant of how to manage the boat, the result being that the Captain had to remain at the tiller the whole time.

When they had been in the boat for 20 hours, the wind suddenly dropped, but only to shortly after strike the boat with a sharp gust, which capsized her, throwing the occupants into the sea.

Captain Penwill’s coolness and presence of mind was such that he directed the men to right the craft, and eight hands succeeded in climbing into her, but were up to their wastes in water and had no means of bailing the boat out. The mast had been carried away and only one oar was left, so that the men’s case was almost hopeless.

After enduring 13 hours in this peril, a Patrol Boat came on the scene, and all, with the exception of one man, were saved. When the boat capsized, Captain Penwill was caught under her, but being a good swimmer, struck out under water to clear the boat before coming to the surface, and owing to his presence of mind he not only owes his own life but was the means of saving those of his men.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

401X

The rare Great War S.G.M. group of six awarded to Canon R. J. P. Peyton-Burbery, Chaplain, Royal Navy, for his gallantry in saving life at sea off Bermuda Sea Gallantry Medal, bronze, G.V.R. (Rev. Robert J. P. Peyton-Burbery, “Pollokshields” 8th September 1915); 1914-15 Star (Chapn. R. J. P. PeytonBurbery, M.A., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Chapn. R. J. P. Peyton-Burbery. R.N.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, together with his black silk stole richly embroidered with the badges of a Naval Chaplain, very fine and better (6) £1,400-£1,800

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 1999.

S.G.M. presented 25 November 1916: Rev. Robert J. P. Peyton-Burbery, M.A., Chaplain, R.N., H.M.S. Suffolk: ‘On the 7 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.’ (BT 261/6, refers).

Robert Jackson Peyton Peyton-Burbery was born on 27 October 1881 and was educated at Christ’s College, Cambridge, gaining a B.A. in Special Theology. Ordained as a Priest in 1908 by the Bishop of Winchester, he was appointed a Chaplain, R.N. in June 1909.

He subsequently served as sea as Chaplain to H.M. Ships Achilles, 1909-10; Charybdis, 1910; Astraea, 1910-12; Euryalus, 1912; Russell, 1912-13; Suffolk, 1913-16, and Crescent, 1916-19.

On retiring from the Royal Navy, he was Rector of St Mary’s, March, until 1968, and Rural Dean of March from 1937 until 1968, when he became Canon Emeritus of Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Peyton-Burbery volunteered for service again in the Second World War and served as an Assistant Chaplain of the Fleet in 1939-41. At the Royal Military School at Thurlestone in 1944, when he was 63, it was said that in spite of his age he was still playing rugby and hockey, and that few cadets could beat him at rope-climbing. He lived for some years in retirement in Hampshire, and until his death in 1977 he was believed to be the oldest living clergyman who had been a naval chaplain.

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402X

The unique Great War D.S.M. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant C. A. Pearce, Royal Marines, for service in Serbia at the defence of Belgrade and subsequent retreat of the Serbian Army in 1915 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (9294 Sergt. C. A. Pearce, R.M.A. Service in Serbia.); 1914-15 Star (R.M.A. 9294 Sgt. C. A. Pearce.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. C. A. Pearce. R.M.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (9294 C. A. Pearce, Sergeant, R.M.A.); Serbia, Oblitch Bravery Medal, gilt; Serbia, Medal for Military Virtue, gilt, incorrect ribbon; Belgium, Croix de Guerre, ‘AI’ cypher, mounted court style as worn, very fine and better (8) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 1994 and May 2011.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.M. London Gazette 21 January 1916. The recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Egmont. Service in Siberia 5 to 8 October 1915. For services during the battle of Lisbona. Was the senior N.C.O. in charge of the two British 4.7in guns on Velike Vrachar which were in action against an overwhelming fire from the enemy’s artillery during the days and nights of the 5, 6, 7 and 8 October, until both guns were finally crushed and destroyed. They were fought to the last with superb bravery and devotion to duty.’

Charles Arthur Pearce was born on 22 May 1882 and enlisted as a Private in the Royal Marines on 23 January 1901. Ranked as a Gunner in November 1901, he became a Sergeant in September 1913 and Colour Sergeant in February 1916. During the early months of the war he served aboard H.M.S. Audacious; in February 1915 he was posted to the British Naval Mission in Serbia.

The purpose of the Naval mission to Serbia was to prevent the Austrian monitors and patrol launches from using the Danube. As the Serbians had no floating forces and were weak in artillery, the Austrian monitors were free to bombard Serbian positions at will. Directly after the re-occupation of Belgrade by the Serbians in December 1914, a party of R M.L.I. and seamen were sent hither from Malta. This mission was strengthened in February 1915 by the arrival from England of eight 4.7-in, guns, accompanied by eight R.M.A. ratings under Sergeant C. A. Pearce. The eight 4.7’s were organised in four batteries of two guns each, the R.M.A. providing the higher numbers of No. 1 Battery, and seamen those of the remainder. The 4.7 batteries were widely separated to command the rivers, only the R.M.A. No. 1 Battery, under Sergeant Pearce, being close to Belgrade itself, its position being on Veliki Vrachar Hill, on the south-east of the city. By 1 October the Austro-Germans had effected a great concentration opposite Belgrade, and on the morning of the 3rd a terrible bombardment was opened. It was estimated that in the first 24 hours some forty-eight thousand shells fell upon the doomed city.

No one had better cause to appreciate the magnitude of Belgrade’s bombardment than the occupants of No. 1 Battery on Veliki Vrachar Hill. Commanded by a Serbian artillery officer, with another Serbian officer as second-in command, the battery was composed of Sergeant Pearce with a Corporal and four gunners of the Royal Marines, and a small crew of Serbian soldiers to assist with the heavy work.

Of the latter Sergeant Pearce said he could not speak too highly. For the first four days the battery reserved its fire, waiting for the first sign of the enemy to attempt to cross

the river. On the 7th they could wait no longer, but opened fire on the batteries along the river front, and for the rest of that day carried on an engagement with no less than 24 Austrian guns. The inevitable happened. As soon as the battery opened fire the aeroplanes corrected the range, and the enemy shells, instead of passing overhead, began to fall upon it. They managed to keep up the unequal contest all day long, and most of the next day, until those two guns were all that was left of Belgrade’s defences, and nearly the whole of the Austrian artillery was concentrated upon them. Inevitably, on the night of the 7th, the No. 1 gun was put out of action, and on the following day the No. 2 gun suffered a similar fate. In face of heavy fire, the breech blocks and carriers of both guns were stripped, and under cover of darkness the gun detachments retired to a small village a few miles from Belgrade. In all two were killed and fourteen wounded, these remarkably small casualties being attributed to the excellent construction of the battery.

Sergeant Pearce and his gallant little team now joined the rapid retreat of the Serbian army which began on the 12th November, in the face of the advancing Austrians and Bulgarians. Reaching Ipek in Montenegro in late November the most difficult part of the journey remained to be made. The way was across the mountains of Albania to Scutari. Winter had set in, the tracks were so bad and so congested with the debris of the Serbian army that all wheeled transport had to be abandoned, and there was in consequence a great shortage of food. On 13 December the men of the batteries reached Podgaritza, on the 15th Scutari, and on the 19th San Giovanni di Medua. Sergeant Pearce was by now ill with dysentery but the remainder of the party were embarked on H.M.S. Dartmouth and proceeded to England.

Sergeant Pearce and Corporal A. H. Turner were each awarded the D.S.M., the six Gunners all being mentioned in despatches. Pearce was uniquely awarded the Gold Medal for Bravery and the Gold Medal for Military Virtue, the other members of the battery between them being awarded a further 14 Serbian decorations, probably making them the most highly decorated battery in the history of the Royal Marine Artillery. Colour Sergeant Pearce was awarded the R.N. Long Service medal in October 1916 and was commissioned in September 1917. He was further decorated with the Belgian Croix de Guerre for his services with the R.M.A. Siege Guns in 1917. Temporary Lieutenant Pearce was placed on the Retired List in July 1919; appointed to the Special Reserve of Officer in November 1920, this being cancelled on 4 February 1921 on his being granted a permanent commission in the Army Educational Corps.

Pearce died on 16 September 1966.

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403

X The unique Great War London Omnibus Driver’s D.S.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant (Road Inspector) A. Chouffot, Royal Marine Artillery, attached Motor Transport Company, Royal Naval Division and Royal Marines Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (99. S. Sergt. A. Chouffot. Motor Tpt. Coy. R.N. Division.); 1914 Star, with clasp (99. S. Sergt. Mechn. A. Chouffot, M.T. R.N. Div.); British War and Victory Medals (R.M.A. 99-S-.

Sgt. A. Chouffot.), together with London Omnibus A.O.C.A. 1914 badge, gilt and enamel, the reverse numbered ‘543’, the third partially officially corrected and the last officially re-impressed, generally very fine or better (4) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Spink, July 2008.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1916. ‘The following awards have been approved: Sergeant (Road Inspector) Alfred Chouffot, No. R.M.A./99 (S), R.N.D., Motor Transport Company.’

The recommendation states: ‘R.N. Division Motor Transport Company. Antwerp 3-9 October 1914. For services at Antwerp.

Throughout the time the Royal Naval Division Bus Company was running, he did excellent and efficient work, both in barracks and when on convoy duty. Displayed great ability.’

Alfred Chouffot was born in Barnsbury, London on 30 September 1887, and by profession a Road Inspector on joining the Royal Marine Artillery in September 1914. Quickly appointed a ‘Road Inspector Sergeant’, he was embarked for services in the Motor Transport Section of the Royal Naval Division.

The creation of the Motor Transport Section arose at the time of the Royal Marine Brigade’s embarkation for Dunkirk in September 1914, when it was realised by the administrative staff of the Royal Naval Division that some additional method of transport was necessary. Consequently, under the orders of the First Lord of the Admiralty, 90 ‘B’ type buses of the London General Omnibus Company were purchased and dispatched to Dunkirk. At the same time their drivers were enrolled and sent to the Royal Naval Recruiting Office where they were attested as Marines. Stopping at Chatham or Eastney en-route, the ex-civilian drivers were fitted out with the uniforms and other equipment, prior to proceeding to their respective points of embarkation at Dover or Southampton, from whence they sailed to Dunkirk.

Thus, it was, in a quite unique episode in the annals of war, that the London bus drivers commenced their wartime careers. Their splendid omnibuses, which to begin with were still decorated with garish advertisements, just as if setting off down Piccadilly, made a remarkable impression on the men and women of Flanders, even if the ill-fitting and incomplete uniforms of the drivers left a somewhat contrary impression. More importantly, they played a vital role, as did their gentlemen counterparts from the Royal Automobile Club, in supplying transport for the Naval and Marine Brigades in Antwerp, especially in respect of the evacuation of the wounded.

Once the Royal Naval Division had returned to England, the unit was lent to the Army and proceeded to St. Omer, afterwards providing valuable service during the First and Second Battles of Ypres. During the latter they were particularly active: ‘All buses under Lieutenant Guest being ordered to Steenvorde and were there employed under fire between Hazeboruck and Vlamertinghe; on 29 April they note that they brought back 800 wounded and refugees. Again in the battle of Aubers Ridge and Festubert they had much to do.’ (Britain’s Sea Soldiers, by General Sir H. E. Blumberg, K.C.B., R.M., refers).

Then in August 1915, after once more proving itself with all types of transportation, the unit was taken over permanently by the military establishment and became part of the Army Service Corps. Very few of the unit’s drivers transferred, however, and Chouffot was himself discharged in September 1915. In a short but much-admired life span, the Motor Transport Company, R.N.D., won three gallantry awards: a D.S.O. to Captain Leaf; a D.S.C. to Captain Summers; and a D.S.M. to Chouffot.

Sold with copied research and photographs.

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404

X The rare Great War Lake Nyasa operations D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer E. C. Mitchell, Royal Navy, who having survived the loss of H.M.S. Pegasus in her famous clash with the Konigsberg in September 1914, was seconded to the Lake Nyasa Flotilla, in which he ‘displayed much ability in drilling the native boat crews to a very creditable state of efficiency’ in the ex-missionary steamer Gwendolen Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (204906 E. C. Mitchell. P.O. H.M.S. Gwendolen.); 1914-15 Star (204906 E. C. Mitchell. P.O. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (204906 E. C. Mitchell. P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (204906 E. C. Mitchell Act. C.P.O. H.M.S. Hyacinth) edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine (5) £2,400-£2,800 Provenance: Spink, April 2004.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.M. London Gazette 24 February 1916.

The original recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Gwendolen Lake Tanganyika, whose shooting was of a very high standard rendered the redoubt untenable in the morning engagement, and hampering the enemy’s movements during the afternoon engagement. Petty Officer Mitchell displayed much ability in drilling the native boat crews to a very creditable state of efficiency, and it was largely due to his efforts that a rapid and safely conducted embarkation was achieved.’

Ernest Charles Mitchell was born in Plymouth, Devon on 3 February 1884 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in June 1899. By the outbreak of hostilities, he had been advanced to Petty Officer and was serving in the cruiser H.M.S. Pegasus, and he was likewise employed at the time of her memorable action with the Konigsberg off Zanzibar on 20 September 1914.

In the lead up to her final action, Pegasus had bombarded the customs house at Bagamoyo in German East Africa, when the port authorities refused to agree to a truce. Less than a month later, on 20 September 1914, her consorts Hyacinth and Astraea having been called away, she was undergoing repairs at the port of Zanzibar when she fell victim to a surprise attack launched by the Konigsberg. Deeds That Thrill the Empire takes up the story: ‘For twenty-five minutes the Konigsberg poured in her relentless broadside, steaming slowly in until she had reduced the range from nine thousand to seven thousand yards; and still the shells of the Pegasus failed to reach her. The shot fell harmlessly into the water hundreds of yards short of the enemy cruiser. The poor little Pegasus was in a bad way from the start. The enemy’s shooting was not good, but with the advantage of range they were able to take their own time, and the British ship soon began to suffer severely.

One of the first to be hit was the gunnery officer, Lieutenant Richard Turner, whose legs were shattered by a shell. As he lay stricken and bleeding to death his thoughts were all for the honour of his ship and his service “Keep it up, lads,” he said to his men. “We’re outclassed and done for; but d—- them, and keep it up!” So, having asked for brandy and a cigarette, Lieutenant Turner died; but the men “kept it up.” In fifteen minutes all the guns of the Pegasus had been silenced and not one of their shells had reached the enemy, whose guns had a range greater by two thousand yards. The cruiser’s flag was shot away from its staff. Instantly a Marine ran forward, seized the flag, and waved it aloft; and when he was struck down another came and took his place. The flag flew until the end.

There was no braver man that day than the medical officer of the Pegasus, Staff-Surgeon Alfred J. Hewitt. Nearly all the casualties occurred on deck, and there he was from the start to the finish, giving what help he could to the wounded men.

On one occasion he was holding a ruptured artery in the

neck of one man, and, with his other hand, stanching the flow of blood in the leg of another, while his assistants went for bandages. He could do nothing to help in the fighting, but there was certainly no braver man in the ship.

When she had fired about two hundred shells, the Konigsberg withdrew, leaving the Pegasus a battered and fast sinking wreck. At the beginning of the action there were 234 officers and men on board the British vessel, and of these 35 were killed and 53 wounded … ‘ In a controversial decision, Commander R. Ingles, R.N., Pegasus’s captain, had in fact struck her colours to avoid further bloodshed, but his action was ignored by the Konigsberg.

Among the survivors, Mitchell was borne on the books of the Hyacinth and selected for special duties on Lake Nyasa.

The lake had already witnessed the first naval engagement of the Great War, when H.M.S. Gwendolen, an ex-missionary steamer which had hastily been converted for use as a gunboat, attacked the German gunboat Hermann von Wissmann on 14 August 1914. The latter was on a slipway at Sphinxhafen and sustained serious damage.

Mitchell was otherwise occupied aboard the Pegasus at that time, but he was clearly present in future actions fought on the lake, the first of them following the arrival of LieutenantCommander G. H. Dennistoun, R.N.V.R., who took command of a budding British flotilla, including the captured German tug Helmuth. And that action took place on 30 May 1915, after local fishermen reported that the Hermann von Wissmann was under repair. Gwendolen landed a detachment of Askaris, who secured the area, prior to charges being placed on the enemy gunboat, and further action being taken by way of gunfire.

The recommendation for Mitchell’s D.S.M. certainly appears to fit this action, rather than a later quoted date in December 1915 on Lake Tanganyika. Be that as it may, the Germans once more set about restoring the von Wissmann to operational fitness, thus resulting in another visit by the Gwendolen to their lake shore base at Spinxhafen. A boarding party of Askaris found the enemy gunboat unmanned and, taken in tow by Gwendolen, it was re-christened ‘H.M.S. King George V’ of the Royal Navy’s Nyasa Flotilla.

Dennistoun and the flotilla remained actively employed until his return home in 1918, assisting in the transportation of supplies for our land forces. He was awarded the D.S.O. For his own part, Mitchell was gazetted for his D.S.M. in February 1916, added the L.S. & G.C. Medal to his accolades in September 1917, and appears to have remained actively employed on the East Africa station until returning to an appointment in Vivid in June 1918. He was finally pensioned ashore in February 1924.

Sold with an original letter from the recipient, written in January 1964, in which he explains the background to the Lake Nyasa operations, and his part in them.

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405X

The Great War D.S.C. group of six awarded to Rear-Admiral E. R. Bent, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry ashore as a Naval Observation Officer in the Gallipoli operations, where he served from the first day of the landings, sometimes atop “Chocolate Hill”; having earlier survived the loss of the Ocean, he went on to be appointed a C.B. on the eve of the 1939-45 War, in which conflict he served as Chief of Staff to the C.-in-Cs Western Approaches and Plymouth Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarked London 1916; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. E. R. Bent, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Commr. E. R. Bent, R.N.); Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, a little polished, otherwise nearly very fine or better (6) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 14 March 1916: ‘In recognition of services rendered between the time of the landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915 and the evacuation in December 1915-January 1916 .. Lieutenant Bent has performed consistent good work as Naval Observation Officer on shore from the first day of the landing.’

Eric Ritchie Bent was born in Tonbridge, Kent in September 1888 and entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet in Britannia in May 1903. Appointed a Midshipman in the battleship Illustrious in the Channel Squadron in September 1904, he was advanced to Lieutenant in November 1908 and was serving aboard the battleship Ocean on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914.

Subsequently employed in the Dardanelles operations, he survived the mining and loss of the Ocean on 18 March 1915, but not before having won a commendation for his control and spotting work during the earlier bombardments of the forts. Given temporary berths in the Queen Elizabeth and Lord Nelson, Bent came ashore on the very first day of the Gallipoli landings and stayed similarly employed until the evacuation, serving with distinction as a Naval Observation Officer on the right flank. A fellow officer later recalled that in September 1915, while spotting for the Prince George, Bent was ‘ensconced on Chocolate Hill’, where he was ‘shelled all day’.

Following the evacuation of the Peninsula, he served briefly in the Albion before removing on gunnery duty to another battleship, the Agamemnon, in March 1916, in which he served until January 1918, a period that witnessed her lending support to the Salonika operations, and shooting down the Zeppelin L-85 - quite probably as a result of his personal gunnery control work.

Having been advanced to Lieutenant-Commander in November 1916, he joined his final wartime appointment, the Hercules, in May 1918, and was promoted to Commander soon after coming ashore from her in the following year.

Bent went on to enjoy a spate of seagoing appointments between the Wars, was advanced to Captain in April 1927, appointed an A.D.C. to the King in August 1938, and was placed on the Retired List in the rank of Rear-Admiral in January 1939.

Recalled on the renewal of hostilities later that year, he served as Chief of Staff and Rear-Admiral (Operations) to the C.-in-C. Western Approaches, Admiral M. E. Dunbar-Nasmith, V.C., until April 1942, and was awarded the C.B. (London Gazette 1 January 1941 refers). As a result of ill-health, however, he was invalided in March 1942, and he died in June 1949.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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406X

The notable Great War D.S.M. group of three awarded to Officer’s Steward R. H. Buckett, Mercantile Marine Reserve, for his part in the famous contest fought between the auxiliary cruiser Alcantara and the German raider Greif in February 1916: as a result of the point-blank nature of the engagement both ships were sunk with heavy loss of life Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (R. H. Buckett, Off. Std. (M.M.), H.M.S. Alcantara, 29 Feb. 1916) partial correction to ship’s name; British War and Victory Medals (R. H. Buckett. Asst. Std. M.F.A.) nearly extremely fine (3) £1,800-£2,200 Provenance: D.S.M. Dix Noonan Webb, September 2005, since reunited with British War and Victory Medals but note missing 1914-15 Star.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.M. London Gazette 22 June 1916. The original recommendation states: ‘Officer’s Steward Richard Henry Buckett behaved with great coolness and assisted wounded when the ship was sinking.’

Richard Henry Buckett was born in Shalfleet, Hampshire on 22 July 1866 and was serving in the the S.S. Alacantara on the outbreak of war in August 1914. Requisitioned by the Admiralty in the same month, she was converted for use as an auxiliary cruiser. She subsequently joined the 10th Cruiser Squadron and was placed under the command of Captain T. E. Wardle, her chief duty being patrol work between Scapa Flow and the coast of Norway.

At about midday on 28 February 1916, in a position of 60 miles E. of the North of the Shetlands, the Alcantara was due to rendezvous with her relief ship, the Andes, when a wireless message instructed her to remain thereabouts and keep a sharp lookout for a suspicious steamship coming out of the Skagerrak. But it was not until about 8.45 a.m. on the following morning that Captain Wardle spotted smoke on the horizon on his port beam. During the course of making passage to this unidentified steamship, he received a wireless warning from the Andes that this was in all probability the vessel he was seeking, so Wardle signalled to the latter to stop, and fired two rounds of blank ammunition. By this stage the two ships had approached to within 1,000 yards of each other, the Alcantara coming up astern and lowering a boarding boat. At that moment, however, the “stranger” - which had Norwegian colours painted on her side and the name RenaTonsberg - dropped her bulwarks and ran out her guns. She was, in fact, the enemy raider Greif, and the intense nature of the ensuing 20 minute duel is best described in Deeds That Thrill The Empire: ‘From the very first the British gunners got home on the enemy. His bridge was carried away at the first broadside, and then, systematically, our guns searched yard by yard along the upper works of the enemy, seeking out the wireless room from which were emanating the meaningless jargons that “jammed” the Alcantara’s wireless. This had been set to work at once to call up assistance - a proper fighting precaution in any event, but doubly so in this case, seeing that it was quickly apparent the Greif carried considerably heavier ordnance than her own. Before long the enemy’s wireless was smashed, and our guns promptly turned themselves upon the hull and water-line of their opponent. In a few minutes the Greif had a great fire blazing aft; a few more, and she began to settle down by the stern; and as the Alcantara’s guns methodically and relentlessly searched her from stem to stern her return fire grew more and more feeble until, after about fifteen minutes’ fighting, it died away almost entirely.

On paper, judging by the difference between the armaments, the Alcantara ought to have been blown out of the water by this time; but, although she was hit frequently, the actual damage she sustained was almost negligible. The Greif was

already a beaten and doomed craft when other vessels came up in answer to Alcantara’s wireless. The first to arrive was the Andes, Captain George B. W. Young (another converted unit of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Line), and a few rounds from her apparently completed the enemy’s discomfort.

Not long after, a “pukka” cruiser appeared on the scene; but it is reported that, seeing the Alcantara had already made a hopeless mess of her opponent, this cruiser clicked out the signal “Your Bird” and went about her other business!

But the fight was not yet over. The Greif had again begun to blaze away with the one or two guns that remained intact when there happened one of those misfortunes that are apt to occur to the most efficiently handled ships. An unlucky shot carried away the Alcantara’s steering-gear, and her captain was immediately robbed of the weapon upon which he had chiefly depended for the destruction of his enemy - his seamanship. The Alcantara, though nearly all her guns were intact, became unmanageable, and for the first time in the action she was swung round by the seas into such a position that her full broadside was exposed to the enemy. There had, too, been no half-measures in fitting out the Greif for her work. She carried not only a powerful equipment of guns, but also torpedo tubes, and, although she was fast settling down in the water, she was able to bring them to bear now on a most favourable target - a big ship lying broadside on with disabled steering-gear. The first two torpedoes that were fired missed, in spite of the short range. The third caught the Alcantara squarely. Whereby it happened that after some twenty minutes of the most fierce and closely contested fighting the naval campaign had seen, the two principal combatants found themselves making headway towards the bottom in company. The Greif was the first to go. It is believed that, like the Moewe, she carried a big cargo of mines to be strewed where they would be most likely to entrap our warships. However that may be, she blew up with a tremendous explosion and went to the bottom, just a few minutes before the mortally injured Alcantara turned over on her side to find a resting place within a few hundred yards of her .. Of the 321 officers and men with which the Greif entered the fight, five officers and 115 men were rescued from the sea and made prisoners by the British destroyers that came upon the scene. The remaining 201 went to the bottom with their ship. The Alcantara’s loss amounted to five officers and 69 men, of whom nearly all were killed by the final torpedo.’

Buckett, who was among the survivors and awarded the D.S.M. for gallantly assisting the wounded, was subsequently lost in the armed boarding ship Stephen Furness, when that vessel was torpedoed in the Irish Channel on 21 December 1917 and went down with the loss of six officers and 95 ratings. A native of Ningwood on the Isle of Wight, he was 51 years of age and left a widow, Emily Jane Buckett. He is also entitled to the 1914-15 Star.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

407X

The very rare ‘Easter Rising’ M.I.D. group of three awarded to Lieutenant H. E. Archer, Royal Navy, whose ship Adventure carried Lieutenant Spindler and the captured crew of the German Steamer Aud after their ill-fated attempt to deliver arms to Roger Casement for use in the Sinn Fein Rebellion 1914-15 Star (Lieut. H. E. Archer, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with small M.I.D. oak leaves (Lieut. H. E. Archer. R.N.) good very fine (3) £500-£700 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, February 1999.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

M.I.D. London Gazette 24 April 1917.

Lieutenant Spindler arrived at the rendezvous at Tralee Bay off the West Coast of Ireland at 4:15pm on 20 April 1916. It was here that he was due to meet Roger Casement aboard a German U-boat and deliver his cargo of arms for use by the Sinn Feiners in the proposed uprising. He was in command of the German Steamer Aud, which was disguised as a Norwegian vessel. Upon arrival he found to his bitter disappointment that there was no U-boat in sight. According to the orders he had been issued with he was to wait just half an hour, at which point if the other party failed to put in an appearance, the Aud could either run into Fenit, or turn back home.

In point of fact, Roger Casement was at the rendezvous aboard the U22 Commanded by Lieut. Commr. Weisbach, but from a distance the dark outline of the Aud had been mistaken for a British destroyer and as such, little more attention was paid to it.

Spindler steamed about the bay till after dusk, displaying the prearranged green signal, but it soon became clear that there was no one at all to meet him. At 5am the following morning, the Setter II, skippered by John Donaldson, R.N.R. came alongside and boarded the Aud. Spindler, however, successfully deceived Donaldson into believing his disguise and showed him the cargo which at first sight appeared to be nothing more than a consignment of pots and pans. Donaldson, satisfied with the Aud’s innocence, went on to inform Spindler that the area was surrounded by all sorts of naval vessels as they were expecting some sort of trouble. Spindler therefor resolved to wait under the island till dark, then get 30 miles out into the Atlantic and steam south to Spain.

But soon after 1pm, he was once again approached, this time by the Lord Heneage, a large armed trawler. It was at this point that Spindler realised the game was up, and he ordered the cargo to be thrown overboard. The Aud was now fleeing for her life, and Lord Heneage was joined in pursuit by Setter II. After some distance, H.M.S. Zinnia and H.M.S. Bluebell took up the chase, eventually catching up with the Aud and escorting her into Queenstown.

At 9:25am the next morning (Saturday 22 April), the Aud - when just outside Queenstown and still under escort - suddenly stopped her engines and lowered her boats into which every member of the crew clambered. Spindler ordered the German naval ensign to be hoisted and then proceeded to detonate explosives with the effect that the Aud sank.

The Bluebell stopped and picked up the entire crew, consisting of the Captain, two Warrant Officers and 19 Petty Officers and men. That evening, the prisoners were transferred to H.M.S. Adventure and taken to Milford Haven en route for Chatham. Spindler admitted that he was treated with great courtesy and kindness whilst aboard the Adventure and was given an officer’s cabin. In his published memoir he wrote ‘discipline, order and cleanliness were simply perfect aboard the Adventure.’

This incident, which also resulted in the capture of Roger Casement, had the net result of stamping out the rising which should have swept across Southern Ireland, and to localise the trouble about to flare up in Dublin. (Danger Zone, The Story of The Queenstown Command, by E. Keble Chatterton refers.)

Humphrey Edward Archer was born in London on 15 April 1890, and joined the Navy aboard the training ship Britannia on 15 January 1905, becoming Midshipman on 15 May 1906, and Sub Lieutenant on 15 August 1909.

Promoted to Lieutenant on 15 November 1910, he joined the Adventure in July 1913, becoming First and Gunnery Lieutenant in her from 29 November 1914, and remained as such until 11 August 1916, when he removed to Renown. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 15 November 1918, and was placed on half-pay in June 1928. He died on 2 April 1944.

Sold with copied record of service and confirmation of ‘M.I.D. for services in connection with the Sinn Fein rising in Ireland, April 1916’.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

408

X The important G.B.E., K.C.B. group of fourteen awarded to Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer, Royal Navy, Flag Captain to Admiral Sir John Jellicoe in the Iron Duke at Jutland; a noted expert in naval gunnery, Dreyer’s fire-control system was adopted by the Admiralty in the lead up to the Great War, a timely development that undoubtedly contributed to the award of the C.B. (Military) for the battle of Jutland and to Iron Duke’s unrivalled reputation for speed and accuracy The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, G.B.E. (Military) Knight Grand Cross, 2nd type, set of insignia, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt, and enamels, and breast star, silver and enamels, with full dress sash, in Garrard, London case of issue; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s, set of insignia by Garrard, London, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamels, minor damage to blue enamel on reverse, and breast star, silver, gold and enamels, in Garrard, London case of issue; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Civil) Companion’s, breast badge, converted for neck wear; 1914-15 Star (Capt. F. C. Dreyer, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. F. C. Dreyer. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; France, 3rd Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, gold and enamels, hairline cracks to white enamel; United States of America, Distinguished Service Medal (Navy), the medals and foreign awards mounted court-style as worn, unless otherwise described, nearly extremely fine (16) £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Spink, April 2004

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Jellicoe, seated centre, and his staff aboard H.M.S. Prince of Wales, circa 1911; Dreyer seated right

G.B.E. London Gazette Coronation Honours List May 1937.

K.C.B. London Gazette 3 June 1932.

C.B. (Civil) London Gazette 22 June 1914.

C.B. (Military) London Gazette 15 September 1916: ‘Commanded and handled the Fleet Flagship most ably during the action. The rapidity with which hitting was established on ships of the enemy’s fleet was the result of long and careful organisation and training of personnel.’

French Legion of Honour, Officer London Gazette 12 December 1918.

[Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class London Gazette 8 March 1920] [Russian Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class London Gazette 1 October 1917] U.S.A. Distinguished Service Medal (Navy) London Gazette 16 September 1919.

Frederic Charles Dreyer was born on 8 January 1878, the son of a Danish astrologer who was granted British citizenship in March 1885. He entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in July 1891 and was appointed a Midshipman in July 1893. Having then gained advancement to Lieutenant in July 1898, he took a First with Honours in an advanced course for Gunnery and Torpedo Lieutenants and served in that capacity in battleship H.M.S. Exmouth in 1904-07.

It was in this period that he commenced his pioneering research into fire control, work which resulted in him joining the revolutionary Dreadnought for an ‘experimental cruise’ in 1907. Of special interest to Dreyer was the fact that she was the first battleship to have a uniform main battery, rather than a few large guns complemented by a secondary armament of smaller guns. The result of his work - Dreyer’s Fire Control Table - was indicative of his approach to gunnery, namely plotting

ranges and bearings versus time, using a range clock and other accessories to help relay data, and to develop a continuous hypothesis of range and deflection to send to guns’ crews.

Their Lordships of the Admiralty were duly impressed, and he was advanced to Commander and appointed Assistant to the Director of Naval Ordnance.

Dreyer’s talents also caught the eye of another noted gunnery expert, Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, under whom he served as Flag Commander in the Prince of Wales in 1910-12. A spell on the War Staff having then ensued, he was advanced to Captain in June 1913 and awarded the C.B. (Civil) in June 1914. By the outbreak of hostilities, Dreyer was serving as Flag Captain to Jellicoe in the Orion, following which he accompanied the Admiral to his new command, the Iron Duke.

Given his senior role in the battle, Dreyer’s name looms large in numerous histories. Few of them fail to pay tribute to his skilful command and the fact that Iron Duke’s gunnery record for speed and accuracy was unrivalled, a record assisted by executing the classic ‘crossing the T’ manoeuvre. It was indeed to Dreyer that Jellicoe turned as the opposing sides closed each other in the early evening of 31 May 1916, requesting his Flag Captain’s opinion as to the most favourable direction in which to engage the enemy fleet, then heading north in pursuit of Admiral Beatty’s squadron. In Dreyer’s own words, ‘I reported to him that the most favourable direction was to the southward, and would [then] draw westwards as the sun sank.’ As evidenced by Iron Duke’s subsequent actions, he was bang on the mark, for at 1830 hours she had a clear view of the Koenig lit up against the sinking sun: in less than five minutes, Iron Duke fired nine salvoes, hitting the Koenig seven times. She also took out the German destroyer S-35.

Arguably the most momentous moment aboard Iron Duke was awaiting news of the enemy’s precise position, a period

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

of deep concern for Jellicoe and Dreyer. When Beatty finally imparted that information, Jellicoe reacted swiftly, a moment captured by Dreyer, who was standing by the compasses on the manoeuvring platform: ‘I then heard at one the sharp, distinctive step of the Commander-in-Chief approaching - he had steel strips on his heels. He stepped quickly onto the platform round the compasses and looked in silence at the magnetic compass card for 20 seconds. I watched his keen, brown, weather-beaten face with tremendous interest, wondering what he would do.

With iron nerve he had pressed on through the mist with his 24 huge ships, each weighing 25,000 tons or more, until the last possible moment, so as to get into effective range and make the best tactical manoeuvre after obtaining the news of the position of the enemy Battle Fleet, which was his objective. I realised as I watched him that he was as cool and unmoved as ever. Then he looked up and broke the silence with the order in his clear, crisp-cut voice to Commander A. R. W. Woods, the Fleet Signal Officer, who was standing a little abaft me, “Hoist equal-speed pendant, south-east.”

Woods said, “Would you make it a point to port, Sir, so that they know it is on the port-wing column?” This was a small matter and not actually necessary in view of Jellicoe’s habit of commencing the deployment in the Iron Duke while the signal was being answered. Jellicoe replied at once, “Very well. Hoist equal-speed pendant south-east by east.” ‘ Of such moments, history is made.

Jellicoe would later pay tribute to Dreyer in The Grand Fleet 1914-1916: ‘The mist rendered range taking a difficult matter, but the fire of the Squadron was effective. Iron Duke, having previously fired at a light cruiser between the lines, opened fire at 6.30 p.m. on a battleship of the Konig class at a range of 12,000

yards. The latter was very quickly straddled, and hitting commenced at the second salvo, and only ceased when the target ship turned away. The rapidity with which hitting was established was most creditable to the excellent gunnery organisation of the flagship so ably commanded by my Flag Captain, Captain Frederic C. Dreyer.’

He was awarded the C.B. (Military) and the Russian Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class.

Dreyer now embarked on a spate of senior roles, as Assistant Director, Anti-Submarine Division, Admiralty Naval Staff, 1916-17, as Director of Naval Ordnance, 1917-18 and as Director of Naval Artillery and Torpedoes, Admiralty Naval Staff, 1918-19, in which latter role he was awarded the C.B.E. in January 1919. He was, in addition, awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class, which distinction he appears to have ‘taken down’ with the advent of hostilities in September 1939.

Meanwhile, the immediate post-war era also saw him happily re-united with his old boss, when he served as Commodore and Chief of Staff to Jellicoe on his Naval Mission to India and the Dominions in the battleship New Zealand, 1919-20. Having then served as Director of the Navy’s Gunnery Division, 1920-22, and commanded the battle cruiser Repulse, 1922-23, Dreyer was advanced to flag rank. His final appointment, prior to being placed on the Retired List as an Admiral was as Commander-in-Chief China Station, 1933-36. He briefly returned to sea on the renewal of hostilities, as a Commander of Convoys, 1939-40, followed by appointments as Inspector of Merchant Navy Gunnery, 1941-42, and Chief of Naval Air Services, 1942-43.

The Admiral died at Winchester, Hampshire, in December 1956.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

409X

The important Jutland C.B. group of seven awarded to Vice-Admiral A. Craig-Waller, Royal Navy, who commanded H.M.S. Barham on that memorable occasion; in company with her consort Valiant, Barham was credited with being the most accurate British battleship engaged at Jutland, when she fired a staggering total of 337 15-inch shells with commendable results: but her achievements came at a cost, six direct enemy hits causing her casualties of 26 killed and 46 wounded

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s, breast badge converted for neck wear, silver-gilt and enamels, in Garrard, London case of issue gilt inscribed ‘A. W. Craig’; 1914-15 Star (Capt. A. W. Craig, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals,with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. A. W. Craig. R.N.); France, 3rd Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, gold and enamels, these last four mounted as worn; Japan, Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, with central cabochon, with neck cravat in its original black lacquered case of issue together with various fitments; Russia, Empire, Order of St. Anne, Military Division, 2nd Class neck badge, gold and enamels by Edouard, in original case of issue and outer paper envelope, both marked for 2nd Class, the mounted group contained in an old leather case, the lid gilt inscribed, ‘ViceAdmiral A. Craig-Waller, C.B.’, good very fine or better (7) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Spink, July 2000.

C.B. London Gazette 15 September 1916: ‘The Rear-Admiral commanding reports that the ships under his command were handled and fought by the captains in the manner one would expect from those officers and in accordance with the best traditions of the British Navy.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 15 September 1916.

Russian Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class, with swords London Gazette 5 June 1917.

Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class London Gazette 29 August 1917.

French Legion d’Honour, Officer London Gazette 27 May 1919.

Arthur William Craig (later Craig-Waller) was born at Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland on 18 June 1872, the son of a clergyman. Having attended the training ship Britannia as a Cadet in 1884-85, he specialised in gunnery and passing out with five Firsts was advanced to Lieutenant in June 1892. A succession of seagoing appointments having ensued, he was advanced to Commander in December 1902 and to Captain June 1908, in which rank he served as Assistant Director of Naval Ordnance in 1909-11.

awarded the French Legion d’Honour in May 1919, and advanced to Rear-Admiral in November 1919. He retired in the rank of Vice-Admiral in 1922 and submitted an account of the 5th Battle Squadron at Jutland to the R.U.S.I. Journal in the 1930s; see Volume 80, Issue 520.

Having then volunteered his services after the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, by which date he was aged 67 and ‘employed on A.R.P. work’, the Admiral died in Walton-on-Thames in February 1943.

By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, however, Craig-Waller was back at sea with command of the battleship Albemarle, in which capacity he remained employed until June 1915, when he removed to the battleship Barham.

And it was for his command of Barham in the 5th Battle Squadron at Jutland that he gained wider fame and recognition, not least her excellent gunnery discipline which inflicted serious damage on the S.M.S. Derfflinger, Lützow, Moltke, Seydlitz and von der Tamm. Admiral Scheer later paid tribute to Barham and her consorts, describing their arrival on the scene of battle as a critical moment for his battle cruisers: ‘The new enemy fired with extraordinary rapidity and accuracy.’

Barham’s rate of fire was indeed phenomenal: she expended 337 15-inch and 25 6-inch shells and, with Valiant, was credited with a combined total of 23 or 24 hits, thereby winning them the accolade of the most accurate British battleships engaged.

But Barham also suffered severe damage, most notably when Admiral Evan-Thomas turned the 5th Battle Squadron north at around 1650 hours on the 31 May, a manoeuvre that placed Barham in the killing zone of Admiral Hipper’s battle cruisers. One heavy calibre shell from the Derfflinger detonated above Barham’s medical store compartment, blowing a 7ft by 7ft hole in her main deck and sending lethal shell fragments through her middle and lower decks; another destroyed the ship’s sickbay, killing the staff and its patients, including eight boy ratings.

In total, Barham was hit by five 13-inch shells and one 11-inch shell and suffered casualties of 26 killed and 46 wounded.

Craig-Waller - who had also done his best to persuade Evan-Thomas to follow Beatty’s main battle group in the absence of a signal - was appointed C.B., in addition to being awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class, with swords; his subsequent award of the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class, in August 1917, likely reflected his part in the battle, too.

Appointed to the command of the battleship Renown in April 1918, Craig-Waller was appointed an A.D.C. to the King in February 1919,

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410X

The Great War Jutland D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Rear-Admiral M. G. B. Legge, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant command of the destroyer Nerissa, in which ship, as part of 2nd Division, 13th Destroyer Flotilla, he fought in close proximity to Barry Bingham, V.C. Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top ribbon bar; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr. M. G. B. Legge, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Commr. M. G. B. Legge. R.N.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935, mounted court-style as worn, good very fine and better (7) £6,000-£8,000

Provenance: Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards formed by R. C. Witte, Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.O. London Gazette 15 September 1916: ‘Having defeated the enemy destroyers, he gallantly pressed home an attack with torpedoes on the enemy battle cruisers.’

Montgomery George Bentinck Legge was born in Paddington, London on 16 December 1883, a scion of the Dartmouth family, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in May 1898. Appointed Midshipman while serving in the battleship Canopus in the Mediterranean in January 1900, he was advanced to Lieutenant in September 1905 and to Lieutenant-Commander in September 1913, and was in command of the destroyer Forester at the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. As such, he was quickly in action at Heligoland Bight on the 28th, when his ship shared in the destruction of the enemy destroyer V-187, and again at Dogger Bank in January 1915. Removing to the destroyer Nerissa in April 1916, he was subsequently present at Jutland in the 2nd Division, 13th Destroyer Flotilla: ‘4.30: 13th Flotilla ordered to attack the enemy’s battle-cruisers with torpedoes. Took station astern of the 3rd Division of 13th Flotilla and commenced my attack on a northerly course, owing to the enemy turning 16 points. This attack had eventually to be carried out on a southerly course, which I did in company with the Termagant, firing two torpedoes at a range of 7,000 yards. Just previous to this Nomad was observed quite close, stopped and apparently badly damaged in the engine-room. The enemy’s light-cruisers were firing accurate salvoes during the attack, and this fire was returned, and though spotting was very difficult, one torpedo apparently took effect on the rear ship.

I rejoined Champion on the disengaged side of the battle-cruisers, steering to the northward and joined the Grand Fleet, remaining in company with the Champion for the remainder of the action’ (Legge’s official report, refers).

He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 16 July 1916), and awarded the D.S.O., and remained in command of the Nerissa until removing to the Vesper in January 1918, again having been in action in the Heligoland Bight on 16-17 November 1917.

Following service in the Black Sea in Vesper 1919-20, Legge was appointed, in November 1922, on joining the Widgeon in the Far East, Senior Naval Officer, Upper Yangtse. He remained similarly employed until 1924, a period that witnessed a run-in with local junkmen over the transport of wood-oil down river, and the murder of the manager of the British Trading Company at Wanhsien, but the threat of imminent bombardment appears to have quelled the disturbance. Indeed, Legge was cited as having ‘acted with firmness, good judgment and ability’, and to have ‘enhanced the reputation of the Royal Navy on many occasions of trouble’ (his service record. refers).

From May 1927 to December 1928, and having been advanced to Captain (D.), he commanded the flotilla leader Stuart and, after lending valuable assistance in the aftermath of the Corinth earthquake, was awarded the Greek Red Cross Society’s Commemorative Medal - a distinction that Their Lordships permitted him to accept, but not wear.

Legge next returned to the Far East, where he served as Naval Attaché to His Majesty’s Mission in Japan and China from December 1929 to January 1933, prior to returning home for his final seagoing command, the battleship Centurion. Appointed an A.D.C. to the King in July 1936, he was placed on the Retired List in the rank of Rear-Admiral in the same month.

Recalled on the renewal of hostilities, Legge was appointed Roof Lookout Control Officer for the Air Ministry in the Westminster-Kingsway sector but would appear to have been released before the War’s end due to ill-health. He died in February 1951.

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411

X The Great War Jutland D.S.M. group of six awarded to Gunner C. P. Peckham, Royal Navy, who was also the recipient of the Naval Good Shooting Medal with Bar, likewise for services in H.M.S. Superb Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (169822 C. P. Peckham, C.P.O., H.M.S. Superb 31 May - 1 June, 1916.); 1914-15 Star (169822 C. P. Peckham, C.P.O. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Gnr. C. Peckham.

R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (169822 C. P. Peckham, C.P.O., H.M.S. Revenge.); Naval Good Shooting Medal, E.VII.R., with Second Award Bar specially embossed ‘H.M.S. “Superb” 1913. 12” B.L.’ (169822 C. P. Peckham, P.O. 1Cl, H.M.S. Superb. 1910. 12 In. B.L.), light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (6) £2,400-£2,800

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Just 53 Naval Good Shooting Medals with First Bars were awarded.

D.S.M. London Gazette 15 September 1916: ‘Recommended for honour.’

Charles Percy Peckham was born at Broadwater, Sussex on 20 June 1877, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in October 1892. Over the coming decade he attended the gunnery establishment Excellent on several occasions and gained steady advancement.

In May 1909, he joined the battleship H.M.S. Superb, aboard which he was awarded his Naval Good Shooting Medal in 1910, having excelled as a member of the turret crew of a 12-inch breech-loading gun.

Having then served in the battleship Revenge, in which he was advanced to Chief Petty Officer in February 1912 and awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in the following June, he rejoined the Superb and added a Bar to his Good Shooting Medal in the fleet competition in 1913.

Peckham remained actively employed in the Superb until August 1917, in which period he saw action at Jutland, when she formed part of the 4th Battle Squadron under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe and was credited with hits on the Weisbaden and Derfflinger. Those hits were achieved with her main 12-inch armament and surely in part attributable to Peckham’s established gunnery record. He was awarded the D.S.M. Having come ashore to Excellent in August 1917, he was commissioned as a ‘Gunner, R.N.’ in May 1918 and ended the war in torpedo boat 077. He was pensioned ashore in February 1919 and died in June 1954.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

412

X The outstanding Great War Royal Naval Division D.S.O. group of four awarded to Commander C. S. West, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who first saw action in Hawke Battalion at the defence of Antwerp in October 1914, prior to escaping in disguise from internment in Holland.

He subsequently served as second-in-command of Collingwood Battalion in Gallipoli, where he was severely wounded at Krithia in June 1915, and as C.O. of Howe Battalion on the Western Front, where he was killed in action at Welsh Ridge in December 1917 Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top ribbon bar; 1914 Star, with clasp (Lieut. C. S. West, R.N.V.R. Hawke Btn. R.N.D.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lieut. C. S. West, R.N.V.R. Hawke Btn. R.N.D.) together with Memorial Plaque (Charles Skeffington West, mounted court-style for display, extremely fine (5) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Spink, November 2010.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.O. London Gazette 17 April 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He rendered invaluable service by most ably guiding and placing companies of the battalion in their battle positions within 400 yards of the enemy. He worked continuously under heavy hostile shell fire, and was largely responsible for the success of the operations.’

Charles Skeffington West was born at Temple Mead Rectory, Longford, Ireland on 22 April 1886, the son of a clergyman and a cousin of Lieutenant-Colonel R. A. West, V.C., D.S.O., M.C. Having attended St. Clare School, Walmer, young Charles entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in January 1901 and served as a Midshipman on the China Station, prior to being invalided ashore as a Sub. Lieutenant in January 1905. He subsequently attended Trinity College, Cambridge.

Commissioned as a temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was quickly drafted to Hawke Battalion in the Royal Naval Division and embarked for Dunkirk as part of the 1st R.N. Brigade in early October. Having then taken part in the defence of Antwerp and been interned in Holland, ‘he, with two others, succeeded in escaping in disguise, thus avoiding having to give parole, May 1915.’ (The Distinguished Service Order 1886-1923, refers).

Advanced to Lieutenant-Commander, West was next appointed 2nd-in-command of Collingwood Battalion, in which capacity he landed in Gallipoli at the end of May 1915. A few days later, the battalion was assigned to the third allied attack on Krithia, a costly action in which West was wounded on 4 June 1915 and his unit all but wiped out: of 70 officers and 1,900 ratings of the Naval Division who went into action that day, just five officers and 950 men returned to our lines.

Following medical treatment at Alexandria, West returned to the peninsula as second-in-command of Howe Battalion, his old battalion having been temporarily disbanded on account of casualties. And he remained likewise employed until the evacuation of Gallipoli in January 1916.

Howe Battalion was next embarked for France, where, in October 1916, it was deployed to the Somme, in readiness for the battle of the Ancre, in which the Naval Division’s objective was to be Beaucourt. On the morning of 13 November 1916, West’s Howe Battalion, as a part of a combined force, advanced behind the creeping barrage of the attack and successfully pressed home it’s objectives, including the German front line system. Beaucourt itself was secured on the following day, in an action in which Lieutenant-Colonel B. Freyberg of Hood Battalion won the Victoria Cross, but on ‘marching out’ of the front line, Howe Battalion mustered less than 100 men. The Naval Division was withdrawn from the battle area for two months’ rest.

On returning to the front in January 1917, West and his comrades in Howe Battalion were quickly back in action, advancing on Grandcourt and spearheading the attack on Miraumont on 17-18 February, the latter being described as ‘brilliantly successful’ and resulting in West’s award of the D.S.O. But greater challenges lay ahead, not least the Naval Division’s costly part in the first battle of Gavrelle in April 1917, when it suffered losses of 170 officers and 3,624 ratings killed or wounded. One of the resultant casualties was the C.O. of Howe Battalion, who was invalided home in May 1917, and West now assumed command of the Battalion.

A period of consolidation ensued, punctuated by occasional forays across No Man’s Land, a case in point being a successful night raid carried out by Howe Battalion against Gavrelle Trench on 20 July 1917: ‘The enemy losses in killed and prisoners alone exceeded our total casualties. The raid had found the enemy generally listless and ill-prepared. Their trenches were ill-constructed and badly tended, while many of the garrison were caught without arms or equipment.’ (The Royal Naval Division, by Douglas Jerrold, refers).

At the end of September, the Naval Division was drafted in to participate in the much-delayed Flanders offensive, the main objective of which was Passchendaele ridge. And on 26 October 1917, as part of the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele, West’s battalion was detailed to attack towards Poelcappelle, an attack undertaken in terrible mud. Resultant casualties were high.

Having then been rested, Howe Battalion rejoined the Naval Division on the Cambrai front in early December, moving into positions on Welsh Ridge. And it was here, in a major German counter-attack on the 30th, that West was killed: ‘ … on the Howe front, through no fault of the men on the spot, the situation was more serious. Simultaneously with the loss of the front line, a shell falling outside Battalion H.Q. had killed, Commander West and Lieutenant-Commander Alan Campbell … The deaths, moreover, of Commander West, of Patrick Shaw Stewart and of Alan Campbell, were in the nature of a grievous personal loss to innumerable officers and men of the Division. They had all served with the Division in the earliest Gallipoli days, and had each contributed much to its reputation, not only as a fighting organization but as the gathering place of so many men who were at once remarkably good company and of brilliant attainments … Commander West and Alan Campbell were killed by a shell falling at the entrance of their headquarters as they too were moving up to their front line.’ (ibid).

West was buried in the British Extension of Metz-en-Couture Communal Cemetery.

Sold with the recipient’s original M.I.D. certificate, dated 9 April 1917, in its original forwarding envelope addressed to ‘Mrs. West, Staverton, Wokingham, Berks.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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413

X The scarce Great War D.S.C. and Bar group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Commander Reginald Allen, Royal Naval Reserve, who won his D.S.C. in the Gallipoli landings of April 1915, and his Bar for services in Q-ships Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1916, with Second Award Bar; 1914-15 Star (Mid. R. Allen, R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals, with small M.I.D. oak leaves (S.Lt. R. Allen. R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1928, mounted as worn, good very fine (5) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2001.

D.S.C. London Gazette 14 March 1916: ‘Probationary Midshipman Reginald Allen, H.M.S. Europa. For services performed under shell fire on the beaches and in steam boats off the beaches.’ Also commended for service in action during the operations in Gallipoli, April 1915-January 1916.

Bar to D.S.C. London Gazette 17 November 1917: ‘Sub. Lieutenant, D.S.C., R.N.R. For services in action against enemy submarines.’ For the possible destruction of an enemy submarine by the Q-ship Chagford. One of only approximately 92 bars to the D.S.C. awarded during the Great War. The following extract is taken from Q Ships and their Story by E. Keble Chatterton: “In the spring of 1917 there was a 2,905-ton steamship, called the Bracondale, in the employment of the Admiralty as a collier. It was decided that she would make a very useful Q-ship, so at the beginning of April she was thus commissioned and her name changed to Chagford. She was fitted out at Devonport and armed with a 4-inch, two 12-pounders, and a couple of torpedo tubes, and was ready for sea at the end of June. Commanded by Lieutenant D. G. Jeffery, R.N.R., she proceeded to Falmouth in order to tune everything up, and then was based on Buncrana, which she left on August 2 for what was to be her last cruise, and I think that in the following story we have another instance of heroism and pertinacity of great distinction.

Chagford’s position on August 5 at 4.10 a.m. was roughly 120 miles north-west of Tory Island, and she was endeavouring

to find two enemy submarines which had been reported on the previous day. At the time mentioned she was herself torpedoed just below the bridge, and in this one explosion was caused very great injury: for it disabled both her torpedo tubes and her 4-inch gun; it shattered the boats on the starboard side as well as the Captain’s cabin and chart room.

In addition, it also wrecked all the voice-pipe connections to the torpedo tubes and guns, and it flooded the engineroom and put the engines out of commission, killing one of the crew. Lieutenant Jeffery therefore ‘abandoned’ ship [i.e. sent off the panic party], and just as the boats were getting away two periscopes and a submarine were sighted on the starboard side 800 yards away. As soon as the enemy came to the surface fire was opened on her by the two 12-pounders and both Lewis and machine-guns, several direct hits being observed. The submarine then dived, but at 4.40 a.m. she fired a second torpedo at Chagford, which hit the ship abaft the bridge on the starboard side.

From the time the first torpedo had hit, the enemy realised that the Chagford was a warship, for the 4-inch gun and torpedo tubes had been made visible, and now that the second explosion had come Lieutenant Jeffery decided to recall his boats so that the ship might genuinely be abandoned.

The lifeboat, dinghy, and a barrel raft were accordingly filled, and about 5.30 a.m. the enemy fired a third torpedo, which struck also on the starboard side. Having sent away in the boats and raft everyone with the exception of himself and a Lieutenant, R.N.R. [James S. Hely], two sub-lieutenants,

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

R.N.R. [Reginald Allen, D.S.C., and George E. Martin], also an assistant paymaster, R.N.R. [Harry Manley], and one petty officer [E. A. Edgecombe], Lieutenant Jeffery stationed these in hiding under cover of the fo’c’sle and poop, keeping a smart look-out, however, through the scuttles.

Here was another doomed ship rolling about in the Atlantic without her crew, and only a gallant handful of British seamanhood still standing by with but a shred of hope. To accentuate their suspense periscopes were several times seen, and from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. a submarine frequently appeared on the surface at long range, and almost every hour a periscope passed round the ship inspecting her cautiously.

During the whole of this time Chagford was settling down gradually but certainly. At dark Lieutenant Jeffery, fearing that the enemy might attempt boarding, placed Lewis and Maxim guns in position and served out rifles and bayonets to all.

Midnight came, and after making a further examination of the damage, Lieutenant Jeffery realized that it was impossible for the Chagford to last much longer, for her main deck amidships was split from side to side, the bridge deck was badly buckled, and the whole ship was straining badly. Therefore, just before half-past midnight, these five abandoned the ship in a small motor-boat which they had picked up at sea some days previously, but before quitting Chagford they disabled the guns, all telescopic sights and strikers being removed.

Having shoved off, they found to their dismay that there were no tanks in the motor-boat, so she had to be propelled by a couple of oars, and it will be readily appreciated that this kind of propulsion in the North Atlantic was not a success.

They then thought of going back to the ship, but before they could do so they were fortunately picked up at 7.30 a.m. by H.M. trawler Saxon, a large submarine having been seen several times on the horizon between 4 and 7 a.m. The trawler then proceeded to hunt for the submarine, but, as the latter had now made off, volunteers were called for and went aboard Chagford, so that by 4 p.m. Saxon had commenced towing her [Sub-Lieutenant Allen was again amongst the volunteers on this occasion]. Bad luck again overcame their efforts, for wind and sea had been steadily increasing, and of course there was no steam, so the heavy work of handling cables had all to be done by hand. Until the evening the ship towed fairly well at 2 knots, but, as she seemed then to be breaking up, the tow rope had to be slipped, and just before eight o’clock next morning (August 7) she took a final plunge and disappeared. The Saxon made for the Scottish coast and landed the survivors at Oban on the morning of the eighth.

In this encounter, difficult as it was, Chagford had done real service, for she had damaged the submarine so much that she could not submerge, and this was probably U-44 which H.M.S. Oracle sighted in the early hours of August 12 off the north coast of Scotland, evidently bound to Germany. Oracle chased her; U-44 kept diving and coming to the surface after a short while. She had disguised herself as a trawler and was obviously unable to dive except for short periods. Oracle shelled and then rammed her, so that U-44 was destroyed and Chagford avenged.”

Reginald Allen was born at Warrington in 1895, was appointed Midshipman, Royal Naval Reserve, on 15 August 1911, and in September 1914 was serving aboard the armed merchant cruiser Teutonic. In January 1915 he transferred to the battleship Triumph and would appear to have been one of the survivors from that ship when she was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine off Gallipoli on 25 May 1915. In June 1915 he is shown aboard the cruiser Europa before joining the salvage vessel Hughli in December 1915.

He rejoined Europa the following year and subsequently served aboard the destroyer Thorn and T.B. 23. In June 1917, he is listed for Special Service, in his case with the Q-ship Chagford and the incident described above. Following the loss of Chagford, Allen served in the Q-ships Avronian and Dianthus, and is shown as a Special Service officer until 1919, when he was demobilised. He was then employed from April 1922 by the Cunard Line on the trans-Atlantic route between Liverpool and New York on the liners Mauretania, Caronia, Scythia, Carmania and Alaunia. In August 1926 he began plying the route from Liverpool to Rangoon for the Bibby Line, his final voyage, as 2nd Officer of the passenger ship Worcestershire, arriving at Liverpool from Rangoon on 11 December 1931. Lieutenant-Commander Reginald Allen died in 1938, aged 40.

Sold with original Master’s Certificate (1922), Board of Trade Continuous Certificate of Discharge and two photographs, together with copies of the official action report and other research.

Lieutenant Jeffery was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, while Sub-Lieutenant Allen got a Bar to his Distinguished Service Cross, and Sub-Lieutenant Martin and Assistant Paymaster Manley both received the Distinguished Service Cross.

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414

X The rare and outstanding Great War D.S.O. and Bar group of four awarded to Commander W. Sterndale-Bennett, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, one of the Royal Naval Division’s youngest Battalion C.O.s - and a recipient of Churchillian praise - who was mortally wounded at Passchendaele in November 1917, aged just 24 Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with 1st laurel type Second Award Bar and integral top ribbon bar; 1914 -15 Star (Ty. Sub. Lieut, W. S. Bennett, R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Commr. W. Sterndale-Bennett. R.N.V.R.) some chipping to green enamel wreath of D.S.O., otherwise extremely fine (4) £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Spink, May 2003.

One of just four “Double D.S.O.s” awarded to the Royal Naval Division.

D.S.O. London Gazette 26 January 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. He assumed command of and handled his Battalion with marked courage and ability. He personally collected a party and bombed the enemy out of part of their second line, where they might have held up the attack.’

Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 18 July 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. On discovering the wire uncut except in a few places he went forward himself and led his Battalion through the partially cut gaps. He finally gained his objective and held on against very strong resistance. The success of the operation was almost entirely due to his personal example.’

Walter Sterndale-Bennett was born in Derby on 15 July 1893, the son of James Robert Sterndale Bennett, Headmaster of Derby School, and a grandson of Sir William Sterndale

Bennett (1816-75), one of the most celebrated British composers of the nineteenth century, Professor of Music at Cambridge and latterly Principal of the Royal Academy of Music.

It is thought that young Walter attended St Paul’s School, Hammersmith, and possibly studied at the Slade School of Fine Art. More certain is the fact he was subsequently apprenticed to the Merchant Navy and qualified for his 2nd Mate’s certificate in December 1913.

Upon the outbreak of hostilities in the following year, he enlisted in the ranks of the 28th Battalion, London Regiment (Artists’ Rifles) in which he undertook basic training. But in February 1915 he obtained a commission as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was drafted to Drake Battalion in the Royal Naval Division. And it was in

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

this capacity that he first saw action, in Gallipoli from midAugust 1915, where he was also appointed Adjutant of the battalion and ‘one of the last to slip away’ from the peninsula on its evacuation. He was duly mentioned in despatches by Sir Charles Munro (London Gazette 13 July 1916, refers) and advanced to Temporary Lieutenant.

Embarked for France from Mudros in May 1916, SterndaleBennett and Drake Battalion were soon heavily engaged on the Somme, his D.S.O. stemming from the above cited deeds in the assault on Beaucourt on 13-14 November 1916, in which the battalion advanced in ‘the fog and mist of the Ancre Valley’ and suffered a loss of 14 officers and nearly 200 men killed or wounded. Owing to those casualties, he assumed command of the battalion as an Acting LieutenantCommander.

Having then returned to the U.K. to attend a senior officer’s course, he rejoined Drake in France as an Acting Commander in April 1917, the same month in which he won a Bar to his D.S.O. for the above cited deeds in the famous action at Gavrelle, east of Arras. Jerrold’s history of the Royal Naval Division states: ‘The enemy were in strength and though they suffered under our barrage, their first wave being almost wiped out, they reached, and at one point on the Howe front actually penetrated, our posts. The prompt and energetic action of Commander Bennett and his officers on the Drake front, and of Lieutenant Mackinlay and Sub-Lieutenant Lawrie of the Howe Battalion prevented, however, any loss of ground and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. The success, from first to last, was largely due to the initiative of the newly-appointed leaders of the Hood and Drake Battalions. This is not to say that the plans for the attack were bad. It was once more, however, made clear that the most careful preparations, the most precise instructions go only a small way, and sometimes no way at all, towards the final goal. But for the timely variations made in the original plans, and for the exceptional resolution of many individuals, the success would certainly not have been achieved. The chief honours went without a doubt to Commander Asquith and Commander Bennett.’

In October 1917, Drake moved to Passchendaele, where, on the 5th, he was mortally wounded by enemy shellfire. As recalled by one of his men, Frank Andrews, ‘Commander Bennett was badly wounded at about 4.30 p.m. on November 4th 1917. I was attached to H.Q. at the time and we were caught right in the middle of a very fierce bombardment which the enemy had a nasty habit of putting over every evening at the same time … I was about fifty yards away when that particular shell dropped but was fortunately not hit myself although several of my mates were killed.’

Another witness was Lieutenant-Commander Charles Hayfair of Hawke Battalion, who stated: ‘A shell had struck him in the legs, severing one between the knee and ankle and I believe shattering the other foot.

Although he received prompt treatment he sank very rapidly. I was greatly surprised and shocked as, when he took over, the line was quiet except for casual shelling.’

Sterndale-Bennett died on 7 November 1917 at 61st Casualty Clearing Station, Dozinghem, Westvleteren and was buried at Dozinghem Military Cemetery with full military honours.

Present were the Divisional General, members of Divisional and Brigade staffs, battalion commanders of 189th Brigade and 15 officers and 120 men representing Drake Battalion. His replacement as Battalion Commander wrote to his parents: ‘I do not think I am saying more than the accurate facts when I say that he was universally recognised as the best Commanding Officer in the Division. We shall miss him more than I can say, but his example and training will – I am certain – live in the Battalion for a long time. He was always cheerful and optimistic and absolutely fearless. His men would have gone anywhere and done anything he asked them with the most complete confidence.’

Posthumously mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 7 December 1917, refers), Sterndale-Bennett’s gallant deeds – from the Somme to Passchendaele via Gavrelle – found further recognition in the words of Winston Churchill: ‘The scene shifts to France. The November attack at Beaucourt in the fog and mist of the Ancre Valley, when the Royal Naval Division, at the cost of more than a third of its strength, in the words of Sir Douglas Haig, “advanced further and took more prisoners than any Division had done in one day.” Here Freyberg, twice wounded, but still continuing to lead the attack, took every objective, and, pressing on beyond the furthest, gained his immortal V.C. All this was but a prelude to 1917, which brought a new series of bloody trials to the inexhaustible Division: the night attack in the bitter frost and brilliant moonlight of February 3rd. The storm of Gavrelle after the Arras battle, Sterndale-Bennett leading the Drake in column of route between the only gap of wire on his front, and Surgeon McCracken, in a mist of red brick dust and of the yellow and black shell fumes, leading the survivors of his own stretcher bearers and of captured German Red Cross men to clear the village streets of wounded under withering fire: the capture of the Gavrelle Windmill by Captain Newling of the Marines and its brilliant defence. Then Passchendaele, with its daily and nightly flounderings through the swamp, and ghastly struggles in the dark for enemy pill-boxes.’; Douglas Jerrold’s The Royal Naval Division refers.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

415X

The rare Great War M.M. battle of the Somme ‘Logeast Wood’ group of three awarded to Lieutenant H. H. Jarman, Royal Marine Artillery Military Medal, G.V.R. (RMA-937 (S) Gnr: H. H. Jarman. Howe: Bde: R.M.A.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. H. H. Jarman. R.M.A.) good very fine (3) £700-£900 Provenance: Spink, April 2000.

M.M. London Gazette 21 September 1916.

Herbert Henry Jarman was born at Toxteth, Liverpool on 14 November 1891, and joined the Royal Marine Artillery in May 1915.

Embarked for France for service in the R.M.A.’s Howitzer Brigade in May 1916, he quickly saw action on the Somme, and was awarded his M.M. in respect of his gallantry at Logeast Wood, while acting in support of Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Division.

Summoned home to attend an officers’ training course at Eastney in January 1917, he was granted the temporary rank of Lieutenant and returned to France in November of the same year, when he rejoined the Howitzer Brigade. Jarman remained on active service until the war’s end and was demobilised in February 1919. He died in Liverpool in February 1965.

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416

X The important Great War D.S.O., D.S.C. and Bar, Second World War O.B.E. group of nine awarded to Group Captain B. D. ‘Billiken’ Hobbs, Royal Canadian Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service, who, in a matter of months, was credited with the confirmed destruction of the Zeppelin L. 43, the sinking of the UC-6 and the probable sinking of another enemy submarine - the whole as a pilot of Large American Seaplanes operating out of Felixstowe’s famous ‘Spider’s Web’ His family having moved to Canada in 1900, he was taught to fly at his own expense in 1912 by a certain Orville Wright, became the most decorated pilot of the ‘Aero Club of America’ to have joined the British flying services, and went on to complete the first trans-Canada flight before becoming a founder member of the Royal Canadian Air Force Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top ribbon bar; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, hallmarked London 1917, the reverse privately engraved, ‘Flt. S. Lieut. Basil D. Hobbs, D.S.O. R.N.A.S. 22 June 1917’; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Flt. Lt. B. D. Hobbs, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Canadian Voluntary Service Medal 1939-45, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, silver, mounted court-style as worn, the first with loose obverse centre, otherwise generally good very fine (9) £16,000-£20,000 Provenance: Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards formed by R. C. Witte, Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.O. London Gazette 20 July 1917.

O.B.E. London Gazette 14 June 1945.

The original recommendation states: ‘Group Captain Hobbs has served with distinction throughout an extensive period of war service. As Commanding Officer of Royal Canadian Air Force Station, Patricia Bay, he has carried out his duties in an exemplary manner. At all times he has given his best to the service and all personnel under him have profited by his experience, good judgement, and fine leadership. This officer’s record throughout his career has been outstanding. By his splendid devotion to duty, initiative, and efficiency he has rendered highly meritorious service to the Royal Canadian Air Force.’

D.S.C. London Gazette 22 June 1917.

Bar to D.S.C. London Gazette 30 November 1917: ‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’

Basil Deacon ‘Billiken’ Hobbs was born in Reading, Berkshire on 20 December 1894, and was educated at the Public and High Schools of Sault Saint Marie in Ontario, where his family had settled as farmers in 1900. A keen student of early aviation, he obtained lessons from Orville Wright at Dayton, Ohio, paying the master pilot a rate of one dollar a minute for his expertise, and notching up a grand total of four hours’ flying time before enrolling as a trainee in the ‘Aero Club of America’.

With the advent of hostilities in August 1914, he made his way to the U.K. and joined the Royal Naval Air Service, and qualified for his “Wings” in December 1915. Having then been commissioned as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant, he qualified on American Large Seaplanes and went operational out of Felixstowe in early 1917, gaining his first D.S.C. for a U-Boat claim on 12 March. Indeed his ensuing operational career with Felixstowe’s famous ‘Spider Web’ seaplane patrol would witness several highly successful encounters with the enemy,

but none would match up to the magnitude of the results he achieved on the night of 14 June: ‘I have the honour to submit the following report of a Zeppelin patrol carried out in Large American Seaplane No. 8677 this morning. In accordance with your orders, we proceeded at 5.15 a.m. B.S.T. and at 7.30 a.m. after making good course 72 magnetic, we sighted the Dutch coast at Vlieland, where we altered course for Felixstowe. At 8.40 a.m., we were again over Vlieland at 500 feet when we sighted a Zeppelin five miles away on our starboard bow at about 1,500 feet, steering due North. Its approximate position was 53 20 N. 4 40 E. We at once proceeded to attack at full speed, climbing 2,000 feet. Flight Lieutenant B. D. Hobbs was piloting the machine, Sub-Lieutenant R. F. L. Dickey manned the bow gun, W./T. Operator H. M. Davis (A.M. II, 20254) manned the midship gun, and A.M.T. (Engineer) A. W. Goody (F. 12237) manned the stern gun.

As we approached the Zeppelin, we dived for her tail at about 100 knots. Her number L. 43 was observed on the tail and bow, and also a Maltese Cross in a black circle. The midship gun opened fire with tracer ammunition, and when about 100 feet above Sub-Lieutenant Dickey opened fire with Brock and Pomeroy ammunition as the machine passed diagonally over the tail from starboard to port. After two bursts the Zeppelin burst into flames. Cutting off engines we turned sharply to starboard and passed over her again. She was by this time completely enveloped in flames and falling very fast. Three men were observed to fall out on her way down. Flames and black smoke were observed for some time after wreckage reached the water. We then set course for Felixstowe arriving at 11.15 a.m.’ (Hobbs’ official report, refers).

So ended the three-month career of Zeppelin L. 43, Hobbs being awarded the D.S.O., Dickey the D.S.C., and Davis and Goody D.S.M.s.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

On 17 June, once more in American Large Seaplane No. 8677, with Flight Sub-Lieutenant R. F. L. Dickey as 2nd pilot and gunner, Hobbs probably destroyed an enemy seaplane off the coast of Vlieland: ‘The hostile machine maintained a continuous machine-gun fire and circled round attempting to get under the rail of our seaplane, which, however, successfully outmanoeuvred the enemy machine, and opened fire with both forward and rear guns. Several bursts were observed to penetrate the fuselage and others to take effect on the nose and tail of the machine.

The enemy Observer disappeared from view, presumably wounded, the firing ceased and the machine broke off the action, pursuing an erratic course to the eastward, firing two red signal lights, and was lost to view close to the water .. ‘ (R.N.A.S. operational report No. 36, for the period 16-30 June 1917. refers).

Another ‘probable’ was claimed by Hobbs and Dickey in No. 8677 on 15 September, on this occasion an enemy submarine.

R.N.A.S. operational report No. 41 for the period 1-15 September 1917 takes up the story: ‘Large American Seaplane No. 8677 left Felixstowe at 0645 on a convoy patrol and at 0730 the conning tower of a hostile submarine was sighted at a distance of not more than half a mile, and almost in a direct line with the seaplane’s course. The submarine appeared to be rising, but must have sighted the seaplane, as it commenced to submerge almost immediately. It was steering due North, and the conning tower, painted a very light grey colour, was clearly visible.

The seaplane, which was flying at a height of 1,000 feet, and at a speed of 60 knots, increased its speed to 80 knots, and, flying over the submarine, the conning tower of which was still showing, released two 230lb. bombs. Both bombs were observed to explode in the centre of the wash, about 10 feet ahead of the conning tower (which by this time was submerged) and in line with it. The seaplane circled for some time, and observed a large patch of dark brown oil, which seemed to spread very quickly, calming the water - which was very rough - where it spread. It appears to be probable that the submarine was severely damaged and sunk. The pilots were Flight Lieutenant Hobbs and Flight Sub-Lieutenant Dickey.’

But their next encounter with an enemy submarine on 28 September resulted in the confirmed destruction of the UC-6.

Once again official records take up the story: ‘Whilst on patrol, Flight Lieutenant Hobbs and Flight SubLieutenant Dickey, in Large American Seaplane No. 8676, sighted a submarine on the surface, fully blown, about a mile ahead, about 30 miles south of North Hinder. The seaplane opened to 80 knots, and at 600 feet steered straight for the

submarine, and when a quarter of a mile away fired two recognition signals, which were not answered. Flying over the submarine the seaplane dropped one 230lb. bomb and turned to make a second run, during which the submarine fired one shell, which burst about 50 feet off the seaplane.

A photograph was taken of the submarine when it was in a position under the port wing of the seaplane. Three more hostile submarines were then observed through the mist, some distance ahead of the seaplane, heading S.W. in line abreast, and immediately behind them were three destroyers.

All six were firing at the seaplane, but their shells exploded in front of the machine. Escorting the destroyers were three seaplanes, which were prevented from attacking Seaplane 8676 by the barrage put up by the destroyers’ fire. Turning completely round the seaplane made a second run over the submarine, now sinking astern with water up to her conning tower and nose full out of the water, and discharged a second 230lb. bomb which exploded dead-on, 15 feet ahead of the bow. With the impact of the bomb the submarine seemed to vibrate, and sank immediately, leaving a large quantity of blackish oil, air bubbles and foreign matter on the surface. The seaplane then returned to Felixstowe. Hobbs was awarded a Bar to his D.S.C. Just a day or two later, at the controls of a ‘Porte Baby’ seaplane, but with Sholto Douglas aboard as senior pilot, he fought a 20-minute running combat with three enemy seaplanes, two of the ‘Porte Baby’s’ engines being shot out of action. Forced to land on the water, where his machine was raked by fire from the enemy seaplanes, Hobbs was fortunate indeed to be able to taxi slowly back to the English coast, which was eventually reached nine hours later. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 17 November 1917).

Yet another ‘mention’ was gazetted on 19 December ‘For services in action with enemy submarines’, and may well have been in recognition of his inconclusive attack on 15 September. Be that as it may, in April 1918, following advancement to Flight Commander, Hobbs was rested with an appointment for ‘Air services in America’ and ended the war with equivalent rank to Major in the newly established Royal Air Force.

Having then returned home, he completed the first transCanada flight in 1920 and was appointed a Squadron Leader and founding member of Royal Canadian Air Force in April 1924. Recalled on the renewal of hostilities, he rose to the rank of Group Captain and was awarded the O.B.E. for his services as C.O. of Patricia Bay, British Columbia. Hobbs died in November 1965.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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417X

The rare Great War Tigris gunboat operations D.S.C. group of eight awarded to Surgeon Captain J. P. Shorten, Royal Navy, who was decorated for treating wounded under very heavy fire in H.M.S. Mantis in February 1917 Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1918; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Surg. Lt. J. P. Shorten. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, mounted as worn, very fine or better (8) £1,000-£1,400 Provenance: Glendining’s, November 1999.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 21 September 1917.

The original recommendation states: ‘He continued to dress and attend to the wounded in the open while under very heavy fire.’

James Percy Shorten was born in Co. Cork, Ireland on 30 May 1888, the son of a country doctor, and himself qualified in medicine in 1910. Entering the Royal Navy as a Surgeon Lieutenant in the lead up to the Great War, he served in the Harwich Force prior to transferring to the river gunboat Mantis in Mesopotamia in September 1916. The Mantis was actively employed on the River Tigris for much of the Great War, not least at the time of the famous siege of Kut, when she was charged with taking in supplies and trying to break the Turkish grip on the town. But it was for Mantis’s subsequent part in the advance on Baghdad, and the recapture of Kut, on 24-26 February 1917, that Shorten was awarded his D.S.C., treating as he did her wounded under a heavy fire. He was also mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 7 August 1918, refers).

Admiral Wemyss’ Tigris despatch for December 1916-March 1917 describes the events of 24-26 February 1917 in detail, the following extract covering the actions of Mantis and her consorts immediately following the fall of Baghdad: ‘The Turks retreating on the left bank were becoming more numerous; they now had our cavalry division in pursuit of them on their right flank and the gunboats on their left.

The enemy were firing at us from three directions, and on approaching Nahr Kellak bend I observed a large body of enemy on the left bank at the head of the loop in the river, and gave orders for all guns to be fired on them.

They proved to be a strong rearguard, and opened on us with field and machine-guns and heavy rifle fire. At this close range there were casualties in all ships, who were all hit many times, but our guns must have caused immense damage to the enemy, as we were at one time firing six-inch guns into them at about 400 to 500 yards.

Besides the Turkish Artillery there were a large number of enemy with rifles and machine-guns behind the bend at a range of about 100 yards from the ships.

In the act of turning round the bend shot came from all directions, and casualties of Moth, which came last in the line, were particularly severe.

There were casualties in all three ships, Moth, which was magnificently handled by Lieutenant-Commander Charles H.

A. Cartwright, who was himself wounded, had three officers wounded - all severely - out of four, and two men killed and eighteen wounded, which is about 50 per cent, of her complement.

She was hit eight times by shell - one from ahead hit the fore side of stokehold casing, burst, and pierced the port boiler, both front and back, but luckily missed the boiler tubes. The after compartment was holed below the water line, and the upper deck and funnels of all ships riddled with bullets.

The quartermaster and pilot in the conning tower of H.M.S. Mantis were killed, but the prompt action of her Captain saved her from running ashore. I consider that the excellent spirit of the men and skilful handling of the ships by their Captains in a difficult and unknown shallow river were most praiseworthy.

We thus passed the enemy rearguard, and large numbers of the retreating Turkish Army were on our starboard beam. I opened rapid fire from all guns that would hear (this included heavy and light guns, pom-poms, maxims, and rifles), and at this short range we did enormous execution, the enemy being too demoralised to reply, except in a very few cases …

I have the honour to submit the following for special mention, promotion, honours or awards: H.M.S. Mantis Commander Bernard Buxton, R.N. For good work done on all occasions. His prompt action under heavy fire on 26th March saved H.M.S. Mantis from running aground in a critical position.

Surgeon James P. Shorten, R.N. Continued to dress and attend to the wounded in the open while under very heavy fire.’

After the war Shorten served in various naval hospitals, specialising in general surgery and ophthalmology. Among other appointments he was Principal Medical Officer to the battleships Emperor of India and Revenge. And during the Second World War he was Surgeon Captain at a Royal Naval Auxiliary Hospital at Newton Abbot and later at a naval training establishment in Great Malvern.

Retiring after the war, he settled at Newton Abbot, where he continued the practice of ophthalmology and spent his spare time working in his garden. He died in February 1978, his obituary in the British Medical Association Journal stating that he was ‘a good shot, a keen fisherman, and a first-class golfer.

In 1929 he was the Dorset County golf champion.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

418X

The Great War pair awarded to Surgeon-Lieutenant Commander W. H. King, Royal Navy, a Haslar Gold Medallist who served with the Armoured Car Unit in Russia British War and Victory Medals (Surg. Lt. Cr. W. H. King. R.N.), mounted as worn, together with Royal Naval Hospital Haslar Prize Medal, obverse: a naval crown with crossed trident and anchor upon a background of oak leaves, ‘Haslar Hospital’; reverse: a torch entwined by a serpent, with legend (Surgeon William Herbert King. Admiralty Medal. Highest Award. September 1910) 49mm., gold, 71.64g., in leather case of issue, ref. B.H.M. 3685, nearly extremely fine (3) £1,200-£1,600

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2008.

The Haslar Prize Medal was instituted by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty in 1900. Awarded half-yearly, it was given as a prize to the best of the newly entered surgeons at the hospital.

William Herbert King was born on 20 December 1883, and studied medicine at University College London, being appointed M.R.C.S. (England) and L.R.C.P. (London) in 1906. Appointed a Surgeon in the Royal Navy on 6 May 1910, his initial appointment was at Haslar Hospital where he won the Prize Medal for that year.

Appointed to Deal Royal Marine Infirmary in September 1914, he remained similarly employed until joining a draft of 30 men bound for Russia in July 1916, where he witnessed active service with the Armoured Car Unit of the Royal Naval Air Service, prior to being evacuated home with wounded officers In March 1917. Having then been advanced to Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander, he was placed on the Reserve of Medical Officers in March 1919.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

419

X The fine Great War Q-ship action D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer W. E. Swanson, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant gunnery work in the three-masted barquentine Gaelic (Q-22) with an enemy submarine off Ireland in April 1917 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (J.1599 W. E. Swanson, P.O. Atlantic Ocean. 22. Apl. 1917.); 1914-15 Star (J.1599 W. E. Swanson. L.S. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.1599 W. E. Swanson. P.O. R.N.); Naval L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue with fixed suspension (J.1599 W. E. Swanson, C.P.O. H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth) edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (5) £1,800-£2,200 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2000.

D.S.M. London Gazette 20 July 1917: ‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’

The original recommendation states: H.M.S. Gaelic (Q. 22) Action with an enemy submarine on 22 April 1917. In charge of after guns during the engagement. Second shot from the port gun hit submarine in vicinity of conning tower. Fourth shot was also a direct hit a little further forward.

Later when in charge of starboard after gun secured another direct hit striking the submarine just abaft the conning tower. In total 52 rounds fired from the two after guns.’

William Edwin Swanson was born in Ardglass, Co. Down on 5 March 1892, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in June 1908. By the outbreak of hostilities, he was serving as a Leading Seaman in the battleship Colossus, in which he remained employed until removing to the Vengeance in December 1915. Advanced to Petty Officer in April 1916, he subsequently witnessed active service off East Africa, including the operations that led to the capture of Dar es Salaam in the same year.

Having then volunteered for decoy ships on coming ashore from the Vengeance in early 1917, Swanson served in the Gaelic (a.k.a. Q. 22) from May-October 1917. A three-masted barquentine, built in 1876, she was surely one of the oldest ships to have been employed in decoy operations.

On the evening of 22 April 1917, Gaelic sighted a submarine 5000 yards away, some 50 miles south of the Old Head of Kinsale. Hands were called down from aloft immediately and action stations sounded. The submarine kept its distance and fired shell after shell, of which six hit the Gaelic, killing two of the deck hands and wounding four, besides putting the port motor out of action and seriously damaging the rigging.

After a while the sailing ship unmasked her guns and opened fire, prompting the submarine to alter course and fire a torpedo. Luckily Gaelic was able to manoeuvre sufficiently for this to pass harmlessly along the starboard side. After three misses, Gaelic’s forward gun obtained a hit on

the submarine but then the firing pin broke and the gun was temporarily put out of action. Firing continued from her starboard gun and the two adversaries traded shells for about 40 minutes when the submarine moved slowly away to the south-west, still firing. Gaelic had sustained a hit in her fresh-water tank which leaked through the deck onto the starboard motor, putting it out of action, rendering her completely without power on a windless evening. However, Swanson and his fellow gunners maintained their fire, and another two hits were scored on the German submarine which eventually ceased fire, but not before Gaelic scored a final hit at a range of 4000 yards.

Thus ended the protracted action, each side having fired about 100 rounds and, although the submarine, the UC-47, was not sunk, she was certainly badly knocked about. Gaelic set her sails despite the badly damaged rigging and made for the Old Head of Kinsale. At daybreak, when still 10 miles short of that landfall, she was picked up by H.M. sloop Bluebell and towed into Queenstown.

Gaelic’s skipper, Lieutenant G. Irvine, R.N.R., was awarded the D.S.O. for this exploit, whilst Swanson’s impressive gunnery skills earned him the D.S.M. He subsequently saw out the war with appointments in Vivid I (October 1917-July 1918) and at the Granton naval base Gunner (July-December 1918), appointments that may have included further Q-ship operations.

Then in January 1919 he joined the mine-sweeper Holderness, in which ship he served in the Baltic and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 22 January 1920, refers). He also added the L.S. & G.C. Medal to his accolades in March 1925.

Sadly, however, as verified by his service record, he started to suffer from a form of dementia and, in October 1926, he was invalided ashore and placed in the care of the Plymouth Poor Law Institution.

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420X

The unique Great War Red Sea operations C.G.M. group of nine awarded to Sergeant J. F. McLaughlin, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who was decorated for his gallant deeds at the capture of Salif in June 1917 Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, G.V.R. (P.O. 8873. Sergt. J. F. McLaughlin, R.M.L.I. H.M.S. Topaze. Salif. 12. June 1917); China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (P.O. 8873. J. F. McLaughlin, Pte., R.M., Nav. Depot. Wei-Hai-Wei.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (P.O. 8873. Corpl. J. F. McLaughlin. R.M.L.I. H.M.S. Proserpine); 1914-15 Star (P.O. 8873. Sgt. J. F. McLaughlin. R.M.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (P.O. 8873 Sgt. J. F. McLaughlin. R.M.L.I.); Naval Good Shooting Medal, E.VII.R. (P.O. 8873. Cpl. J. F. McLaughlin, H.M.S. Hermione. 1910. 6 In. Q.F.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (P.O. 8873 J. F. McLaughlin, Corporal R.M.L.I.); France, 3rd Republic, Medaille Militaire, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (9) £12,000-£16,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 1999.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

A unique combination of awards to the Royal Marines.

C.G.M. London Gazette 11 August 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry at the capture of Salif on the 12 June 1917.

Just before the surrender he came across 11 unwounded and 1 wounded Turkish soldiers. Followed by one Petty Officer, Sergeant McLaughlin jumped among them, shot one, and made seven surrender.’

James Francis McLaughlin was born in Gibraltar on 6 January 1878, and joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry at Eastney in January 1897.

Among those landed with the North China Field Force in July 1900, he took part in the relief of Pekin operations in the following month, in addition to serving at the R.M. depot at Wei-Hei-Wei. Advanced to Corporal in February 1902, he subsequently qualified as a gun layer and 2nd captain of gun and, whilst serving in H.M.S. Hermione in 1910, he was awarded the Naval Good Shooting Medal for his skills on her 6-inch Quick Firing gun. Having then witnessed active service in the Persian Gulf aboard the Proserpine, he added the L.S. & G.C. Medal to his accolades in August 1912.

Advanced to Sergeant in June 1913, McLaughlin was serving in the battleship Queen on the outbreak of hostilities, and he quickly saw action off Gallipoli during the landings in April 1915. Transferring to the Topaze in the Adriatic in February 1916, he participated in operations in support of the Regia Marina, prior to her transfer to the East Indies station in March 1917.

Red Sea C.G.M. Operating out of Aden, Topaze saw action against the Turks in support of the South Arabian campaign, her guns contributing to the bombardment of enemy positions on the island of Kamaran on 10 June 1917. But it was for his deeds in a related action at Salif two days later that McLaughlin was awarded his C.G.M., when Topaze and her consorts closed the enemy batteries and landed parties of Marines and bluejackets to capture the position.

Salif lies on a peninsula, the north end of which is a mud flat covered at high tide by the sea. On the east side of the village is a hill with a hollow depression in its face, in which the enemy garrison took up their position, when the ships approached at dawn on the 12th; here they

were well screened from the fire of the ships. The Espiegle entered the inlet between the peninsula and the mainland, so as to bring a cross fire on the place. The Northbrook went close inshore at the south end of the peninsula; Minto, Topaze and Odin made a line to the north of her, as near the shore as possible. The Topaze and Odin ran in so close that the enemy could not depress their guns sufficiently to reach them. The Turks had two Krupp mountain guns and three one-inch Nordenfeldts; their shells did no harm as they had to be laid so that their line of fire would clear the crater.

The Northbrook’s men landed at the south end of the peninsula and took up a position on the right of the town, the others all landed at the pier and extended behind a ridge, which was flanked by a salt mine on the south, and by houses on the north. The Royal Marines were in the centre of the line. The Odin’s seamen entered the village and took possession of the condensing plant and the telegraph office.

Commander A. R. Woods, D.S.O., R.N., of the Topaze, was in command, with Commander Salmond second-in-command; there was no Royal Marine officer present. The ships’ guns fired a barrage on the hill, and under cover of this the parties advanced and gained the foot of the hill.

The attack was directed against three sides, the fourth being closed by the Espiegle. At a given signal, the hill was rushed and they completely surrounded the Turks, who made a good fight, the engagement lasting for over three hours.

In the course of the fighting, McLaughlin encountered 12 Turkish soldiers and went for them single handed, followed by one Petty Officer, and between them they shot one, took seven prisoner and the rest bolted.

He and two Naval ratings were subsequently awarded the C.G.M., whilst Commander Woods was awarded a Bar to his D.S.O. McLaughlin remained employed in the Topaze until the summer of 1918, when he returned home to an appointment in the Portsmouth Division.

He was demobilised and pensioned ashore in October 1919.

Sold with his original parchment Certificates of Service (2), and another on paper; Certificate of Discharge and Character Certificate on Demobilisation; Pension Certificate for Conspicuous Gallantry, and a postcard photograph of McLaughlin and other Royal Marines aboard H.M.S. Topaze in 1917.

McLaughlan seated second from left

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421

X The scarce Great War D.S.C. group of five awarded to Acting Flight Commander C. C. ‘Jumbo’ Carlisle, Royal Naval Air Service, late Merchant Navy, one of the more unusual characters of ‘The Spider Web’ Sea-plane Flight at Felixstowe Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1917; 1914-15 Star (Flt. S. Lt. C. C. Carlisle, R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (Flt. Cr. C. C. Carlisle. R.N.A.S.); Denmark, Medal for Heroic Deeds, silver, mounted as worn, good very fine (5) £1,400-£1,800 Provenance: Butterfield’s Auction, U.S.A., June 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 1 May 1918: ‘For zeal and devotion to duty between 1 July and 31 December 1917.’

The original recommendation states: ‘This officer has served on this station [R.N.A.S. Felixstowe] since August 1915 and has been consistent in carrying out his varied duties in a thorough and capable manner. I consider his influence on this station to have been highly valuable to the Service and most deserving of recognition.’

Cyril Campbell Carlisle was born in Liverpool on 14 March 1880, and originally served in the Merchant Navy, having been apprenticed to Nicholson & McGill in February 1896. He was awarded the Norwegian Medal for Heroic Deeds in respect of the rescue of the crew of the barque Varuna in 1902 and he gained his 1st Mate’s Certificate in the following year.

His subsequent Master’s Certificate was obtained at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in August 1906, but on joining the Royal Naval Air Service in May 1915, he listed his current employment as that of a manager of a petroleum company in West Africa.

Having undertaken pilot training at R.N.A.S. Chingford - seemingly without success, one report stating ‘he will never improve as a pilot’ - Carlisle was posted to R.N.A.S. Felixstowe for duty as ‘senior watch keeper and motor boats’ in January 1916. Subsequently described as ‘an exceptional officer with great ability to command,’ he was advanced to Flight Lieutenant in October 1916 and given charge of ‘seaplane lighters and motor boats.’ And apart from his detachment to Houton Bay ‘in connection with the America Seaplane’ in April 1917, he appears to have remained likewise employed until the war’s end.

Having been advanced to Acting Flight Commander in March 1918, he transferred to the Royal Air Force in the rank of Captain and served in 70 Wing and in France.

Carlisle emigrated to Canada in the 1920s but died back in the U.K. at Brighton, Sussex, in July 1969.

A much liked and unusual character, some of Cyril Carlisle’s antics are recounted in The Spider Web, The Romance of a Flying-Boat War Flight, by ‘P.I.X.’, published in 1919, an amusing account of R.N.A.S. Felixstowe during the war, but, as the following extracts might illustrate, ‘Jumbo’ had an important part to play: ‘C. C. Carlisle, the Old Man of the Sea, or Jumbo, as he was called, because of his appearance and methods on the football field, was an institution on the station. He was in

charge of the working party which did all the pulley-hauley work, and of the piratical crews of the motor-boats who looked after the flying- boats when they were on the water of the harbour. He had all sorts of fascinating model sheerlegs and derricks for training his men, and on occasion headed the salvage crew or the wrecking gang.

He was a merchant service officer who had spent thirteen years at sea, part of the time fetching oil from Patagonia, and it was rumoured that he had also fetched from that salubrious spot his picturesque language. Some weekend trippers to Felixstowe, standing outside the barbed wire enclosing the beach, after watching and hearing, with eyes popping out and ears flapping, the unconscious Jumbo handling a working party bringing In the Porte Baby, wrote an anonymous letter to the Commanding Officer complaining of the earache, and adding, “it was Sunday too." This effusion was signed " A Disgusted Visitor." It was quite evident that the writer had never been with our armies in Flanders.’

‘The new year [1918] opened badly.

On the 2nd, in a thirty-knot wind, Gordon took off the harbour in a new type boat. As he rose from the water a petrol pipe failed, and not having height to turn he landed her outside down wind. She touched the water at a rate of knots, her bottom split open, and she sank in shallow water. Before she sank Gordon and his crew were taken off by a motor-boat.

The Old Man of the Sea organised a salvage party.

Jumbo boiled about in the sheds setting alight his trusty henchmen, and collected an amazing assortment of wire cables, ropes, balks of timber, flares, anchors, and what else I know not. The station tug Grampus, the steam hissing from her safety-valve through the zeal of her fireman (for the usual unexciting job of the crew was to bring bread and beef from Shotley, and this was an adventure), took the O.M.O.T.S.’s pet, the flat- bottomed salvage barge, in tow. They took it out and anchored it to windward of the wreck, but nothing further could be done until low water, which was at nine o’clock.

In the darkness of the night, in the shadow of the sheds, Jumbo collected his piratical crew and packed them into the Grampus. I asked to be taken along, and we all shoved out through the guardships into the open sea. We could not get near the barge owing to the shallow water, and Jumbo forsook us, climbing with five of his satellites into a small dinghy, which, perilously overloaded, bobbed away over the heavy sea into the darkness.

A long wait. The tug was rolling and tossing in the steep waves. A drizzling rain was falling.

There were no shore lights, and the night was pitch-black. And then there was a glare of light in the distance, Jumbo had lit one of the acetylene flares on the stern of the salvage barge. The glare increased, and presently a light came bobbing over the water towards the tug, - it was a lantern in the bow of the dinghy.

I climbed across and was ferried to the scene of activity.

It was a weird sight. Five hissing acetylene flares surrounded the wreck with a fierce glow.

Intense darkness all around, and in the brilliant pool of light a section of tossing waves, the flying-boat with her lower wings showing on the surface of the water, and the oilskin-clad men working on her.

The wind was dying down, and as the tide fell the force of the waves was broken by the shoals over which they had already passed and by the barge. Jumbo took a short wire rope, with a wire hawser attached midway between the two ends, and had it worked down from the bow beneath the flying-boat. The ends

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

were made fast to the engine bearer-struts, the men tying the knots under water, as the tide was now rising. Other men had made and fitted a wire sling for each engine, and to these two lines were made fast and taken to the barge. The slack in the wire hawser and the two lines was hauled in, and as the incoming tide raised the barge the flying-boat was lifted clear of the bottom.

As soon as the water was deep enough Jumbo had the anchor heaved up and two motor-boats took the barge in tow. The flying-boat, supported on the surface by its lower wings moving through the water, followed after. It was towed by the two lines attached to the engines, the wire bridle under the bow preventing it nose-diving. The Old Man of the Sea processioned into the harbour in triumph. First the Grampus, then the two motor-boats, then the barge, and finally the flying-boat. He beached her at the Old Station at nearly high tide. A line was taken ashore and attached to a motor lorry. As the tide came in the boat was pulled farther and farther up the beach by the motor lorry, until it could be brought in no farther.

A gang of carpenters were turned out of their hammocks and placed shores under the wings to keep the boat on an even keel, and when the tide fell they patched the holes in the hull with three-ply wood and canvas.

At the next high tide the boat was floated off, towed to a slipway, put on a trolley and rolled up to a shed for repair. She was ready again in March, and carried out many more patrols.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Sold with Great War period embroidered R.A.F. uniform Wings together with a quantity of original documents and photographs, comprising: (i) Certificate of award for the Norwegian Medal for Heroic Deeds, 3rd Class, in the name of ‘C. C. Carlisle’ and dated 28 November 1902. (ii) Canadian Certificate of Competency as Master, in the name of ‘Cyril Campbell Carlisle’ and dated Ottawa, 24 August 1906. (iii) Commission warrant in the name of ‘Mr. Cyril Campbell Carlisle’ for the rank of Flight Sub. Lieutenant, dated 16 May 1915. (iv) Admiralty letter of appointment in the name of ‘Flight Sub. Lieutenant Cyril C. Carlisle, R.N.’ for ‘temporary service of His Majesty’s Ship President additional for Royal Naval Air Service,’ dated 17 July 1915, together with another similar, dated 30 September 1916, and a third for his appointment as ‘as Acting Flight Commander of His Majesty’s Air Station Felixstowe,’ this dated 30 March 1918. (v) A selection of Great War photographs (10), comprising seaplanes and personnel from Felixstowe, the former including those of the ‘pranged’ variety.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

422

X The rare Great War D.S.M. and Al Valore group of four awarded to Chief Officer’s Steward Arthur Smith, Mercantile Marine, for services when the paddle minesweeper H.M.S. Haldon was struck by a mine in Klonakilty Bay, Ireland Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (A. A. W. Smith, Ch. Std. (M.M.) H.M.S. Haldon 5-6 July 1917.); British War and Victory Medals (A. A. W. Smith. Ch. Std. M.F.A.); Italy, Kingdom, Al Valore Militare, silver, unnamed as issued, mint mark crowned ‘Z’, light contact marks, very fine (4) £2,400-£2,800 D.S.M. London Gazette 29 August 1917: The recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Haldon damaged by mine 7 August 1917. In accordance with standing instructions was at my side throughout ready to carry messages and orders with the greatest coolness. Their Lordships conveyed.’

Al Valore Militare (Silver) London Gazette 17 November 1917.

The recommendation states: ‘On the 6th July 1917 in Clonakilty Bay, Ireland, he behaved with great coolness and intelligent attention to instructions, and assisted in the salving of a German mine, there being a considerable motion on both the boat and the mine, he successfully threaded a wire through one of the lifting bolts of the mine.’

Sold with original photo of the recipient as a customs inspector wearing medals.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

423X

The Great War Q-Ship operations D.S.M. group of five awarded to Able Seaman D. Pearce, who was decorated for his gallantry at the helm of ‘the splendid Penshurst’ in August 1917 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (S.S.6073. D. Pearce, A.B. Atlantic Ocean. 19 Aug. 1917.) small erasure after rate; 1914-15 Star (SS.6073, D. Pearce, Ord., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (S.S.6073 D. Pearce. A.B. R.N.); Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C, G.V.R., 2nd issue (SS.6073 (Dev. B., 11016) D. Pearce. A.B. R.F.R.) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (5) £1,400-£1,800 D.S.M. London Gazette 2 November 1917: ‘The following awards have been approved.’

The original (joint) recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Penshurst (Q7). Attack on German submarine. 19 August 1917.

These three ratings [A.B. Donald Pearce, Seaman Michael Murphy and A.B. Edward Bunting] acted as Quartermaster. Murphy was at the wheel when the torpedo struck and was violently thrown across the bridge, but on seeing that the steering gear on the bridge was damaged, at once proceeded to the hand steering gear aft and carried on. All three subsequently did splendid work in steering the ship under the most disadvantageous conditions, the wheel being situated at the top of the engine room amongst steam and much heat from the engines.’

Donald Pearce was born in Southall, London on 3 May 1896 and entered the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman in June 1915.

Having then been borne on the books of H.M.S. Blake, he commenced his career in the clandestine world of Q-Ships on 16 February 1917, when he joined the ship’s company of Q.7 - also known as Penshurst - under the command of Commander F. H. Grenfell, D.S.O., R.N. Described by naval historian Keble Chatterton as ‘a courteous and charming country gentleman whose shy manner concealed an exceptionally gallant spirit,’ Grenfell and his newly enlisted rating would quickly see action, initially in an inconclusive affair against the UC-66 on the 20th.

Events on the 22nd proved to be of a more certain nature, when Penshurst engaged the U-84 off the south coast of Ireland. Having avoided a torpedo attack, Grenfell and his men achieved several hits, causing U-84 significant damage and wounding members of her crew. The U-boat managed to limp back to Germany on the surface, where Admiral Scheer described her survival as a miracle.

Grenfell was specially promoted to Captain and he was back in action on 8 March when the Penshurst fought another surface action, this time with the UC-44 at the Eastern end of the English Channel. Both vessels were badly damaged, Penshurst requiring a major refit. It was at this juncture that Grenfell was appointed to the Staff of the Director of Anti-Submarine Defence and command of the Penshurst fell to his senior officer, Lieutenant Cedric Naylor, D.S.C., R.N.R. He fought his first action as captain on 2 July, in the Western Approaches, his gunners getting in 16 hits on the U-53 before the submarine fled the scene.

But it was for Penshurst’s next action, fought on 19 August 1917, that Pearce was awarded the D.S.M. Badly damaged by a torpedo strike below her bridge, and with her hidden guns prematurely exposed, the Penshurst nonetheless pretended to ‘run away’ when the enemy submarine, the UC-72, surfaced. She then opened fire with her 3-pounder gun in an attempt to entice the submarine closer before opening up with her heavier guns. Penshurst also used her 12-pounder with good effect and hit UC-72 four times, causing her to break off the action and dive. Penshurst, in her damaged state, was unable to follow up with depth charges and so set course for Plymouth and much needed repairs.

Pearce was subsequently present on the occasion of Penshurst’s loss in the Irish Sea on 24 December 1917, when she was torpedoed by the U-110. Owing to the Q-ship’s heavy list, her guns were limited in their capability to return fire, but she managed to get in two hits before slipping beneath the waves. Remarkably, in the circumstances, all but two of the ‘Splendid Penshurst’s’ crew were rescued.

Pearce ended the war with an appointment in Europa I and was demobilised in June 1920.

Sold with copied research including Naylor’s report following the loss of the Penshurst in December 1917.

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424

X The rare Great War Handley Page pilot’s D.S.C. group of five awarded to Flight Commander V. R. Gibbs, Royal Naval Air Service, a former R.N.V.R. Armoured Car officer and afterwards Royal Air Force Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1920; 1914 Star (12/3306 V. R. Gibbs, A.B. R.N.V.R.) naming officially impressed in a later smaller style); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. V. R. Gibbs. R.A.F.); France, 3rd Republic, Croix de Guerre 1914 1917, with bronze palme, mounted as worn, good very fine (5) £2,000-£2,400

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 17 November 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in numerous night bombing raids, particularly on the night of the 25 September 1917, when in spite of difficult weather conditions, he carried out a double trip and made good shooting from 3,000 feet and below, and was responsible for dropping over 1½ tons of bombs on his objectives.’

Victor Richard Gibbs was born in Islington, London on 13 October 1893. On joining the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a rating in August 1914, he was drafted to Hawke Battalion in the Royal Naval Division and embarked for Antwerp, from whence he returned to the U.K. in mid-October 1914.

Commissioned as a Sub. Lieutenant in the R.N.V.R. in December 1914, Gibbs was attached to No. 8 Squadron Armoured Cars and served in that capacity in France in April 1915, before being embarked for the Dardanelles. He was subsequently present in operations at Cape Helles and Suvla Bay, in addition to serving at Imbros. Then, in late 1915 he joined the staff of the Western Frontier Force (Armoured Cars) in Egypt for operations against the Senussi.

Back in the U.K. by January 1916, Gibbs transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service as a Probationary Flight Sub. Lieutenant and gained his aviator’s certificate at Hendon in March. Having then attended further courses at Eastbourne, Cranwell and Eastchurch, he joined No. 6 Naval Squadron in January 1917, a unit of No. 4 Wing R.N.A.S. However, it was on his subsequent posting to No. 7 Naval Squadron at Dunkirk that his operational career commenced proper, his first sortie taking place on the night of 28-29 July 1917, when, flying one of the squadron’s giant Handley Page bombers, he was assigned to attack rolling stock and railway junctions in the Bruges area.

Over the course of the following five months, Gibbs flew at least 30 operational sorties, mainly against railway stations and enemy aerodromes. Thus a strike against St. Denis Westrem aerodrome on the night of 25-26 August, a successful sortie in which ‘good shooting’ was made and roughly five tons of bombs dropped by the attacking force of six Handley Pages.

In early hours of 1 September, in an attack on Ghistelles aerodrome, it was reported that ‘Flight Sub Lieutenant Gibbs (Observer G./L. Kille) and Flight Sub Lieutenant Johnson (Observer G./L. Brooks) achieved good results … A.A. fire was active and fairly accurate. In all about five and a half tons were dropped on the objective.’

It was about this time his service record was endorsed: ‘Recorded very useful information with regard to enemy aerodromes and successfully dropped his bombs on the railway sidings and mainland adjoining near the N.W. corner of the objective.’

Following another attack on St. Denis Westrem aerodrome on the night of the 10-11 September, Gibbs and his fellow aircrew began a flurry of operations against the railway stations and airfields at Thorout, Lichtervelde and Cortemarck, the first such sortie being flown on the night of 21-22 September. Following a similar trip on the night of 25-26 September, Gibbs was commended by his C.O.: ‘I beg to call your attention to the conduct of Flight Sub Lieutenant Gibbs, Observer A.M.1 G./L. Kille, and Flight Sub Lieutenant Johnson, Observer A.M. 1 G./L. Boshier. These Pilots and Observers made

double trips, and good shooting from 3,000 feet and below, each machine being responsible for dropping over 1½ tons of bombs during the night.’

The same report adds in respect of Gibbs, ‘in addition this officer has carried out twenty-three night bombing raids.’ He was recommended for the D.S.C. On the night of 29-30 September, the squadron’s targets included Zeebrugge, where one Handley-Page had to beat a retreat owing to severe ground fire. In fact, as made clear by related squadron reports, enemy searchlights and A.A. fire was often intense and accurate, and not a few aircraft were hit and damaged. This was especially so of larger targets such as Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent, all of which were attacked by Gibbs and his fellow aircrew in October.

In mid-December, he was recommended for the post of Flight Commander in No. 14 Squadron, R.N.A.S., formerly 7a Squadron, a recommendation that was duly approved. And it was in this capacity that he carried out a sortie on the night of 22-23 December 1917, when he and his crew took valuable observations of multiple enemy recognition signals, their handiwork being assisted by copies of a code map which had been found in the possession of a captured German airman.

However, in mid-February 1918, for reasons unknown, Gibbs was admitted to No. 14 General Hospital at Wimereux and thence to No. 51 General Hospital at Etaples. His R.N.A.S. service record then closes with an entry for a medical re-boarding on 11 June 1918.

He subsequently obtained a regular commission in the newly created Royal Air Force and his inter-war appointments included service with the Palestine Wing at Bir Salem in 1922-23, H.Q. Transjordan and Palestine at Amman in 1930, and H.Q. Middle East at Cairo in 1931.

Back home, in the interim, he held squadron appointments in the Wessex Bombing Area in the mid-to-late 20s.

Advanced to Squadron Leader in November 1929 and to Wing Commander in November 1938, Gibbs served for the entirety of the Second World War on the staff of the Directorate of Organisation.

He died at Edmonton, Essex in October 1949.

Sold with copied research, including extensive operational reports for sorties flown in 1917.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

425X

The Great War East Africa operations C.M.G. group of six awarded to Vice-Admiral A. C. Sykes, Royal Navy, who, having taken part in the hunt for the Konigsberg and acted in support of operations undertaken by the Cameroons Expeditionary Force in 1914-15, served in H.M.S. Challenger as Senior Naval Officer on the East Coast of Africa and lent valuable assistance at the capture of the Dar-es-Salaam in September 1916 The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 (Commr. A. C. Sykes, R.N., H.M.S. Highflyer.); 1914-15 Star (Capt. A. C. Sykes, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. A. C. Sykes. R.N.); Zanzibar, Order of the Brilliant Star, 2nd Class breast star, silver, gold and enamels, with Toughra of Sultan Ali Bin Hamoud Al-Busaidi, unmarked, the reverse centre with similar embossed Toughra, the last with chip to white enamel, otherwise nearly extremely fine (6) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

C.M.G. London Gazette 15 June 1917: ‘In command of H.M.S. Challenger and frequently carried out the duties of Senior Naval Officer. The shooting of Challenger during the night bombardment of Dar-es-Salaam on 21 August assisted largely in bringing about the surrender.’

Zanzibar, Order of the Brilliant Star London Gazette 14 September 1918.

Alfred Charles Sykes was born at Dunsforth Vicarage, near Ouseburn, York on 20 February 1868, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in July 1881. Confirmed in the rank of Sub. Lieutenant in November 1887, following service on the Pacific and China stations, he was advanced to Lieutenant in H.M.S. Ringdove on the Australia station in April 1891, where he was employed on navigational duties. Having then been likewise employed in home waters, he joined Highflyer, the flagship of Rear-Admiral D. H. B. Bosanquet, commanding the East Indies Station, and witnessed active service off Somaliland in 1902-04, in which period he was advanced to Commander.

Next appointed to Crescent, the flagship of Rear-Admiral John Durnford, C.B., D.S.O., Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa, he gained advancement to Captain in June 1909 and took command of the cruiser Astraea in April 1913 and was likewise employed on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914.

In the opening months of the war, Astraea was much involved in operations on the coast of East Africa, taking part in the hunt for the Konigsberg. Early in August 1914, Sykes was given orders to destroy by gunfire the wireless station at Dar-esSalaam and to close the port and deny its use as a base for

the Konigsberg. Astraea subsequently acted in support of the military operations in the Cameroons, following which, in March 1915, Sykes took command of the cruiser Challenger.

She too lent valuable support to the ongoing campaign in the Cameroons, prior to reinforcing the squadron blockading the Konigsberg in the Rufiji Delta. And following the latter’s demise, he was appointed Senior Naval Officer, East Africa.

He subsequently played a prominent role in the operations leading to the surrender of Dar-es-Salaam in September 1916 and was awarded the C.M.G. and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 15 June 1917, refers): ‘Captain A. G. Sykes, H.M.S. Challenger, carried out a night bombardment on the railway station – 50 rounds of 6-inch on 21 August, which caused a great impression and assisted in brining about the surrender. Only the station and its vicinity were injured; a remarkable result for indirect firing at night.’

During his extended period of service in East African waters, Sykes was frequently in close contact with the Sultan of Zanzibar and rendered him and the Protectorate a number of valuable services for which the Sultan bestowed on him the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar, 2nd Class; after much protracted correspondence between the Admiralty and the Colonial and Foreign Offices, he was eventually given permission to accept and wear the insignia.

Sykes ended the war as Senior Naval Officer at the port of Leith and was placed on the Retired List as a Rear-Admiral in March 1920. Having then been advanced to Vice-Admiral (Retired) in August 1925, he died in February 1933, aged 64.

Sold with miniature tunic ribbon bar and copied research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

426

X The rare Great War Baltic operations submariner’s D.S.M. group of six awarded to Stoker Petty Officer H. W. Aldridge, Royal Navy, who was also twice decorated by the White Russians for his gallant deeds in the E-19 under Lieutenant-Commander F. N. A. Cromie, D.S.O.; by the time of Cromie’s murder by a Checka Guard on the steps of the British Embassy at Petrograd in August 1918, Aldridge was serving in the G-7, in which he was lost in the North Sea just 10 days before the Armistice Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (222882 H. W. Aldridge, Sto. P.O. Submarine Service 1917.); 1914-15 Star (222882 H. W.Aldridge, Act. L. Sto. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (222882 H. W. Aldridge. S.P.O. R.N.); Russia, Empire, Cross of St George for Bravery, 3rd Class, officially numbered ‘No 72 128’; Russia, Empire, Medal of St George for Bravery, 4th Class, officially numbered ‘No 269703’, together with Memorial Plaque (Henry William Aldridge) nearly extremely fine (7) £4,000-£5,000 D.S.M. London Gazette 2 November 1917: ‘For services in submarines in enemy waters.’

Newcastle, whose captain agreed to take the German crew with him.

The recommendation states: ‘H.M. Submarine E19, H.M.S. Dolphin and H.M.S. Ascot. Submarine service 1917. For long and arduous service and successful action with enemy armed vessels.’

Next on the list was the Nicodemia, the largest of the lot and carrying a very full cargo of iron ore from Lulea to Hamburg.

On sighting E-I9 she turned and made for the Swedish coast, hoping to reach the safety of territorial waters before being caught. Two shots across her bows brought a change of mind, and E-I9 sent across a boarding party. The crew was ordered into the boats and a scuttling charge placed on board, which sent her and her cargo of 7,000 tons of ore to the bottom.

The submarine then towed the boat loads of survivors to the coast.

Henry William Aldridge was born in Camberwell, London on 24 January 1887 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in December 1902. Transferring as a Stoker 1st Class to the submarine branch in October 1912, he likely joined the E-19 on her commissioning in the summer of 1915, although his service record makes no individual mention of E-19 until an entry dated 4 August 1916. It is not unusual for submarine depot ships to be used for seagoing appointments on such records, besides which Aldridge’s D.S.M. reflected ‘long and arduous service and successful actions against enemy armed vessels.’

In September 1915, under her famous skipper LieutenantCommander F. N. A. Cromie, D.S.O., E-19 was one of the last five submarines to manage the passage through the Oresund into the Baltic Sea, where she went on to sink several enemy vessels. Most notably, south of Oland on 11 October, she sank four German freighters within a few hours of each other, a memorable ‘bag’ which commenced with the Weston Leongardt, bound from Lulea to Hamburg with iron ore. She was sunk with a charge of guncotton after the crew had been taken off by a Swedish vessel. Two hours later, E-I9 was chasing the Germania, bound with iron ore for Stettin.

She refused to stop and was driven ashore, whereupon E-I9 went alongside to take off her crew, but they had already scrambled over the rocks to safety. Cromie then tried to tow the Germania off in order to sink her, but failing in this he left her so damaged that she could never sail again.

Just an hour later, E-19 set off in pursuit of the Gutrune, whom she caught after two hours. She, too, was loaded with iron ore and sent to the bottom, E-I9 taking off her crew and transferring them to another Swedish ship. The next ship stopped was the Swedish Nyland, but her papers showed her bound for Rotterdam and she was allowed to proceed. Ten minutes later, however, E-19 caught the Direktor Rippenhagen, yet another iron ore ship and she too followed her predecessors to the bottom. Cromie embarked her crew in E-19 until he was able to stop a Swedish ship bound for

Early the following morning, E-I9 intercepted the Nike. She was Swedish, but being bound to Stettin with iron ore was a legitimate prize as she was trying to run the blockade with contraband. Cromie put a prize crew aboard, consisting of one Lieutenant and two men, and sent her to Reval to be condemned in prize and her cargo confiscated.

In the following month, on the 7th, for good measure, E-19 claimed the S.M.S. Undine. On that occasion, the detonation of E-19’s first torpedo stopped the enemy cruiser and set her ablaze, but to ensure total success Crombie dived under the Undine and came up on the other side, from whence he delivered a second torpedo strike just abaft the enemy’s mainmast, a devastating strike which ignited Undine’s main magazine.

It was small wonder that the Germans began to call the Baltic ‘Horton’s Sea’ after the submarine branch’s distinguished commander, for the gallant work of E-19 and her consorts lead to British domination in the region for at least two years.

Aldridge returned to the U.K. in August 1917, shortly before the award of his D.S.M. was gazetted, to which he added his two ungazetted Russian decorations, the Cross of St. George being verified by other official sources.

Then in September 1918, he joined the G-7, tragically a shortlived appointment, for she was lost to causes unknown in the North Sea just 10 days before the Armistice.

Aged 22, he was the son of Florence Aldridge of 13 Riga Terrace, Landport, Hampshire and his name is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

427

X The fine Great War Q-ship operations D.S.C. group of three awarded to Engineer Lieutenant N. S. MacKinnon, Royal Naval Reserve, who was killed in action in the Cullist in the Irish Sea on 11 February 1918, having already been decorated and ‘mentioned’ for services in her against enemy submarines: at the time of his death he had received at least one more bravery recommendation Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1917 and privately engraved, ‘Eng. Lieut. Neil S. MacKinnon, 23rd Jan. 1918’; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Eng. Lt. N. S. Mackinnon. R.N.R.) together with Memorial Plaque (Neil Shaw MacKinnon) nearly extremely fine (4) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2004.

D.S.C. London Gazette 22 February 1918: ‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 29 August 1917.

Neil Shaw MacKinnon, who was born at Leith, Edinburgh on 23 April 1877, was commissioned as a Temporary Engineer Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in May 1917, the very same month in which the Q-ship Cullist was commissioned by Lieutenant-Commander S. H. Simpson, R.N., shortly to win a brace of D.S.O.s for his command of her in several lively encounters with enemy submarines. As it transpired, MacKinnon was to serve as his Engineer Lieutenant throughout this period, right up until his death in action on 11 February 1918, when the Cullist was torpedoed without warning and went down in two minutes.

His mention in despatches was for services on the occasion of the sinking of an enemy submarine on 13 July 1917, the latter having been sighted on the surface at 11,000 yards range, from which distance it began shelling the Cullist. After firing 38 rounds without recording a hit, the enemy began to close the range to 5,000 yards and fired a further 30 rounds which started to straddle their target. At 1407 hours Cullist returned fire, her gunners getting the range after their second salvo and numerous hits were recorded on the enemy’s conning tower, gun and deck. Then an explosion was seen followed by bright red flames, and three minutes after engaging the submarine it was seen to go down by the bows leaving oil and debris on the surface - the latter included ‘a corpse dressed in blue dungarees, floating face upwards.’

But it was for actions fought by the Cullist on 20 August and 28 September 1917 that MacKinnon received his D.S.C. On the former occasion an enemy submarine was sighted on the surface and opened fire on the Cullist at 9,000 yards range.

After 82 rounds had been fired by the submarine, just one of them scored with a hit on the water-line of the stokehold, the shell injuring both the firemen on watch and causing a large rush of water into the stokehold, which was overcome by plugging the hole and shoring it up. Several time-fused shrapnel projectiles were also fired at the Cullist but without effect. The submarine then closed the range to 4,500 yards at which time the Cullist returned fire and scored two hits in the area of the conning tower, upon which the submarine was seen to dive and contact was lost.

During the second duel, which was fought on 28 September 1917, Simpson gave the order to open fire at 5,000 yards range - ‘thirteen rounds were fired of which eight were direct hits, causing him to settle down by the bowstill while about 30 feet of his stern was standing out of the water at an angle of

about 30 degrees to the horizon. He remained in this position for about ten to fifteen seconds before disappearing at 12.43 hours.’ Soon afterwards Simpson spotted another enemy submarine and set off in pursuit, on this occasion to no avail.

Nonetheless, he was able state in his official report that much credit was due to the Engine Room department, ‘who worked up to, and maintained a speed of 13 knots for four and a half hours, being 1.5 knots in excess of this ship’s previous full speed.’ And in official Admiralty correspondence dated 10 November 1917, the first suggestion that MacKinnon should be awarded a D.S.C is muted, the First Lord adding his approval five days later.

Yet another brush with the enemy took place on 17 November 1917, when the Cullist was sighted by an enemy submarine which opened fire at 8,000 yards range. Within five minutes the enemy had the range and a shell glanced off the Cullist’s side, damaging one of three officers’ cabins before bursting on the water line. After disappearing in a bank of fog the submarine re-appeared and continued to shell the Cullist with such accuracy that for 50 minutes the decks and bridge were continually sprayed with shell splinters and drenched with water from near misses. In all, the enemy fired 92 rounds, while the Cullist returned fire from 4,500 yards, 14 rounds being fired at the submarine of which six were seen to be direct hits. The submarine, although badly damaged, was able to turn away, dive and escape.

Once again, Simpson recommended his engineering officers, Mackinnon and a Sub. Lieutenant Wilson, their C.O.’s official report stating: ‘These officers are stationed in the Engine Room and Boiler Room during action and have always kept their department in a high state of efficiency and ready for any emergency, stimulating all ratings under their orders with their good example.’

On 11 February 1918, however, the Cullist’s luck ran out and she was torpedoed without warning in the Irish Sea and sank in two minutes. The enemy submarine then surfaced and asked for the Captain, but was told that he had been killed.

The Germans picked up two men and after verbally abusing the remaining survivors, made off. Simpson, who had been wounded, was pulled into one of the rafts, and the survivors were subsequently rescued by a patrol trawler. Sadly, however, their gallant Engineer Lieutenant was not among their number, undoubtedly having gone down at his station in the Cullist.

Aged 40, he was the son of Donald and Jessie MacKinnon of 1 Royston Terrace, Edinburgh and is commemorated on the Porstmouth Naval Memorial.

Sold with comprehensive research.

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428X

The outstanding Great War D.S.C., D.F.C. group of six awarded to Captain B. A. Millson, Royal Air Force, late Mercantile Marine and Royal Naval Air Service; after being decorated by the Czar for his good work on the Archangel run as a Third Officer in the Mercantile Marine in 1915, he qualified as a pilot and flew at least 64 raids at night in Handley Pages, often with resultant damage from anti-aircraft fire Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1917; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals (Capt. B. A. Millson, R.A.F.); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (Bertie A. Millson); Russia, Empire, Medal for Zeal, Nicholas II, gold, the first two on original investiture brooches, the last mounted for wear and all lightly stitched together contemporarily for display, minor contact marks, otherwise nearly extremely fine (6) £6,000-£8,000

Provenance: Bonhams, March 2004.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 17 April 1918: ‘For skill and courage in carrying out two successful bombing raids on Bruges Docks on the night of 17th-18th February 1918. He has taken part in many night bombing raids flying Handley-Pages.’

D.F.C. London Gazette 8 February 1919: ‘This officer has carried out 64 raids at night, displaying at all times great perseverance in reaching the objective and marked gallantry in attack, notably on the night of 3rd-4th October, when he twice raided an important railway junction, dropping his bombs with skill and precision from 800 feet, obtaining direct hits, and causing serious damage. On the night in question no other machine bombed from a height of less than 4,000 feet owing to the very heavy hostile fire.’

Bertie Arthur Millson was born in Wimbledon, Surrey on 3 December 1892, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in February 1909.

Just over two years later, however, he purchased his discharge and embarked on a career in the Mercantile Marine.

By the opening stages of the Great War, he was serving as Third Officer of the Cunard Line’s S.S. Thracia, which ship was commandeered to deliver vital war materials to Russia. In common with other ships on the Archangel run, she became trapped in the ice in the Spring of 1915, and had to be taken in tow by H.M.S. Jupiter after being freed by means of explosive charges. Here, then, the occasion on which Millson clearly distinguished himself, an accompanying translation of the royal decree for his Russian decoration stating: ‘The Chapter of the Imperial and Royal Orders hereby testify that His Imperial Russian Majesty has conferred on 23 April 1915, on Millson, a British subject, and Third Officer of the S.S. Thracia, a gold Medal with the inscription ‘For Faithful Service.’ The Medal is to be worn on the breast with the ribbon of St. Anne.’ (Contemporary copy translation included with Lot).

In May 1916, Millson came ashore to pursue a new career in naval aviation and was posted to the Royal Naval Air Service training establishment at Cranwell, where, in August, he gained his aviator’s

certificate in a Maurice Farman Biplane. Having then attended a Handley Page course at Manston, he was drafted to No. 3 Wing in France in January 1917, but his cross-Channel flight ended in a crash-landing, in which he received multiple injuries, and he was evacuated home via No. 7 Stationary Hospital at Boulogne.

A spell at R.N.H. Haslar ensued, followed by a night flying course back at Manston, and he returned to an operational footing in No. 3 Wing in June 1917. His subsequent active service record, enacted over 18 months and comprising at least 64 sorties in Handley Page bombers was of an exceptional nature.

A detailed record of the first 23 of those sorties is contained in his opening pilot’s flying log book, covering the period June-December 1917, and from which, by way of example, the following entries have been extracted: 21-22 July 1917: ‘Raid on Middlekerque dumps. Visibility very poor indeed (no moon). Held in searchlights for 15 minutes. Anti-aircraft fierce and very accurate. No results observed because of searchlight glare. One hit through port upper plane extension and three through fuselage.’

3-4 September 1917: ‘Raid on Bruges Docks. Attacked from the southward and took a line from S.W. to N.E. The line was observed to straddle the submarine assembling works on the south side of the docks.

All bombs exploded. Visibility excellent. Anti-aircraft fire plentiful and accurate. Machine hit once.’

1-2 October 1917: ‘Raid on Zeebrugge Lock Gates. Crossed the coast from land to sea at 6,000 ft. over Nieuport and approached Zeebrugge from seaward. Arrived over the Mole at 7.000 ft. and started to glide over the lock gates. The line started a bit short but the last three bombs exploded in the close vicinity of the north gate. No actual result could be seen owing to the intense glare of about 10 searchlights, which found and held the machine. Both gun layers kept up a continuous machine-gun fire while we were held in the searchlights. Anti-aircraft fire very plentiful and very accurate. Machine was hit in three places.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Advanced to Flight Lieutenant in January 1918 and awarded the D.S.C. for his part in a brace of strikes against Bruges docks in February 1918, Millson was re-mustered in the rank of Captain in the newly created Royal Air Force in April 1918. He subsequently served with ongoing distinction as a Flight Commander in No. 207 Squadron from June 1918 until the war’s end, a period of gallant service that resulted in the award of his D.F.C. One example of that gallantry, as cited in an obituary notice, states: ‘On the night of 18-19 July 1918, whilst approaching Valenciennes Railway Junction, he had the petrol pipe of his machine shot away, causing the petrol to pour out of the top tank and rendering the machine in a highly inflammable condition. Notwithstanding these trying circumstances, he continued to take his machine to the objective, over which he made two runs and bombed at 600 feet, getting a direct hit.’

Placed on the Unemployed List after the Armistice, Millson rejoined the Cunard Line and obtained his Master’s certificate in June 1919.

And he remained in the Merchant Navy until 1937, when he took up an appointment as an instructor at the School of Air Navigation at R.A.F. Manston. That appointment proved short-lived, however, for he died suddenly at home on 15 August 1937.

Sold with the recipient’s original Royal Naval Air Service Pilot’s Flying Log Book, commencing with training flights in June 1916 and ending with operational sorties in December 1917; together with the R.A.F Manston Quarterly of September 1937 containing his obituary notice with portrait photograph.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

429

X The scarce Great War British War Medal awarded to Mate L. F. Foster, H.M. Dockyard Chatham, for ‘Service with the Royal Navy’ - he was killed when H.M. Tug Desire was torpedoed off the Yorkshire coast in January 1918 British War Medal 1914-20 (L. F. Foster, Service with the Royal Navy) with damaged named card box of issue, extremely fine £260-£300 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2006.

Lewis Frederick Foster was Mate of H.M. Tug Desire, Yard Craft at Chatham, and was killed in action when she was torpedoed and sunk off the Yorkshire coast on 24 January 1918. Aged 48 years, he was the husband of Edith Francis Foster of 148 Upper Luton Road, Chatham and his name is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

Sold with Admiralty condolence slip forwarding the British War Medal, his sole entitlement, addressed to Mrs. Foster.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

430

X The rare Zeebrugge Raid D.S.C. group of four awarded to Acting Sub-Lieutenant L. R. Blake, Royal Naval Reserve, in command of Coastal Motor Boat No. 7 on 22-23 April 1918 Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1917 and privately inscribed ‘Zeebrugge 22nd 23rd April 1918.’; 1914-15 Star (Mid. L. R. Blake, R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (S. Lt. L. R. Blake, R.N.R.) mounted as worn, light contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (4) £5,000-£7,000 Just 27 D.S.C.’s and 2 Second Award Bars given for the Zeebrugge ‘St George’s Day Raid’.

D.S.C. London Gazette 23 July 1918: ‘In recognition of distinguished services during the operations against Zeebrugge and Ostend on the night of the 22nd-23rd April 1918:Act. Sub. Lieut. (Act.) Leslie Robert Blake, R.N.R. In command of a Coastal Motor Boat. Led an attack on enemy vessels moored inside the mole at Zeebrugge with skill and coolness under heavy fire from the shore defences.

His boat, though damaged, was successfully brought back into harbour.’

The following narrative is taken from The Blocking of Zeebrugge by Captain A. F. B. Carpenter, V.C., R.N.: ‘Before Vindictive’s arrival at the Mole two coastal motor boats had left the force for the purpose of attacking German vessels inside the Mole. They soon lost sight of one another in the fog and became separated. CMB 7, Sub-Lieut. L. R. Blake, R.N.R., first sighted the Mole about 150 yards away and steamed close round the lighthouse at high speed. Having located the defence booms of barges and nets he followed down the line of the latter until close in shore and then stopped for the purpose of selecting a target. Observing an enemy destroyer alongside the Mole he steamed straight towards her at high speed and fired his torpedo at her. He then stopped to observe the result. The torpedo was seen to explode near the forebridge of the destroyer, but the conditions of visibility rendered it impossible to ascertain the definite result. During this time he was being heavily fired at by machine guns on the Mole and by the shore batteries to the eastward of the canal. Small enemy vessels suddenly appeared and engaged him, and he was further fired at from a dredger which had a machine gun. CMB 7 had other duties to fulfil in connection with smoke screening. Whilst proceeding at high speed for that purpose she collided with an unlighted buoy, which made a large hole in her bows. Speed was increased to lift the bows clear of the water. It soon became apparent that the damage that she had sustained precluded all further chance of being usefully employed, so course was set for home. An engine defect off Ostend necessitated stopping; this, in turn, brought them into imminent danger of sinking. Eventually one of our destroyers took her in tow and brought her safely to Dover.’

CMB 7 was later one of Agar’s boats at Kronstadt but broke down before Agar’s famous VC action. Blake was subsequently in command of CMB 51 in the Caspian Sea from August 1918.

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431

X The outstanding and important Great War C.G.M. group of four awarded to Chief Motor Mechanic S. H. Fox, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who was decorated for his gallantry in Percy Dean V.C.’s M.L. 282 in the famous St. George’s Day raid on Zeebrugge in 1918 Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, G.V.R. (M.B.1872. S. H. Fox. Ch. M.M., R.N.V.R. Zeebrugge-Ostend 22-3.

Apl. 1918.); British War and Victory Medals (M.B.1872. S. H. Fox. C.M.M. R.N.V.R.); France, 3rd Empire, Croix de Guere 1914 1917, with bronze palm, mounted court-style for wear, nearly extremely fine (4) £10,000-£14,000 Provenance: Spink, June 1984 and March 1997.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II C.G.M. London Gazette 23 July 1918: ‘The following awards have also been approved.’

The original (joint) recommendation states: ‘The three ratings above mentioned were amongst those who volunteered to man Motor Launches detailed to rescue the crews of the blockships, and it was largely due to the coolness and courage with which the crews of these Motor Launches carried out their duties that so many officers and men were rescued.

These three men displayed most conspicuous gallantry in the face of intense gun and machine-gun fire at short range.’

French Croix de Guerre: issued by authority of the Marine Nationale, Paris, 28 August 1918: ‘He volunteered to go out in a motor boat to pick up the crew of blockships under intense artillery and machine gun fire.’

all volunteers, and nearly all had been wounded and several killed.’ Indeed, only four members of this gallant M.L.’s company came through unscathed, testament indeed to the ferocity of the enemy’s fire and the highest gallantry of Fox and his shipmates.

Fox subsequently served in M.L.’s in the Mediterranean from depot ship H.M.S. Caesar until posted to the British Caspian Flotilla to man C.M.B.’s in 1919, then to H.M.S. Julius at Constantinople, returning to the United Kingdom in March 1920 where he was discharged from the Navy on 20 June 1920, one of the last New Zealanders to be demobilised from the First World War. ‘Amongst the New Zealanders who participated in the recent naval action at Zeebrugge was Mr. Sydney Fox, son of Mr. Louis H. Fox, house steward at the Wellington

Hospital. Writing to his parents, Mr. Fox, who left New Zealand as a member of the first Motor Boat Patrol, gives some particulars of the fight. “We went up into the canal,” he writes, “to rescue the crews of two ships that we sank there. Well, there were only four of us on our ship who came out alive, and I was one of them. It was a very desperate job. The writer refers to one of his pals, Mr. Jack Batey, who was killed in the engagement. Mr. Batey, who formerly lived at New Plymouth, leaves a widow. At latest advice Mr. Fox was chief engineer of the vessel on which he was at the time of the Zeebrugge engagement. (Grey River Argus, 25 June 1918 refers).

Sold with a file of research, including a photocopy of the recipient’s Croix de Guerre award certificate.

Sydney Harold Fox was born at Wellington, New Zealand, on 19 June 1892, and joined the Royal Navy at that location as a Motor Mechanic in October 1916. He subsequently served in Motor Launches (M.L.s) of Attentive III from March 1917, was promoted to Chief Motor Mechanic on 1 July 1917, and continued in that role until March 1918, when he volunteered for the Zeebrugge raid as a Chief Motor Mechanic in M.L. 282.

The extraordinary exploits of M.L. 282 in the epic St. George’s Day raid on Zeebrugge in April 1918 resulted in the award of the aforementioned V.C. to 41-year-old Percy Dean, in addition to Fox’s C.G.M., a D.S.M. to fellow Motor Mechanic Edward Whitmarsh and a D.S.C. to Lieutenant Keith Wright. In his post-raid report, Dean made special mention of the ‘excellent work’ done by these men The two-mile retreat from Zeebrugge, in full view of the enemy batteries on the Mole and elsewhere, probably created the greatest challenge of all. But Dean courageously responded by taking M.L. 282 right alongside the Mole wall, thus preventing the enemy gunners from being able to depress their guns low enough to engage him. Nonetheless, with his vessel crowded with over 100 men, many of them wounded or dying, it was an extraordinary feat to clear the harbour and gain the open sea, especially when the rudder was made redundant and it became necessary to steer directly by the engines - no doubt an episode in which Chief Motor Mechanic Fox proved to be a tower of strength: it was later discovered that the rudder’s steering lines had been obstructed by a corpse.

Ultimately M.L. 282 was met by Admiral Keyes’s flagship, H.M.S. Warwick, and all her ‘passengers’ safely embarked. Keyes was greatly impressed by what he saw, afterwards recording in his despatch that he was ‘much struck with the gallant bearing of Lieutenant Dean and the survivors of his crew. They were M.L. 282 at Zeebrugge on St. George’s Day 1918

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

432X

The extremely rare Great War D.S.M. and Bar group of twelve awarded to Chief Engine Room Artificer H. A. Harris, Royal Navy, awarded the D.S.M. for his gallantry in H.M.S. Vindictive in the Zeebrugge raid in April 1918 and participated in the ballot for the V.C.; he received a Bar for like services in the subsequent raid on Ostend in May 1918, thereby becoming one of only four ‘double D.S.M.s’ for these operations Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (M.6218. H. A. Harris, E.R.A. 3Cl. “Vindictive.” Zeebrugge-Ostend. 22-3. Apl. 1918.) the reverse of the Bar officially impressed ‘9-10 May 1918’; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (M.6218 H. A. Harris. E.R.A. 4 R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue with fixed suspension (M.6218 H. A. Harris. E.R.A.1. H.M.S. Centaur) minor official correction to official number on the last, light contact marks, very fine or better (12) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 1999.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Just 67 Bars were awarded to the D.S.M. in the Great War. D.S.M. London Gazette 23 July 1918: ‘For services during the operations against Zeebrugge and Ostend on the night of 22-23 April 1918.’

Bar to D.S.M. London Gazette 28 August 1918: ‘The following awards have been approved.’

The recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Vindictive. ZeebruggeOstend 9-10 May 1919. The following [four] Engine Room Artificers distinguished themselves in H.M.S. Vindictive during the attack on Zeebrugge Mole on 23 April 1918.

They immediately volunteered for further service in H.M.S. Vindictive and behaved with conspicuous bravery in that ship on the night of 9-10 May 1918. No other ratings in H.M.S. Vindictive volunteered for the second operation.’

Herbert Alfred Harris was born at Gosport, Hampshire on 10 July 1897, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy Artificer in July 1913.

At the time of his volunteering for the famous Zeebrugge raid in April 1918, he was serving as an Engine Room Artificer 4th Class in H.M.S. Royal Sovereign, and was one of the four E.R.A.s assigned to the care of Vindictive’s engines: all of them were subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and took part in the ballot for the award of the Victoria Cross.

Vindictive’s role as a landing ship was of course crucial, acting as she did as a decoy to the raid’s accompanying blockships, so much so that her part in the raid had been the subject of wide praise and coverage. Captain A. F. B. Carpenter, R.N., one of five men to be awarded the V.C. for Vindictive’s efforts that memorable night, later recalled the hot reception afforded the ship as it closed the Mole: ‘They literally poured projectiles into us. In about five minutes we had reached the Mole, but not before the ship had suffered a great amount of damage to both material and personnel.’

And the carnage continued apace as her Royal Marine landing parties desperately tried to get ashore in the face of

point-blank fire. But the performance of the engine room department, under Engineer Lieutenant-Commander W. A. Bury, was no less praiseworthy, he and his artificers having to shift from going full speed astern to full speed ahead, in an effort to maintain the much-battered cruiser’s position on the Mole. And when at 12.50 a.m. the recall signal was received, they managed to muster a speed of 17 knots.

In total, 176 officers and men were killed in the raid and 412 wounded. Such was the bravery of all those involved that Article 13 of the Victoria Cross warrant was invoked. This stipulates that, when a corps or unit so distinguishes itself as to make it impossible to single out individuals, Crosses should be awarded by a ballot of those who survived. Two Victoria Crosses were awarded to the Royal Navy by this method, and another two to the Royal Marines. Under a further provision of Article 13, all those who did not receive the V.C. had their service records annotated to the effect that they had participated in the ballot for the V.C.: Harris’s service record is thus annotated, together with a note in respect of his award of the D.S.M. For the second raid on Ostend in May 1918, in which Vindictive was to act as one of the blockships, Vice-Admiral Keyes intended to allow the Senior Engineer present to take charge of the Vindictive’s engines, but Engineer LieutenantCommander Bury protested strongly against leaving the ship, and claimed his right to remain in Vindictive: ‘This very gallant officer, who greatly distinguished himself on 23 April, represented that his knowledge of the engines and boilers of his ship should be utilised. He further begged that Engine Room Artificers Hubert Cavanagh, Norman Carroll, Alan Thomas, and Herbert Alfred Harris, who also volunteered, might be allowed to remain with him. Keyes acceded to his request.’

And so, in the early morning mist on 10 May, Vindictive made her last eight-point turn, then steamed through the canal entrance at Ostend. Bury and his four E.R.A.s had experienced little trouble with the engines despite the hastily patched-up steam pipes which had been severely damaged by gunfire at Zeebrugge.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

In fact, to begin with, all was well below deck, the 35 men in the engine-room performing their duties admirably. And with Vindictive in position across the channel of the canal, Lieutenant Victor Crutchley gave orders for the ship to be abandoned, preparatory to the firing of the charges which would sink Vindictive, thereby blocking the channel. Crutchley, who had earlier been wounded by a direct hit on the bridge and assumed command after his captain was killed, displayed great courage. Having made every endeavour by manoeuvring his engines to place the ship in an effective position, he did not leave her until he had made a thorough search with an electric torch for survivors, under a very heavy fire.

And that heavy fire now took its toll below decks, Engineer Commander Bury being severely wounded. But he remained in the engine-room until the last possible moment, and when everyone was clear, he blew the bottom out of the ship, by firing the main and auxiliary after charges. Three of his gallant E.R.A.s were saved; the fourth, Alan Thomas, was missing, but

it was later learnt that he had been picked up by the Germans and taken prisoner.

Harris was among those who escaped the embattled harbour in M.L. 254, commanded by Geoffrey Drummond, who, in common with Crutchley, was awarded a V.C. for his heroics that night. For his own part, Harris was awarded a Bar to his D.S.M. and, later still, a ‘mention’ (London Gazette 19 February 1919, refers).

In the inter-war years, Harris served in the submarine Cachalot from May 1927 to January 1928, aside from a short period aboard the patrol boat H.M.S. P40 for a week in October 1927. He joined Centaur on 9 January 1928 and received his L.S. & G.C. medal the following July. He subsequently gained advancement to Chief Engine Room Artificer and signed up for a second term of ‘non-continuous’ engagement in July 1937, when he was assigned the service number P/MX. 54929.

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433X

The well-documented Zeebrugge Raid group of seven awarded to Major F. K. Donovan, Royal Engineers, late Royal Naval Air Service, who was wounded whilst manning the ‘flamethrower hut’ on Vindictive’s navigation bridge during the famous raid of April 1918; he subsequently participated in the raid’s V.C. ballot, became Chairman of the Zeebrugge Association, and was was taken P.O.W. in North Africa in 1943 British War and Victory Medals (F. 19971 F. K. Donovan. A.M. 1 R.N.A.S.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45,good very fine or better (7) £2,600-£3,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, March 2005.

Donovan in civvies second from left of standard-bearer

Francis Kenelm Donovan was born at Bow, London on 31 July 1897 and was a science student prior to joining the Royal Naval Air Service as an Air Mechanic 2 in August 1916. As a result of his earlier studies, he was selected for experimental work in developing flares, flamethrowers and smoke-screens, the whole with a view to future employment in the famous Zeebrugge raid of April 1918, an operation for which he volunteered for, and was accepted.

So it was that he found himself manning the ‘flamethrower hut’ on the end of H.M.S. Vindictive’s navigation bridge, his role being to sweep the Mole with flames prior to the landing parties going ashore. In the event, his position was so badly riddled with shot and shell that none of the main flamethrower equipment could be used in anger. He did, however, try and get ashore with a portable flamethrower, but as he ran up the gangway a bullet took away the nozzle, rendering it useless, and as a result he came ashore armed only with a ‘rather blunt cutlass’, where, in any case, he was promptly wounded by shrapnel in the right arm. He was well enough, however, shortly afterwards, to walk Vindictive’s deck during her voyage home, where he recalled seeing ‘the awful mess of splintered steel, bloodany, oil, and shattered bodies’. He was around, too, to participate in ‘the ballot for the award of a Victoria Cross for operations against Zeebrugge and Ostend on the night of 22-23 April 1918’; his service papers refer.

Between the wars, Donovan served as Chairman of the Zeebrugge Association, and on the renewal of hostilities he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers. A Major by the time of his capture at Thala,

Tunisia on 21 February 1943, he was liberated by elements of 7th U.S. Armoured Division in March 1945. He subsequently joined the Staff of Brigadier R. G. Mountain, D.S.O., M.C., and was employed at the Displaced Persons Centre, Lollar, Landkreis Giessen. Donovan retired to Australia.

Sold with a large quantity of original documentation and photographs, including the recipient’s R.N. Certificate of Service, complete with endorsements for his Zeebrugge wound and subsequent participation in the V.C. ballot; assorted ‘Ruines de Zeebrugge’ picture postcards; an original typescript for a radio show entitled “Scrapbook for 1918”, in which Donovan participated in episode 4, duly annotated in his own hand, and the cover signed by fellow participants; letters from Admiral Keyes (dated 15 May 1935), and Lady Keyes (dated 9 April 1946), this last of a somewhat controversial nature in respect of the vacancy for the Presidency of the Association; copies of his application for the France and Germany Star, and other 1939-45 period papers, including some pencilled notes made while a P.O.W.; related Identity Discs (3), including metalled example from Oflag IXA, and a gilt and enamel Zeebrugge Association Chairman’s lapel badge; original card forwarding box for WW2 medals addressed to Flemington, Victoria, Austrakia; a good deal of material appertaining to the Zeebrugge Association, including a dozen or so reunion photographs and correspondence between Donovan and other members right up until the early 1970s, and also a quantity reunion dinner menus, mainly of the 1950s, and all signed by numerous veterans of the raid, including V.C. recipients.

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434X

The Great War pair awarded to Lieutenant V. F. A. Galvayne, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service, who was killed in action on 4 June 1918, when ‘a bullet entered at the side of his mouth and came out at the back of his head’ during the greatest combat ever fought between seaplanes British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. V. F. A. Galvayne. R.A.F.), together with Memorial Plaque (Vernon Frederick Atride Galvayne), this in its original card envelope, extremely fine (3) £800-£1,000

Vernon Frederick Atride Galvayne was born in Egremont, Cheshire, on 4 September 1897, and was educated at Wycliffe School, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, where ‘he was a vigorous, inventive, popular and trustworthy boy, possessing talents of many sorts’; the school’s roll of honour, refers. Having then commenced work with an accountancy firm, Galvayne, changed tack in favour of studying engineering, an ambition curtailed by the outbreak of war.

Joining the Royal Naval Air Service as a Flight Sub Lieutenant in September 1916, he qualified as a seaplane pilot and served at Calshot, Westgate, Dover and Dunkirk in the course of 1917, prior to joining R.N.A.S. Felixstowe early in 1918. It was about this time the Germans had achieved some success in engaging individual British seaplanes in superior numbers, by luring them over to Texel by means of false signals. As a result, a force comprising three Felixstowe and two Great Yarmouth seaplanes was assembled on 4 June 1918, to carry out a retaliatory operation.

The force was equipped with ‘Felixstowe’ Flying Boats which, with a length of 46ft. and wingspan of 95ft. were among the largest aircraft

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II in operation at the time. Armed with six Lewis guns, and powered by two 345hp. Rolls Royce engines, they were capable of a maximum speed of 85-90 knots. The crew of five comprised two pilots, an observer/ gunner, and engineer and a wireless telegraphist, the latter two also being responsible for manning the seaplane’s rear armament if required. As it transpired, they were very much required on 4 June 1918.

Having adopted a V-formation in the journey over the North Sea, the force arrived at its chosen patrol line, north-west of Terschelling Island, in the early afternoon. Galvayne was flying N 4302, with fellow pilot Captain Barker, and they were joined by Private Hopkins, as telegraphist, Private Reid, as engineer, and by Ensign Keyes of the U.S. Navy, along for the ride as a gunner. Around 3.30 p.m., one of our seaplanes developed engine trouble and had to ditch, the force commander signalling its crew

by Aldis with an instruction to make for the Dutch coast.

Soon afterwards, five enemy seaplanes hove into view, heralding the commencement of ‘the greatest action that was fought between seaplanes during the war.’ They chose to pick on the ‘Felixstowe’ which had ditched earlier, and owing to their superior speed, it proved challenging for our remaining seaplanes to keep up an effective fire.

Worse still, one of the German aircraft headed off in the direction of its Borkum base to rally support, and at 4.30 p.m. ‘a compact swarm of black specks’ was seen rapidly approaching on the eastern horizon, a swarm that ‘proved to be fifteen seaplanes, in three squadrons of five.’ Captain Robert Leckie, senior officer of the Felixstowe force, took instant action, one of his pilots later recalling he went ‘Hell-for-Leather for them, and drove clean, slap-bang though the enemy formation, splitting it right up, carrying away the wireless aerial of his boat on the top plate of the leading enemy plane.’

In a related article, The Great Seaplane Battle, Hal Giblin takes up the story: ‘Leckie led his machines to port ‘line-ahead’, cutting off three enemy seaplanes making up the right wing their formation. The British trio concentrated the fire of their bow guns and then their port guns onto the enemy as they swept by. So much lead was pumped into these three that their return fire quickly petered out to nothing – Leckie felt sure that this meant they had hit their observers.

Still in ‘line ahead’ Leckie now led his flight in a circle around the enemy formation with all guns ‘firing away like blazes,’ the flying boats bumping and rolling all over the place from the many conflicting slipstreams. An enemy seaplane, in trying to get under the tails of Hodson’s machine, was shot down. Another, attacking Leckie’s machine, was also shot down.

The fight involving the three remaining British machines went on, and in N 4302, Lieutenant Galvayne, after handing over the controls to Captain Barker, kneeled and faced backwards in the cockpit, the best way to direct evasive action and to advise Barker of the enemy movements behind him. The view of the pilots was so restricted in these huge machines and, as the controls required full ‘hands-on’ attention, it sometimes became very necessary for the second pilot to act as a human rear-view mirror.’

Ensign Keyes of the U.S.N., acting as a gunner in N4302, later penned an account of the action which appeared in the American and British press,

in which he described how they swung into battle formation and aimed for the middle of 10 approaching enemy seaplanes: ‘When we were nearly in range four machines on the port side and five on the starboard rose to our level. Two planes passed directly beneath us, shooting upwards. Firing was incessant from the beginning and the air seemed blue with tracer smoke. The Germans used explosive bullets.

Once I looked round and noticed Lieutenant Galvayne was in a stooping position, with his head and one arm on his seat … all this I noticed in a fraction of a second, for I had to continue firing. A few minutes later, I turned around once more and found with a shock that Lieutenant Galvayne was in the same position. It was then that the truth dawned on me.’

Galvayne, as subsequently confirmed by Captain Barker, had been shot through the head and died instantly. He was the only British casualty of the action. His comrades from Felixstowe and Great Yarmouth attended his funeral at Birkenhead six days later, and messages of condolence were also received from those who had been interned in Holland following the action.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

435

X The rare Great War D.S.M. group of three to Corporal G. E. Hanham, Royal Marine Labour Corps, who was decorated for gallant rescue work when Dunkirk was attacked by enemy aircraft one night in August 1918 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (DEAL/11264.(S) Pte. A./Cpl. G. E. Hanham, R.M.L.C. Dunkirk. 6. Aug. 1918.); British War and Victory Medals (DEAL 11264 -S- Act. Cpl. G. E. Hanham. R.M.) very fine (3) £1,200-£1,600 Just seven awards of the D.S.M. to members of the Royal Marine Labour Corps.

D.S.M. London Gazette 17 January 1919: ‘The following awards have been approved.’

A summary of the incident in question appears in Their Majesties’ Jollies: ‘On the night of 6-7 August 1918, the port of Dunkirk was heavily bombed by enemy aircraft. The dock area was extensively damaged and several huts of the Royal Marine Labour Corps were demolished and set on fire. Five Corporals and 21 Privates were wounded, several of whom subsequently died. Captain H. V. Fuller, R.M.L.I., without regard to his own safety, rallied a number of N.C.O.s and men and worked to release those men who had been trapped in the wreckage. They were carried to a dressing station about 100 yards distant. The work of rescuing the wounded and extinguishing the fire was carried out at great personal risk by all concerned as bombs were continuing to fall on the area.’

George Edward Hanham was born in Northampton on 16 April 1865, and joined the Royal Marine Labour Corps at Chatham in April 1917, aged 51. Embarked for Dunkirk as an Acting Corporal, he was awarded his D.S.M. for the above cited incident in August 1918; Captain Fuller was awarded the D.S.C. on the same occasion.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

436

X The Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Petty Officer J. Pyrah, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, attached Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division, who was twice wounded, in Gallipoli and in France Military Medal, G.V.R. (KW-188 P.O, J. Pyrah. Hood Bn., R.N.V.R.); 1914-15 Star (K.W.-188 J. Pyrah, A.B., R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (K.W.188 J. Pyrah. P.O., R.N.V.R.) good very fine (4) £1,000-£1,400 M.M. London Gazette 11 February 1919.

James Pyrah was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on 3 January 1891, and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in September 1914, when he was drafted to Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division.

Embarked for the Dardanelles, he was severely wounded in Gallipoli on 2 May 1915, by a gunshot wound to chest and was evacuated home via St. Andrew’s Hospital in Malta.

He subsequently rejoined Hood Battalion in France in May 1916 and was again wounded on 9 October 1917, by a gunshot to his right arm and was evacuated to base depot for treatment. Nonetheless, he once more rejoined his unit in the Field in the summer of 1918 and was advanced to Petty Officer.

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437

X The unique and poignant Great War M.C., D.C.M., M.M. group of seven awarded to Sub-Lieutenant C. B. Wheeler, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, attached Royal Naval Division, who was twice wounded Later a member of the Federation of Malaya State Volunteer Force, he died of wounds at Singapore in February 1942, while serving as a recently appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps - or was a victim of the shocking Japanese atrocities Military Cross, G.V.R.; Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (CZ-2224 P.O. C. B. Wheeler. Nelson Bn., R.N.V. R.); Military Medal, G.V.R. (CZ-2224 A.L.S. C. B. Wheeler. Nelson Bn., R.N.V.R.); 1914-15 Star (CZ-2224 C. B. Wheeler, A.B., R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (S. Lt. C. B. Wheeler. R.N.V.R.); Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Malaya (Sgt. Colin B. Wheeler, M.C., D.C.M., M.M. F.M.S.V.F.), mounted court-style as worn, generally good very fine (7) £14,000-£18,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2013.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

The combination of M.C., D.C.M., M.M. is unique to the Royal Naval Division.

M.C. London Gazette 15 February 1919: ‘On 27 September 1918 he was in charge of the section of two Stokes guns and was following his Battalion when the Battalion was suddenly held up by hostile machine gun fire. Taking a Lewis gun he crawled forward and cleared the enemy post thus helping the Infantry to obtain their objective. On 30 September 1918 at the Canal de L’Escaut, he again did good work causing considerable casualties to the enemy with a Lewis gun. Throughout the operations he showed conspicuous gallantry and able leadership.’

D.C.M. London Gazette 17 April 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He handled three trench mortars with marked ability, and greatly assisted in clearing up a difficult situation. He set a fine example throughout.’

M.M. London Gazette 26 March 1917.

Colin Bain Wheeler was born on 6 July 1896, and enlisted in the Clyde Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as an Ordinary Seaman in November 1914. Posted to Nelson Battalion, Royal Naval Division in June 1915, he was embarked for the Dardanelles, but was wounded in Gallipoli on 13 July and admitted to hospital in Alexandria - a sojourn extended by a bout of scarlet fever.

Rejoining his battalion at Mudros in January 1916, he was embarked for France in May, and was transferred to 189th Stokes Mortar Battery, R.N.D., in which capacity he won his M.M. as an Acting Leading Seaman.

Douglas Jerrold’s history takes up the story: ‘Such was the situation half-an-hour after the attack, when Lt.Colonel Monro, commanding the Hood Battalion, was wounded, and Lt.- Commander Asquith, who had gone forward on the heels of his old battalion in the slender disguise of staff learner studying the effects of the artillery barrage, took command. To his energy and enthusiasm the success of the 189th Brigade’s operations on this occasion was largely due. Well before 8 a.m. on the 4th, Lt.-Commander Asquith had got the Hood Battalion back to their correct alignment, and although touch could not be gained with the Hawke Battalion (who had probably by now edged further to the left, assuming the attack to have failed on the right) the situation was no longer critical. Dawn saw us with a fair hold on all our objectives, but with an awkward gap in the first and second enemy lines, and a machine-gun post still obstructing the consolidation of the essential defensive flank. The history of the rest of the battle is soon told.

Several attempts to subdue the two strong points and to close the gaps were made during the morning of the 4th, but without success.

At 3.50 p.m., however, the enemy post on our left was rushed by the Nelson and Hawke after an effective bombardment from a Stokes gun, skilfully handled by Leading Seaman Wheeler, of the 189th L.T.M. Battery.’

Having then been advanced to Petty Officer and added the D.C.M. to his accolades for the above cited deeds, he was wounded on 24 April 1917 and evacuated home. Then in October of the same year, he joined an Officer Cadet Battalion in Ayrshire, from which he emerged as a newly commissioned Temporary Sub-Lieutenant in April 1918.

Ordered back to France that August, when he joined Anson Battalion, Wheeler was detached for service in the 188th Light Trench Mortar Battery, R.N.D. in the following month, and won his third decoration for his good work with a Lewis gun a few days later - thereby winning the unique distinction of having won the M.C., D.C.M. and M.M. for services in the R.N.D.

Demobilised in June 1919, he stated that he intended to take up employment as a tea planter and, true to his word, settled in Malaya.

A long-served member of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force, he was awarded the Efficiency Medal in June 1938 (The F.M.S. Government Gazette refers), but his subsequent part in the desperate struggle for Singapore in February 1942 appears to have been undertaken as a recently appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (London Gazette 31 March 1942 refers).

By the latter date, however, he was dead, official records listing his demise as 14 February, the day before the surrender of the colony. Moreover, he is listed on the Singapore Civil Hospital Grave Memorial, a sure indication of a sorry end: ‘During the last hours of the battle of Singapore, wounded servicemen taken prisoner and civilians massacred by the Japanese were brought to the hospital in their hundreds. Many were already dead on arrival, many more succumbed later, and the number of fatalities was such that burial in a normal manner was impossible. Before the war an emergency water tank had been dug in the grounds of the hospital, and this was used as a grave.

Some 300 civilians and 107 members of the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth were buried in this collective grave .. A bronze panel, affixed to the memorial over the original grave, bears the inscription, ‘Beneath this Cross lie 107 British soldiers and 300 civilians of many races, victims of man’s inhumanity to man, who perished in captivity in February 1942. The soldiers are commemorated by name at Kranji War Cemetery.’

The exact nature of Wheeler’s end at the hands of the Japanese will probably never be known, but events at nearby Alexandra Hospital are worthy of mention in the current context. Sinister Twilight, by Noel Barber, takes up the story: ‘While this was happening, other Japanese troops were forcing all the patients to get out of the wards. The men who could not move were bayoneted. In the broiling heat, two hundred patients - together with a few R.A.M.C. personnel - were paraded in the grounds. All the patients were desperately ill. Some could barely hobble. Many collapsed. It made no difference. Herding them into groups of four or five, the Japanese roped them together with their hands behind their backs. They were then marched to the old servants’ quarters behind the hospital - a building consisting of several small rooms, ranging in size from nine feet by nine to ten by twelve. Between fifty and seventy patients were jammed into each room.

Wedged together, it was impossible for them to sit down and it took several minutes for some patients to get their arms above their heads and make a little more room in this modern version of the Black Hole of Calcutta. There they were left for the night. Water was promised but none arrived - though those nearest the open windows could watch the Japanese soldiers sitting down on the grass, eating tinned fruit. From time to time during the night the intolerable pressure of bodies wedged tightly against each other was eased in a fearful manner when the Japanese would take a small party out and lead it away. Those left behind could hear screams - then a Japanese soldier would return wiping blood from his bayonet. Only three men escaped when a shell scored a direct hit on the building, blowing off doors and windows. Though it killed several of the patients, the confusion did give a handful of men their only chance. Eight made a dash for it, and though five were gunned down, three men got away. They were the only survivors of this night of horror .. ‘ Wheeler, who was 43, was the son of Louis and Annie Wheeler, and the husband of Mary Wheeler of Aberdeen.

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438X

The outstanding and unique Great War D.C.M., M.M. and Two Bar group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer William Brown, R.N.V.R., Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (Tyne Z 618 C.P.O. W. Brown. Hood: Bn: R.N.V.R.); Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second and Third Award Bars (TZ-618 A.S. W. Brown. Hood Bn: R.N.V.R.); 1914-15 Star (TZ. 618. W. Brown. A.B. R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (T.Z. 618 W. Brown. C.P.O. R.N.V.R.), together with Northumberland and Albert Edward Dock Employees Tribute Medal, ‘War Service 1914-18’, 9 carat gold, hallmarked Chester 1918, the reverse inscribed ‘Presented to W. Brown, M.M. & 2 Bars. D.C.M.’, with rings for suspension, mounted court-style for display, nearly extremely fine (6) £20,000-£24,000

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, July 2016.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

M.M. London Gazette 26 March 1917.

Tyne Z 618 Petty Officer Brown, Wm. R.N.V.R. “On the 3rd-5th Feb. 1917 in the attack on Puisieux trench, showed great presence of mind and courage in getting together a fresh Lewis gun crew from reserves in different parts of the line to take place of one which had been wiped out. This proved to be of valuable service in repelling counter attacks.” (Ref. WO 95/3115 ‘Actions for which medals were awarded to N.C.O’s and men of the Hood Battalion on operations north of The Ancre February, 1917’) M.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 9 July 1917.

M.M. Third Award Bar London Gazette 19 March 1918. Recommended for Immediate award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal: “On the 30th Dec. 1917 in the attack on Welsh Ridge, P.O. Brown was in the support line which was heavily barraged, small parties of the enemy had penetrated down the communications trench past Hero, and the enemy was pressing heavily, driving our bombers slowly back. P.O. Brown with great initiative, collected a few men, and pushed to the assistance of the bombers who encouraged by his example, attacked with great vigour and after severe fighting, in which P.O. Brown displayed conspicuous courage, the enemy was entirely ejected from our line, retreating in disorder, and suffering casualties from our rifle and Lewis gun fire.” (Ref. ADM 137/3064 Hood Bn. War Diary) The following extract is taken from the Hood Battalion War Diary for 7.30 a.m. on 30 December 1917: ‘Sub-Lieut. Weir at once organised the “C” Company platoon into a large bombing squad and led by Petty Officer Brown of “B” Coy, it bombed up the top until the supply of bombs ran out, the Germans having a large supply of stick bombs and egg bombs carried by men in tight order temporarily forced them to give ground. A supply of bombs was then organised by Lt. Mandsley from the support company and the party was then able to again bomb up the trench. At this point Sub-Lt. Price of “B” Coy was wounded and Sub-Lt. Sanford O.C. “A” Coy. During the enemy bombing attack two German officers reached our “B” Coy Hqrs at Regt 68. These were met at the head of the dug-out by A.B. Brown “B” Coy officers’ cook who threw a mills bomb at them killing one and wounding the other. The party was at this time able to bomb up, right up Ostrich Trench and up to the supply head.’

D.C.M. London Gazette 18 February 1919; citation published 10 January 1920: “On the 29th September 1918 in the attack west of the Escaut Canal when the company was held up and the officer wounded, this Chief Petty Officer took command of a platoon and by skilful leadership captured a machine gun, and then turned the machine gun on the enemy inflicting heavy casualties. He displayed fearless and able leadership.”

William Brown was born on 7 April 1892, at Percy Main, Northumberland. He joined the Tyneside Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 23 October 1914, his trade being a coal-teamer. He served in Gallipoli until May 1916, and afterwards in France, being demobilised on 7 February 1919.

In April 1920 he received one of 158 solid gold medals made for presentation to ‘War Heroes’ employed by the Tyne Improvement Commission at the Albert Edward and Northumberland Docks. Full details of the ‘Welcome Home’ and presentation of medals at North Shields was reported in Shields Daily News, full details of which accompany the group together with detailed research and an R.N.D. cap tally.

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439

X The Great War D.C.M. awarded to Able Seaman W. F. E. Northern, Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, for ‘most conspicuous gallantry’ at Niergnies in October 1918, the very last action of the Royal Naval Division in the war, when he single-handedly knocked out a tank with his Lewis gun Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (R-639 A.B. W. F. E. Northern. Hood Bn: R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (R 639 W. F. E. Northern. Act. L.S. R.N.V.R.) extremely fine (3) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2008.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.C.M. London Gazette 18 February 1919; citation published 10 January 1920: ‘For most conspicuous gallantry at Niergnies, on October 8th, 1918. When all the rest of the crew of his Lewis gun had become casualties he carried on alone, and kept his gun in action. After the enemy counter-attacked with tanks and forced back our line, he rushed forward alone with his gun and got it into action against an enemy tank. When the tank had been knocked out he advanced his gun and fired on the advancing enemy waves, dispersing them.’

Before the main body of the Third Army could advance, their flank, menaced by the enemy concentration at Cambrai, had to be secured. During the first days of October 1918, the operations had flagged and finally, on October 5th, the 17th Corps was informed that the immediate capture of Niergnies and its defences was of vital importance, and must be achieved.

The Naval Division was about to entrain for the St Pol area but Sir Charles Fergusson applied for the temporary return of the Division to undertake the operation. No secret was made of the reason for the decision, and the battalions were promised relief the day Niergnies was captured.

At 4.30 on the 8th October the advance began and, by 6 am the first objective had been carried.

At 9.30 am the enemy counter-attacked in force, seven captured British tanks emerged from a sunken road and advanced against our line. One tank was dealt with by a captured anti-tank rifle by Commander Buckle, of the Anson Battalion, while another was dealt with by Commander Pollock, of the Hood Battalion, using a captured German gun. Two were dealt with by fire from our own guns [one of these by Able Seaman Northern] and another was knocked out by the artillery using a captured German gun reversed. Two tanks only escaped towards Wambaix.

After hard fighting all morning, Niergnies was finally captured and the way was now open for the advance of the Third Army, and next morning the whole line south of Cambrai moved forward.

This was the very last action of the Royal Naval Division. Casualties totalled 613 officers and men from the Hood, Hawke, Drake and Anson Battalions.

William Frederick Edward Northern was born on 17 November 1898, at Burton Latimer, Northants. Employed in the boot trade prior to joining up in January 1917, he joined the Hood Battalion in France on 8 April 1918, and was demobbed in April 1919.

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440

X The notable Great War test and experimental pilot’s A.F.C. group of four awarded to Flight Lieutenant C. A. Rea, Royal Naval Air Service, afterwards Chief Test Pilot for Boulton and Paul Air Force Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (F.2901, C. A. Rea. P.O.M., R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals, with small M.I.D. oak leaves (Flt. Lt., R.N.A.S.) mounted as worn, the last with officially re-impressed naming, very fine and better (4) £1,200-£1,600 Provenance: Spink, April 1999.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II A.F.C. London Gazette 2 November 1918: ‘In recognition of valuable flying services performed in their various capacities as Flying Instructors, Test, Ferry and Experimental Pilots.’

Cecil Arthur Rea was born in Belfast on 21 May 1885 and was employed on the Canadian Northern Railway in the period leading up to the Great War. Appointed a Petty Officer Mechanic on joining the Royal Naval Air Service in December 1914, he witnessed active service in the Armoured Car Detachment prior to applying for a commission in the Royal Naval Air Service. Duly commissioned Flight Sub. Lieutenant in July 1915, he qualified for his aviator’s certificate at Chingford in September and attended further courses at Eastchurch and Hendon. His service record notes that he completed some night flying about this time, in addition to surviving a prang in G.W. Box Kite No. 3609 in March 1916: no blame was attributed to him, and he escaped unscathed.

Advanced to Flight Lieutenant in October of the same year, he commenced his brief as a test and experimental pilot in July 1917, when posted to R.N.A.S. Grain in Kent, an armament establishment and seaplane base. By mid-1918, he had flown in excess of 150 hours in all types, pioneering work that contributed to the award of his A.F.C. and a mention in despatches (London Gazette 3 June 1918, refers).

Post-war, Rea served in the regular R.A.F. until 1926 and continued as a test pilot of Seaplanes, Amphibians and Aeroplanes. In 1924 he was granted special leave as one of two pilots selected to fly the Gloucester Aircraft Company’s Schneider Trophy entry, a Gloster Napier Seaplane, in the contest that year in the United States.

Unfortunately, the other pilot, Captain H. S. Broad, crashed the machine ‘when alighting after its first flight’ and, in Rea’s words,

‘performed some unrehearsed “hydrobatics” but escaped with a shaking.’ As a result, the 1924 British entry was scratched.

On transfer to the R.A.F. Reserve in 1926, Rea joined Boulton & Paul Limited as Chief Test Pilot and Company Liaison Officer with the R.A.F. and Air Ministry. The following year he raised Boulton & Paul’s profile by piloting one of their machines to win in the Tradesmen’s Cup and by the conclusion of his test pilot career he had flown an impressive tally of 136 aircraft types.

In 1936 he became a founder of John Short Limited and established the company’s aircraft works at Norwich, and in 1938, he was appointed Operations Officer (Balloons) at the Air Ministry.

He subsequently moved to the Ministry of Aircraft Production, as Production Officer with responsibility for barrage balloon equipment. From 1940 to 1943 he was Senior Production Officer concerned with various aspects of balloons and aircraft, and between 1944 and 1945 was Technical Officer at the ‘German Document Centre’.

Rae retired to the south coast, where he died at Iden, near Rye, Sussex in April 1975, aged 89.

Sold with mounted group of four miniature medals, together with a quantity of original documentation, largely comprising career correspondence, including a letter from the Secretary of the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company Limited regarding the recipient’s travel arrangements for the 1924 Schneider Cup (dated 10 September 1924); a letter from Colonel the Master of Semphill’s Secretary discussing the possibility of ‘a world flight’ in a Fairey Condor (dated 27 September 1924); a signed letter from Sir Alan Cobham regarding the testing of the Airspeed Ferry in time for National Aviation Day (dated 18 March 1932); a signed letter from Handley Page (dated 5 August 1948); and three official Air Ministry communications concerning Rea’s transfer, extension and final termination of service in the R.A.F. Reserve of Officers.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

441

X The outstanding Baltic 1918-19 operations C.M.G., Great War D.S.O. group of nine awarded to Captain J. A. Moreton, Royal Navy, who had earlier won a ‘mention’ for his leadership of a boarding party in a famous action off the Taku Forts, when cutlass wielding Jack Tars from Whiting and Fame stormed and captured four Chinese destroyers; he was, moreover, among the ‘first 100’ volunteers of the submarine service and commanded Holland class boats in the Edwardian period, Admiral Bacon describing him as ‘by far the best captain of a submarine boat we have had, approaching very closely to the ideal’ The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s, neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with full neck cravat in its Garrard & Co case of issue; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top ribbon bar; China 1900, 1 clasp, Taku Forts (Lieut. J. A. Moreton, R.N., H.M.S. Whiting.); 1914-15 Star (Capt. J. A. Moreton, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. J. A. Moreton. R.N.) the BWM officially re-impressed; Belgium, Kingdom, Order of Leopold I, Officer’s breast badge with swords and rosette, gold and enamels; France, 3rd Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge with rosette, gold and enamels, a superior quality badge with three dimensional suspension wreath; Croix de Guerre 1914 1917, with Palme, the last eight mounted for display, minor glue deposits to reverse of D.S.O. and minor enamel chips elsewhere, otherwise good very fine (9) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

C.M.G. London Gazette 8 March 1920: ‘For valuable services in command of H.M.S. Erebus in the Baltic.’

Belgian Order of Leopold, Officer London Gazette 17 January 1919.

The original recommendation states:

French Croix de Guerre London Gazette 24 March 1919.

‘With regard to the Libau operations which lasted from 30 October to 14 November 1918, the S.N.O. in the first phase to whom my orders were sent to prepare for and organise effective support to the Lettish troops should that place be attacked was Captain L. L. Dundas of H.M.S. Phaeton. He performed these duties most efficiently in conjunction with our and the Lettish military authorities.

John Alfred Moreton was born in Bushbury, Hertfordshire on 21 May 1876, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in December 1891, direct from the training ship Worcester. Appointed a Midshipman in August 1892 and confirmed in the rank of Sub Lieutenant in May 1896, he joined H.M.S. Centurion on the China station in December 1898, where he transferred to the torpedo boat destroyer Whiting at the time of the Boxer Rebellion.

When it was evident that a determined attack was imminent, I detached Dauntless (Captain C. H. Pilcher) and Erebus (Captain J. A. Moreton) from my forces in the Gulf of Finland and sent them down there, Captain Moreton then assuming the duties of S.N.O. there. It was under his directions that the determined attack by the Russo-German Force on 14 November was repulsed.

Captain Moreton’s great knowledge of war chiefly gained whilst in command of a monitor on the Belgium coast was demonstrated to the full, both here and in the Gulf of Finland whilst bombarding forts Krasnaya Gorka and Saria Lotchard in support of the left flank to the Russo-Estonian attempt to recapture Petrograd and his guns were used to the very best advantage. He showed also an exceptional confidence and power of command in both operations.’

D.S.O. London Gazette 26 April 1918: ‘In recognition of services performed on the Belgian coast during 1917.’

The Whiting, under the command of Lieutenant Colin MacKenzie, R.N., and the Fame, under Lieutenant Roger Keyes, R.N., afterwards Admiral of the Fleet, participated in a spectacular cutting-out operation on 17 June 1900, when both ships were ordered to capture four Chinese destroyers lying between Taku and Tongku. Each ship towed into action a whaler manned by a dozen bluejackets, all of them volunteers, on one of the last occasions boarding parties went into action with the cutlass. And command of the Whiting’s bluejackets fell to Moreton.

In his subsequent report to the Rear-Admiral, China Station, dated 27 June 1900, Keyes stated: ‘After a slight resistance and the exchange of a few shots, the crews were driven overboard or below hatches; there were a few killed and wounded; our casualties were nil. No damage was done to the prizes, but the Fame’s bow was slightly bent

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

when we closed to board, and the Whiting was struck by a projectile about 4 or 5 inches abreast a coal bunker. This was evidently fired from a mud battery on the bend between Taku and Tongku, which fired in all about 30 shots at us, none of the others striking, though several coming very close .. There was a good deal of sniping from the dockyard so I directed all cables of the prizes to be slipped and proceeded to tow them up to Tongku.’

Moreton was mentioned in despatches: ‘I beg to recommend to your notice Lieutenant J. A. Moreton of this ship who carried out the operation of boarding the first destroyer in a very able manner.’

He also became one of just 16 Royal Navy officers awarded the ‘Taku Forts’ clasp.

On arriving back in the U.K. in September 1901, he volunteered for services in submarines, one of the ‘first 100’ to do so, and he remained similarly employed for the next four years, commanding Holland Boat No. 3 and gaining - in October 1902 - the Admiralty’s approval for the manner in which a number of submarines under his command were navigated from Barrow to Devonport.

In the opinion of his senior officer, Captain Reginald Bacon, R.N., he was ‘by far the best captain of a submarine boat we have had, approaching very closely to the ideal. Besides which he is the best officer of Lieutenant’s rank I have ever known.’ In fact, so impressed was Bacon with his protégé that he enlisted his services in his next seagoing command.

Moreton was advanced to Commander and, on returning to submarine duties, lent valuable advice to a special committee charged with assessing the capabilities of hostile submarines.

In August 1910, he was appointed Executive Officer of the battleship Duncan in the Mediterranean Fleet, but he was serving in the battle cruiser Indomitable on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. Subsequently present at the battle

of Dogger Bank, he was advanced to Captain in December 1915, the same month in which he took command of the 12-inch monitor General Wolfe. Attached to the Dover Patrol under his old friend Reginald Bacon, General Wolfe was heavily involved in long range bombardments of German positions whilst anchored off the Belgium coast.

In his history The Dover Patrol, Bacon refers to the General Wolfe and her sister monitors as having ‘formed the backbone of the Fleet for bombardments during 1915 and for the patrol off Ostend and Zeebrugge during 1916 and part of 1917. They took day and day about in patrolling the coast. Every night one of them anchored in the open off La Panne, 14 miles from Ostend.’

Moreton was awarded the D.S.O., in addition to being appointed an Officer of the Belgium Order of Leopold I and awarded the French Croix de Guerre, and he received the former distinction at a Buckingham Palace investiture in March 1919; no reference has yet been found in respect of his award of the French Legion of Honour, likely because it was bestowed posthumously.

Meanwhile, in May 1918, he took command of the 15-inch gun monitor Erebus, in which he continued to lend valuable service in operations off the Belgian coast. But it was for her subsequent part in the Baltic operations that he was awarded the C.M.G., and, more specifically, for the above cited deeds off Libau in the winter of 1918. As Senior Naval Officer in the region, his directions resulted in the repulse of the determined attack by Russo-German forces on 14 November 1918. He was also twice mentioned in despatches (London Gazettes 9 April 1920 and 19 May 1920, refer).

Sadly, however, he fell ill with influenza, and he died soon after being invalided home in March 1920, aged 43; his obituary notice was published in The Times on the 23rd.

Sold with copied research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

442

X The unique and quite outstanding Great War Q-ship ‘Baralong incident’ D.S.M. and Caspian Sea 1919 operations Second Award Bar group of seven awarded to Chief Petty Officer Harry Dickason, Royal Navy, who had earlier been a stoic member of the Northern Party in Scott’s Antarctic Expedition of 1910-13, when, over nine months, he shared in a story of endurance and courage rarely matched in the annals of exploration. Afterwards an equally valued member of the North-West Persia Mission in 1920, when he became one of just four naval personnel awarded the related Medal and clasp ‘N.W. Persia 1920’ Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (209527. H. Dickason, P.O. H.M.S. Baralong.) the reverse of the Bar officially impressed ‘Caspian Sea. 1918-19.’; 1914-15 Star (209527, H. Dickason.

D.S.M., P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (209527 H. Dickason. P.O. R.N.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, N.W. Persia 1920 (209527 H. Dickason. C.P.O. R.N.); Polar Medal 1904, G.V.R., 1st issue, silver, 1 clasp, Antarctic 1910-13 (209527 H. Dickason, A.B. Terra Nova); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (209527 Harry Dickason, P.O. H.M.S. Pembroke.) original mounting as worn, very fine or better and numismatically one of the most important Naval groups of the 20th Century (7) £50,000-£70,000 Just 67 Bars to the D.S.M. were awarded in the Great War.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

The Northern Party on their return to Cape Evans on 6 November 1912 From left to right: Dickason, Abbott, Browning, Campbell, Priestley, Levick

D.S.M. London Gazette 19 November 1915: ‘The following awards have been approved.’

The recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Baralong. Sinking of German submarine U41 24 September 1915.’ One of two D.S.M.s awarded for this action.

D.S.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 11 November 1919: ‘To receive a Bar to the Distinguished Service Medal.’

The recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Kruger. Caspian Sea 1918-19.

Brought to notice for the work done on behalf of the expedition.’

Harry Dickason was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire on 16 December 1884, and worked as a milk boy prior to entering the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in April 1900. Advanced to Able Seaman in June 1904, he was serving in the battleship H.M.S. Montague when she was wrecked on Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel on 30 May 1906.

In the summer of 1909, Dickason applied for a place in Scott’s second Antarctic Expedition, a successful application that saw him joining the Terra Nova in May 1910. Having then shared in the trials and tribulations of the Terra Nova’s stormy passage south, he served in the Northern Party, a six-man team under Commander Victor Campbell, R.N., between January 1911 and January 1913, a period that witnessed great danger and hardship. In addition to himself and Campbell, the party comprised Surgeon G. Murray Levick, R.N., the geologist Raymond Priestley, and Petty Officers G. P. Abbott and F. V. Browning.

Having spent the first 10 months of their northern sojourn at Cape Adare, where several journeys of exploration were carried out and extensive scientific observations taken, Campbell and his team were embarked in the Terra Nova in January 1912 and proceeded to Evans Cove in Terra Nova Bay, where it was intended they carry out a six week expedition. As a result of adverse ice conditions, however, the Terra Nova was unable to come and pick them up, and Campbell and his men were left stranded, with few provisions, and the daunting prospect of the imminent arrival of the Polar winter: what followed over the next nine months was a story of endurance and courage rarely matched in the annals of exploration.

Wearing summer clothing, and equipped with light tents, it was quickly apparent that if they were to survive more substantial shelter was required. To that end, the six-man team constructed a giant snow cave (or igloo), from which they rarely ventured, other than to hunt for seal and penguin. In company with Petty Officer Browning, Dickason designed a “blubber lamp”, without which the interior of the ice cave would have remained pitch black in the winter months; the lamp comprised a strand of rope suspended from a “bridge” across the top of a small Oxo tin filled with melted blubber.

As recounted by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, in Worst Journey in the World, blubber was very much the Northern Party’s order of the day: ‘They ate blubber, cooked with blubber, had blubber lamps. Their clothes and gear were soaked with blubber, and the soot blackened them, their sleeping-bags, cookers, walls and roof, choked their throats and inflamed their eyes. Blubbery clothes are cold, and theirs

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

were soon so torn as to afford little protection against the wind, and so stiff with blubber that they would stand up by themselves, in spite of frequent scrapings with knives and rubbings with penguin skins, and always there were underfoot the great granite boulders which made walking difficult even in daylight and calm weather … ‘ Severe privations were suffered by all, Campbell recording in his journal cases of frostbite and dysentery, and ongoing hunger, the whole compounded by the low temperatures and extreme winds.

Dickason was, at one stage or another, laid low by all these factors, in addition to suffering from snow blindness.

In early August the sun returned, and the party prepared the sledges for the return to Cape Evans. Setting off on 30 September 1912, they reached Cape Roberts four weeks later, having in the interim come upon the welcome contents of an old depot left by Shackleton’s 1907-09 Nimrod expedition. In fact, they discovered yet further supplies at Cape Bernacchi and at Butter Point, discoveries that enabled their safe return to Hut Point on 6 November, but, here, of course, they learnt of the tragic fate of Scott and his party.

A full account of the party’s experiences is to be found in team member Raymond Priestley’s Antarctic Adventure, Scott’s Northern Party, in addition to the aforementioned diary kept by Victor Campbell, which was published in Scott’s Last Expedition (Volume II).

In his diary, Campbell makes frequent mention of Dickason, often in glowing terms. For his services to the expedition, he was advanced

to Petty Officer and received his award of the Polar Medal from the King on 26 July 1913. Moreover, Mount Dickason, at the head of Boomerang Glacier in Victoria Land, is named after him.

Dickason was serving ashore at Pembroke I on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, but, in typical fashion, he sought further adventure by volunteering for Q-ships in January 1915. Shortly afterwards he joined the Antwerp, the ex-G.E.R. passenger steamer Vienna, and only the second Q-ship to be commissioned by the Admiralty. He subsequently participated in the first Q-ship/U-boat encounter of the war, when, in March 1915, Antwerp went to the rescue of three merchantmen which had been sunk by the U-29.

Although a bloodless encounter, it did persuade the Admiralty that smaller, less well-known ships were required if German U-boat commanders were going to be tempted into action. Accordingly, the Antwerp was relegated to transport duties and her guns transferred to the newly acquired tramp steamer Baralong. And with those guns went Dickason, who would shortly witness the destruction of two U-boats and the demise of half a dozen enemy submariners in circumstances that would attract allegations of war crimes.

By the Spring of 1915, Baralong had been fitted out with three concealed 12-pounder guns, and one of her first notable acts was to race to the scene of the sinking of the Lusitania off the Old Head of Kinsale on 7 May, but the offending submarine U-20 was well clear of the area by the time of her arrival. The loss of nearly 1,200 lives on that occasion caused international outrage and, in respect of

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

forthcoming events, it is said that Baralong’s captain was verbally told by the Admiralty that it “was most undesirable to take any enemy submarine prisoners.”

On 19 August 1915, the German submarine U-24 torpedoed and sank the unarmed White Star liner Arabic with the loss of another 44 lives and Baralong again headed at full speed towards that position of the attack, once more off the Old Head of Kinsale. En route, she came across another German submarine, the U-27 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wegener, in the act of shelling the Leyland liner Nicosian, which was on passage from the U.S.A. with a cargo of mules and carrying American muleteers.

Baralong, flying the (neutral) American flag and with the American flag painted on shields on her sides, was manoeuvred into a favourable position about 2.5 miles away and when the submarine emerged from behind the liner to investigate this stranger, she opened an accurate fire and sank the submarine in a matter of minutes. The German survivors jumped into the water and ten of them were shot dead whilst either swimming or else clinging to ropes hanging from the Nicosian. During a lull in the action, the Nicosian’s Master was taken on board Baralong and he reported that there were an unknown number of German survivors from the submarine aboard the liner.

Baralong then went alongside the liner and her embarked Royal Marines, led by Sergeant Collins, leapt across, spread out and, on the orders of Baralong’s captain, despatched the four enemy boarders that they encountered on the spot. The U-boat commander, who had also survived the sinking, was shot dead in the water whilst apparently holding his hands up in surrender.

When the liner subsequently reached Avonmouth, myriad stories abounded about what had happened, some of which were pure sensationalism, but nonetheless reached the American press and Germany demanded the arraignment of Baralong’s captain and crew on charges of murder. The request was denied and Baralong’s captain, Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert, R.N., was awarded the D.S.O. Nonetheless, as a precaution, the ship’s name was changed to Wyandra.

And it was in this guise, under Lieutenant-Commander Andrew Wilmot-Smith, that she accounted for the U-41 in the Western Approaches of the English Channel on 24 September 1915. A glimpse of that encounter is to be found in his report: ‘When the ship had swung sufficiently for the starboard quarter and stern guns to bear the order to “open fire” was given, the range was then about 500 yards … My 12-pounders got into action very smartly, the second round scoring a direct hit at the base of the conning tower. She did not reply, the men on the upper deck appearing panic stricken and leaving the guns, making for the conning tower hatch, probably the order to dive having been given when our [earlier] rifle fire opened. Just as these men had either got or were getting into the conning tower another direct hit landed against it and from the story of one of the prisoners, blew the captain and about six men inside to bits. The same round blew him into the water.

Five more hits at the least were made on the pressure hull of the boat, until after about two or three minutes she took a list to port

with a big inclination down by the stern and disappeared mortally crippled. About half a minute later her bows and the top of her conning tower appeared above the water with a very big inclination up by the bow. As the conning tower broke surface a large volume of smoke and steam escaped and she disappeared again very rapidly stern first … ‘ There were just two survivors from the enemy submarine, an officer and the helmsman. The latter later claimed that the Wyandra had run them down in their lifeboat in the water.

For her own safety and that of her captain and crew, Wyandra / exBaralong was transferred to the Mediterranean and paid off from naval service on 22 October 1916. Dickason, meanwhile, was awarded the D.S.M. for his part in the action against the U-41.

On departing the Q-ship service in October 1916, Dickason served briefly in the Euryalus before transferring to the Persian Gulf and serving aboard the Indian Navy ships Northbrook (October 1917March 1918), Dalhousie (March-April 1918), Mozaffer (April-May 1918), Minto (May-July 1918) and Mantis (July-December 1918).

But it was for his subsequent services in H.M.S. Kruger, in the period January to September 1919, that he was awarded a Bar to his D.S.M. The Kruger, Commodore David Norris’s flagship in the British Caspian Flotilla, inflicted heavy loss on the Bolsheviks in that period, not least in a flotilla action against Alexandrovsky Fort on 31 May 1919. The scale of that success is betrayed by an endorsement on Dickason’s service record, namely the fact he was paid £5.10s.7d. in December 1921 ‘for the destruction of eight Bolshevik armed vessels on 21 May 1919.’

He was gazetted for the award of a Bar to his D.S.M. in November 1919.

Moreover, in early 1920, he was selected to accompany Commodore Norris’s Naval Mission to North-West Persia, a task duly undertaken in the period April 1920 to August 1921. The mission’s role was to consolidate the British position in Persia by assisting in the development of the Persian Navy and Mercantile Marine in the Caspian Sea. In a memorandum sent by the Admiralty to the C.-in-C. Nore Command on 13 February 1920, Dickason appears in a list of four chosen naval personnel, in his case for duty as ‘Coxswain to Commodore Norris’. The memo adds that ‘they should be fitted up with khaki clothing and Webley revolver equipment.’

Dickason, who duly added the excessively rare ‘N.W. Persia 1920’ Medal & clasp to his accolades, finally came ashore as a Chief Petty Officer in December 1924. He died in December 1943.

Sold with the recipient’s original parchment Certificate of Service and his personal diary of the Caspian Sea operations, the front cover inscribed, ‘H. Dickason, P.O., H.M.S. Kruger, Caspian Sea Fleet’, the fully legible pencilled entries encompassing his journey from Baghdad via Persia to the Caspian Sea, from July 1918 to September 1919, and full record of the operations; together with much copied research including full report of the Northern Party journey extracted from Scott’s Last Expedition.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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443X

The extremely rare inter-war Palestine D.S.M. pair awarded to Stoker Petty Officer H. J. Shorter, Royal Navy, a volunteer from H.M.S. Barham who was wounded whilst serving as a train guard during the volatile General Strike of 1936 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (K.28338 H. J. Shorter, S.P.O., R.N. Palestine 1936) impressed naming, official correction to first four letters of ‘Palestine’; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-39 (K.28338 H. J. Shorter, S.P.O. R.N.) some edge bruising to the first, otherwise very fine and better (2) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997 - DSM only, since reunited with NGS.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Just three D.S.M.s were awarded for the pre-war operations in Palestine, all in 1936, out of an equally rare total of 10 D.S.M.s for the entire inter-war period.

D.S.M. London Gazette 6 November 1936: ‘For gallant and distinguished services rendered in connection with the emergency operations in Palestine during the period 15 April to 14 September 1936.’

Henry Jack Shorter was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 21 April 1896, and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class in October 1915. Having then served ashore in Victory II, he joined the cruiser H.M.S. Doris in the following year and remained similarly employed until the war’s end. Advanced to Stoker Petty Officer in October 1930, and awarded the L.S. & G.C. medal February 1931, he joined the battleship Barham on the Mediterranean station in August 1935.

When a general strike was declared in Palestine on 20 April 1936, it was feared the country’s railway system would be crippled. High on the list of the local authorities’ concerns was the onward transportation of cargo landed at the ports of Jaffa and Haifa. In consequence, a call went out for volunteers from ships of the Fleet lying at Alexandria, including H.M.S. Barham, and 13 railway crews of an engine driver and fireman were formed, in addition to further ratings being trained in a variety of other related disciplines, including signalling. By the summer, extremists were responding with acts of sabotage and intimidation, and the volunteer train crews - who managed to maintain a sixty percent service - received a two-man armed guard. Nonetheless, the actions of the extremists were highly effective, incorporating as they did the removal of railway track, and the use of explosive devices on the rails. Another, and most unpleasant form of sabotage, because of the difficulty in seeing it, was the widening of the gauge so that trains came off the rails.

On the afternoon of 4 September 1936, a heavy goods train pulled by two engines was derailed by sabotage on the Jaffa to Jerusalem line near Qalqiliya, just north of Lydda, causing the death of a British soldier, a native driver, and five other casualties. In the first engine the native driver was killed and the fireman scalded so badly that he later died. Of the two-man military guard, one was killed and the other injured. In the second engine, the driver and the two-man naval guard were also injured, including Shorter, who was scalded. Here, then, the origins of the award of his D.S.M.

By September 1936, large troop reinforcements had arrived, and the military were able to take over all the tasks of the Royal Navy, apart from maintenance of the coastal patrol to guard against gun-running. Sir Samuel Hoare, First Lord of the Admiralty, paid tribute to the naval personnel serving ashore in a speech on 4 September 1936, after a visit to Haifa: “Once again, the Navy has readily met an unexpected emergency. If I wanted an example of its adaptability, what better could I have than an armoured train fitted out and manned by naval personnel?”

Shorter was invested with his D.S.M. in June 1937, shortly before he was pensioned ashore.

Recalled in the summer of 1939, he joined the destroyer Keppel and shared in her part in evacuating troops from France in May-June 1940, before to removing to the cruiser Penelope in June 1941. Towards the end of the year, Penelope joined Force K in the Mediterranean, and she went on to witness extensive action on the Malta run and elsewhere, so much so that she was nicknamed ‘H.M.S. Pepperot’ on account of damage sustained.

Interestingly, Shorter’s service record states that he was surveyed at 64th General Hospital, M.E.F. in early November 1943. He was finally released ‘Class A’ in October 1945.

Sold with copied research including contemporary newspaper and Illustraed London News reports with photographic illustrations.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

444X

The unique inter-war and Second War ‘Triple D.S.M.’ group of eight awarded to Chief Petty Officer T. A. Topley, Royal Navy; first decorated for his gallant deeds in the gunboat Sandpiper on the Yangtse River during the Sino-Japanese conflict in 1938-39, he added a Bar to his decoration for like services as a member of a beach party at Dunkirk in 1940, and a second Bar for his ‘fighting spirit’ in command of “A” turret in the cruiser H.M.S. Dido at the Second Battle of the Sirte in 1942 Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R., with Second and Third Award Bars (T. Topley, P.O. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Pacific Star; Defence Medal and War Medals 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (J.112800 T. A. Topley, C.P.O. H.M.S. Dido) mounted court-style for display, good very fine (8) £30,000-£40,000

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II Just five ‘Triple D.S.M.s’ have ever been awarded, two of the 2nd Bars being awarded in the Great War and three of them in the Second World War; uniquely, one man added a 3rd Bar to his award in the latter conflict.

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1940: ‘For services during the SinoJapanese Conflict.’

D.S.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 7 June 1940: ‘For good services in the withdrawal of the Allied Armies from the beaches of Dunkirk.’

The original recommendation states: ‘For distinguished service as members of the beach parties employed on the beaches and breakwater at Dunkirk during the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and part of the French Army.

The initiative, resource, and power of endurance displayed by these ratings, under the most arduous and hazardous conditions was worthy of the highest praise, and contributed largely towards the rapid and successful embarkation of the Troops.’

D.S.M. Third Award Bar London Gazette 8 September 1942: ‘For gallantry, skill and seamanship in H.M.S. Dido, in a brilliant action against strong enemy forces, which were driven off and severely damaged. This action resulted in the safe passage to Malta of an important convoy.’

The original recommendation states: ‘For courage, coolness and devotion to duty in the face of greatly superior enemy forces. Throughout the commission this C.P.O. has by his resolute character, fighting spirit and fine seamanship shown a grand example to all junior ratings. During the action for which I now recommend him for a decoration as senior rating in charge of “A” Turret he carried out his duties in exemplary fashion, and his turret did not miss firing a single round.’

Thomas Alan Topley was born in Lewisham, London, on 24 June 1909, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in January 1925.

Advanced to Petty Officer in October 1935, he joined the gunboat H.M.S. Sandpiper on the China station in April 1937 and remained likewise employed until returning to the U.K. in January 1940. Here, then, the period of active service in which he was awarded his first D.S.M. In the summer of 1938, the Sandpiper was based at Changsha, capital of Hunan province, which lay on the Xiang River, a tributary of the Yangtse. The Sino-Japanese War was raging at that time and the Japanese were attempting to capture the nearby city of Wuhan, which was defended with great tenacity. In consequence, endless columns of refugees passed through Changsha and many inhabitants left the city. Amidst this chaos, Sandpiper stood alone in protecting British interests in the Changsha area, and her captain, LieutenantCommander W. E. J. Eames, doubled up as British consul. Japanese air-raids increased in intensity and on 6 September 1938 bombs straddled Sandpiper which, because of her shallow draught, swayed at her anchors ‘like a novice water-skier’ but luckily there were no direct hits and no injuries other than minor cuts and bruises. Commander Eames subsequently reported to his Admiral: ‘Six Japanese bombers dropped a number of bombs around Sandpiper. Two cabins and sickbay wrecked. Considerable damage to superstructure but no underwater damage. No casualties. Consider attack deliberate.’

During the same attack, a ferry-boat loaded with refugees which had anchored only 30 yards away received a direct hit and sank, and several junks were also sunk, and Sandpiper sent away her boats to rescue survivors. Commander Eames also recorded in his report, ‘I would like to comment on the cool and excellent conduct of my officers and ship’s company, who did splendid work in saving the lives of a large number of people. Surgeon Lieutenant Sheridan is particularly deserving of high commendation.’ It is equally apparent that Topley likewise distinguished himself on the same occasion, subsequently receiving one of two D.S.M.s for the action.

Shortly before Christmas 1939, the ship’s company was notified that Sandpiper was to be laid up and her personnel evacuated.

Their subsequent journey from the interior of China was not a straightforward matter, as the Sino-Japanese war raged across much of the country. The overland route to Ningpo was selected following publication of a missionary’s account of a successful journey using this route. Many preparations had to be made, including the destruction of all the ammunition and the packing of nearly seven tons of stores which had to be brought out.

The sailors were dressed in civilian clothes and all had grown beards to disguise their identity as naval personnel. They departed Changsha at 6 a.m. on 15 January 1940, in junks and sampans, and the journey to Shanghai took 15 days, requiring many modes of transport - boats, lorries, train, buses, and at one time rickshaws. On five or six nights they found accommodation in local hotels, but the other nights were spent on lorries or trains in bitterly old conditions.

Their eventual arrival in Shanghai was followed by a celebration. The ship’s company then travelled to Hong Kong from where they took passage in the P. & O. liner Viceroy of India to England, where they disembarked at the end of March 1940.

Following his return to the U.K., Topley was borne on the books of Pembroke I, from which employ he was seconded for service in Operation ‘Dynamo’ in May-June 1940. As cited above, he came ashore as a member of a beach party at Dunkirk, where his initiative, resource, and power of endurance, under the most arduous and hazardous conditions, was worthy of the highest praise.

He was awarded a Bar to his D.S.M., which he received at a Buckingham Palace investiture in March 1941.

Having been advanced to Chief Petty Officer in September 1940, in which month he joined the cruiser Dido, Topley was awarded his L.S. and G.C. medal in March 1942, the same month in which he distinguished himself for his ‘fighting spirit’ in command of Dido’s “A” turret at the 2nd Battle of Sirte on the 22nd.

Earlier, in May-June 1941, Topley saw much action in the evacuation of Crete, when Dido went through some of the heaviest fighting and joined in the ‘midnight massacre’ of an enemy convoy north of Canea.

But she was herself badly damaged, taking a bomb hit on a forward turret with resultant casualties.

Topley likely shared in further honours in Dido and received his 3rd Bar at a Buckingham Palace investiture on 13 May 1943. He was finally pensioned ashore in July 1949 and died in Herne Bay, Kent, in August 1990.

Sold with his original Admiralty admittance ticket for the latter investiture, together with copied research.

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445

X The unique Second War battle of the River Plate B.E.M. group of six awarded to Flight Sergeant B. J. Brooks, Royal Air Force, a member of H.M.S. Ajax’s aircraft catapult team, he helped launch her Fairey Seafox into action, the first occasion on which a Fleet Air Arm aircraft was employed to spot for ships’ guns in a sea battle British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 1st issue (561442 Cpl. Bernard James Brooks, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (561442 F/Sjt. B. J. Brooks. R.A.F.) mounted as worn, good very fine (6) £1,400-£1,800 Provenance: J. J. Atkinson Collection, Noble’s Australia, April 2005.

B.E.M. London Gazette 27 February 1940: ‘For services in H.M.S. Ajax at the Battle of the River Plate.’

he was employed in support of Operation ‘Streamline Jane’, the operations undertaken at Majunga and Tanarive.

The original recommendation states:

Of earlier events at the battle of the River Plate in December 1939, Ajax’s role is well-known. With her consorts Exeter and Achilles, she fought a determined running battle with the Graf Spee, pursuing the enemy pocket battleship all the way to Montevideo. And crucial to the accuracy and effectiveness of Ajax’s gunfire - and that of her consorts - was the deployment one of her Fairey Seafox aircraft, both of Exeter’s Walrus aircraft having been put out of action by one Graf Spee’s 11-inch shells.

‘Corporal Brooks, a fitter lent for duty with the Fleet Air Arm, who has been serving in H.M.S. Ajax, carried out most efficient work in catapulting the aircraft during the Battle of the Plate. He also showed initiative and did valuable work with the Upper Deck Repair Party. He has been recommended for a distinction, both by the captain of his ship and by Rear-Admiral Harwood.’

Related official correspondence adds: ‘In the Battle of the River Plate a Royal Air Force Corporal, Bernard J. Brooks, No. 561442, seems to the Admiralty to have behaved in a manner which, had he had the luck to be a sailor, would have earned him the Distinguished Service Medal … There is no Navy, Army or Air Force distinction which the airman can be awarded for this action, and Sir Arthur Street and Air Marshal Portal would therefore be grateful if you could secure the consent of the Selection Committee to the award of the Military Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service. The King is holding an investiture on Friday for the naval personnel concerned and it is desirable that Brooks should be included.’

Bernard James Brooks was also mentioned in despatches for his ‘bravery and resource during operations in Madagascar’ (London Gazette 23 February 1943, refers). On that occasion, he was borne on the books of H.M.S. Kipanga, the naval base in Kenya, from which

Ajax too came under heavy fire, sustaining extensive damage and resultant casualties, and Brooks’s crucial role in launching the Fairey Seafox by catapult may well have been enacted under just such fire.

But all went well, Lieutenant E. D. G. Lewin, R.N., the pilot, and Lieutenant R. E. N. Keraney, R.N., the observer, afterwards carrying out valuable ‘spotter’ duties. As it transpired, Brooks was to launch them into action on further occasions as the drama unfolded, including on the 17 December 1939, when they were able to signal that Graf Spee had been scuttled.

As cited above, Brooks also undertook valuable work with the Upper Deck Repair Party. Such work was indeed vital, in case Graf Spee emerged for a second duel.

Sold with copied research, including official correspondence relating to the award of his B.E.M.

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446

X The highly emotive Norway 1940 ‘V.C. action’ C.G.M. awarded to Petty Officer W. T. W. Scott, Royal Navy, whose guns were seen to re-engage the enemy after his destroyer H.M.S. Glowworm rammed the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, and was sinking: he was one of a handful of survivors from this magnificent but hopeless duel against overwhelming odds Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, G.VI.R., 1st type (P.O. W. T. W. Scott, P/J. 113793) officially engraved naming, good very fine £18,000-£22,000 Provenance: Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997 and July 2003.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

C.G.M. London Gazette 10 July 1945: ‘For great gallantry in H.M.S. Glowworm’s last action on 8 April 1940.

H.M.S. Glowworm attacked the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and, after inflicting damage, was sunk with colours flying.’

In the original Admiralty letter of notification for the recipient’s award, dated 18 July 1945, which is included with the Lot, it is stated that Scott was to be decorated ‘for great bravery in charge of two of the guns of H.M.S. Glowworm during a very gallant action fought on 8 April 1940 against overwhelming odds. After your ship had rammed the enemy and was about to sink from the damage she had received in the action, your guns re-opened fire and scored a hit at close range.’

Churchill’s conjecture that the Glowworm had been sunk by greatly superior forces was an accurate one, but it would be another five years before returning P.O.Ws could reveal the full story of her momentous duel with the Admiral Hipper, an engagement which resulted in a posthumous V.C. to her Captain, LieutenantCommander G. B. Roope, R.N. In April 1940, the British War Cabinet, pressed by the French, had resolved to mine Norwegian waters around Narvik, in order to stem the flow of Swedish iron ore to Germany. And the British Expeditionary Force, originally intended for service in the Finnish Winter War, was rapidly recalled and placed on standby in the event of Nazi intervention. In the event, the mining operation, which had been due to commence on the 5th, was delayed until the 8th, due to the French backing out of an agreement to launch some mines on the Rhine in exchange. As it transpired, this was a vital delay.

Shortly after daybreak on the 8th, Roope sighted a destroyer to the north which at first identified herself as Swedish, but which was in fact the German Paul Jakobi. Without further ado, the latter opened fire. Glowworm responded in kind, with 12 salvoes from her 4.7-inch guns, before switching her attention to another German destroyer, the Bernd von Arnim, which was crammed full of enemy troops for the invasion of Trondheim. Roope decided to shadow her to see whether she would lead him to intelligence of any enemy capital ships.

Thus far, the Glowworm was in relatively good shape, although her gun control tower had been flooded by the heavy seas and another two crew members swept overboard. Seven others, too, had been injured by the destroyer’s violent rolling.

A short while into her shadowing of the Bernd von Arnim, about five miles to the northwest of her earlier contacts, the Glowworm came upon the 10,000-ton heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, armed with eight 8-inch and twelve 4-inch guns. The latter was also crammed with enemy troops destined for Trondheim. And Roope had barely got away his enemy sighting report before the Admiral Hipper’s very first salvo found its mark. Although facing impossible odds, he now swung his 1345-ton destroyer onto course for a torpedo attack, under

On 7 April the battle cruiser Renown, steaming northwards in the Norwegian Sea to take part in the mining operation, received a signal from one of her four escorting destroyers, the Glowworm, reporting a man overboard and requesting permission to turn back and carry out a search. Given the affirmative, the Glowworm scoured the area for two hours but in vain, and her Captain, Lieutenant-Commander G. B. Roope, R.N., called the search off. That night, as the weather deteriorated, Glowworm was forced to reduce speed, falling yet further behind the Renown and her consorts.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

cover of smoke, but had barely uttered the the words of command when another enemy shell found its mark, killing or wounding the Surgeon’s sick bay party. Another shell brought down part of the foremast and wireless aerials, which fouled the steam siren on the funnel, so that Glowworm embarked on her final journey accompanied by the sounds of a strange, tortured wail.

Inevitably, perhaps, her spread of her five torpedoes failed to stop the Admiral Hipper, none of them finding their mark. Meanwhile, another direct hit had started a large fire in the engine room, but the gallant Roope ordered a second torpedo attack, emerging from smoke to cross the enemy’s bow from port to starboard, a scene captured by a camera aboard the heavy cruiser. Again, however, the strike failed, and Roope now ordered a sharp turn to starboard to ram the enemy, an objective achieved at 20 knots, the impact resulting in 100 feet of armoured plating being torn from the Admiral Hipper’s starboard side. But no vital damage had been inflicted on the enemy, and, as Glowworm drew away, she was swept by fire from smaller weapons at point-blank range. It was at this juncture, when Glowworm had drifted to a range of about 400 yards, that Petty Officer Scott and his surviving gun crew got away a final salvo that found its mark.

At 10 a.m. Roope gave the order to abandon ship but remained on the bridge himself, smoking a cigarette. Later, however, some

survivors saw him assist others into their lifejackets, and again, in the water, alongside the Admiral Hipper, but by then too weak to take a rope. According to John Winton’s The Victoria Cross at Sea: ‘Gerard Roope was a large, burly man, with a broad face, firm jaw and forthright manner. He was a career naval officer, devoted to the Service. His ship’s company called him ‘Old Ardover’, for his habit of altering course violently towards his objective whether or not it was the men’s mealtime or any other consideration. It was typical of him to go straight for Hipper ..’

The chivalrous enemy commander, Captain Helmuth Heye, actually stayed for over an hour to pick up survivors, eventually rescuing one Officer and 30 ratings out of Glowworm’s original complement of 149 men.

Unlike two of the Glowworm’s survivors who died in captivity, Petty Officer Walter Thomas William Scott was repatriated from Marlag und Milag Nord, Westertimke (Tarnstedt) in 1945, and received his C.G.M. from the hands of the King at an investiture on 30 October 1945.

Sold with original Admiralty letter of notification for the award of the C.G.M., dated 18 July 1945.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

447

X The emotive Dunkirk ‘little ships’ D.S.M. awarded to Engineer Fred Barter, H.M. Yacht Ankh, who, under heavy fire, assisted in ferrying 400 troops from the beaches; it is said that he also delivered a no-nonsense broadside of his own, when Lord Gort, V.C., apparently tried to jump the queue to his boat, a broadside of the four-letter variety Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (F. Barter, Yacht Engn. H.M.Y. Ankh.) impressed naming, contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine £1,000-£1,400 Provenance: Jeffrey Hoare Auction, April 2000.

D.S.M. London Gazette 16 August 1940: ‘For good services in the withdrawal of Allied Armies from the beaches at Dunkirk.’

Requisitioned by the Admiralty, H.M. yacht Ankh was taken over by Captain J. M. Howson, R.N., as a temporary H.Q., when she arrived off Dunkirk on the morning of 31 May. She was manned by a handful of naval personnel and civilians.

Howson had charge of nine yachts, which he divided between the beaches at Bray and La Panne, but owing to their deep draft they were unable to get close inshore, thereby necessitating the use of small launches and rowing boats to collect the awaiting troops from the beaches. One such boat was manned by Fred Barter and Able Seaman W. F. ‘Frank’ Lunn, R.N., a boat with a capacity for eight people but in which they proceeded to embark 20 at a time.

During one return trip to the yachts, the boat was capsized by a near miss bomb, leaving the embarked soldiers floundering in water in full kit. Barter and Lunn swam over a mile to the yachts to collect another boat, and, under fire, returned to the beaches. In fact, they continued their gallant work throughout the day, eventually ferrying a total 400 troops to safety.

In an article published in The War Graves Photographic Project Newsletter in the Spring of 2017, Barter’s grandson recalled how Fred never really spoke of his experiences off Dunkirk. He also recalled how he came across an amusing anecdote concerning Field Marshal Lord Gort, V.C. Apparently Gort appeared on the beach and tried to jump the queue to Fred’s boat, an endeavour that was smartly curtailed when the latter told him to “**** off!”

Barter may have been a modest man, but he did manage to say a few words to The Hampshire Telegraph and Post, when interviewed in March 1941: ‘Barter shared charge of a rowing boat which was sent ashore to pick up soldiers. Normally the boat held only six, but Barter and his companion got in 20, and towed rafts carrying several other soldiers. “We were sunk by enemy action and had to swim for it,” said Barter. “Many of the B.E.F. men returned to the shore, but Lunn and I swam over a mile back to the yacht, took another boat, and carried on with the good work. Eventually we got nearly 400 soldiers safely on to our yacht.” ‘ He received his D.S.M. from King George VI at Buckingham Place on 16 July 1940.

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448X

The emotive Second War King’s Commendation and Lloyd’s Medal for Bravery group of six awarded to Chief Officer F. B. Brown, Merchant Navy, the sole surviving crew member of the Arandora Star and one of ‘the bravest men who ever trod a deck’; a victim of Gunther Prien and the U-47, of Royal Oak notoriety, the ex-Blue Funnel ship was laden with German and Italian internees, bound for Canada, of whom over 600 lost their lives 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Burma Star, 1 clasp, Pacific; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea (Chief Officer F. B. Brown, S.S. “Arandora Star” 2nd July 1940.) extremely fine (6) £1,400-£1,800

Provenance: Spink N.C., December 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

King’s Commendation London Gazette 28 October 1940: ‘For services when the ship was torpedoed and sunk.’

Lloyd’s Medal for Bravery at Sea Lloyd’s List and Shipping Gazette 13 May 1941: ‘The Master, First, Second and Fourth Officers, after having done all they could to save life and having no boat or raft to save themselves, took to the water as the vessel sank, and all, with the exception of the Chief Officer [Brown], were drowned.’

Frederick Bertram Brown was likely serving in the Arandora Star at the outbreak of hostilities. A cruise ship of the Blue Star Line, she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted for use as troopship, and it was in this capacity that she participated in the evacuation of military and civilian personnel from Norway and France in April-June 1940.

In the following month, on 2 July 1940, the Arandora Star was torpedoed and sunk by the U-47 about 75 miles west of Bloody Foreland in Co. Donegal. Hocking’s A Dictionary of Disasters at Sea states: ‘The liner was under the command of Captain Moulton and carried 1,178 German and Italian internees proceeding to Canada, the remainder consisting of 176 crew and 254 troops charged with the duty of guarding the prisoners. Immediately the torpedo exploded there was panic among the Germans and Italians, who fought each other with ferocious savagery. In attempting to rush the boats scores were forced overboard and drowned …’

Sergeant Norman Price, a survivor, later recalled: ‘I could see hundreds of men clinging to the ship. They were like ants and then the ship went up at one end and slid rapidly down, taking the men with her … Many men had broken their necks jumping or diving into the water. Others injured themselves by landing on drifting wreckage and floating debris near the sinking ship … ‘ And in respect of Frederick Brown’s gallant deeds, Those in Peril on the Seas, by David Masters, adds: ‘She was so badly shattered by the explosion that the passengers had only a poor chance. Captain Moulton, the Chief Officer, F. B. Brown, the Second Officer, S. Ransom and the Fourth Officer, R. Liddle, strove without the slightest thought of self to get the people into the boats. They were indefatigable in their efforts, but the ship was foundering swiftly and they had little time. Yet in the short time vouchsafed to them they launched every boat and raft on the liner.

There was nothing left for them, no boat or raft to ensure their own safety. As the ship went down they jumped into the sea, four of the bravest men who ever trod a deck. Captain E. W. Moulton, Second Officer Stanley Ransom and Fourth Officer Ralph Liddle all sacrificed their lives for their fellow men and the courage of all four won the award of the Lloyd’s Medal.’

The final death toll amounted to 613 internees, 91 soldiers and 57 crew.

Sold with a pre-war copy of the Arandora Star’s cruise guidebook.

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449

X The Second War submariner’s D.S.M. group of five awarded to Engine Room Artificer A. J. Cooper, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant deeds in H.M.S. Snapper, prior to her loss with all hands in the Bay of Biscay in February 1941 Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (M.35070 A. J. Cooper., E.R.A.1. H.M.S. Snapper.) impressed naming, small correction to ship’s name; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, extremely fine (5) £1,400-£1,800

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Snapper being cheered Home with German prisoners on board, April 1940

D.S.M. London Gazette 9 May 1940: ‘For daring, endurance and resource in the conduct of hazardous and successful operations in His Majesty’s Submarines against the enemy.’

Arthur John Cooper was born in Sheerness, Kent, on 1 December 1903, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy Artificer in August 1919.

Having volunteered for submarines in the summer of 1926, he was awarded the L.S. & G.C. medal in December 1936 and joined H.M.S. Snapper as an E.R.A. 1 in the following year. He was to remain likewise employed up until her loss in February 1941.

Snapper was commanded by Lieutenant W. D. A. King, R.N., on the outbreak of hostilities, and commenced her operational career with a series of patrols off the Dutch coast. As related by King in his wartime memoir The Stick and The Stars, it was not until her transfer to Norwegian waters in April-July 1940 that Snapper fired her first shots in anger.

‘We planted one round of high explosive from the 3-inch gun into her forepeak. The result could hardly have been more spectacular. She was carrying aviation spirit and went up in a sheet of flame. Half a dozen figures raced to the side and hurled themselves into the still, ice-blue, ice-cold water which had just thawed and poured out from the frozen Baltic. As they swam towards us a mast appeared on the horizon and I reckoned the hour for enemy aircraft was nigh. I hesitated between my desire to rescue the swimmers and fear of risking my crew and ship. We nosed gently from one survivor to another, with two men hauling them in over the saddle-tanks and lowering the exhausted wet bodies down the forehatch, which is about 20 ft. lower than the conning tower and a dangerous place for the crew to be when there is a likelihood of an emergency dive. The last swimmer was dragged over our casing just as the first aircraft appeared. Deciding to abandon this one man and get the vital forehatch closed, I ordered, “Clear the foredeck and dive.” But Geoffrey Carew-Hunt, my third officer, begged, “Let me get him down, sir.” Weakly I snapped, “Do it quick.” Looking back, I think I should have

been heartless. The risk to my ship was unjustifiable. While perhaps fifteen seconds ticked by, Carew-Hunt bravely dragged the wet German down the steep cluttered forehatch and shut it. I waited with my eyes fixed on that approaching black dot in the pale sky, then we gurgled under the translucent sea, urgent to slink away from the huge column of smoke which must draw attention for miles.’

Of the six Germans dragged aboard, two succumbed to their icy ordeal.

Snapper went on to sink several other German ships in her favoured hunting grounds of the Skagerrak and Kattegat, among them the merchantman Florida, the auxiliary minesweepers M 1701 H.M. Behrens and M 1702 Carsten Janssen and the armed trawler V 1107. She also attacked the armed merchant cruiser Widder but her torpedoes on that occasion were wide of the mark.

Command of Snapper having then passed to Lieutenant G. V. Prowse, R.N. on Christmas Eve 1940, she was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay off Ushant in February 1941. Nothing further was heard from her, and it is possible she fell victim to a minefield. Another possibility is that she was sunk by a depth-charge attack delivered by the German minesweepers M-2, M-13 and M-25 on the night of the 10th-11th, westsouth-west of Brest. Either way, there were no survivors.

The son of Lieutenant-Commander A. J. Cooper and his wife Ada, and the husband of May Katheleen Cooper of Weymouth, Dorsetshire, Arthur is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

The whereabouts of his L.S. & G.C. medal remains unknown, but it may have been among his possessions at the time of Snapper’s loss. More certain is the fact he never received his D.S.M., the award being sent to his next of kin.

Sold with copied war patrol reports for April-May 1940, extracts from The Stick and the Stars by Commander William King, R,N., who had moved to the command of another submarine before Snapper was lost, and several copied photographs of Snapper.

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450X

The outstanding Second War George Medal and Lloyd’s Medal for Bravery at Sea group of six awarded to SubLieutenant S. H. Light, Royal Naval Reserve, late Merchant Navy, otherwise known as the ‘Amazing Able Seaman’ - for that was his rate at the time of his G.M.-winning exploits in an epic open boat ordeal after his ship was torpedoed in the Atlantic in November 1940; he ran away to sea aged 13, travelled the globe, and then returned home to establish a string of successful businesses; by the outbreak of war, he had gained a private pilot’s licence, raced in Monte Carlo rallies and was safely on his way to becoming a Lloyd’s name, none of which, however, prevented his volunteering for the Merchant Navy George Medal, G.VI.R. (Sydney Herbert Light); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea, silver-gilt (Able Seaman S. H. Light, M.V. “Port Gisborne” 11th October 1940) with original gilt embossed leather case of issue and named card box of issue for campaign medals, the first five mounted as worn, extremely fine (6) £5,000-£7,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

G.M. London Gazette 4 February 1941, in a joint citation with Captain Thomas Kippins, Master of the M.V. Port Gisborne, who was awarded the O.B.E.: ‘The ship was torpedoed at night and it was decided to abandon her.

Captain Kippins took charge of No. 2 boat with 26 men on board, and during the night two others were rescued from the water with great difficulty. The boat was nearly overturned by heavy seas. Four men washed overboard were rescued, but the mast, sails, and several oars were lost, and the boat filled to the thwarts. She was righted and two more of the crew were picked up. The sea-anchor having been lost, the men had to use the oars all through the night. The sea calmed down the next day and they made a sail and hoisted it, using the boat-hook as a mast. For the next 14 days, often in heavy seas, tired out and short of water, they rowed and sailed. Suffering from weakness, cold and hardship, they were found at last by a merchantman and brought into port.

Captain Kippins never faltered during the whole voyage and his stout heart and good seamanship saved the lives of his men after facing what seemed almost certain death.

Another boat from the ship was swamped while being lowered and all the hands except Able Seaman Light and a greaser were thrown into the sea. While Light released the forward fall and the greaser held the boat off, eight men got aboard. The seas swept over the boat as she lay broadside on and the following morning she was still awash with her crew worn out through baling. Seaman Light, who had taken command, stepped the mast and set sail. Heavy rain added to their hardships, but Light kept them in good heart. They sailed on until they came across a boat containing 16 men from another torpedoed ship. Light took her in tow, though the sea and the wind were rising, so that they had to bale all the time. They sighted a rocky shore and decided to lay off until dawn, but the boats were drifting out to sea again. In a dead calm the men rowed all day till they were worn out. Those in the other boat were despairing, and Seaman Light entered it and massaged two men, gave them his stockings, and dressed their wounds. In his own boat he massaged a deck boy who was in great pain and bound up his feet. After ten days of privation, weariness and danger the exhausted crews were rescued by a British ship. By his courage, leadership and self-sacrifice Seaman Light was the means of saving the crews of the two boats.’

with a magnificent gold cigarette case from the S.S. Company [Swallow Sidecar Co., later Jaguar Cars].

He signed on the M.V. Port Gisborne to ‘do his bit’ during the war. From his full report, it is evident he knew his job very well. He always carries his own sextant, which has been lost, and the Company is presenting him with a new one which will be mounted with a plate to commemorate his service in navigating the ship’s boat for 10 days.

Light has owned his own hunters and has hunted a good deal. He is also a first-class skier and has been in the habit of going to Switzerland every year. He also enjoys a handicap of 2 at golf. Besides all these accomplishments he has an air navigator’s certificate and a “B” licence.

He is now waiting to sit for his Yacht Master’s ticket. Dated 4.11.1940.’

Of events when the M.V. Port Gisborne was torpedoed and sunk by the U-48 in the Atlantic on 11 October 1940, about 350 miles west of Ireland, when sailing in Convoy HX77 from Bermuda to England, the extraordinary fortitude and leadership of Light stood out. In summarising his role in command of boat No. 4, the Awards Committee concluded: ‘During the whole of the 10 days’ voyage in the Port Gisborne’s boat, Able Seaman Light proved himself well worthy of leadership, navigating the boat, organising routine, giving first aid where required and displaying fine seamanship. He was, moreover, able to keep a log of the whole voyage. By his seamanship, fortitude and adaptability, Able Seaman Light was undoubtedly responsible for the safe deliverance of his own and the St. Malo’s survivors, a fact which the St. Malo’s officers and men endorse.’

Light, who was subsequently commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve, retired to a villa in Majorca after becoming a director of several companies and a Lloyd’s name. He died in April 1967.

Sold with copied research, including the above cited sources.

Lloyd’s Medal for Bravery at Sea Lloyd’s List & Shipping Gazette, 3rd List of Awards, 30 July 1941.

Sydney Herbert Light was born in Limehouse in the East End of London on 12 June 1904, the son of a publican. Threatened with expulsion from Margate College, aged 13, and being ‘independent by nature and a born leader’, he rebelled at the suggestion and chose instead to run away to sea, the commencement of his remarkable progression from deck boy to Lloyd’s name. By the time he came ashore two or three years later, he had amassed savings of £100, with which he set up a coal transport business. The rest, as they say, is history, and that remarkable history is related at length in the above cited source – The Amazing Able Seaman.

But the following summary of Light’s pre-war life – as provided by an engineer officer of the Port Gisborne – is an excellent summary: ‘S. H. Light, A.B., ex this vessel, went to sea at the age of 13 years and remained at sea until he was 20 years of age. He was at one time an O.S. on the S.S. Port Hacking. After leaving the latter vessel he started coal carting in Great Yarmouth with one cart. This was the basis of his start in life, and after a while he had 6 carts. He then sold his business and started a road transport organization which also did well. To-day Mr. Light is the licensee of the Southborough Hotel, Kingston Bye-Pass, Surbiton. He has no sea-faring certificate, but owns his own 25-ton yawl, and has sailed down the Mediterranean as far as Monte Carlo. At Monte Carlo he has taken part in motor car racing and has been presented

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451X

The Second War bomb and mine disposal George Medal awarded to Lieutenant S. E. Jenner, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, whose gallant work encompassed the Coventry Blitz of November 1940 George Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Elec Lieut Stanley Edmund Jenner, RNVR.) mounted on original investiture pin, nearly extremely fine £2,800-£3,400

Provenance: Penrith Farmers and Kidds, March 2000.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

G.M. London Gazette 27 June 1941: ‘For gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty,’ The original recommendation states: ‘This officer in November 1940 rendered safe three unexploded enemy mines, two at Coventry and one near the R.A.F. Station, Wythall. One mine, which fell in Humphrey Barton Road, Coventry, called for particular courage and coolness. It first had to be towed out of a hole by rope before it could be dealt with, and this task was made more harassing by an unexploded bomb within 10 yards. During this operation Lieutenant Jenner was ably helped by A.B. Tuckwell, G.C., who showed his usual complete disregard of danger.’

Stanley Edmund Jenner was educated at St. Dunstan’s College, London, and was a playing member of Aldershot Rugby Football Club in the mid-1930s.

Commissioned as an Electrical Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in September 1940, he was quickly enrolled as a bomb and mine disposal officer at the shore establishment H.M.S. Lucifer. An account of some of his subsequent ‘incidents’ appeared in the Reader’s Digest in September 1942: ‘The land [parachute] mine is wholly unpredictable. If one fails to explode in the usual 22 seconds, it is impossible to guess when its mechanism may suddenly start. Lieutenant Stanley E. Jenner, for example, once rushed off to deal with a mine which had crashed through two upper stories of a Birmingham flour warehouse and was lying on the sixth floor.

“I didn’t like the situation at all,” he told me. “Moving it was out of the question and working on it there meant that I had no chance of escape if it should show signs of going off.

“Well, I started to work and in about an hour the mechanism suddenly began ticking – the Nazi rattlesnake’s usual 22-second warning. I fell downstairs in a hurry, expecting next step would find me on my way to Kingdon Come in a cloud of flour. But nothing happened, so after a bit I went back upstairs and found that the ticking had stopped. Thirty minutes later the mechanism went into action once more. Again I moved out in a hurry.

“This time, when nothing happened, I sat down and smoked a cigarette. I couldn’t leave the mine there, of course – flour is too valuable in England. So back I went for a third try. When the ticking started again 15 minutes later, I stuck on the job as though nothing was wrong. It stopped again and in two hours the mine was as innocent as a baby.” ‘ The recommendation for Jenner’s G.M. refers to two parachute mines that he rendered safe in Coventry in November 1940, most likely after the most devastating Luftwaffe raid of them all on the night of the 14th-15th, when the city was attacked by 500 aircraft.

But omitted from the recommendation is the following incident, as also described in The Reader’s Digest: ‘Sometimes a deactivating job can be completed in 30 or 40 minutes. Other mines require four of five hours of nerve-racking effort.

In one mine that fell on Coventry, Lieutenant Jenner told me, gadgets were not where he expected to find them; the colour of the wires had been changed; things stuck; the whole internal set up seemed to have been altered – and there he was all alone with it in a vast area of gutted buildings. Suddenly the clock started ticking and Jenner raced towards an underground shelter which he had selected in advance. When the explosion came, he was completely buried but they dug him out unharmed.’

Jenner was advanced to Lieutenant in January 1941 and gazetted for his G.M. in June, but it would not be until May 1943 that he was able to attend an investiture.

In the interim, for a subsequent act of gallantry in disposing of a UXB aboard the M.V. Empire Salvage, he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 2 September 1941, refers). The UXB may well have been one dropped by the Fleet Air Arm on 15 June 1941, when the ex-Dutch ship was in the service of the Kriegsmarine. She was then boarded and taken as a prize.

Sold with his Royal Society of St. George membership certificate, dated 8 October 1941, and an original copy of the above quoted edition of The Reader’s Digest.

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452

X The Second War submariner’s D.S.M. and Bar group of five awarded to Petty Officer Telegraphist E. K. Kember, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his services in H.M.S. Truant in Norwegian waters in 1940 and in H.M.S. Torbay in the Mediterranean in 1941-42; a key player in the achievements of the latter submarine, which was skippered by V.C.-winning Commander A. C. C. Miers, R.N., he also won a ‘mention’ following Torbay’s part in Operation ‘Flipper’, the ill-fated raid on Rommel’s H.Q. Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar (J. 133432 E. K. Kember, L. Tel., H.M.S. Truant) impressed naming; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, with small M.I.D. oak leaf, mounted court-style for display, good very fine (5) £4,000-£5,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.M. London Gazette 9 May 1940: ‘In recognition of daring, endurance and resource in the conduct of hazardous and successful operations in His Majesty’s Submarines against the enemy.’

Bar to D.S.M. London Gazette 7 July 1942: ‘For gallant service in successful patrols while serving in H.M. Submarine Torbay.’

The original recommendation states: ‘For great skill and exceptional devotion to duty during seven war patrols, as Higher Telegraphist Detector, in H.M.S. Torbay, in the course of which he has brought his department to a very high standard of efficiency, and been responsible on frequent occasions for enemy ships being sighted and subsequently sunk after he has reported the bearing on which to look out.

On ten occasions of it being necessary to communicate submerged with other submarines on patrol, to check position or pass intelligence reports, he has been completely successful, sometimes at very long range, and on twelve occasions of carrying out special operations in shallow waters off the enemy coast, or making reconnaissances and attacking shipping in enemy harbours, the efficient working of the supersonic sounding machine, and the ranges obtained by S.S.T. of the beach and coastline have been invaluable.

Upon no other rating has so much depended on numerous occasions of enemy A./S. searches, hunts and counter-attacks, and the success of the operations and the safety of the submarine have frequently required him to remain at his post for periods exceeding ten hours without relaxing his vigilance, and on many of these occasions, I have relied implicitly upon him, and never in vain. His alertness on 20 December [1941] when, due to a gyro failure, a torpedo commenced to circle may have saved the submarine, since he gave me warning in time to take the submarine deep.’

Ernest Kynoch Kember was born at Glandford Brigg, Lincolnshire, on 24 February 1914, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Telegraphist in the early 1930s. Volunteering for submarines in the following year, he qualified as a Higher Telegraphist Detector in September 1938, the same year in which he was advanced to Leading Telegraphist.

Shortly after the outbreak of hostilities, he joined H.M. submarine Truant, and he remained likewise employed until February 1941, gaining advancement to Petty Officer Telegraphist and his first D.S.M. in the same period.

The latter distinction arose from Truant’s early operations in Norwegian waters and, more specifically, her torpedo strike on the German light cruiser Karlsruhe on 9 April 1940.

Truant was positioned off Kristiansand when she launched her attack, one of her torpedoes striking the enemy cruiser amidships on the starboard side, blasting a large hole in her hull and allowing thousands of tons of water to flood in. The flooding disabled her engines and electrical generators, which cut off the power required to operate her pumps. The order to abandon ship was given and the enemy torpedo boat Greif took off her crew before scuttling Karlsruhe with a brace of torpedoes.

Kember was next deployed in Truant to the Mediterranean, in which she operated out of Gibraltar, Alexandria and Malta with notable success. In September 1940, she forced the scuttling of the German merchantman Tropic Sea and torpedoed and sank the Italian merchantman Providenza, the

latter in a position off Ischia. And in December 1940, in the course of her 14th and 15th war patrols, she torpedoed and sank the Italian merchantman Sebastiano off Calabria and the tanker Bonzo off Punta Stilo, in addition to surviving a depthcharge attack from the Italian torpedo boat Alcione north of Tripoli, an attack that ‘shook Truant considerably.

Returning to the U.K. in the new year, Kember joined the Torbay in April 1941, the commencement of his time under Commander A. C. C. ‘Crap’ Miers, R.N., who, over the coming months, would be awarded the V.C. and a brace of D.S.O.s for his aggressive leadership and mounting toll on the enemy. And that toll – and Torbay’s very survival – was largely owing to Kember’s skills as a Higher Telegraphist Director. So, too, in part to Miers’ unusual tactics when under depth-charge attack. Peter Padfield’s War Beneath the Sea explains: ‘His technique when hunted differed from that of most C.O.s; he never dived below about 80 feet - whether or not there was, as in this case, a ‘feather-bed’ layer - believing that the submarine’s frame and vulnerable hatch and other openings were in a better condition to resist the shock waves from depth-charges when not already under extreme pressure at maximum depth; further that he could more easily come up to periscope depth to review the position from 80 feet. By shutting off all auxiliary motors and maintaining the lowest speed compatible with holding trim, he hoped to remain undetectable by the Italian passive listening devices .. ‘ If Torbay’s third war patrol in July 1941 was typical of her mounting Mediterranean score - her final ‘bag’ on that occasion amounting to the Italian submarine Jantina, the freighter Citta di Tripoli, the tanker Strombo, and several local troop and supply transports, including caiques – it also resulted in mounting controversy regarding the use of her guns against enemy soldiers and crew in just such troopcarrying caiques.

The first indication of that controversy arose on 4 July, when Miers surfaced to engage with guns an enemy troop-carrying caique and schooner, between Andros and Euboea - having sunk both vessels, two Lewis guns were used from Torbay’s bridge to destroy ‘everything and everybody’. Then on 9 July similar tactics were employed against another troopcarrying caique - also laden with petrol, ammunition and food supplies. And it was on this second occasion that matters appear to have got out of hand, although it is worth noting that the enemy showed stout resistance on being boarded - a Corporal in the Special Boat Section had to shoot a German he saw about to hurl a grenade, and one of Torbay’s officers was compelled to dispatch another who was in the process of raising his rifle. Interestingly, this was not the first time that the R.N. had attracted adverse commentary from enemy survivors, German Naval High Command having already received reports of similar incidents during the Crete campaign.

Next ordered to patrol the Gulf of Sirte, Torbay launched an unsuccessful torpedo attack on an Italian convoy on 12 August and was herself attacked by an Italian aircraft and torpedo boat. Having then sunk a sailing vessel off Cape Matapan on the 16th, she carried out two night operations in which she picked up 130 Allied troops and Greeks from a beach on the coast of Southern Crete, thereby ‘establishing a record for the number of people ever jammed into one submarine.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

A period in dock at Port Said having followed, Torbay commenced her next war patrol in the Aegean in early September, and, in typical fashion, Miers carried out a daring strike against the German merchantman Norburg inside Candia harbour, Crete. Less successful were torpedo attacks against enemy convoys in the Gulf of Athens on 19 and 23 September: depth-charged in retaliation on both occasions, Torbay managed to slip away and returned to Alexandria on the 28th.

In October, in her sixth war patrol, Torbay dropped Captain John Haselden behind enemy lines on the coast of Libya, and carried out a shore bombardment of Apollonia for good measure. And the reason behind Haselden’s gallant foray was to survey the neighbourhood in respect of a special mission, namely Operation ‘Flipper’, the ill-fated raid on Rommel’s H.Q. Here, then, Torbay’s next operation, for she departed Alexandria on the 10 November with LieutenantColonel Geoffrey Keyes, M.C., and 25 of his Commandos.

Her consort, Talisman, likewise departed with Colonel Bob Laycock and another 25 raiders. Torbay successfully got Keyes and his men ashore on the beach at ‘The Dog’s Nose’ on the night of 14th-15th, with the assistance of four S.B.S. personnel in folbots, where Keyes linked up with Captain Haselden. Talisman was less fortunate, heavy seas permitting only Laycock and seven of his men to get ashore. The rest, as they say, is history, Keyes winning a posthumous V.C. Kember was subsequently among those recognised in Torbay’s first round of Honours and Awards, being mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 7 April 1942, refers).

On 9 December 1941, Torbay departed on her eighth war patrol, charged with operating off the west coast of Greece and the approaches to Navarino Bay, where she sank several Greek sailing vessels with gunfire and disembarked an S.B.S. folbot team - the latter were discovered by the enemy and fortunate to get back to Torbay. Second and third attempts to get the S.B.S. team into Navarino harbour also ended in failure. But during another patrol, Torbay successfully landed a team of eight men and stores on a beach on the south coast of Crete.

It was, however, for Torbay’s next patrol that Miers was awarded his V.C. John Winton takes up the story in The Victoria Cross at Sea: ‘On 20 February 1942, Torbay sailed from Alexandria for a patrol off the west coast of Greece. Early in the morning of the 26th, while Torbay was surfaced recharging batteries, Miers sighted a tanker escorted by a destroyer. He dived, surfaced astern and fired one torpedo, which was spotted.

Torbay herself was also seen and forced to dive again. Eleven depth-charges were dropped. It had been a narrow escape, because Miers had had great difficulty in shutting the upper hatch when the destroyer was heading straight towards him.

Later, he found the hatch had been jammed by his own pillow.

On 1 March and again on the 2nd, in what was turning out to be a strenuous patrol, Torbay was depth-charged by destroyers and six near misses lifted her several feet. Miers

himself spoke of the effect of depth-charging on him, and like so many submarine captains under stress, of the serenity and reassurance he gained from his crew: ‘I am bound to confess that on many occasions I have felt extremely frightened when the depth-charges have been going off around us. Yet even then the crew of the Torbay has never failed to amaze me. In fact they almost seem to enjoy themselves keeping a scoreboard of the number of enemy depth-charges dropped.’

Miers moved his patrol area to Corfu Island where, on 3 March, he sighted a large enemy convoy escorted by three destroyers entering Corfu harbour. The harbour is a stretch of water thirty miles long from north to south and twelve miles across at its widest point, formed between the island of Corfu and the Greek mainland. The southern entrance is five miles long, with an effective width reduced by shoals for submarines to about two and a half miles. Miers followed the convoy at slow speed until dusk, when he surfaced and entered the southern channel. He had to dive again to avoid a small motor-ship but then surfaced and followed it in.

At 10 p.m. Torbay was trimmed down, with only her conning tower showing above water and her hull turned stern on to the brilliant moon which had just risen, while recharging batteries about five miles east of the main anchorage. A signal was received recalling Torbay from patrol. Miers remarked in a somewhat Nelsonian manner that he was ‘relieved to find that this signal did not conflict with the present operation’.

At 1 a.m., Miers had to dive to avoid a patrolling trawler, and then took Torbay slowly across the harbour towards the anchorage. By 2.35 a.m. Miers found himself actually in the roads, having been carried across by a strong westerly set. He could see no sign of ships, and decided to wait until daylight.

Dawn showed that the convoy had apparently sailed again.

There were two 5,000-ton transports and a destroyer still in the anchorage. Firing as Torbay swung round, Miers shot one torpedo at each, missing the destroyer but hitting the transports. He and Torbay then endured another forty depthcharges while making their escape to the open sea, after being in closely patrolled enemy waters for seventeen hours.’

Miers’s V.C. was gazetted on 7 July 1942 and, in a remarkable and unprecedented investiture at Buckingham Palace on the 28th, the King presented him with his V.C., his engineer officer, Lieutenant (E.) Hugh Kidd, D.S.C., with a D.S.O., Lieutenants Paul Chapman and D. S. Verschoyle-Campbell with Bars to their D.S.C.s, and twenty-four ratings of Torbay with D.S.M.s or Bars.

Among the gathered throng was Kember, who received his D.S.M. and Bar. He subsequently served as an instructor at the shore establishments Dolphin and Varbel, the latter being located at Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute, and was released ‘Class A’ in November 1945. He died in Barnet, London in January 1975.

Sold with an original character and efficiency assessment form, with entries from July 1941 to November 1943, including the above quoted report from Miers, V.C., together with several wartime newspaper cuttings.

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453

X The post-war diplomatic service C.M.G., O.B.E., and outstanding Second War ‘Channel Dash’ D.S.O. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant-Commander R. M. ‘Mac’ Samples, 828 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm Flying immediately behind the force leader’s aircraft, as observer to ‘Pat’ Kingsmill in Swordfish W5907, amidst curtains of flak and swathes of cannon shell, Samples sustained extensive wounds, including a smashed ankle and leg, and shrapnel to his right hand, backside and lower back; of the six Swordfish that went in, none returned, just five airmen out of 18 living to tell the tale. The force’s leader, Lieutenant-Commander Eugene Esmonde, D.S.O., R.N., was awarded a posthumous V.C., a distinction which recognised the valour of all of 825’s participating aircrew: ‘Their aircraft shattered, undeterred by an inferno of fire, they carried out their orders, which were to attack the target. Not one came back. Theirs was the courage which is beyond praise’ The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with neck cravat in its Spink, London case of issue; Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., silver-gilt and enamels, reverse of the suspension bar officially dated ‘1942’, with its Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil), Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Nepal, Coronation Medal 1955, generally very fine or better (8) £30,000-£40,000 C.M.G. London Gazette 4 June 1971.

D.S.O. London Gazette 3 March 1942 – joint citation: Temporary Acting Sub-Lieutenant (A.) Charles Major Kingsmill, R.N.V.R. Temporary Sub-Lieutenant (A.) Reginald McCartney Samples, R.N.V.R., who were Pilot and Observer of a Swordfish that was badly hit early in the action by cannon shells from an enemy fighter. Both were wounded but with part of the aircraft shot away, and the engine and upper wings in flames, they flew on undaunted until they had taken aim and fired their torpedo. They then turned and tried to come down near some ships, but these opened fire, so they flew on until their engine stopped and their aircraft came down into the sea. Soon afterwards they were picked up, still cheerful and dauntless, by one of H.M. vessels.’

O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1963.

Reginald McCartney Samples was born in Liverpool on 11 August 1918 and was educated at Rhyl Grammar School and Liverpool University, where he was reading commerce when war was declared. It was direct from university that he joined the Fleet Air Arm in the summer of 1940 and, on completing his training as an observer, he was posted to No. 825 Naval Air Squadron (N.A.S.) in January 1942; some sources state that he was present in the Bismarck action of May 1941, whilst under training.

Samples’ hitherto unpublished account of his part in the Channel Dash action, as requested by Commander Prentice, R.N., and dated at Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, on 26 June 1942, is reproduced here: ‘Sir, I have the honour to submit, as requested, a report on the operation carried out by 825 Squadron against the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prince Eugen in the Channel on Feb. 12th last.

May I first of all thank you, sir, for your congratulatory letter and apologies for my belated reply due to difficulties in writing with a damaged hand.

825 Squadron, consisting of 6 Swordfish aircraft and led by Lt. Cdr. Esmonde, took departure over Ramsgate at 1220 on 12th Feb. at a height of 50 ft. to contact the German warships on a course of 142 (T). Kingsmill (my pilot), N.A. Bunce and myself were in ‘C’ machine of the first sub-flight, the second sub-flight being led by Lt. Thompson, R.N. Visibility was patchy and hazy over the sea (there were several feet of snow and ice on land) and though we sighted at about 4-5 miles, the Gneisenau and Prince Eugen were only vaguely to be seen, Scharnhorst apparently being farther north and not visible.

The enemy had a screen of destroyers and to make the run on Gneisenau we had to pass between two of them at a range of approx. 3 miles to port and starboard of us.

Very heavy flak was encountered at this time and at about 5000 yds. We were attacked by a squadron of Me. 109s which peeled off from about 1500 ft. on our port quarter and came in singly from astern, setting all mainplanes on fire and destroying part of the tail unit and fuselage. Simultaneously, we were hit by flak coming up through the deck, and Kingsmill and myself were both wounded in the left foot and leg. It was very apparent that to maintain the run in would be ridiculous, particularly in the face of enemy F.W. 190s forming astern, so we took a staggering, avoiding turn to port, noticing as we did that the C.O., who had obviously been hit badly, stalled about 200 yds. ahead of us and hit the water. Our aircraft was rather difficult to manage but we were able to come round in a circle and make a second run.

It is rather interesting to note here that we passed below the second sub-flight coming into the attack. They were tucked in very close formation – a fact which no doubt explains their total loss.

On our second run we were again attacked by fighters but dropped our torpedo at about 2000 yds. and again took avoiding action. We did not claim a hit, as we did not wait and see!

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Our aircraft was in very bad shape and was lolloping rather than flying along; the rockets and distress signals in the dinghy were exploding in the wing and creating a sight that might have been pleasant to see could we have appreciated it at the time.

I endeavoured to get a course home, and the A.G. took over lookout astern, but unfortunately some M.T.Bs which my pilot made for turned out to be E-boats and gave us a hot reception with cannon.

The first I knew of this was that my C.S.C. was shot out of one of my hands and a bit of cannon hit my palm and the seat of my trousers.

Apparently two or three cylinders were shot away from the engine.

We made away at a good 60 to 70 knots and eventually carried on our course till the engine virtually stopped and we put down in the sea. I was fortunately able to get away a message by Aldis to an M.L. on the horizon (with very bad procedure) and we were picked up out of the water about 40 minutes later.

It was good to see the M.T.B. arriving a few minutes after in answer to our automatic I.F.F. distress message – the Wurlitzer having been shot away.’

In common with the three other surviving officers, he was awarded an immediate D.S.O., whilst his TAG, ‘Don’ Bunce was awarded the C.G.M. However, it would not be until March 1943 that Samples was mobile enough to attend an investiture at Buckingham Palace, even then on crutches. In addition to Eugene Esmonde’s V.C., all remaining aircrew were recognised with posthumous “mentions”.

The extent of Samples’ wounds, and the protracted nature of his recovery from them, is apparent from a modest account of his medical treatment written in the later years. Initially packed off to the R.N. Hospital Chatham, his broken leg and smashed ankle were ‘set’ without anaesthetic: ‘To be fair, I cannot say that the procedure in the operating theatre was as terrifying as my imagination had conjured up, mainly I think because I was in so much pain from the wounds themselves that another few licks could make little difference, and anyway I was alive, wasn’t I, a fact that seemed to everyone to be a miracle. I eventually emerged, plastered from toe to hip and joined my pilot, similarly plastered, in our two-bedded ward.’

Samples goes on to make some useful recommendations for future operations.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

But Samples remained in agonising pain, particularly when encouraged to walk, and a senior surgeon discussed the possibility of amputation below the knee:

serving on the boards of the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Aldeburgh Foundation and the Canadian-Scottish Philharmonic Foundation.

‘I almost began to believe that amputation would be a boon if it removed the pain, and anyway several chaps had come into the hospital much after me, had their legs cut off below the knee and were back flying and walking splendidly with false legs within only a short time.’

Blessed with a rich and resonant voice, Samples was a volunteer reader at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.’

In the event, Samples was referred to a famous orthopaedic surgeon at Mount Vernon Hospital. His subsequent treatment consisted of a series of ‘manipulations’ of his left foot and leg, mercifully under general anaesthetic: ‘When I came to in the ward, I had to be got out of bed and walked on my crutches to keep the foot and ankle ‘loose,’ but I can tell you that by this time the limbs were twice their normal size, covered in black and blue bruises and agonising to walk upon. The great man [surgeon] would examine them on his next weekly visit and then carry out the procedure the following week.’

Eventually discharged, the nature of his wounds prevented further active service, and he saw out the war with an appointment as an instructor at the Naval Air Station at Lee-on-Solent.

His subsequent career is best summarised by his obituary notice in The Daily Telegraph: ‘After being demobilised he completed his degree before joining the Central Office of Information as economics editor of its overseas news service. A year later he transferred to the Commonwealth Relations Office and was sent as economic information officer to the British deputy high commissioner in Bombay.

For the next decade he worked in New Delhi and Karachi before being posted to Ottawa, where he was appointed O.B.E. in 1963.

Two years later he was sent back to New Delhi as head of the British Information Service, then was briefly an assistant Under-Secretary of State at the Commonwealth Office in Whitehall before becoming Consul-General in Toronto, where he was dean of the consular corps until retiring with a C.M.G. On leaving the diplomatic service, Samples settled in Toronto, where he joined the Royal Ontario Museum as development officer and assistant director. He was active in the cultural life of the city,

According to another obituarist, he was also ‘a wonderful raconteur,’ who ‘loved a party and could enthral listeners with stories drawn from his wide experience of the world.’ He died in Toronto on 31 July 2009, aged 90.

Sold with an archive of original documentation and photographs, comprising: (i) The recipient’s wartime handwritten notes for his account of the Channel Dash action, with typed carbon copy, as requested by, and sent to Commander Prentice, R.N., dated 26 June 1942, and cited above. (ii) A quantity of official correspondence in respect of the recipient’s appointment to the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (C.M.G.), including congratulatory letter from Alec DouglasHume and Central Chancery investiture letter, dated 25 June 1971. (iii) The recipient’s D.S.O. warrant, in the name of ‘Reginald McCartney Samples, Esquire, Temporary Sub-Lieutenant in Our Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve,’ and dated 3 March 1942. (iv) Certificate of award for the Nepalese Coronation Medal 1956, with related photograph. (v) A quantity of wartime and later newspaper cuttings regarding the Channel Dash action and Samples’ part in it. (vi) A quantity of photographs (15), among them wartime images and post-war investiture scenes, together with a picture with Princess Anne and a sheet of passport-style photographs of the recipient in uniform, wearing his D.S.O. ribbon. (vii) A copy of The Order of Service for the Funeral of Winston Churchill, 30 January 1965. (viii) Signed Channel Dash 50th anniversary First Day Covers (2) and coloured prints (3), bearing the autographs of ‘Mac’ Samples, ‘Pat’ Kingsmill and ‘Don’ Bunce, among others, together with copies of The Channel Dash Heroes pamphlets by Ted Powell, and invitations and pamphlet for the unveiling of the Channel Dash Memorial at Ramsgate Harbour in February 2010, as issued to the recipient’s sons.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

454

X The unique Second War ‘London Blitz’ George Cross, O.B.E., George Medal group of eight awarded to Acting Lieutenant-Commander E. O. ‘Mick’ Gidden, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, ‘the man who saved Charing Cross’ A master of mine disposal operations and the first man to be awarded both the G.C. and G.M., his gallantry in dealing with a parachute mine on Hungerford Bridge, outside Charing Cross Station, in April 1941, was among the great epics of the war: in a six hour operation, in which he was unable to apply a safety device for much of that time, he had to resort to using a hammer and chisel George Cross (Lieut. Ernest Oliver Gidden, G.M., R.N.V.R.); The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military), Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; George Medal, G.VI.R. (T/Sub-Lieut.

Ernest Oliver Gidden, R.N.V.R.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 193945; Coronation 1953, mounted as worn, good very fine (8) £100,000-£140,000

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II Just eight men have been awarded the combination of the G.C. and G.M.; the addition of the O.B.E. makes this a unique combination of awards.

G.C. London Gazette 9 June 1942: ‘For great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.’

The original recommendation states: ‘An unexploded parachute mine dropped on Hungerford Bridge on 17 April 1941. At the time the mine was dropped, some trains and many sleepers were on fire, and Charing Cross Hotel was burning in the background. It was necessary to stop the Underground trains, and evacuate many buildings, including the War Office.

Lieutenant Gidden arrived on the Bridge shortly after dawn and found the mine lying across a live electric wire at the foot of the main signal gantry, with the bomb fuse and primer release mechanism facing downwards. The electric current from the rail had melted some of the metal around the bomb fuse and primer release mechanism to such an extent that if the fuse was removed at all, it could only be done by drilling; and, further, before any attempt could be made to arrest the operation of the fuse by the insertion of a “gag”, a lump of molten metal had to be prised from the surface of the fuse itself.

Before operations of any kind could be commenced the mine had to be turned to get at the bomb fuse. Turning the mine was in itself likely to detonate it, with disastrous results for railway communications and important buildings. In order, therefore, to be in a position to control the operation with accuracy, Lieutenant Gidden stood at fifty yards only from the mine, while the necessary pull was being exerted from a distance. To appreciate the danger of this case, it should be

understood that the fuses in these mines are clockwork and liable to be actuated by the slightest vibration.

Lieutenant Gidden had to stop firemen playing water on the sleepers and trains while he got to work, and the burning wood kept giving off loud cracks during the whole of the operations, thus hampering his ability to listen for the clockwork in the fuse running, which is essential for safety. He successfully cleared the surface of the fuse, and inserted a “gag” but the melting had damaged the part in question, and the gag was not a secure fit, and he was aware of the fact.

He then attempted to remove the remains of the screw threaded ring (which holds the fuse in place) with a hammer and chisel. At the first blow the clockwork in the fuse started to run. Lieutenant Gidden, who had kept his head close to the fuse, heard the ticking, and made off as best he could, but as it was necessary to jump from sleeper to sleeper, with a ten foot drop below, there was little chance of escape.

As it happened the “gag” held, and Lieutenant Gidden returned with a drill. He succeeded in removing the ring, but then found it necessary to prise the fuse out with a chisel. This he successfully did in spite of its dangerous condition.

Normally fuses are removed from a distance for fear of some antihandling device.

This operation took six hours to complete.

It is considered that this case is in the very highest category of courage and devotion to duty.

Lieutenant Gidden has served in the L.I. [Land Incident] Section for over a year, and has dealt with 25 mines. He has successfully

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

commanded the Blue Watch (one third of the Watch) for nine months, and is a most reliable and trustworthy officer.’

to get clear. After a short interval, they returned and dealt with the fuse – one keep ring had to be drilled off owing to distortion.

O.B.E. London Gazette 28 September 1943: ‘For great bravery and steadfast devotion to duty.’

A flotation bag was then secured to the lifting lug of the mine, which was floated to the surface at high water, towed ashore and steamed out.

The original joint recommendation states: ‘This was the second of two acoustic mines dropped at Seasalter, near Whitstable, which had failed to explode and over which a depth charge had been detonated, driving the mine deeper into the mud without countermining it.

On this occasion a concrete shaft was used with very satisfactory results. The shaft required no support and remained stationary until the ejector was used, when it sank at a rate of about 6 inches per hour.

Work commenced on 31 May 1943, and the mine was exposed on 12 June at a depth of 28 feet over 68 working hours. In order to reduce vibration and noise to a minimum, the last 8 feet were excavated by skip and crane.

The mine was found in a vertical position with the tail nuts sheared.

This was lifted clear by means of the crane – all unnecessary personnel having been sent to a safe distance. LieutenantCommander Gidden, with Leading Seaman Pickett, who volunteered to stay with him, remained at the bottom of the shaft to render the mine safe; Pickett keeping the water, which was coming in under the cutting edge, clear from the two fuses. Whilst uncovering the first fuse, air started to escape, and they were both under the impression that the clock had started. They both started up the iron rungs, knowing full well that if it was the fuse, they could not possibly hope

In the officer’s own words: “I cannot express too highly the manner in which Leading Seaman Pickett worked with me under rather trying circumstances during the rendering safe operations.”

It is considered that Lieutenant-Commander E. C. Gidden, G.C., G.M., R.N.V.R., and Leading Seaman F. H. Pickett showed a very high degree of courage and devotion to duty on this occasion and are recommended for awards.

G.M. London Gazette 14 January 1941: ‘For gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.’

The original joint recommendation states: ‘A “D” type mine containing 750lbs. of High Explosive was partly buried in the foundation of a house and in a narrow alley between two houses in Harlesden, in such a position it was not possible to get at the bomb-fuse or electric detonator and primer. Tackles were therefore rigged and the mine dragged out of the ground. It was then lowered into a lorry where attempts to extract the fuse failed, since it had been badly damaged.

The electric detonator and primer were now removed and, after reference to the Admiralty, it was decided to sterilise the mine in situ. With the help of an R.E. Bomb Squad, this work was successfully done, with little damage to the surrounding houses.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II Sub.-Lieutenant Gidden and Able Seaman Lipsham are fortunate in being still alive, since at any moment during these most hazardous operations it was very likely that the mine would detonate.’

Ernest Oliver Gidden was born in Hampstead, London, on 15 March 1910, where he attended University College School. A member of the Auxiliary Fire Service, he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve shortly after the outbreak of war and, having attended the Hove training establishment H.M.S. King Alfred, was commissioned as a Sub. Lieutenant in August 1940.

A crash course in mine disposal ensued and, as a member of the Admiralty’s Torpedo and Mines Department, he was quickly in action, his exploits in making safe a parachute mine that had landed in between two properties in Harlesden, London, in September 1940, resulting in his award of the George Medal But it was for his exceptional bravery in dealing with another mine on Hungerford Bridge, outside Charing Cross station, on 17 April 1941, that he was awarded the George Cross.

Some trains and many sleepers were on fire and Charing Cross Hotel was burning in the background. Underground trains had to be stopped and many buildings evacuated, including the War Office.

Gidden arrived at the bridge shortly after dawn and found the mine

lying across a live electric wire, with the bomb fuse primer release mechanism face downwards. The bomb had first to be turned over before the fuse could be tackled. At length, he managed to turn the bomb over and tried to insert a gag to stop the timer mechanism.

The gag would not fit properly due to the state of the mine’s outer casing, however, and Gidden had to work at it with a hammer and chisel. This mine was eventually made safe after 6 hours.

He received his resultant award of the G.C. from King George VI at Buckingham Palace on 14 July 1942.

Gidden, who was advanced to Temporary Lieutenant-Commander, remained actively engaged on bomb and mine disposal operations and added the O.B.E. to his accolades for further gallant deeds in the period July to September 1943. Having then assisted in the clearance of mines in the Scheldt channel in November 1944, he ended the war with an appointment at the reserve training establishment H.M.S. President.

Returning to civilian life, he worked for the family saddlery firm W. & H. Gidden of Mayfair, but he died suddenly, aged 51, in December 1961.

In November 1960, The Evening News and Star published a series of stories written by Gidden, in which he described notable incidents from his wartime career.

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455

X The notable Second War D.S.M. group of eight awarded to Petty Officer V. R. Crisp, Royal Navy, for his gallantry as an Oerlikon gunner in Lord Mountbatten’s famous command H.M.S. Kelly at the time of her loss to enemy aircraft off Crete in May 1941 Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. C/JX.141619 V. R. Crisp. A./L./Smn., H.M.S. Kelly) impressed naming; Naval General Service 191562, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-39 (JX.141619 V. R. Crisp, A.B. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Imperial Service Medal, E.II.R. (Victor Robert Crisp) mounted as worn, extremely fine (8) £3,000-£4,000 Provenance: Bonhams, December 1999.

D.S.M. London Gazette 8 January 1942: ‘For outstanding gallantry, fortitude and resolution during the Battle of Crete.’

The original recommendation states: ‘[For] courage and devotion to duty in continuing to fire the starboard Oerlikon gun up to the last possible moment when H.M.S. Kelly was sunk by 24 Ju. 87 dive bombers and for being instrumental in bringing down one Ju. 87 and in badly damaging another.’

Victor Robert Crisp was born at Forest Gate, London on 15 December 1918 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1934.

An Able Seaman in H.M.S. Garland on the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939 - in which ship he had witnessed active service off Palestine - he removed to another destroyer, the Wolsey, in January 1940.

The Wolsey was heavily engaged off France in May-June 1940, delivering demolition teams, bombarding the enemy ashore, and embarking refugees and troops at Calais. It was however in Operation ‘Dynamo’ that she truly excelled herself, bringing away a total of 2,800 troops from Dunkirk to Dover over several trips.

Having then served at the shore establishment Pembroke from July 1940, Crisp joined Lord Mountbatten’s famous command the Kelly as a Leading Seaman in November 1940. And he remained likewise employed up until her loss off Crete in May 1941.

Kelly spent the first three months of 1941 patrolling the Western Approaches, as well as a great deal of time at sea off the French coast, where she was bombed on several occasions, including while in Plymouth harbour; she was also visited by Lord Mountbatten’s cousin, King George VI. In April 1941, Kelly sailed for the Mediterranean, and for three weeks was based in Malta, patrolling between the embattled island and the North African coast.

On 21 May 1941, she was directed to Crete to assist Commonwealth forces defending the island against the German invasion. That evening, she encountered and sank two caiques carrying German troops, and bombarded Maleme aerodrome, enabling the New Zealanders to mount a successful counter-attack.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II Kelly and Kashmir then turned for Alexandria but, shortly after dawn on the 23rd, both ships were bombed and sunk by German dive-bombers.

Kashmir was lost first - physically torn apart by a 1,000lb. bomb.

The Stukas then concentrated on Kelly, just as Crisp concentrated on the Stukas with his Oerlikon gun. Then came a fatal blow when a bomb smashed Kelly’s X Turret, continued through the ship, and finally detonated just aft of the engine room. The ship capsized in around a minute, trapping many men below decks; the propellers were still turning as her upturned hull bobbed on the surface for upwards of half an hour.

As the survivors awaited their consort Kipling to pick them up, the German pilots machine-gunned them in the water and on the life rafts.

In total, 80 men were lost in the Kashmir and 131 in the Kelly, but Mountbatten and Crisp were among those rescued.

The loss of the Kelly during the battle for Crete became one of the Second World War’s most famous incidents, largely thanks to Noel Coward’s celebrated film “In Which We Serve”. Despite the necessary change of names, the fictional exploits of the destroyer Torrin mirrored those of the Kelly and her commander Lord Louis Mountbatten in such a way as to immortalise both ship and captain in the eyes of the public.

Crisp next served in the battleship Queen Elizabeth (May 1941-December 1942), in which period he was advanced to Acting Petty Officer. He would also have been present when the ship was attacked and seriously damaged by Italian ‘charioteers’ in Alexandria on 19 December 1941. A lengthy posting in Pembroke having ensued, his final wartime appointment was in the Malta shore establishment St. Angelo. He was released ‘Class A’ in February 1949.

Sold with the recipient’s original parchment Certificate of Service and five wartime photographs, the latter depicting survivors being picked up, possibly therefore Kelly crew members being rescued by the Kipling; case of issue for I.S.M.; Dunkerque Medal in box of issue, and two swimming medals, one of them a Royal Life Saving Society bronze award, named and dated ‘Oct. 1934’.

21 May 1941: H.M.S. Kelly rams caiques ferrying German troops off Crete; by Jack Coggins (1911-2006)

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456X

The important Second War bomb and mine disposal O.B.E., George Medal and Bar group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Commander G. J. ‘Jack’ Cliff, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve, who on one occasion was recommended for the award of a G.C. and had previously been decorated with the M.B.E. for like services, a very rare instance of ‘quadruple gallantry awards’ in the Second War Often working alongside his fellow Australian Lieutenant-Commander L. V. Goldsworthy, G.C., D.S.C., G.M., he became known as ‘Contractor Joe’ for his extraordinary skills in rendering safe deeply embedded ‘G’ type mines, thereby gallantly embracing the Land Incident Section’s informal motto to ‘get rid of the damn things’; described by one contemporary as being ‘slightly eccentric’ and ‘a bright and jovial man with a hearty laugh’, he also possessed ‘a remarkable capacity for drinking beer.’ And few, it may be said, deserved a crate of the amber liquid more than he, for his survival was nothing short of miraculous: On one occasion in the Blitz he was buried under rubble while working on a brute of a parachute mine in Bermondsey; on another, in tackling a badly damaged ‘G’ type on the Isle of Sheppey, ‘he worked on through a series of electric shocks and sparks due to the damaged switch, not knowing whether these were going to detonate the mine … ‘ The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; George Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Lieut. Geoffrey J. Cliff. R.A.N.V.R.) with Second Award Bar, the reverse officially dated ‘1942’; 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Australia Service Medal, these last three officially impressed (G. J. Cliff. R.A.N.V.R.) mounted as worn, very fine (7) £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Spink/Noble Auction, March 1999.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Just four Australians have been awarded the George Medal and Bar, a civilian and three officers of the Royal Australian Navy.

O.B.E. (Military) London Gazette 18 April 1944: ‘For gallantry and devotion to duty:- Lieut. G. J. Cliff, M.B.E., R.A.N.V.R.’ - a promotion from M.B.E. (Military) awarded in London Gazette 28 September 1943.

The 4-page recommendation describes the rendering safe of a mine which had fallen in Coal Barge Wharf at Southampton. The complex operation to recover the mine extended from August to October 1943, the concluding paragraphs of the recommendation stating: ‘At high water the (air) bag with the mine attached was towed from the dock through Southampton Water to Hamble Spit where it was intended at low water to make an effort to gag and remove the fuse.

On the way to this spot, due to a leak in the bag, the mine sank to the bottom. Lieutenant-Commander Cliff was faced with the position of casting it off or dragging it as best he could towards the shore where it was hoped to beach it. This was accomplished not without alarm, and the bag and gear attended to, and the tow proceeded with.

Upon examination at the next low water the mine was found to be a ‘GC’ type. It was seen that the fuse could not possibly be gagged

owing to corrosion of its face. The keep ring appeared to be in good condition but could not be persuaded to move. LieutenantCommander Cliff therefore drilled the keep ring away from the case and again attempted to remove the fuse. This would not stir and owing to the absence of the screwed portion on the bomb fuse face, due to corrosion, it was not possible to utilise the extractor.

Permission was then sought and granted for the removal of the mine to a safe spot at the entrance to the Hamble River where it was intended to detonate the filling. The mine was finally detonated on 7 October 1943, at high water, and very little damage to surrounding property was caused.

The work carried out by Lieutenant-Commander Cliff and Lieutenant Goldsworthy was of the highest order. It had been found by experience that mines which have had charges exploded near them without detonation are extremely dangerous, and both officers were well aware of this. They are both recommended for an award.’

G.M. London Gazette 9 June 1942: ‘For gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.’

The original recommendation states:

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II These mines were particularly dangerous, as previous attempts had been made to countermine them.

Lieutenant Cliff was assisted throughout by Lieutenant Charles Graham Tanner, R.N.V.R. as ‘Learner’, and the excavating and timbering was done by Lieutenant Lombard and 22 B.D.S Group, Section 216, to whom the greatest credits were due. In dealing with these incidents, Lieutenant Cliff showed the highest qualities of courage, resource, and devotion to duty.’

Bar to G.M. London Gazette 24 November 1942: ‘For gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.’

Details of the incident in question are described below, but of equal import is the fact that Cliff was originally recommended for a George Cross (G.C.).

In a letter to Sir Robert Knox, K.C.V.O., D.S.O., dated 12 September 1942, the secretary of the Admiralty committee for Honours & Awards defends the original proposition that Cliff be awarded the G.C., not a Bar to his G.M.: ‘I write to say that the Admiralty members of the Committee are prepared to support the recommendations in cases 2 to 8. They would, however, urge most strongly that the Committee should reconsider case 1, the recommendation for Acting Lieutenant G. J. Cliff, G.M., R.A.N.V.R. ‘On 11 May 1941 an unexploded parachute mine was reported as having dropped on a two-storey building in the Leather Market at Bermondsey. The mine was eventually found completely covered by debris, and Lieutenant Cliff had to make his way through and below this debris to reach it. When he was about to commence operations another mine or bomb detonated nearby, completely burying him in wreckage and rubble. Lieutenant Cliff realised full well that this detonation was more than liable to have started the clockwork fuse in the mine with which he was dealing. With the greatest difficulty he managed to escape from under the debris by which he was buried, and immediately continued his operations on the mine which he successfully rendered safe. A further instance of the difficulties and onerous conditions under which he was working is provided by the fact that it was necessary to demolish the walls of the building before the mine could be removed.

On 2 July 1941, a ‘G’ type Mine dropped at Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey. ‘G’ Type Mines are dropped without parachutes, and, if they do not explode on impact, nearly always bury themselves deep in the ground. Moreover, they contain not only a magnetic unit, which is presumed to be alive, but also an anti-handling device operated by a photo-electric cell. It is therefore necessary to work at the bottom of a deep hole and in darkness. In this instance the mine was badly damaged by its fall, making it even more dangerous, and was buried 24 feet down in clay soil. Lieutenant Cliff found that the clay had found its way under the cover of the mine and had shorn off the top plate of the switch. In consequence he worked on through a series of electric shocks and sparks due to the damaged switch, not knowing whether these were going to detonate the mine. He eventually removed the damaged switch by sheering off the six screws which held it. He then had to remove the bolts holding the magnetically alive unit with a hacksaw owing to their damaged condition. However, after nearly a month of hard and hazardous work he succeeded in rendering the mine safe.

Between August to October, Lieutenant Cliff also successfully dealt with three other mines in the Thames Estuary District, which were endangering oil tanks at Thames Haven. These mines were covered with water and mud and were buried about 8 to 16 feet down. In each instance coffer dams had to be erected and the water pumped out, and each took between a fortnight and a month to recover.

They are at a loss to understand why the Committee should recommend a Bar to the G.M. rather than a G.C. for this very gallant act, unless, indeed, the view was taken that after a so long an immersion the mine must have become inoperative. It is, however, quite certain that Lieutenant Cliff was correct in believing the mine was alive. In dealing with it he was well aware that any jar or shock, or perhaps only a light scraping, might cause complete detonation.

Standing in the mud and water and working under water he had to extract the bomb fuse known to be extremely sensitive and the mine primer, most delicate operations in which the margin between success and disaster is narrow in the extreme. Had Lieutenant Cliff made a mistake he had no chance of escape.

In the Admiralty view his action is to be classed in the highest category of courage, and the First Lord, who has given his personal attention to this case, would be glad to know what are the detailed grounds upon which the Committee propose to award a lower decoration for so gallant an act.’

The ‘detailed grounds’ requested amounted to an argument that too many bomb and mine disposal officers had by that date received the G.C. Geoffrey John ‘Jack’ Cliff was born in Beercroft, New South Wales on 14 August 1907, the son of an engineer. Having attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School in 1922-24, young Jack followed in his father’s footsteps, gaining employment as a civil engineer for Coolah Shire Council in 1934-38 and the Snowy River Shire in 193940.

In January 1941, under the Yachtsmen Scheme, Cliff was appointed Probationary Sub. Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (R.A.N.V.R.) and embarked for the U.K., where he graduated from the Hove training establishment King Alfred as a Probationary Lieutenant.

Shortly afterwards his engineering skills found him a berth in the Admiralty’s Land Incident Section, skills that were to be sorely tested over the next three years. Early on, in working on devices of the Blitz era, he enlisted as his ‘gadget man’ a fellow R.A.N.V.R. officer by the name of Goldsworthy (later Lieutenant-Commander L. V. Goldsworthy, G.C., D.S.C., G.M.) and the pair of them would continue to work together for much of their time in the U.K. Goldsworthy became a specialist in diving, while Cliff became

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II known as ‘Contractor Joe’ for his adeptness in rendering safe deeply embedded ‘G’ mines. One Man’s View of the 39-40 War in Europe sets the scene: ‘Some of the Cliff’s mines were in the tidal mud flats, some on swamps, or angled under the retaining walls of huge oil storage tanks.

An early difficulty in all this dogged work in the slime was the nagging uncertainty about the reaction of a mine’s hydrostatic fuse, to mud.

Would the mud act like water? What would be the effect of reducing the mud-pressure by digging down to the mine? As he gradually founds answers, Lieutenant Cliff, and the officers and ratings with him, were continuously exposed to unthinkable dangers … ‘ In the Blitz, in May 1941, Cliff made his way through the debris of a two-storey building at Bermondsey, London, to reach an unexploded parachute mine. A nearby mine or bomb detonated, nearly burying him in wreckage. Realising that the explosion had probably started the clockwork fuse of the parachute mine, he extricated himself and rendered it safe. On another occasion he dealt with a mine buried in 24 ft. of clay at Leysdown, Kent. This weapon was even more dangerous than usual as it had been badly damaged in its fall and was fitted with an anti-handling device operated by a photo-electric cell.

For his ‘gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty’ in these and other incidents, both on land and in water, he was awarded the George Medal in June 1942.

In June 1942, Cliff was called to Belfast, where unexploded mines and bombs from the days of the Blitz remained to be dealt with. The first to be located lay in the sewerage works, where in ‘singularly

unsavoury’ conditions he won through, thereby saving from destruction the works’ boiler house and settling tanks. And it was whilst engaged in this work that he came to learn from eye-witnesses of another mine that had landed in the city’s reservoir. It proved to be a challenging enterprise, the reservoir only being partly drained when - using a grapnel - Cliff hauled up the mine’s parachute from the murky waters. Thence by means of probing, he finally located it at around 4 to 5ft below the surface. Having then exposed the device’s tail fin, Cliff deemed it was in a ‘live’ state, in consequence of which the reservoir could not be further drained. He therefore had to wade through the water and thick mud to reach it: ‘Finding the mine case to be in a wobbly condition and working with his hands in the water, he was able to remove the fuse and main primer without undue force but could not reach the detonator which was too deeply submerged. Attaching a line, he took it to the shore and started to pull the mine to safety but, shortly after it begun to move, the detonator was heard to fire, proving the mine was indeed alive and, had it not been defused, would most likely have detonated when moved. Working in mud and water as he was, his chances of escape would have been minimal at best.’ (Major D.V. Henderson’s Dragons Can Be Defeated, refers).

Cliff was recommended for a G.C. but as cited above he was eventually gazetted for a Bar to his G.M., to which, for ongoing hazardous work he added the M.B.E. in September 1943, the same month in which he was advanced to Lieutenant-Commander. One of the devices he assisted in making safe in this period was a ‘G’ type

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

mine that had landed 60 yards from the loading wharf of Tate & Lyle’s sugar refinery in Silvertown, East London back in the Blitz: a concrete caisson had to be constructed around it before his old friend Goldsworthy finished the job off. And another, also an ex-Blitz mine, which had fallen in Southampton water, developed into something of an epic. Excavation work commenced on 11 March 1943 but it was not until mid-May that the mine’s fuse was exposed: ‘It appeared to be in excellent condition apart from a light jelly-like substance which had formed sections on it, and there was nothing to prevent the fuse from running. As it did not appear possible to withdraw the balance of the fuse without damaging the striker arm, Lieutenant Cliff plugged the whole mechanism face immediately with quick setting concrete, and this completely jammed the whole clockwork system.’ (the recommendation for his M.B.E., refers).

Subsequently elevated to O.B.E. for the above cited deeds in April 1944, Cliff and Goldsworthy were transferred to the Pacific theatre of war, where they served as liaison officers with the United States Navy’s Mobile Explosives Investigation Unit.

Cliff’s appointment in the R.A.N.V.R. was terminated in January 1946 but he returned to London as a member of the Australian contingent for the Victory March.

Thereafter, his engineering career took him further afield to such places as Brunei and Borneo. Otherwise gainfully employed by various shires in New South Wales, he was a member of the Imperial Service Club, Sydney, and the Dee Why sub-branch of the Returned Services League of Australia. In later years he was devoted to his dogs and garden.

Cliff died on 14 October 1988, at the Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, and was buried in the Field of Mars cemetery, Ryde.

Sold with a superb photograph album assembled from Lieutenant-Commander Cliff’s original, the whole providing a remarkable record of many of his more famous mine disposal incidents in the U.K. between May 1941 and August 1943, with a wide range of subject matter, personnel and informative captions, together with several wartime newspaper cuttings; also sold with the Boer War and Great War campaign group awarded to his father, Lieutenant R. C. Cliff, A.I.F., late Cape Artillery, with related miniatures dress medals and badges, the K.S.A. renamed.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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457X

The unusual Second War D.S.C. group of six awarded to Sub-Lieutenant (E.) C. R. Keats, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, afterwards Malaya Auxiliary Police Force; decorated for his part in the rescue of British prisoners incarcerated in the German supply ship Alstertor in June 1941, he was himself captured in the following month and, after two determined escape attempts, was dispatched to Colditz Castle Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1940 and officially dated ‘1941’; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Colonial Police Medal for Meritorious Services, E.II.R. (Hon. Insp. Claude Keats, D.S.O. (sic) Fed. Malaya Aux. Police); Federation of Malaya Active Service Medal 1960, good very fine or better (6) £2,000-£2,400

Provenance: Spink, April 2004.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 2 December 1941: ‘For courage and enterprise.’

Colonial Police M.S.M. London Gazette 1 June 1953: ‘Claude Randolph Keats, D.S.O. (sic), Honorary Inspector, Auxiliary Police, Federation of Malaya.’

Claude Randolph ‘Jack’ Keats was born at Rugeley, Staffordshire on 7 December 1916. and was employed as an engineer on his joining the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in August 1940. Granted a temporary commission as a Sub. Lieutenant (E.) in October of the same year, he initially served at the Liverpool shore establishment H.M.S. Mersey. Shortly afterwards, however, he joined the Marsdale, which had been requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as an ocean boarding vessel from the Kaye Steamship Company. One of Keats’ first actions in her was the capture of the German tanker Gedania in June 1941, but it was for her subsequent part in tracking down the German supply ship Alstertor on 23 June 1941 that he was awarded the D.S.C. Working in liaison with enemy raiders and U-boats, the Alstertor was returning from the Indian Ocean when she was forced by Marsdale, accompanying destroyers and a Catalina of Coastal Command to scuttle herself off Cape Finisterre. In consequence, 78 British prisoners, which had been transferred from the enemy raider Atlantis, were rescued.

Soon after this action, Keats transferred to the liner Malvernian and he was likewise employed at the time of her loss in July 1941. Bombed and set ablaze by the Luftwaffe in the North Atlantic, four of her officers and 20 ratings were killed, and the surviving crew took to four lifeboats. One of the latter was picked by the sloop Scarborough and two reached Spain. But the fourth was intercepted by German minesweepers and its occupants, including Keats, taken prisoner.

As stated in his P.O.W. debrief in May 1945, he sustained a ‘broken shoulder’ in his final action and, following treatment, was sent to Oflag X-B, south of Hamburg. In April 1942, he made a bid for freedom, exiting the camp and spending eight days on the run, but he was recaptured by civilian police on reaching the Baltic coast. He managed to get away again in June but was recaptured after two days on that occasion.

His gallant efforts were duly rewarded by his transferral to Oflag IV-C, better known as Colditz, in August 1942, and he remained there until liberated in April 1945.

Keats moved to warmer climes in the post-war era, when he became the Resident Manager of the Bukit Beruntong Estate in Rawang, Selangor, in addition to serving as an Honorary Inspector in the Auxiliary Police. He died in Leeds in July 1968.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

458

X The Second War group of four awarded to Sub-Lieutenant M. P. N. Neel-Wall, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M. submarine Tempest was heavily depth charged and sunk by the Italian torpedo boat Circe in February 1942 Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (Mid. M. P. Neel-Wall. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, nearly extremely fine (4) £800-£1,000 Michael Patrick Neel Neel-Wall was born on 29 November 1920, the son of an ex-Royal Flying Corps pilot, Liam Wall, and his wife Gwendoline; she served as a 2nd Officer in the W.R.N.S. in the Second World War. Michael entered the Royal Navy as a Midshipman in May 1938, in which rank he gained seagoing experience in H.M.S. Repulse and Barham, prior to volunteering for the submarine service as a Sub-Lieutenant in November 1940. Duly qualified, he joined the newly commissioned submarine Tempest in October 1941, under LieutenantCommander W. A. K. N. Cavaye, R.N., and sailed for the Mediterranean in the new year.

Whilst on patrol in the Gulf of Taranto on 13 February 1942, Tempest was detected by the Italian torpedo boat Circe, which attacked with a devastating salvo of depth-charges. In fact, over the course of six and a half hours, the Italians dropped a total of 45 depth-charges with great accuracy. In the last attack the battery boards of No. 3 Battery burst open, releasing clouds of chlorine gas and, realising their position was now hopeless, LieutenantCommander Cavaye was forced to surface under a heavy fire from the Circe. Two casualties were inflicted on those who first reached her conning tower, most likely Cavaye and Neel-Wall, for neither survived her eventual sinking. The latter was however later credited with ditching the submarine’s confidential books before his demise.

The surviving crew members, 24 men from the submarine’s original complement of 63, were picked up by the Circe, some of them after two hours in the water, but Italian attempts to take the Tempest in tow ended in failure.

A lengthy and dramatic account of the action is to be found in the pages of A. S. Evans’s Beneath the Waves.

Neel-Wall, who was just 21, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

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459X

The Second World War ‘V.C. action’ D.S.M. group of four awarded to Able Seaman A. Spendlove, Royal Navy, one of a handful of men to survive the extremely gallant action fought by H.M.S. Li Wo against impossible odds off Sumatra in February 1942 Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (A.B. A. Spendlove, C/JX. 131500) officially engraved naming; 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted for wearing, good very fine and better (4) £7,000-£9,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2006.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II D.S.M. London Gazette 17 December 1946: ‘A member of the 4-inch gun crew, who fought with courage and effect in the last action of H.M.S. Li Wo.’

ship. He himself remained on board, and went down with her. There were only about ten survivors, who were later made prisoners of war.

Albert Spendlove was one of two crew members to receive the D.S.M. for this extraordinary action. His captain, Temporary Lieutenant Thomas Wilkinson, R.N.R., was awarded a posthumous V.C., while Temporary Sub-Lieutenant R. G. G. Stanton, R.N.R., received the D.S.O., Acting Petty Officer A. W. Thompson the C.G.M., and six others “mentions”, three of them posthumously.

Lieutenant Wilkinson’s valour was equalled only by the skill with which he fought his ship. The Victoria Cross is bestowed upon him posthumously in recognition both of his own heroism and self-sacrifice, and of all who fought and died with him.’

No better summary of the action may be quoted than the citation for the V.C. to Wilkinson, which headed the awards to the crew of the Li Wo announced in the London Gazette of 17 December 1946: ‘On 14 February 1942, H.M.S. Li Wo, a patrol vessel of 1,000 tons, formerly a passenger steamer on the Upper Yangtse River, was on passage from Singapore to Batavia. Her ship’s company consisted of eighty-four officers and men, including one civilian; they were mainly survivors from His Majesty’s Ships which had been sunk, and a few from units of the Army and Royal Air Force. Her armament was one 4-inch gun, for which she had only thirteen practise shells, and two machineguns.

Since leaving Singapore the previous day, the ship had beaten off four air attacks, in one of which fifty-two machines took part, and had suffered considerable damage. Late in the afternoon, she sighted two enemy convoys, the larger of which was escorted by Japanese naval units, including a heavy cruiser and some destroyers. The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant T. Wilkinson, R.N.R., gathered his scratch ship’s company together and told them that, rather than try to escape, he had decided to fight to the last, in the hope that he might inflict damage upon the enemy.

In making this decision, which drew resolute support from the whole ship’s company, Lieutenant Wilkinson knew that his ship faced certain destruction, and that his own chances of survival were small.

H.M.S. Li Wo hoisted her battle ensign and made straight for the enemy.

In the action which followed, the machine-guns were used with effect upon the crews of all ships in range, and a volunteer gun’s crew manned the 4-inch gun, which they fought with such purpose that a Japanese transport was badly hit and set on fire.

After a little over an hour, H.M.S. Li Wo had been critically damaged and was sinking. Lieutenant Wilkinson then decided to ram his principal target, the large transport, which had been abandoned by her crew. It is known that this ship burnt fiercely throughout the night following the action, and was probably sunk.

A closer picture of the activities of the 4-inch gun crew in which Spendlove served may be found in an account of the action by Acting Petty Officer A. W. Thompson, who, as related above, was awarded the C.G.M.: ‘During the afternoon of Saturday 14 February, we sighted a Japanese convoy on the horizon, escorted by cruisers. The captain decided to attack. He sent for me, and explained the situation, which was serious.

I volunteered to take charge of the 4-inch gun and as the cruisers were out of range I opened fire on the leading ship in the convoy. There were approximately 15 ships in the convoy, of various tonnages, the ship in the lead being about 2,500 tons. I scored a hit on this ship with my second shot. The merchant ships retaliated, causing a great many casualties.

Meanwhile, the cruisers were manoeuvring for position to open fire. By this time the merchant ships were in the line of fire of their warships. I scored a second hit just above the waterline and flames poured out. We were now closing the leading ship rapidly, and I scored a direct hit on the Bridge superstructure, blowing most of it away. This caused great panic among the Japanese on board and many of them started to abandon ship.

By this time the merchant ship was well on fire, and we went full speed astern to get clear. Unfortunately as we did so another salvo from a warship hit us, setting the cordite round the gun on fire. The captain gave the orders to abandon ship .. ‘ Worse was to follow in the water. Thompson continues: ‘The Japanese destroyers circled at high speed through the wreckage, machine-guns and rifles firing at any survivor they could see. They threw hand grenades and even lumps of coal in their rage at seeing one of their transports sunk with such impudence. There were only eight of us, all wounded, left alive by the time they left the area, and we found a swamped lifeboat to hang onto. Some hours later two of these died .. ‘ These gallant few eventually reached Banka Island, where they were captured: ‘We didn’t know it then, but that was the beginning of three and a half years of abject slavery, starvation and brutality far beyond the ken of the ordinary western civilised mind.’

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H.M.S. Li Wo’s gallant fight ended when, her shells spent, and under heavy fire from the enemy cruiser, Lieutenant Wilkinson finally ordered abandon

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460X

The extremely rare Second War B.E.M. and Bar group of four awarded to Fireman and Greaser A. Letch, Merchant Navy; originally decorated for his gallantry during an enemy aircraft attack off the Humber in February 1942, he added a Bar to his award for top-secret, blockade running Operation ‘Bridford’, a risky enterprise undertaken in a modified Motor Gun Boat to collect valuable steel and ball bearings from Sweden British Empire Medal (Civil), G.VI.R., 1st issue (Albert Letch) with Second Award Bar; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, good very fine (4) £2,000-£3,000 Provenance: J. Hoare Auctions, Canada, April 2000.

Abbott & Tamplin state in British Gallantry Awards that just 12 Bars were awarded to the British Empire Medal in the Second World War. B.E.M. London Gazette 12 May 1942: ‘The ship was attacked by an aircraft with bombs and machine-guns. The Master’s defence organisation was very efficient. Under his orders the First Mate and Second Officer held their fire until the range was close and then shot so accurately that the aircraft crashed into the sea. She had dropped bombs which exploded close to the ship’s stem.

Excellent work was done by the Second Engineer, who was on watch. He remained at his post and calmly carried out with distinction urgent measures to secure the safety of the ship.

Fireman Letch stuck to his post in the stokehold and carried out his duties during and after the action in a cool, calm and collected manner, even though the stokehold plates were thrown about by the explosions. It was due to the general resourcefulness of the ship’s company that the vessel reached port under her own power.’

Bar to B.E.M. London Gazette 2 May 1944: ‘For gallantry in hazardous circumstances.’

Albert Letch was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire on 18 November 1921.

Awarded the B.E.M. for his gallantry as a Fireman aboard the S.S. Helder, when she was bombed and strafed in the Humber on 5 February 1942, official records also reveal that he afterwards served in the Royal Mail’s steamship Highland Brigade; he was likewise employed when she was diverted to New York following a storm off Bermuda in March 1943.

Letch subsequently volunteered for Operation ‘Bridford’, part of an ongoing top-secret programme devised by Commander Sir George Binney, D.S.O., R.N.V.R., to ferry supplies of ball bearings and special steels, as well as occasional ‘passengers’, from Sweden to the U.K. The story of ‘Bridford’ and its predecessor operations is recounted in On Hazardous Service,

by A. Cecil Hampshire, and a fascinating story it makes, for as Binney himself concluded: ‘Each trip in the running of this closely guarded Axis blockade has, of course, involved the dangerous sea passage through the Skagerrak and Kattegat between the enemy-occupied countries of Norway and Denmark … The operations owed their success to a combination of careful planning, courage,

bluff and grand seamanship and sometimes perhaps there was an element of good luck.’

Binney managed to get hold of five Motor Gun Boats (M.G.Bs) for Operation ‘Bridford’. The boats, built by Camper and Nicholson, were 117-feet long and had three diesel engines which could produce a cruising speed of about 20 knots.

After some modification, they could take a 45-ton cargo, and they were armed with Oerlikon and Vickers machine-guns.

Manned by Merchant Navy volunteers, such as Letch – and hence flying the Red Ensign, each boat also had an S.O.E.appointed Chief Officer to oversee the security and defensive arrangements.

Binney named his five modified boats Gay Corsair, Gay Viking, Hopewell, Master Standfast and Nonsuch, thereby adding to the Elizabethan atmosphere of the adventure on which they were engaged. And to add a final touch to that sense of adventure, he ensured that ‘in each Captain’s cabin there was a picture of Sir Francis Drake.’ As it transpired, Master Standfast was captured by the Germans on her very first mission in November 1943, but the remainder of Binney’s flotilla plied back and forth from Hull and Immingham to the small Swedish port of Lysekil until March 1944.

For his own part Letch served as a greaser in (ex-M.G.B. 505) Nonsuch, under ‘the tall, slim and quiet-mannered’ Captain Herbert ‘Jacko’ Jackson. And the boat’s S.O.E.-appointed Chief Officer was Ted Ruffman, who, according to On Hazardous Service, ‘was an ex-Artillery lieutenant who had been invalided from the army after having had most of his face shot off at Tobruk.’

Letch may have served in other ships of the secretive flotilla, but we know for certain from official records that he joined Nonsuch for a run over to Sweden in February 1944, when ‘the boss’, George Binney, came along for the ride. Happily, it would seem, Nonsuch dodged the mines and German patrol boats, and returned to Immingham with a 40-ton cargo valued at 570,000 Swedish Kroner.

He was among those subsequently selected for reward, in his case an extremely rare Bar to his B.E.M. Whether he remained in Nonsuch for her future role in S.O.E.’s Operation ‘Moonshine’ remains unknown. He died in Grimsby in November 1990.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

461

X The rare and important Second War St. Nazaire raid D.S.C. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Commander (E.) W. H. Locke, Royal Navy, who was Warrant Engineer aboard H.M.S. Campbeltown and taken P.O.W. after the loss of M.L. 177 Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1945’, hallmarks for London 1948; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (Lt. Cdr. W. H. Locke. R.N.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed, mounted court-style as worn, good very fine or better (7) £30,000-£40,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2008.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 11 September 1945: ‘For gallantry, determination and devotion to duty in H.M.S. Campbeltown in the raid on St. Nazaire in March 1942.’

Wilfrid Harry Locke was born in Surrey on 5 March 1910 and entered the Royal Navy in January 1926.

Appointed as a Warrant Engineer in October 1941, he was placed in charge of the engine-room of the former American four-stacker Campbeltown in early 1942, which ship had been allocated a key role in forthcoming Operation ‘Chariot’, namely to ram the southern caisson of the Normandie Dock in St. Nazaire, laden with delayed action explosives, thereby destroying the facility and denying the Tirpitz use of the only suitable dry-dock on the Atlantic coast.

Accordingly, over a two-week period in March 1942, the Campbeltown was fitted out at Devonport and outwardly altered to resemble a German Mowe-class torpedo boat, while internally she was fitted with a special tank containing four tons of T.N.T. and eight-hour delay fuses, which were to be activated two hours before she reached the Normandie Dock.

Setting out on her final voyage with the raiding force on 26 March, she took over as Force Leader shortly after midnight on the 28th, when seven and a half miles remained in the run up the Loire.

Finally, at about 0130, with less than two miles to go, the German defences awoke. C. E. Lucas Phillips takes up the story in The Greatest Raid of All: ‘A continuous stream of projectiles of all sorts was now striking the Campbeltown, but so violent was the sound of our own weapons that the ring of bullets on her hull and the crack of small shells was hardly noticed; but when larger shells shook her from

stem to stern none could be unaware, and what every survivor was to remember for ever afterwards was the unchecked glow of the darts of red and green tracer flashing and hissing across her deck and the quadruple whistle of the Bofors shells. Bullets penetrated her engine and boiler-rooms, ricocheting from surface to surface like hornets, and Locke, the Warrant Engineer, ordered hands to take cover between the main engines of the condensers, except for the throttle watchkeepers ..’

With 200 yards to go a searchlight fortuitously illuminated the check-point of the lighthouse on the end of the Old Mole, enabling Lieutenant-Commander S. H. Beattie on the Campbeltown’s bridge to correct his aim on the caisson. Having then ploughed through the steel anti-torpedo net, the old four-stacker closed on her collision course at 20 knots, and every man aboard braced himself for the impact. At 0134 the Campbeltown crashed into the gate, rearing up and tearing the bottom out of her bows for nearly 40 feet. Commando assault and demolition parties streamed ashore, while below the sea cocks were opened to ensure the Germans could not remove her before she blew up. As she settled by the stern, Beattie evacuated the crew via M.G.B. 314, and Lieutenant Mark Rodier’s M.L. 177. Locke and Beattie, with some 30 or more of Campbeltown’s crew boarded the latter, and started off down river at 0157 hours. Lucas Phillips continues: ‘The boat was embarrassingly overcrowded but Winthrop, Campbeltown’s doctor, helped by Hargreaves, the Torpedo-Gunner, continued to dress and attend to the wounded both above and below deck. Very soon, however, they were picked up again by the searchlights lower down the river and came under fire from Dieckmann’s dangerous 75mm and 6.6-inch guns. Rodier took evasive action as he was straddled with increasing accuracy. The

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

end came after they had gone some three miles. A shell .. hit the boat on the port side of the engine-room lifting one engine bodily on top of the other and stopping both. Toy, the Flotilla Engineer Officer, went below at once. Beattie left the bridge and went down also. He had no sooner left than another shell hit the bridge direct.

Rodier was mortally wounded and died a few minutes afterwards .. The engine room was on fire, burning fiercely, and the sprayer mechanism for fire-fighting had also been put out of action. Toy, who had come up momentarily, at once returned to the blazing compartment but was never seen again. Locke, Campeltown’s Warrant Engineer, was able partially to repair the extinguisher mechanism. The flames amidships divided the crowded ship in two, but the ship’s company continued to fight the fire for some three hours by whatever means available. At length, when all means had failed and the fire had spread throughout the boat, the order to abandon ship was given at about 5 a.m. One Carley raft had been damaged, but few of the wounded ratings were got away on the other, and the remainder of those alive entered the icy water, many of them succumbing to the ordeal. All of Campbeltown’s officers were lost except Beattie and Locke, among those who perished being the brilliant and devoted Tibbets, to whose skill and resourcefulness the epic success of the raid was so much due and whose work was soon to be triumphantly fulfilled.’

Locke and the other survivors were rounded up by the Germans by 0930 hours, which was expected to be the last possible time for the acid-eating, delayed action fuses in Campbeltown to work.

Thus it was with all the more satisfaction that at 1035 hours the British prisoners, gathered together in small groups across the St. Nazaire area, heard the terrific explosion which blew in the caisson and vaporised Campbeltown’s bows. The stern section was swept forward on a great surge of water and carried inside the Normandie Dock where it sank.

Thus, the main goal of the operation was achieved for a cost of 169 dead and about 200 taken P.O.W., many of them wounded, out of an original raiding force of 611 men. Yet only six of Campbeltown’s gallant crew were eventually decorated, Beattie being awarded the Victoria Cross.

For his own part, the wounded Locke was hospitalised at Le Baule and Rennes, prior to being transferred to Marlag und Milag Nord camp at Tarnstedt at the end of April 1942.

Nor was he a willing prisoner, official records revealing his part in the digging of a 130ft. tunnel from the camp’s dining room in September 1943, as part of a team of 30 men. That having been discovered by the enemy, he joined a team of 60 men in April 1944 in digging another tunnel parallel to the old one, but this too was discovered when a section of the roof collapsed. He also volunteered to make a hasty exit by wire cutting, but this plan was vetoed by the Escaping Committee.

His award of the D.S.C. was not gazetted until after his liberation, a distinction that prompted his former boss, Lord Mountbatten, to write in person: ‘From my personal knowledge as Chief of Combined Operations, I know how well deserved this recognition is and am delighted to see that the part you played in such a hazardous expedition has been recognised nearly four years afterwards. I hope that you have fully recovered from your captivity and should like to wish you the best of good fortune in the future.’

Locke remained in the Royal Navy after the War, seeing service aboard the Padstow Boy, Jason and the aircraft carrier Indefatigable, and was present in operations off Korea in the Hart as a Lieutenant-Commander (E.). Having then removed to the Bellerophon, he was placed on the Retired List in 1955.

He died in Guildford, Surrey, on 8 September 1973.

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462

X The Second War bomb disposal operations D.S.C. and George Medal group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Commander D. Law, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve: having diffused around 40 UXBs in the period 1940-42, he went on to carry out equally gallant work at Calais and Zeebrugge in October 1944, carrying out an examination of the lock-gates for booby-traps at the latter place when enemy troops were positioned just 40 yards away Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1942, officially dated ‘1945’ and privately engraved ‘Lt. Cdr. David Law, R.N.V.R.’ George Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Lieut. David Law, R.N.V.R.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, mounted court-style for display, good very fine and better (6) £6,000-£8,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2006.

G.M. London Gazette 28 April 1942: ‘For gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.’

The original recommendation states: ‘This officer has dealt with 39 bombs, one of which was embedded in six feet of concrete with only the filler-cap showing. The bomb could not be withdrawn owing to the lack of purchase. Also the existence, close by, of important installations, made it impossible to destroy it on the spot. It was essential to remove it as soon as possible, the safety period therefore having to be ignored.

Everyone was sent away while Lieutenant Law gently chipped a hole in the concrete with the least possible vibration and scraped out the sand underneath with his hand until he found the fuse. This he discharged, but then had to remove it by hand as it was not possible to rig up remote control apparatus. He tested it roughly for spring in case a Zus. 40 booby-trap was present and then removed the fuse. Afterwards the hole was made long enough to take out the bomb.

A bomb had fallen into the bunker of a ship. A channel was cut through the coal to the spot where it was assumed that the bomb lay. This was between 8-12 feet down and 16 feet in. The tail of

the bomb was found and gradually the fuses were exposed and discharged. The bomb was hoisted out. The flooded engine room could then be pumped out and a second bomb was found with the fuse downwards. Lieutenant Law, by careful use of wedges and a crowbar, turned the bomb until he could get at the fuses and discharge them.’

D.S.C. London Gazette 16 January 1945: ‘For gallantry and devotion to duty in operations leading to the capture of Calais and Zeebrugge.’

The original recommendation states: Lieutenant-Commander Law was one of two Bomb Safety Officers attached to the Port Reconnaissance Party which entered Calais on 1st October. Information was received from Prisoners of War that the enemy had p[laced demolition charges in the Main Control Bunker (concrete shelter) and it was found that the bunker was on fire inside. Lieut.-Comdr. Law, with his assistant Sub-Lieut. Swain, entered the bunker, wearing oxygen breathing apparatus and succeeded in extinguishing the fire and neutralising seven 500-lb charges which were already hot.

On 18th October, prior to the capture of Zeebrugge, this Officer, with the same companion, undertook to obtain information regarding the state of the lock-gates at this port. At the time, the German line was about 40-yards east of the lock-gates and the British line was www.noonans.co.uk All lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyer's premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II 800-yards west of them. The two officers succeeded in making their way under cover of darkness to a suitable position where they waited until daylight and were able to make the necessary detailed observation of the lock and gates and to establish that any attempt to capture the position intact was pointless.

Lieut.-Comdr. Law showed courage of a high order, initiative and devotion to duty.’

David Law, a native of Clydebank who graduated from Glasgow University prior to the War, was attached to the Director of Unexploded Bomb Department (D.U.B.D.) from as early as December 1940, so we may be sure that many of the 39 bombs referred to in his G.M. recommendation were very much of the “Blitz” period. But his gallant deeds in a ship’s bunker - those cited in the same recommendation - were actually enacted on the 2 October 1941, when he was called to the S.S. Sturdee Rose at Milford Haven, which merchantman had put in to port after being attacked by a brace of prowling He. 111s. He was duly awarded the G.M., which decoration he received at an investiture held on 30 June 1942. Law was serving in the Torpedo and Mining Department by the time of his subsequent acts of gallantry at Calais and Zeebrugge in October 1944, and was invested with his D.S.C. at Holyrood Palace on 27 September 1945, shortly before his release from the R.N.V.R. Sold with a quantity of original documentation and artefacts, including his commission warrant for the rank of Temporary Sub-Lieutenant, R.N.V.R., dated 15 January 1943, with seniority from 29 September 1940; a superb album of copied photographs taken from the recipient’s original archive (approximately 40 images), the whole detailing the events of a UXB incident in the Grimsby area, and fully captioned with explanatory notes; an unused “Unexploded Bomb Report” card and a copy of the Civil Defence training pamphlet Notes On The Detection and Reporting

of Unexploded Missiles (H.M.S.O., 1943); Admiralty letter notifying him of the award of his D.S.C., dated 20 January 1945, with three others relating to investiture arrangements; and the artefacts including his R.N.V.R. uniform epaulettes and cap badge, cloth “UXB” sleeve badge, wooden R.N. B.D.S. (Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Section) wall-plaque and wartime White Ensign, the leading edge ink-inscribed, ‘D. Law, R.N., B.D.S.’

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

463

X The rare Second War fall of Crete D.C.M. group of four awarded to Marine B. V. Jones, Royal Marines, who was decorated for downing an enemy aircraft with his Bren gun, prior to being wounded in making a solo bayonet charge against seven German parachutists Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (PLY.X.100514 B. V. Jones. Mne. R.M.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, edge bruise to the first, otherwise good very fine (4) £14,000-£18,000 One of two D.C.M.s awarded to the Royal Marines for Crete.

D.C.M. London Gazette 4 November 1941.

The original recommendation states: ‘Crete: At his gun position S.W. of Canea on 21 May he displayed outstanding courage, by shooting down an enemy aircraft by firing a Bren gun from the shoulder. Later in the day he made a lone bayonet charge against seven parachutists armed with sub-machine guns who had landed in a glider close to the gun position. He was wounded in this action. This prompt action displayed great bravery and was a fine example to all ranks.’

Benjamin Vaughan Jones was born in Neath, Glamorganshire on 22 September 1916, and is believed to have seen service as a gunner in the Territorials in the 1930s. If so, he transferred to the Royal Marines soon after the outbreak of war, for in the summer of 1940 he joined the Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation (M.N.B.D.O), in which capacity he was embarked for Suez in the following year.

Subsequently embarked for Crete, as a member of 23 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, 2nd Royal Marine AntiAircraft Regiment, he was awarded the D.C.M. for the above cited deeds south-west of Canea on 21 May 1941. His wounds were extensive - the Neath Guardian later reporting that he was hit by four bullets in his solo bayonet charge - and he appears to have been evacuated to the U.K. in the hospital ship Almanzora.

Having the attended the R.N.H. Aberdeen, he was discharged from the corps in November 1941. He died back in Glamorganshire in April 1972.

Sold with typed Admiralty D.C.M. citation, mounted on card together with his enamelled D.C.M. League lapel badge,

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

464

X The rare Arctic convoy PQ-17 B.E.M and Soviet Red Star group of five awarded to Chief Steward R. Quick, Merchant Navy, who survived the loss of the Empire Byron in PQ-17 in July 1942, and an inquisitive U-boat officer who suspected he was the ship’s Master British Empire Medal, (Civil), G.VI.R., 1st issue (Robert Quick); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939 -45; U.S.S.R., Order of the Red Star, the reverse officially numbered, ‘70811’, mounted for display, extremely fine (5) £1,200-£1,600 Provenance: Spink, November 2000.

Approximately 20 Soviet Red Stars were awarded to Allied personnel for the 1939-45 War, six of them to members of the Merchant Navy.

B.E.M. London Gazette 1 January 1943.

The original recommendation states: ‘Chief Officer Prance and Steward Robert Quick were shipmates in a vessel which made three voyages to Russia in the Empire Byron.

On her last voyage she was subjected to constant air and sea attack. Despite his previous experiences on the North Russian route, Steward Quick re-engaged in this vessel for a further voyage and faced unflinchingly all dangers and hazards.’

Soviet Red Star London Gazette 17 November 1942: ‘In recognition of gallantry in the convoying of ships to northern ports of the Soviet Union.’

Robert Quick was born in St. Ives, Cornwall on 4 May 1881, and was thus aged 61 when he signed on for his voyage in the S.S. Empire Byron on the Arctic run.

Unfortunately for him, it was in the ill-fated Arctic convoy PQ-17.

Carrying 3,500 tons of military stores, the Empire Byron sailed with the convoy from Reykjavik on 27 June 1942 and, following receipt of the notorious signal for the convoy to ‘scatter’ on 4 July, altered course by 20 degrees to veer away from the main body.

At 0827 hours on the 5th, Kapitänleutnant Bielfeld of the U-703 put a torpedo into the Empire Byron’s main engine room, causing a between decks explosion which trapped a dozen Gunners below.

The crew abandoned the sinking ship and under the orders of Captain Wharton concentrated in two boats, one of which had an engine.

taken down below. At the same time, the lifeboats were handed tins of biscuits and apple-juice, and a piece of sausage. “How far is the nearest land?” asked Captain Wharton. “About 250 miles,” answered the blond officer. A klaxon sounded within the submarine, and she submerged, taking the captured Briton with them.’

Thus, cast adrift, 61-year-old Quick subsequently endured the following ordeal, as detailed by Captain Wharton in his official report: ‘We rowed to the S.E. throughout the afternoon of the 6th until the men became exhausted and then at about 1900 hours we took the other lifeboat in tow and started the motor, steered S.E. and making about four knots. A little before 1900 we saw a submarine on the surface astern signalling to a single aircraft which was circling overhead, but neither of them took any notice of us. Our compass was of little use to us, but we had the sun throughout the 24 hours and were able to steer by it and make a good course. We sighted one German plane on the 7th and also a steamer which was on fire and abandoned, but sighted nothing further until 10th when we sighted the corvette Dianella steaming towards us. Her crow’s nest look-out had sighted our red sails, and we were picked up about 1320 on 10th in position 73.48 N. 41.21 E., having been in the boats for five and a half days, and covering 250 miles towards the land. We remained on board the Daniella and landed at Archangel on 16 July.’

Sold with three original Soviet Red Star membership booklets, one of them with a portrait photograph, the other two with annual coupons dated 1942-46 [for annuity?], together with damaged card box of issue for B.E.M.

The officers discarded uniform insignia indicating their rank as the Germans would be sure to seek out the ship’s Master and no doubt take him prisoner aboard the U-Boat. Among those compelled to discard such insignia was John Rimington, a Captain in the R.E.M.E., who was to have advised the Russians on their new Churchill tanks. He remained, however, resplendent in a pure white duffel coat. Meanwhile, Empire Byron’s boiler exploded, tearing a gaping hole in the hull. Water then cascaded in and the ship sank with the loss of 18 gunners and ratings.

Bielfeld now gave orders for U-703 to surface and closed on the two lifeboats. According to David Irving’s The Destruction of Convoy P.Q. 17, ‘A tall blond officer,’ accompanied by a German seaman in ‘polished leggings toting a machine-gun,’ then descended on to the U-boat’s deck, and began berating the British seamen who were struggling with unfamiliar oars. As they neared the submarine, the German Officer asked, “Why are you Fighting? You aren’t Communists are you? So why do you risk your lives to take tanks to the Bolsheviks? Who is your Captain?” Nobody stirred or answered, and, as related in the same book, the blond ‘German’s eyes fell on the rather distinguished-looking Chief Steward [Quick], but he hastily said he was not the Captain; finally, the officer saw Captain Rimington, and told him to step on to the submarine’s deck; the army captain’s protests went unheeded, and he was

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465X

The Second War group of three awarded to Acting Sub-Lieutenant R. C. A. Barnes, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who killed in action in the ill-fated raid on Dieppe in August 1942 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, with original Admiralty condolence slip in the name of ‘Temporary Acting Sub-Lieutenant Raymond Charles Arthur Barnes, R.N.V.R.’ and in their O.H.M.S. card forwarding box addressed to his father, extremely fine (3)

£400-£500 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2002.

Raymond Charles Arthur Barnes was born in Romford, Essex in April 1921, the son of Charles Frederick and Ellen Matilda Barnes, who later moved to Banstead, Surrey.

At the time of his death in action at Dieppe on 19 August 1942, aged 21, Barnes was borne on the books of the shore establishment H.M.S. Tormentor at Warsash, Hampshire, the Combined Operations principal landing craft training base. Although the exact circumstances of his fate are unknown, he was most likely killed manning a landing craft. Two fellow officers from Tormentor were killed on the same occasion, Temporary Lieutenant Edgar Hunt, R.N.V.R. and Lieutenant-Commander Charles Corke, R.N.V.R. The fate of Corke is described by Hilary St. George Saunders in Combined Operations: ‘Six landing craft made a landing in broad daylight 25 minutes late on one of the two chosen beaches near Berneval, and a seventh at the other. The six, which through the mischance of the naval action, arrived late, came under heavy fire. They were led by Lieutenant-Commander C. L. Corke, R.N.V.R., covered by the fire of Motor Launch 346, which subsequently engaged and drove ashore a small armed German tanker, the “Franz.” Lieutenant-Commander Corke was soon mortally wounded, his coxswain killed and the wheel taken by a private soldier. The troops were landed from the craft, which was in a sinking condition.

Lieutenant-Commander Corke gave orders for the wounded to be transferred to another craft; but he, a dying man, would endanger no man’s life, and so he remained where he was alone and went down with his ship … ‘ In common with Lieutenant-Commander C. L. Corke, Barnes has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

466

X The important Second War Operation ‘Pedestal’ D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Acting Bombardier R. H. H. Labern, Royal Artillery, 4th Maritime A.A. Regiment (R.A.), who commanded a Bofors section aboard the stricken tanker Ohio Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (6202472 R. H. H. Labern. A/Bmbdr. R.A.) impressed naming; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (7) £8,000-£10,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, February 2015.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Just 51 D.S.M.s were awarded to Gunners of the Royal Artillery for services in Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships in the 1939-45 War.

Her Master, of course, was awarded the George Cross, the citation for which honour makes specific mention of his ship’s gunners:

D.S.M. London Gazette 8 December 1942: ‘For bravery while serving in Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships on passage to Malta.’

‘During the passage to Malta of an important convoy Captain Mason’s ship suffered most violent onslaught. She was a focus of attack throughout and was torpedoed early one night. Although gravely damaged, her engines were kept going and the Master made a magnificent passage by handsteering and without a compass. The ship’s gunners helped to bring down one of the attacking aircraft.

The vessel was hit again before morning, but though she did not sink, her engine room was wrecked. She was then towed. The unwieldy condition of the vessel and persistent enemy attacks made progress slow, and it was uncertain whether she would remain afloat. All next day progress somehow continued and the ship reached Malta after a further night at sea. The violence of the enemy could not deter the Master from his purpose. Throughout he showed skill and courage of the highest order and it was due to his determination that, in spite of the most persistent enemy opposition, the vessel, with her valuable cargo, eventually reached Malta and was safely berthed’ (London Gazette 8 September 1942 refers).

The original recommendation, for an immediate D.C.M., states: ‘During the recent passage of a convoy to Malta, Bombardier Labern was Detachment Commander of a Bofors Gun on the M.V. Ohio.

During a submarine attack a torpedo struck the vessel and caused a fire to break out on deck. Bombardier Labern organised the men under his command into a firefighting party and in the face of great danger succeeded in extinguishing the fire. The ship was dive-bombed and attacked by E-Boats on numerous occasions. Throughout this N.C.O. stood by his gun and showed great personal courage.’

Out of 161 D.E.M.S. Gunners employed in Operation ‘Pedestal’ 28 were killed in action.

Reginald Henry Holswatt Labern was ultimately awarded the D.S.M., an award approved by the Vice-Admiral Malta, no doubt on the back of the above quoted statement made by Captain W. D. Mason, G.C. He received his decoration at an investiture held in February 1944.

The importance of Operation ‘Pedestal’ needs no introduction here, Winston Churchill himself requesting regular updates as to the convoy’s progress, but for the record’s sake it is worth registering the bare facts: of the 14 merchantmen that set out, nine were sunk and three damaged, while the Senior Service’s input of 59 escorts, the largest such force ever assembled in defence of a convoy, sustained losses of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser and a destroyer, as well as having another half a dozen ships damaged.

But of all the participating vessels, it was the tanker Ohio that captured the headlines, her survival and vital cargo of fuel allowing Malta to continue her grim defence. In the final 60 hours of her epic voyage, prior to her triumphant entry into Valetta on 15 August 1942, she received no less than seven direct hits and 20 near-misses.

The Ohio, an oil tanker built for the Texas Oil Company in 1940, first arrived in U.K. waters in June 1942, soon after which she was turned over to a British crew under the auspices of the British Eagle Oil and Shipping Company, for she was already earmarked for the Malta-run.

Her new Master was Dudley Mason, in command of 77 men, no less than 24 of them R.N. and Army Gunners to man the tanker’s newly installed 5-inch A. A. gun aft and a 3-inch A.A. gun in the bows, in addition to an array of Oerlikon guns.

Captain Mason having attended a special conference, Ohio departed the Clyde with her fellow ‘Pedestal’ merchantmen and a naval escort on 2 August 1942, the tanker laden with 11,500 tons of kerosene and diesel fuel oils. Gibraltar was reached without incident on the 10th, but thereafter, the convoy entered the “killing zone”, an early casualty being the aircraft carrier Eagle, torpedoed on the 11th with a loss of 260 officers and men. From now on the merchantmen, and Ohio in particular, were subjected to relentless attack, from U-Boats and

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Italian submarines, the Luftwaffe and Regio Aeronautica, and from Axis surface vessels.

On 12 August a combined enemy force of 100 aircraft struck at the merchantmen, the likes of Labern and his fellow D.E.M.S. Gunners undoubtedly being kept busy, but Ohio ultimately fell victim to the Italian submarine Axum, which delivered an accurate torpedo attack amidst the chaos and carnage of the ongoing air strike. Ohio was hit amidships, a huge column of flame leaping high-up above mast level.

The resultant damage included a hole in her port side, measuring 24 by 27 feet, a gaping hole in her buckled deck, and the loss of steering gear and compass. No less concerning was the kerosene seeping through the damaged tanks. Here, then, as cited, the moment Labern and his men fought the blaze, while Mason and his crew rigged up emergency steering gear from aft, the tanker even reaching 13 knots, fortuitous progress given pending events.

Nearing Pantelleria, Ohio was marked out for the special attention of 60 Stukas, bombs and machine-gun fire raking her decks, the 3-inch A.A. gun in the bows being put out of action but Labern and the D.E.M.S. Gunners breaking up some of the approaching formations and downing at least one enemy aircraft, the wreckage of which crashed into Ohio’s starboard side, half of one wing smashing into the upper work of the bridge. But the enemy aircraft kept on coming, two sticks of bombs straddling the tanker and lifting her clean out of the water and others stopping her engines on two occasions, the resultant periods of “restarting” leaving her a sitting duck. In fact, at one stage, most of the crew were taken off by H.M.S. Penn, only to be returned the following day when it was decided to take the stricken tanker in tow. Yet again, however, the Ohio was hit, a bomb falling near the original damage caused her by the Axum’s torpedo strike and reducing her to 4 or 5 knots; a preliminary damage report revealed that she had almost certainly broken her back.

This attack marked the final chapter in Ohio’s epic journey, the moment her Naval escorts stuck to her yet closer, the Penn taking up station on her starboard side to try and stabilise her and assist

the process of getting her under tow. But progress was slow and Axis aircraft rarely out of sight, yet another hit buckling Ohio’s stern plates and breaking the tow. Her decks now awash amidships, she was around 45 miles from Malta, a distance that finally brought some respite from incessant air attack, for she was now within range of the Island’s Spitfires. The destroyers Bramham, Ledbury and Penn now took turns in cradling the Ohio to port and starboard, or in directing her steering from astern, and at length the little flotilla came within range of Malta’s shore batteries, a timely development given prowling E-Boats.

Finally, in the early evening of the 15th, after having edged her way around a British minefield, the Ohio was towed into Grand Harbour, Valetta to a spectacular reception, crowds cheering from the ramparts of St. Angelo, Senglea and the Barracca Gardens, and the Royal Marines Band performing an unforgettable rendition of ‘Rule Britannia’ from the end of the harbour’s mole. Somehow oblivious to the crowds and noise, Captain Dudley Mason and his extraordinary crew remained very much on the alert, for there remained grave concern that the crippled ship might yet end up at the bottom of Grand Harbour. In the event, she reached her berth, where her valuable cargo was quickly discharged, her keel eventually settling on the bottom as the last gallon of her fuel was extracted.

In addition to Dudley Mason’s George Cross, Ohio’s crew were awarded a D.S.O., six D.S.C.s, and eight D.S.M.s.

Labern’s D.E.M.S. service record reveals that he had earlier been employed as a gunner in assorted ships on home convoy duties in the period March 1941 to June 1942, in which latter month he removed to the Ohio. Following ‘Pedestal’ he was retained in Malta for services in a Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, prior to being embarked for Alexandria in July 1943. Having then undertaken further voyages, including a run to Bombay at the end of 1943, he returned to the U.K. in January 1944.

Sold with an original embroidered Maritime A.A. Regiment uniform patch, together with copied research.

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467

X The rare and outstanding battle of the Atlantic D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Chief Engine Room Artificer D. ‘Don’ Portree, Royal Canadian Navy, who was decorated for his gallant deeds in H.M.C.S. Assiniboine in August 1942, when she engaged, rammed and sunk the U-210. The action was captured in a remarkable series of photographs taken by an embarked official war correspondent and historian, an action marked by the extraordinary belligerence of the U-boat’s crew, several of whom loudly ‘Heiled’ on being rescued and brought aboard Assiniboine: not to be outdone, it is said that Canadian celebratory yells on getting their ‘kill’ probably ‘frightened U-boats’ as far as 10 miles away Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (21972 D. Portree, E.R.A.4, R.C.N.) impressed naming; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, 1 copy clasp, France and Germany; Defence Medal, Canadian issue in silver; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver; Canadian Forces Decoration, E. II.R. (CPO 1/c D Portree) mounted as worn, good very fine (7) £3,000-£4,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

The fire aboard H.M.S. Assiniboine which Don Portree fought

One of approximately 100 awards of the D.S.M. to the Royal Canadian Navy.

corvettes, the whole charged with protecting the 33 participating merchantmen. In the event, 11 of them were sunk.

D.S.M. London Gazette 22 December 1942: ‘For services in action with enemy submarines while serving in H.M. Canadian Ships.’

On the morning of 6 August 1942, U-210 was sighted by Assiniboine’s lookout at 1125 hours, a few miles away on the convoy’s starboard bow. Increasing speed, she hastened towards the surfaced U-boat which dived after three salvoes from her guns.

Assiniboine’s then delivered three depth charge attacks, following which U-210 was sighted again at 1712 hours, surfaced about half a mile away, in the shifting and sometimes dense fog.

Donald Portree was born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1911 but later made his way east, ‘riding the rails’ during the depression. By 1940 he had settled with his wife in Hamilton, where he was working as a moulder at Dominion Foundries. Having then joined the Royal Canadian Navy, he was serving as an Engine Room Artificer in the destroyer H.M.C.S. Assiniboine by 1942.

Assiniboine’s subsequent action with U-210 is well-documented, both in words and in photographs, due to her having embarked an official war correspondent and historian; the images used here are courtesy of the Department of National Defence/National Archives of Canada In August 1942, Assiniboine was detailed to act as escort to convoy SC-94, bound from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, to the U.K. Lieutenant-Commander J. H. Stubbs, R.C.N., commanding Assiniboine, had the largest and fastest ship amongst the accompanying escort of three R.N. and three R.C.N.

A wild goose chase ensued, the destroyer and U-boat darting in and out of the fog patches, with Stubbs being unable to bring his 4.7-inch guns to bear on the target. Finally, however, Assiniboine got so close that only her secondary armament was able to depress sufficiently to bear on the twisting U-boat, her half-inch calibre machine-guns desperately trying to compete with the U-boat’s torrent of 37mm. and 20mm. fire. Hits were achieved by both sides, German sailors being swept from the boat’s casing in rushing to man the guns, but themselves getting hits on Assiniboine’s bridge and forward gun positions, killing one gunner, and wounding thirteen others.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

U-210 is captured on camera from H.M.S. Assiniboine

A fire fed by gasoline stored on Assiniboine’s upper deck took hold, starboard of the wheelhouse, and the ship’s coxswain, Chief Petty Officer Bernays, ordered two members of his team to go out and fight the flames. One of them was Chief Engine Room Artificer Don Portree, who was flipped over the ship’s rails when the pressure suddenly surged through his fire hose. Holding on for dear life, he was at length hauled back aboard, and by the time Assiniboine’s First Lieutenant, Ralph Hennessy, arrived on the scene, he found that Portree and Chief Torpedoman Burgess were well underway in fighting the fire.

Stubbs, meanwhile, continued his battle with the U-boat, dropping more depth charges but without result. Finally, he was able to move off and bring his 4.7-inch guns to bear, obtaining a hit on the

submarine’s bridge which killed the German captain. And when the U-210 commenced to dive, Stubbs was at last able to ram her just behind the conning tower. Yet, in an extraordinary act of belligerence the U-boat resurfaced and resumed firing her 20mm. gun. Once again Assiniboine’s 4-7-inch guns got stuck in, whilst Stubbs circled and rammed, this time convincingly so: U-210 was finished, slipping beneath the waves for a final time.

In concluding his official report, Captain Stubbs stated: ‘I turned as quickly as possible to find him surfacing again but slightly down by the stern, still firing and making about 10 knots.

After a little manoeuvring, we rammed him again well abaft the conning tower and fired a shallow pattern of depth charges as we

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

passed. Also one 4.7″ shell from “Y” Gun scored a direct hit on his bows. He sank by the head in about two minutes.

Dianthus appeared out of the fog just in time to see him go. The yell that went up from both ships must have frightened U-boats for about 10 miles in the vicinity.

Ten prisoners were picked up by Assiniboine, 8 by Dianthus, six of which were later transferred to Assiniboine. While they were being separated the prisoners “Heiled” several times at the top of their voices. When received onboard, officers, of which there were two, and ratings, were segregated.

Casualties sustained amounted to one rating killed, one officer and twelve ratings wounded. Ship’s plating was punctured in dozens of places on the water line, gun shields, bridge, range finder, funnels and searchlight platform. Several bullets penetrated to the wheel house, which probably accounts for the lack of track charts for this particular period.

All compartments below the waterline, aft to the provision room were flooded, and extra shores were placed. A./S. and R.D.F. were out of action as well as gun circuits and certain lighting circuits. It is notable that two of the most delicate instruments in the ship, the plot and the gyro, remained intact. In view of all this I decided the ship must return to St. John’s forthwith … ‘ The gallant actions of Assiniboine’s crew were duly rewarded: in fact, in terms of a single action, the ship became one of the most decorated in the history of the Royal Canadian Navy: Stubbs received the D.S.O., his First Lieutenant the D.S.C., the coxswain the C.G.M. (one of just two such awards to the R.C.N. in the last war), and Portree and three others the D.S.M. Fourteen of the crew were mentioned in despatches, too.

Portree received his D.S.M. at an investiture held in July 1943 and returned to Hamilton after the war. He died there in 1994.

Sold with copied research.

A remarkable photograph of Assiniboine ramming the U-210 for a second time

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468X

The extremely rare Second War ‘V.C. action’ honorary D.S.M. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant E. Obelkevitch, United States Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry in the famous assault on Oran harbour in November 1942, when he saved numerous lives aboard the stricken ex-U.S. cutter H.M.S. Hartland Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Mr. E. Obelkevitch. Gnr. U.S.N. H.M.S. Hartland.) impressed naming; U.S.A., Medal for Military Merit; U.S.A., Purple Heart; U.S.A., Navy Long Service; U.S.A., Defense; U.S.A., Campaign; U.S.A., European, African and Middle East Campaign,with three bronze stars; U.S.A., War Medal, these seven American awards added for display purposes and mounted for display in precedence to the D.S.M., extremely fine (8) £4,000-£5,000 Just 17 honorary awards of the D.S.M. were made to the United States Navy in the Second World War.

Zeebrugge’ the assault on Oran resulted in terrible casualties, both Hartland and Walney being sunk by a torrent of point-blank fire.

Such awards were not gazetted but the original recommendation signed by Admiral of the Fleet ‘ABC’ Cunningham at Algiers on 13 October 1943 states:

In his book The Turn of the Road, ex-naval officer Sir Lewis Ritchie describes the unfolding scene of carnage as Hartland came under withering fire, and pays tribute to Obelkevitch’s gallant deeds:

‘On 8 November 1942, H.M.S. Hartland, flying the British and United States Ensigns, entered Oran under heavy fire in an attempt to prevent the sabotage of the port.

‘In the meanwhile, Hartland had been picked up in the searchlight and came under a devastating fire from the shore battery. The entire guns’ crews were wiped out and a steam pipe was severed, drowning everything in the noise of escaping steam. The Captain was temporarily blinded by a splinter and wounded in the leg, and before he could recover, Hartland struck the breakwater.

Regaining the sight of one eye, he put the engines astern and manoeuvred his ship through the entrance, heading her for the appointed objective; this brought Hartland under point-blank fire from a French destroyer. Shells burst in the motor-room and all power failed; they also burst in the spaces where troops were waiting assembled to land, transforming them into a shambles.

With fires raging fore and aft, Hartland’s way carried her alongside the mole. Lieutenant-Commander Dickey, U.S.N., calling on his men to follow him, leaped ashore to attempt to seize a trawler alongside. Only one unwounded man was able to follow him. The dead lay heaped so thick on the upper deck that the wounded could not get at the hoses to fight the fires. The First Lieutenant, Lieutenant V. A. Hickson, R.N., made a gallant effort to pass a wire

Gunner Obelkevitch was leader of a boarding party. When this unit was wiped out by the explosion of a shell, he attempted to organise a hopeless attempt to extinguish the fires. His courage and initiative were an outstanding example and inspiration. He was ultimately instrumental in saving many lives of wounded men and remained on board after the deck was red hot and the ship in danger of blowing up at any moment.’

Edward Obelkevitch was born in Dickson City, Pennsylvania on 13 August 1900, and joined the United States Navy in December 1918. A Gunner (T.) by the time of the Second World War, he was appointed to command a boarding party from the ex-U.S. cutter H.M.S. Hartland in the famous attack on the port of Oran on 8 November 1942, for which action Captain F. T. Peters, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N., overall commander of the operation in H.M.S. Walney, was awarded the Victoria Cross. Described as a ‘miniature

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II ashore, but there was no one left to man it effectively. The wind now caught the ship and she began to drift helplessly out into the harbour. Lieutenant Hickson blundered forward through a tempest of machine-gun bullets and let go the anchor.

The flames, funnel-high, lit the White Ensign and “Old Glory” at peak and masthead above the careless sprawling dead, and tinged the smoke rolling away to leeward across the quiet waters of the harbour with a fierce and bloody glare. As if appalled at the sight of this blazing sacrifice, the French at last ceased fire.

Then, and not until then, Lieutenant-Commander Billot gave the order to abandon ship. The deck was red hot: blinded with blood and twice more wounded, he clung to the rail, summoning strength to leave the ship. Lieutenant E. G. Lawrence, R.N.V.R., and Gunner Obelkevitch, U.S.N., who had fought the fires almost single-handed to the last, swam ashore, seized the French trawler’s dingy by force, paddled her with floorboards back to where their Captain clung to a scramble net. They hauled him into the boat and he urged them in a whisper to pull for the open sea and freedom.

He was fainting from his wounds; they had only the floorboards with which to row and were covered in every direction by rifles and machine-guns … they were taken prisoner as they landed.’

Obelkevitch was held by the Vichy-French until the advancing Allies liberated him a few days later, following which he was promoted to Chief Gunner and awarded the British D.S.M. A qualified diver, he was subsequently commissioned Lieutenant and served out the war as a salvage officer.

Obelkevitch retired from the U.S. Navy in April 1949, and died in California in March 1971.

Sold with extensive copied research.

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469

X The poignant Second War D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Chief Petty Officer S. H. ‘Sam’ Dixon, Royal Navy, for his gallantry in H.M. submarine Splendid; one of those lucky to survive her loss in April 1943 when 18 of his shipmates succumbed to shellfire in the water, he was himself killed when Allied aircraft strafed a P.O.W. transport train in April 1945 Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (JX. 125574 S. H. Dixon. P.O.) impressed naming; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-39 (JX. 125574 S. H. Dixon. A/P.O. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 194243; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue (JX. 125574, S. H. Dixon. D.S.M. C.P.O. H.M.S. Pembroke.) mounted as worn, the last largely officially re-impressed, nearly extremely fine (7)

£2,000-£2,400 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, July 2003.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.M. London Gazette 6 April 1943: ‘For bravery in successful submarine patrols.’

The original recommendation states: ‘For consistent zeal and devotion to duty during three successful patrols in which two enemy destroyers, three merchant ships totalling 10,000 tons, two A./S. schooners and one A./S. trawler were sunk. During these patrols ten torpedo attacks have been carried out, five of which were on screened targets. He displayed particular coolness and skill in firing a salvo of torpedoes shortly after depth charges had been dropped during an attack on a convoy.’

Samuel Hughes Dixon was born in Chesterton, Staffordshire, on 4 October 1910, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in December 1925. Having then seen service in assorted surface vessels before the war, including operations off Palestine, he was advanced to Petty Officer in the cruiser H.M.S. Dragon in August 1939.

In February 1942, however, he transferred to the ‘Silent Service’, passing his D.S.E.A. course that February and being rated as a Petty Officer Torpedo Gunner’s Mate. His initial postings were to the L. 26 and H. 50, but in October 1942 he joined a newly built ‘S’ class submarine, the P. 228, afterwards named Splendid.

Splendid’s first destination was Gibraltar, where she joined the 8th Submarine Flotilla under the command of Lieutenant I. McGeoch, R.N. (afterwards Vice-Admiral Sir Ian McGeogh, K.C.B., D.S.O., D.S.C., who later published a full account of Splendid’s wartime career in An Affair of Chances, in which he pays tribute to the likes of Dixon.

Splendid’s wartime career was certainly an eventful one, her opening five war patrols accounting for more tanker and supply ship tonnage than any other submarine for the period November 1942 to April 1943. The total tonnage of six escorted supply ships, including two tankers, sunk by torpedo, was 26,424, and one ship of 3576 tons by gunfire, notwithstanding the two Italian destroyers and A./S. ships sunk or damaged, as per Dixon’s recommendation. One of these destroyers was the Aviere, sunk off Bizerta on 17 December 1942.

And throughout these operations, Dixon, a vital member of Splendid’s team, remained, in the words of his Captain, a ‘calm and utterly reliable torpedo expert .. one of the finest men I was privileged to be shipmates with .. I certainly recommended him for a decoration .. he richly deserved it.’

Splendid met her end in the course of her sixth patrol on 21 April 1943. McGeogh had been summoned to the control room as hydrophone effect noises had been heard, and a quick look through the periscope revealed an enemy destroyer. An attack sequence was immediately started but the enemy destroyer was on Splendid before any torpedoes could be fired. Her attack was prolonged and accurate and McGeogh took the submarine down to 300 feet to avoid the depth charges but to no avail. The enemy’s final attack caused massive damage to the submarine, leaving it suspended in the water at 500 feet, with her stern down by an angle of 20 degrees or more. The only available option was to blow the main ballast, and after an agonising wait Splendid moved towards the surface, accelerating at the end as she leapt out of the water to lie helpless on the surface.

McGeogh gave the order to abandon ship, all 48 crew getting out of the submarine, but the enemy destroyer, now about a mile away, continued to engage with her main and secondary armaments and 18 men were killed. Splendid had a jammed rudder and her one remaining motor had driven her round in a wide sweep, suggesting to the enemy that she was getting into position for an attack. Dixon and his captain were among those who were afterwards picked up by the enemy destroyer, a ship that transpired to be the ex-Greek Navy, British-built Hermes, but now, of course, crewed by Germans.

A full account of this incident, and of Splendid’s wartime patrols, may be found in McGeogh’s An Affair of Chances, published by the Imperial War Museum in 1991; apart from several references to Dixon, the book contains a photograph of her crew at Algiers, taken in February 1943.

Dixon, who was originally held as a P.O.W. in Italy but later transferred to Stalag VIII at Gorlitz, was killed in a strafing attack on a transport train by Allied Mustangs near Halberstadt on 19 February 1945. He left a widow in Folkestone and is buried in the Berlin War Cemetery.

Note: As verified by his certificate of service, his Royal Navy L.S. & G.C. medal was issued posthumously in July 1951, hence it being a G.VI.R. 2nd issue, and officially re-impressed from an un-issued medal.

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470X

The fine Second War Coastal Forces D.S.M. group of six awarded to Leading Seaman J. J. Phillips, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who was decorated for his deeds as a Coxswain in a brilliant night action in the Channel in March 1943, when M.G.B. 333 accounted for two E-boats, one of them by ramming at high speed: such was the calibre of the bravery displayed that night that five members of 333’s crew were decorated and three more mentioned in despatches Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (DX.1349 J. Phillips. L. Sea.), impressed naming; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (1349 J. J. Phillips. A.B. R.N.V.R.) mounted court-style for display, extremely fine (6) £2,400-£2,800

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, March 2007.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 June 1943: ‘For skill and gallantry in action with enemy light forces.’

A brief account of the action for which Phillips was decorated appears in Dog Boats at War by Leonard C. Reynolds, O.B.E., D.S.C.: ‘On 28-29 March 1943, it was one of the customary defensive patrols that brought the opportunity for confrontation with the E-boats against which, night after night, the boats lay in wait ready to repel their attacks. Lt. D. G. Bradford. R.N.R., was leading the unit in his own 333, with 321 (Lt. P. L. Stobo, R.N.V.R.) in company. While lying ‘cut’ (i.e. stopped with engines not running to enable a listening watch for E-boat engines), he suddenly heard them, started up, intercepted their course and having sighted them, tracked a line of five moving slowly. Why so slow, he could not fathom. He was able to approach very close, pour a broadside into the last in line, and then take on the next ahead. Stobo in 321 had gone after the others, so Bradford decided to ram, and sheared off the last twenty feet of her hull, which broke away. He circled back and could find little trace of either E-boat, so chased off to find the first three. When he found them stopped in a group, he opened fire and they were away at full speed. A group of prisoners of war later admitted that their E-boat, S. 29, had been scuttled after action damage from British M.G.Bs’.

Phillips’ C.O. that night, Lieutenant D. G. “Don” Bradford, R.N.R., would later command the 31st and 55th M.T.B. Flotillas, and ended the War as one of the most decorated officers in Light Coastal Forces, having won the D.S.O., three D.S.Cs and a brace of “mentions”. A colourful character by any standards, his pre-war career included service as ‘an Adjutant in the Bolivian Army during the Gran Chaco War and as an Ensign in a cavalry regiment of the International Brigade in Spain, and in both he had been wounded’.

Perhaps it is not surprising, therefore, that Phillips would recall that his skipper had ‘a revolver stuck in his belt’ on the night of 28-29 March 1943, and that ‘around the bridge lay Mills bombs and cutlasses’. As Peter Scott would put it in his Battle of the Narrow Seas, ‘fighting was in his blood’.

Joseph John Phillips, who joined the R.N.V.R. in Bristol in 1935, commenced his wartime career with an appointment in the cruiser H.M.S. Diomede, then employed on northern patrols. In early 1941, however, he volunteered for Light Coastal Forces, and joined M.L. 451 that March, in which motor launch he served for 12 months, operating out of Immingham, Lincolnshire, on air sea rescue patrols. Then in July 1942, he joined M.G.B. 333 as her coxswain, the commencement of an eventful operational commission under “Don” Bradford, but one that came to a halt when he was “busted” down to Able Seaman for being found drunk at sea - but not before winning his D.S.M. for the above related action off Smith’s Knoll. Phillips subsequently joined M.T.B. 702 at the end of 1943, as a Gunner on one of her 6-pounders, but had reclaimed his Coxswain’s post in the same boat by the war’s end. He received his L.S. & G.C. medal in 1945 and was demobbed in October of the same year.

Sold with a photograph of Phillips and his two brothers, and a hand-written résumé of his career.

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471X

The outstanding Second War submariner’s D.S.M. and Bar group of seven awarded to Leading Seaman D. Duckers, Royal Navy, who completed at least 35 war patrols as H.S.D. operator and senior ASDIC rating in H.M. submarines United and Tapir Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar (JX.213687 D. Duckers, A.B.) impressed naming; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp North Africa 1942-43; Burma Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted court-style for display, good very fine or better (7) £4,000-£5,000 D.S.M. London Gazette 12 October 1943: ‘For courage, resolution and skill successful patrols in H.M. Submarines.’

The original recommendation for an Immediate Bar to the D.S.M. states:

The original recommendation for an immediate award states:

‘Leading Seaman (H.S.D.) Donald Duckers, H.M. S/M. Tapir. For outstanding skill as H.S.D. operator in an attack on a German U-boat, in first detecting the U-boat and subsequently providing most accurate information of its movements which helped materially in its destruction. For consistent efficiency of a very high order in running his department, and for consistent cheerfulness and courage during 36 patrols in war.’

‘For skill and outstanding devotion to duty as senior Asdic rating of the submarine during 17 consecutive patrols in the Mediterranean.

Throughout this time he has conducted himself with unfailing good spirits under at times the most arduous conditions. When United was once forced to remain submerged for over 36 hours and was hunted continuously throughout the night for 13 hours, this rating remained closed up at the Asdic set for 13 hours without relief and by his coolness, vigilance and efficient operating, played a major part in the successful evasion of the enemy. He has frequently materially assisted in the success of attacks by providing an accurate estimation of the enemy’s speed by their revolutions and has invariably displayed the utmost coolness during enemy counter attacks.’

D.S.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 19 June 1945: ‘For courage, endurance and outstanding skill in successful patrols whilst serving in H.M. Submarines.’

The covering remarks of the Rear Admiral commanding 3rd Submarine Flotilla state: ‘Fully concur with remarks of Commanding Officer. An experienced rating whose technical skill undoubtedly greatly assisted the Commanding Officer to bring the attack to a successful conclusion. The reasons given for the shortness of the list of recommendations are entirely concurred in; the chief credit for this very fine attack must go to Lieutenant J. C. Y. Roxburgh, D.S.O., D.S.C., Royal Navy, and his Asdic operator.’

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II Donald Duckers was born in Manchester on 5 July 1913, and educated at Bury Grammar School prior to finding employment as a salesman for a paper firm in Liverpool. On entering the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman in August 1940, he volunteered for submarines and, having passed his training course, joined the Tigris in March 1941. In her he participated in operations in Arctic waters, including a successful patrol which accounted for five enemy transports and another severely damaged, the latter laden with supplies for the Murmansk front. His C.O., Commander H. F. Bone, D.S.O., D.S.C., was presented with a young reindeer by a grateful Russian Admiral, gift and crew safely returning home to their depot ship.

In February 1942, Duckers removed to the P. 44 (a.k.a. United) as one of her H.S.D. operators, the commencement of a memorable tour of operations in the Mediterranean with the famous ‘Fighting Tenth’ Flotilla, his first D.S.M. reflecting service in 17 war patrols, the whole under the command of John Roxburgh, D.S.O., D.S.C. During that period United accounted for the Italian submarine Remo in the Gulf of Taranto on 15 July 1943, four merchantmen and three schooners, in addition to damaging others. She was also credited with the probable destruction of the Italian destroyer Bombardiere west of Sicily on 17 January 1943.

Extensive coverage of United’s exploits can be found in John Wingate’s The Fighting Tenth, the author having been her First Lieutenant during Ducker’s time aboard. A hair-raising run-in with some E-boats, in which Duckers’ skills as the Asdic operator were in much demand is just one of many extraordinary encounters related by Wingate, encounters that more often than not resulted in punishing depth charge attacks, on one occasion for a duration of 13 hours.

But there were lighter moments, such as the occasion Roxburgh received a signal informing him of the safe arrival of a daughter, news that prompted the running up of the ‘stork flag’ to accompany United’s ‘Jolly Roger’ – a plain white sheet with a black stork carrying a baby in its beak.

Duckers, who received his D.S.M. at a Buckinghamshire Palace investiture in November 1943, accompanied Roxburgh to his next command, the recently launched Tapir in October 1944. And it was more or less between them that they plotted the destruction of the U-486 off Bergen on 12 April 1945, thereby winning the accolade of being among the handful of naval personnel to have successfully participated in a ‘sub-on-sub’ encounter; a full account of the action appears in Geoff Jones’s Submarines versus U-boats.

The U-486 had sunk the troopship S.S. Leopoldville off Cherbourg on 30 December 1944. Crammed with 2235 American troops from 66th Infantry Division, 763 soldiers were killed, making it the heaviest loss an American Infantry Division suffered from a U-boat attack during the war.

Awarded a Bar to his D.S.M., Duckers departed Tapir in September 1945 and was demobbed in January 1946.

Sold with an impressive array of original documentation and photographs, including the recipient’s Asdic Operator’s Log covering the period September 1942 to August 1943 in United, and likewise for Tapir in the period March to August 1945; his Certificate of Service and Submarine Detector History Sheet, the last date stamped at Portsmouth on 27 January 1941; Admiralty letter informing him of his award of the Bar to his D.S.M., dated 26 June 1945; a dozen or so wartime photographs, including excellent crew and ‘Jolly Roger’ images, assorted newspaper cuttings, and correspondence with John Roxburgh, his old skipper.

Duckers on left by gun barrel

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472

X The Second War submariner’s D.S.M. group of four awarded to Stoker 1st Class R. E. W. Currell, Royal Navy, who died on the occasion of the loss of H.M.S. Parthian in the Mediterranean in August 1943 Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (KX.107159 R. E. W. Currell. Sto.) impressed naming; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, nearly xtremely fine (4) £1,400-£1,800 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 1999.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.M. London Gazette 7 September 1943: ‘For bravery and skill in successful patrols in H.M. Submarine Parthian.’

The original recommendation states: ‘This man has at all times performed his duty at sea with great efficiency. His reliable character and cheerfulness rendered valuable assistance in evading a severe depth charge attack.’

Ronald Ernest William Currell was born in Southwark, London, on 19 February 1920. Already associated with matters nautical, being a capstan fitter on the outbreak of hostilities, young Currell volunteered for the ‘Silent Service’ in January 1941. Duly qualified and rated as a Stoker, he joined the submarine H.M.S. Parthian in August 1941, then under Lieutenant-Commander M. G. Rimington, D.S.O., R.N. Parthian, however, was on her way to the U.S.A. for a major refit and did not return to sea until February 1942, this time under Lieutenant-Commander D. St. Clair-Ford, R.N. Currell’s subsequent award of the D.S.M. was made in respect of Parthian’s war patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean in the period July 1942 to June 1943, when she was commanded not only by St. Clair-Ford, R.N. but also by Lieutenant M. B. St. John, R.N. Under St. Clair-Ford, Parthian was engaged on the Malta supply run, carrying aviation fuel and ammunition to the beleaguered island, in addition to numerous passengers and, on one occasion, ‘a dachshund dog for the Princess Ali Khan’. Such patrols, at least six of them in the period leading up to November, were undertaken from Gibraltar and Beirut and in the last of them St. Clair-Ford attacked an Italian merchantman. In retaliation, a gunboat escort dropped 23 depth charges, some of them close enough to cause damage. Later in the same month, command of the Parthian devolved to Lieutenant M. B. St. John, D.S.C., R.N., who carried out a flurry of successful patrols in the Aegean in the new year. In one of them, in March-April 1943, Parthian boarded a number of caiques, some of which were afterwards destroyed by gunfire, and bombarded a resin factory in the Gulf of Kassandra. On the latter occasion, according to a

wartime newspaper report, ‘storage tanks blew up and huge pieces of metal rose three hundred feet into the air before crashing through the roofs of nearby warehouses. The crew shot accurately and deliberately for an hour, and when they left fires were blazing fiercely and dense clouds of smoke stretched for fifteen miles downwind.’

During her third patrol, in April-May 1943, a 50-ton caique was sunk by gunfire off the island of Kos. Later, however, Parthian paid dearly for a brave but inconclusive gunfight with an escort vessel in the Dorso Channel, when opposing ships dropped some 70 depth charges. Here, then, surely, the moment referred to in the recommendation for Currell’s D.S.M. Lucky to escape that episode with relatively minor damage, she went on to execute a successful bombardment of the Salonica railway line at Heraklion, her guns destroying or damaging a number of railway trucks, station buildings, and a signal box, in addition to two caiques. At length, after a rating gun-layer had been mortally wounded, she was compelled to dive. In his official report on the action Lieutenant St. John noted that ‘everyone on the bridge got peppered with splinters … and a whole bullet fell out of the First Lieutenant’s trousers at breakfast next morning.’

Parthian’s activities also included clandestine work, a patrol in early May 1943 incorporating the landing of three embarked passengers at Makri Yalo Bay on the south-east coast of Crete on the night of the 2nd. They were likely operatives of the I.S.L.D., M.I. 6’s Middle Eastern section.

In late June 1943, Lieutenant C. A. Pardoe, R.N.R., assumed command of Parthian but, after one patrol, she was lost with all hands on, or about 11 August 1943, most likely a victim of a mine.

Currell was just 23 years old at the time of his death. The son of James and Florence Currell of Burnt Oak, Middlesex, he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

Sold with a file of copied research.

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473

X The Second War Salerno and Anzio Landings D.S.C. group of nine awarded to Boatswain Harry Ashworth, Royal Navy Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse dated 1944; British War and Victory Medals (J.57994 H. Ashworth.

Boy 1 R.N.) the B.W.M. renamed; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage head (J.57994 H. Ashworth, P.O. H.M.S. Bridgewater) mounted as worn, the Great War pair polished, fine, otherwise better than very fine (9) £1,200-£1,600 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 1999.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.S.C. London Gazette 1 August 1944: ‘For outstanding courage, leadership, resource and determination during the assault on Anzio and in subsequent bombardments in support of the Army, and in maintaining an unbroken flow of supplies which accomplished the building up of the beach-head despite bombing, mining and bombardment by shore batteries.’

The following recommendation was extracted from Admiralty records: ‘Recommendations for awards to officers and ratings who have served in L.S.T. (Landing Ship Troops) in the Mediterranean from the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, until the completion of the build-up of the Anzio beach head in April 1944. During the landing operations on the Sicilian and Italian coasts L.S.T. were employed for the first time in large numbers and due to the fine spirit shown by their crews, more than came up to my expectations. During their stay in the Mediterranean these ships have been continuously employed on ferrying troops and stores to the forward areas and can justly claim credit for having kept the Armies fully supplied during these critical months. Their finest achievement has been the build-up of the Anzio beach head where despite enemy bombing, mining and bombardment, stores averaging five to six thousand tons daily have been discharged.

Mr Harry Ashworth, Boatswain, R.N., Party “Chain” (2) - Operation Husky, Avalanche & Shingle. Was launched with his party onto Salerno and Anzio beaches with a pontoon causeway. His courage and fearlessness inspired his party of young seamen to work in the causeway in spite of shell-fire and air attacks, extending over a period of 10 and 30 days.’

Harry Ashworth was born on 30 January 1901, at Shardlow, Derby, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 25 August 1916. He served afloat during the war aboard Impregnable and Colossus. Appointed Temporary Boatswain (Acting) on 9 November 1940, Harry Ashworth served aboard H.M.S. Prince Leopold during the commando raid on Vaagso, Norway, in January 1941. He was appointed to H.M.S. Hannibal, base at Algiers, on 12 April 1943, for Sea Transport Duties, and took part in the Sicily and Italy landings.

He was invested with his D.S.C. at Buckingham Palace on 16 October 1945, and retired with the rank of Lieutenant on 1 October 1953.

Sold with copied recommendation and record of service.

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474X

The exceptional Second War D-Day Immediate D.S.M. group of five awarded to Stoker 1st Class W. G. Ingram, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his services in L.C.A. 722, which was damaged by enemy fire when landing U.S. Rangers on Pointe Du Hoc, four miles west of Omaha Beach, where the Rangers were tasked with destroying a German coastal battery of six 155mm. howitzers

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Sto. 1 W. G. Ingram. P/KX.179183) officially engraved naming; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, good very fine (5) £2,400-£2,800

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Provenance: Noble Auctions, Sydney, April 2005.

D.S.M. London Gazette 28 November 1944: ‘For gallantry, skill, determination and undaunted devotion to duty during the landing of Allied Forces on the coast of Normandy.’

The original recommendation states: ‘He showed conspicuous skill and courage when his craft L.C.A. 722 was damaged by enemy action whilst under machine gunfire. Ingram made great efforts to repair his craft’s engines; although unsuccessful, his devotion to duty was a great example.’

Remarks of Intermediate Authority: ‘This rating had a very difficult task whilst landing U.S. Rangers on Pointe du Hoc.’ Walter Gordon Ingram, who was from Wandsworth, London, was embarked in H.M.S. Ben My Chree on the eve of Operation ‘Neptune’. An ex-Isle of Man ferry of 2,586 tons, which had been converted for use as a Landing Ship Infantry (Heavy), she was charged with transporting three companies of the 2nd U.S. Ranger Battalion to Normandy on D-Day. Thence disembarked to smaller assault landing craft, including L.C.A. 722 with Ingram, the Rangers arrived, under fire, at Pointe du Hoc in the Omaha Beach area, where they were assigned the unenvious mission of capturing the enemy positions on the high cliffs above.

A glimpse of L.C.A. 722 and her occupants in action is to be found in the records of the 2nd Ranger Battalion’s assault on Pointe du Hoc: ‘Twenty yards left of Colonel Rudder’s craft, L.C.A. 722 hit shore with IS Company, E Rangers, five Headquarters’ men, a Stars and Stripes photographer, and a Commando officer who had assisted the Rangers in training. Touchdown was made at the edge of a crater, and the men could not avoid it in debarking. Enemy grenades were ineffectual, and the craters and debris on the beach gave sufficient cover from enfilading fire from the left. The only casualty was Pfc. John J. Sillman, wounded three times as the craft came in, hit twice on the beach, and destined to survive. A good deal of assorted equipment came on this craft, including the S.C.R. 284, two pigeons, a 60mm. mortar with ammunition, and some demolitions. All were got ashore without loss, though it took manoeuvring to avoid the deep water in the crater. Tech. 4 C. S. Parker and two other communications men hefted the big radio set on a pack board, and managed to get it in and working before the first climbers from 722 reached the top.

The rockets had been fired just before landing. One ladder and one plain rope got up and held (L.C.A. 722 had experienced no trouble with water, and the ropes were comparatively dry). The single rope lay in a slight crevice, but the ladder came down on an overhang where it seemed exposed to the flanking fire and would be hard to climb. Tech. 5 Edward P. Smith tried the plain rope and found he could easily ‘walk it up.’ On top, three or four minutes after landing, he saw a group of Germans to his right throwing grenades over the cliff. Sgt. Hayward A. Robey joined Smith with a BAR. Robey lay in a shallow niche at the cliff edge and sprayed the grenadiers with 40 or 50 rounds fast fire. Three of the enemy dropped and the rest disappeared into shelters. Pfc. Frank H. Petersen, lightly wounded on the beach by a grenade, joined up and the three Rangers went off on their mission without waiting for the climbers.

The mortar section in this boat team remained below, according to plan, with the purpose of setting up their 60mm. on the beach to deliver supporting fire. But the beach was too exposed to make this practicable, and time was consumed in getting ammunition from the one surviving supply craft. About 0745 the mortar team went on top without having yet fired … ‘ Subsequently, in one of the most famous episodes of the landings, with covering fire from the destroyers H.M.S. Talybont and U.S.S. Satterlee, three companies of Rangers stormed the enemy’s battery positions and eliminated the remaining garrison.

Thereafter, they maintained their position throughout the day.

Sold with copied research.

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475X

The rare Second War Landing-Craft Operations Clearance Unit (L.C.O.C.U.) D.S.M. group of five awarded to Petty Officer H. C. Gore, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry as a frogman and demolition expert on D-Day and in the contested landings in the South of France Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (P.O., H. C. Gore. R/JX.209374) officially engraved naming; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, extremely fine (5) £2,400-£2,800

Seedies Roll lists a total of just 10 D.S.M.s, 3 D.S.C.s, and one D.S.C. and Bar to L.C.O.C. Units during the Second World War, mainly for the landings in Normandy and the South of France.

D.S.M. London Gazette 6 November 1945: ‘For bravery, skill and great devotion to duty in the reconnaissance and destruction of unknown obstacles and mines, and in the rescuing of survivors whose craft had been destroyed in a minefield during the Allied landings in the Baie de Cavalaire in the South of France, JuneAugust 1944. And for similar good services in the landings in Normandy.’

The recommendations for this batch of awards are to be found in the National Archives under reference ADM1/30497 which reads: ‘The Honours and Awards Committee has considered the good services of certain ratings in the destruction of underwater obstacles and mines during the invasion of the South of France, and submits that the King may be asked to approve the Awards set forth below.

During the landings in the Baie de Cavallaire in the South of France these ratings successfully carried out under fire the initial

reconnaissance of unknown obstacles and mines and achieved their destruction. They also did good work in helping to save the lives of wounded soldiers of the United States Army when the craft in which they were embarked struck mines and was sunk.’

Henry Charles Gore was a frogman in a Landing-Craft Obstruction Clearance Unit, one of 120 such men engaged on D-Day, two of whom were killed and ten wounded; six of them were awarded the D.S.M. Just two L.C.O.C.U. units subsequently participated in the landings in the South of France, making Gore’s award of the D.S.M. most unusual.

Lieutenant H. Hargreaves, a L.C.O.C.U. commander, later described what he and his fellow frogmen, such as Gore, faced on D-Day: ‘The invasion of Normandy to the average person was the greatest combined operation that had ever taken place, and that in fact was the truth. However, few people know of the work carried out by small, special units, both before the operation, and during the initial assaults. We were one of the small units which had this particular role to play. A role which was not easy, and from which many of us did not expect to return, but one which we were determined

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

to carry out until our work was completed. For the invasion of Normandy the Force Commanders used approximately a hundred and twenty officers and men of the ‘Locku’ units divided into ten parties, or units. Each unit had an officer and eleven men, and each was allotted to its own beach and had its own particular job to do. In my case, and that of a brother officer, we found ourselves detailed to deal with the obstacles on a beach near the village of La Riviere.

We were supposed to go in at H hour, which was the very beginning of the assault. We were dropped into our craft from an L.S.I. at seven o’clock in the morning and went hell-for-leather for the beach, and arrived hoping to find the front row of obstacles on the water’s edge, and not in the water, but discovered some two or three feet of water over them. We left our craft and got to work at once on posts with mines secured to the tops of them, specially constructed wooden ramps which were mined, and steel hedgehogs with mines and anti-aircraft shells on top of them, and we were subjected the whole time to quite a hot fire from rockets, shells and bombs.

We must have been about four hundred yards from the beach when the firing first started, and they didn’t forget to inform us that they knew we were coming. When we finally got on the beach we discovered that we were being systematically sniped, not only with rifles but also by odd bursts of machine-gun fire - a most unpleasant experience - but one that we soon got used to.

As time went on we almost forgot about it until we realised that opposition was dying down because in the meantime the Army had landed and was dealing with machine-gun posts, mortar posts, and all the other unpleasant places Jerry had prepared for us.

The weather was very much worse than anyone would have expected in June, and we had the greatest difficulty working in a very heavy surf. It was hard going and we soon got pretty tired, but in the meantime the obstacles were being slowly but systematically destroyed. As we made an initial gap for the landing craft to come through, so we increased the size of the gap as time went on. We succeeded in clearing the whole of the beach some thousand yards in length, with obstacles going out to over four hundred yards by the end of D Day. That didn’t end our work, of course, although the worst was over.

Landing craft of all shapes and sizes were simply pouring on to the beach, and in the meantime, having cleared that beach, we had to proceed to another beach and get rid of the obstacles there. In all, we successfully disposed of over two thousand five hundred

obstacles, practically every one mined, in addition to this, as a sort of savoury, we cleared the explosives out of half a dozen beetle tanks.

Not long before D Day a special jacket had been invented to protect us against that terrible blast which can be experienced when a mine or shell explodes underwater. This jacket was known as a ‘Kapok Jacket’ and was worn underneath our swim suits. It proved to be a most wonderful thing, and saved the lives of no less than three of my men. One of my Petty Officers, who was working in about six feet of water, had a shell or mortar bomb explode in the water quite close to him, and although he was completely knocked out, and in fact paralysed for several hours, he had no injuries whatever, and no after effects. A Royal Engineer who was swimming towards the beach from one of the landing craft, and was some distance farther away from the explosion than the Petty Officer, was killed outright, and I have no doubt that many men suffered the same fate on that day.

I would like to make it quite clear that we don’t in any way look upon ourselves as supermen, or heroes, or anything like that at all, and we did not by any means clear all the obstacles off the beaches in time for the landing craft to get in. There were nowhere near enough of us to have hoped to do it. What we could, and did do, was to clear an initial gap for the landing craft to beach safely, and to increase that gap as quickly as possible until the beach was entirely free from obstacles.

Consequently many of the landing craft who didn’t use the gap, because of the simple fact that there just wasn’t room for them, struck obstacles, or had holes blown in them or their bottoms torn out, with the result that many men had to swim ashore with full equipment.

When our original job had been completed we had to keep our reputation as ‘Jack the Handyman’ by doing many jobs to assist on the beaches, such as winching drowned vehicles out of the water.

We did this by taking a wire with a hook on the end, right out to sea in our swim suits and breathing sets, hook up the vehicle, come to the surface and signal to the operator ashore to start up his winch, which he did, and pulled the drowned vehicle up high and dry. We helped to unload stores, we cleared mines, we assisted the Royal Engineers, in fact we did everything except mind the babies, and if there had been any there we would have done that too’; The Frogmen, by Waldron & Gleeson, refers.

Sold with copied research.

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476

X The notable Second War Immediate D.F.M. group of five awarded to Flying Officer A. H. Horry, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, a Bomb Aimer in No. 9 Squadron in the decisive attack on the Tirpitz on 12 November 1944 Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1332586 F/Sgt. A. H. Horry. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, good very fine (5) £7,000-£9,000 D.F.M. London Gazette 30 January 1945.

The original recommendation states: ‘As Air Bomber, this N.C.O. has taken part in many sorties including the last two attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz.

On the first attack which was undertaken from a Russian base, he gave great assistance to his captain, by successfully map reading in very bad visibility, but was prevented from taking part in the attack by the unserviceability of his aircraft. On the last two attacks, which necessitated very long journeys, Flight Sergeant Horry again assisted his pilot and navigator by the accuracy of his map reading.

In the actual bombing of his targets he has shown the greatest coolness and steady determination to drop his bombs upon the target. He has at all times shown the greatest keenness to operate and has proved a most valuable member of a very good crew.’

Remarks by Base Commander: ‘A key member of a very good bombing team. For his share in the successful attack on Tirpitz I recommend the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.’

Arthur Henry Horry was born at Bungay, Norfolk, on 10 September 1923, and enlisted in the Royal Air Force in January 1941. Having undertaken training in Canada, he returned to the U.K. in March 1943 and was advanced to Flight Sergeant at the end of the year.

In June 1944, he commenced his first operational tour as a Bomb Aimer in No. 106 Squadron, a Lancaster unit based at R.A.F. Metheringham. Over the coming weeks, he completed 19 sorties,

mainly to France, including strikes against the V.1 weapon sites at Saint-Leu-d’Esserent in early July and at Trossy St. Maxim on successive nights in early August.

Transferring to No. 9 Squadron in September 1944, he undertook specialist training at R.A.F. Bardney in readiness for the Tirpitz operations, and participated in a successful ‘Tallboy’ strike on the Sorpe Dam on 15 October 1944.

His first Tirpitz mission was curtailed by poor weather but, on 29 October 1944, he and his crew reached their designated target, as confirmed by the squadron’s operational record book: ‘Primary attacked at 0855 hours … centre of ship in [Horry’s] bomb sight. Light and heavy flak moderate to light from shore batteries and Tirpitz, which was also firing heavy guns from aft.

Rear Gunner saw a direct hit on the bows of the Tirpitz, followed by a big explosion and column of brown smoke.’

But it took another strike to finish the job, namely Operation ‘Catechism’ flown on the 12 November 1944, a task delegated to 9 and 617 Squadrons under the overall command of Wing Commander J. B. ‘Willy’’ Tait, D.S.O., and undertaken from a base in Russia. The attack was a resounding success, three direct hits in quick succession causing Tirpitz to capsize. Horry’s role as Bomb Aimer was patently a crucial one and it’s not without interest that No. 9 Squadron claimed it was their aircraft that obtained the vital hits. And it was to the Wireless Operator in Horry’s Lancaster that fell the duty of signalling H.Q. in the event of Tirpitz’s demise, a duty duly fulfilled and the news rapidly passed to the B.B.C. for

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Sinking the Tirpitz - 12 November 1944, by Jim Laurier

a broadcast was made as the Lancaster crews were still over Norway.

Horry was subsequently among ten aircrew to be recommended for a decoration on the same occasion, the rest of them being awarded the D.F.C., thereby making his D.F.M. a unique squadron award. The covering notes for the recommendations state: ‘These members of aircraft crew have each completed many operational missions and have displayed the highest standard of keenness and determination throughout. On 12 November 1944, they participated in the decisive attack on the German warship Tirpitz, a target against which all of them had previously been in

action. On this last occasion the big battleship was sunk.

The success achieved reflects the greatest credit on the efforts of these members of aircraft crew who, in their various capacities as pilots, navigators and air bombers displayed skill, courage and resolution of a high order.’

Horry went on to complete his operational tour, attacking specialist targets such as U-boat pens, viaducts and flying-bomb sites. Commissioned in February 1945, he was finally discharged as a Flying Officer in February 1946.

Sold with two original letters from the recipient, which outline his wartime career, an aircrew reunion photograph, and copied research.

Horry back left

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477X

The rare Second War clandestine operations D.S.C. group of nine awarded to Colonel F. N. Coulter, South African Defence Force, late South African Naval Force, attached Royal Navy; as captain of an H.D.M.L. in the secretive ‘Levant Schooner Flotilla’ he participated in more than 150 special forces operations in the Greek Islands in 1943-45, his ‘passengers’ including Anders Lassen, V.C. and Jellicoe of the S.B.S. Republic of South Africa, Southern Cross Medal, the edge officially numbered ‘339’; S.A.D.F. Good Service Medal, bronze, the edge officially numbered ‘3262’; Great Britain, Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1945’ and hallmarked London 1945; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Africa Service Medal 1939-45, these last six all officially impressed (67617 F. N. Coulter), mounted as worn, good very fine (9) £5,000-£7,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2003.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Only two awards of the D.S.C. and three awards of the D.S.M. are believed to have been gazetted for services in Harbour Defence Motor Launches in the Aegean.

D.S.C. London Gazette 14 August 1945: ‘For distinguished services, efficiency and zeal in H.M. Ships … in the clearance of the Aegean and the relief of Greece during the period 1944-1945.’

Frank Norris Coulter was born at Germiston in the Transvaal in November 1915 and entered the South African Naval Force (V.) as an Ordinary Seaman at Durban in June 1940. Commissioned as a Temporary Sub Lieutenant, R.N.V.R in October 1941, after attending the training establishment King Alfred at Hove in England, he was seconded for services with the Royal Navy in the following year.

Following regular seagoing appointments in the minesweeper H.M.S. Speedwell and the asdic trawler Lady Hogarth, he joined the 119th Harbour Defence Motor Launch (H.D.M.L.) Flotilla in the summer of 1943, the commencement of his journey to employment in the clandestine world of the ‘Levant Schooner Flotilla’ (a.k.a. the Anglo-Hellenic Schooner Flotilla). Established in May 1943, the Flotilla was based at Mosquito II, Beirut, its primary task being to insert and collect elements of the S.B.S. and S.A.S., and other undercover units, as they carried out a busy agenda of daring raids and reconnaissance work on enemy-held islands in the Aegean.

According to accompanying research, including copies of Coulter’s post-war operational notes, he participated in no fewer than 170 landings or pick ups between 1943-45, the whole in specially adapted 75-foot, wooden-hulled H.D.M.Ls 1028 and 1283. Crewed by two officers, two Petty Officers and around 15 ratings, their standard armament comprised a 40mm. Bofors, twin-Vickers, a 20mm. Oerlikon and eight depth charges.

Their ‘cargo’ varied in size from a single operative to as many as 70 raiders, often raiders of the famous kind, Coulter’s notes including mention of an Anders Lassen drop-off on Samos, and trips with Major George Jellicoe to Metylini and Patmos. They also include his account of an operation to Piscopi, in which Major ‘Jock’ Lapraik and four raiders were landed to sabotage a runway being used by a German Fieseler Stork aircraft. However, their handiwork produced no results because the explosives they laid were stolen by a local Greek fisherman to bolster the size of his catch!

Coulter sometimes had to steer his H.D.M.L. through the channel between the Turkish coast and Kos - actually the site of the fictional ‘Guns of Navarone’ - a passage that inevitably attracted the attention of the trigger-happy Turks. On one occasion their fire damaged the starboard side of H.D.M.L. 1283, penetrating the Coxswain’s quarters, but, as a result ‘of lots of luck, the rum ration contained in gallon earthenware jugs’ was not affected.

Coulter’s secondment to the Royal Navy ended in November 1945 and he was finally released from full time service in June 1946.

As late as 1966, however, he re-attested in Natal for national service in the Commandos, in the rank of Captain, and assumed command of the Highway Commando with the rank of Commandant in the following year. Awarded the Southern Cross Medal and advanced to Chief Commandant in 1968, he became a substantive Colonel in 1972 and was awarded his S.A.D.F. Good Service Medal in 1979, the year of his retirement.

His also retained his interest in matters nautical, qualifying for his Master’s Certificate for ships of 100-tons or more in 1975, and serving as an Executive Member of the Durban Harbour Defence Committee from 1976-79.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including Admiralty letter of notification for the award of his D.S.C., dated 22 August 1945, and investiture invitation to Government House, Pretoria, dated 14 November 1947; award certificates for his Southern Cross Medal and S.A.D.F. Good Service Medal, dated 1 November 1968 and 15 June 1979 respectively; Greek commemorative Campaign Star 1941-45 (Sea Operations); King Alfred passing out certificate, dated 23 October 1941; ship’s service ‘flimsies’ for the Speedwell and Lady Hogarth and a fine series of wartime photographs of the Levant Schooner Flotillla’s H.D.M.Ls at work in the Aegean.

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478X

The rare Second War crossing of the Elbe M.M. awarded to Marine D. Towler, 45 Commando, Royal Marines. As a sniper at the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945, ‘he kept the Huns jittery near the factory area in Wesel’, where he ‘killed at least ten and wounded others in thirty-six hours fighting’; as his Troop’s Bren gunner at the Elbe crossing in April 1945, he faced off two enemy attacks: ‘two dead Germans were within 10 yards of his gun and eleven others dead or wounded in the immediate vicinity’

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (EX.4188 Mne. D. Towler. R. Marines.) in its named card box of issue, extremely fine £1,800-£2,200

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II M.M. London Gazette 7 August 1945: ‘For distinguished service whilst attached to the Allied Armies in the invasion operations in North-West Europe.’

The original recommendation states: ‘On the night of the Elbe crossing Mne. Towler was a Bren Gunner in D Troop 45 RM Commando. His Troop became involved in confused street fighting in the dark on its way to its objective. Mne. Towler was ordered to take up a position to cover a flank whilst his Troop pushed on. He selected a position in a house and engaged the enemy immediately. A section attack was put in against his house by the enemy. This was beaten off by steady and accurate shooting. As his ammunition was getting low, Mne. Towler sent his No. 2 of the gun to get more. During his absence another attempt was made by the enemy to dislodge Mne. Towler. Again this was beaten off. When his No. 2 returned together with a sub section to assist, there was only one magazine left containing a few rounds. Two dead Germans were within ten yards of the gun and eleven other dead or wounded in the immediate vicinity. Although Mne. Towler was not actually wounded he was considerably grazed by brick splinters and stones raised by the 2cm. flak guns which were used against his position.

Mne. Towler’s tenacity and determination was largely responsible for this troop being able to push on, without undue interference, to their objective.’

Douglas Towler was an employee of the Northern Co-operative Dairies in Aberdeen prior to joining the Royal Marines. Having then volunteered for special service, he joined 45 R.M. Commando on its formation in August 1943. As part of the 1st Special Service Brigade under Brigadier Lord Lovat, ‘45’ took heavy casualties on coming ashore on Gold Beach on D-Day, suffering a loss of three officers and 17 men killed or wounded, and one officer and 28 men missing. Those grim statistics were depressingly enlarged upon in the coming weeks of the Normandy campaign, up until ‘45’s’ withdrawal to the U.K. for a ‘refit’ in September 1944 Now part of First Commando Brigade, ‘45’ returned to an operational footing in Holland in January 1945, and was quickly in action at the battle of Montforterbeek, where Lance-Corporal Eric Harden of the R.A.M.C., attached to the Commando, gained a posthumous V.C. A costly attack on Belle Isle on the Mass having followed, among other actions, Towler and his comrades were next deployed to the crossing of the Rhine on the night of 23-24 March 1945. Their objective was Wesel, where Towler received a shrapnel wound but remained on duty. In fact, as evidenced by an accompanying local newspaper report, he took a heavy toll on the enemy: ‘Marine Dougles Towler of 12 Hayton Road, Aberdeen, a former employee of the Northern Co-operative Dairies, was the Commando man who kept the Huns jittery near a factory area in Wesel after the Rhine crossing.

With the Jerries sometimes only twenty-five yards away, Towler, a sniper, kept picking them off and killed at least ten and wounded others in thirtysix hours’ fighting.

“As the Huns were so near,” he said, “I kept changing my position in case they started mortaring me. Every time one showed himself, I let go at him.

I was in the factory area on one side of the railway and the Germans on the other side of the railway lines. On one occasion I noticed they were forming up for a counter-attack, so I covered a little gap in the hedge.

Sure enough, the Jerries kept passing by, and I just shot them down. The counter-attack never materialised. A German twelve-man patrol once approached my position, so I opened fire, and the patrol disappeared. As the enemy were so near the only answer was sniping to make them keep their heads down and keep them jittery. I saw many of them when I fired just cut their equipment off and make a bolt for it.”

Towler is regarded among his Commando officers as a man who always keeps his finger on the trigger.’

Indeed, Towler certainly lived up to his reputation in Operation ‘Enterprise’, the Elbe crossing on the night of 28-29 April 1945, when ‘45’ were embarked in Buffaloes before advancing on the town of Lauenberg.

Here, as cited above, he performed most gallant work in facing off two

spirited German attacks with his Bren gun, thereby adding to his growing tally of enemy dead.

In his book Commando Men, Bryan Samain relates the story of how Towler’s ‘B’ Troop carried out an attack on an enemy ack-ack battery the following day. In it he refers to ‘a young Scots Bren-gunner, Marine Norman Towler’. Given the latter’s fearless conduct on that occasion, it seems more likely it was in fact Douglas Towler: ‘Moving off under the command of John Day, the Troop closed to within one hundred yards of the battery. At this stage the Germans suddenly opened up, spraying the road and surrounding buildings with a vicious fusillade of 37-millimetre shells. Baker Troop immediately scattered for cover, and the whole street became alive with orange-coloured flashes as the shells smacked and roared into the already shattered fabric of blasted buildings.

The men of Baker Troop crouched low behind what cover they could find, awaiting the order to move forward and assault the battery. Meanwhile, as John Day started to shout preliminary orders above the roar of gunfire, a young Scots Bren-gunner, Marine Norman Towler, got to his feet and coolly returned the enemy fire from an exposed position.

For some unknown reason the Germans suddenly stopped firing. Perhaps they were too flabbergasted by Towler’s action to continue: but whatever the reason, it made them lose the day, for Baker Troop seized the initiative and rushed the battery. Within minutes the guns had all been overrun, and something like fifty prisoners rounded up, including some German W.A.A.F.s, who emerged coyly from a series of dugouts.’

Towler was discharged from the Commandos in November 1945, when he was described as ‘an exceptionally fine, upstanding type of soldier.’

Sold with a quantity of original documents, including the recipient’s Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for his M.M., his C.O.’s testimonial and character reference, and a letter to his wife regarding his shrapnel wounds in March 1945, together with some wartime newspaper cuttings and a copy of Bryan Samain’s book Commando Men.

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479

X The Second War Coastal Command D.F.C. group of seven awarded to Flying Officer D. E. Yeomans, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was decorated for his gallantry as a Sunderland pilot in the Far East in 1945 Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1945’; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star, 1 clasp, Pacific; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, extremely fine (7) £1,600-£2,000 Provenance: Glendining’s, March 1999.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

D.F.C. London Gazette 23 October 1945.

A joint citation with Flight Sergeant R. G. Meale, who was awarded the D.F.M.: ‘In August 1945, this officer and airman as pilot and front gunner respectively of a Sunderland aircraft, were engaged on an armed reconnaissance when they sighted an enemy tug and two barges. Flying Officer Yeomans executed two determined and accurate attacks while Flight Sergeant Meale swept the decks of the vessels with machine-gun fire. As a result of their excellent work and co-operation, two of the vessels were destroyed and the third one badly damaged. The success of this and other sorties is the result of a high standard of efficiency and long training to which they have applied themselves so enthusiastically and diligently in the past.’

Donald Eric Yeomans was born on 4 August 1921, and enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at Regent’s Park, London. Assessed for pilot training in January 1942, he subsequently attended courses at Moncton in Canada and Pensacola, Florida in the U.S.A., prior to returning home to attend an O.T.U. at Alness in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland.

Posted to No. 202 Squadron in December 1943, he remained similarly employed until April 1944, flying anti-submarine patrols out of Oban as Second Pilot in the unit’s Catalinas. Having then qualified as a First Pilot, he was posted to 265 Squadron at Diego Suarez in February in 1945.

It was, however, for his subsequent tour of duty as a First Pilot in Sunderlands of 209 Squadron in the Far East from May 1945, that he was awarded the D.F.C., when flying anti-shipping patrols over the Gulf of Siam and off Burma. He was released from service in September 1946 and died in Birmingham in October 1987, aged 66.

Sold with the recipient’s original Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book, covering the period January 1942 to April 1946, together with Royal Mint case of issue and named Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for his D.F.C; a related congratulatory letter from Air Marshal Sir Keith Park, then A.O.C. South-East Asia Command, dated 6 October 1945; his R.A.F. Service and Release Book; O.H.M.S. card forwarding box for campaign medals addressed to the recipient, with enclosed Air Ministry slip and ticker tape print out; his embroidered R.A.F. uniform wings and a few address stickers for ‘US Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida’.

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480

X The nationally important Second World War G.C.B., K.B.E. group of nineteen awarded to Admiral of The Fleet Baron Fraser of North Cape, who orchestrated the destruction of the Scharnhorst and signed the Japanese Surrender on behalf of Great Britain in September 1945 Such momentous achievements and historic occasions aside, Fraser had long before gained the glowing approbation of his seniors, from his stoic endurance of seven shocking months as a prisoner of the Bolsheviks at Baku in 1920, after being captured on a secret mission, to his pioneering work as Controller of the Royal Navy in 1939-42: in the latter post he masterminded the ship building programme that won the Battle of the Atlantic and afterwards became the only British Admiral to devise a new weapons system, oversee its production, and then win a major sea battle with it The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, G.C.B. (Military) Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt and enamels, with gold centres; breast star, silver, with gold and enamel appliqué centre, with display sash; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, K.B.E. (Military) 2nd type, Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamels; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr. B. A. Fraser, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Commr.

B. A. Fraser. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1937; Coronation 1953; United States of America, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, gilt and enamels; France, Croix de Guerre, 1939, with palm; Denmark, Order of the Dannebrog, Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash Badge, Frederick IX, silver-gilt and enamels; breast star, silver-gilt and enamels, with display sash; France, 3rd Republic, Legion of Honour, Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; The Netherlands, Order of Orange Nassau, Grand Officer’s set of insignia, with swords, by Casa das Condecoracoes, Lisbon, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamels; Norway, Order of St. Olaf, 3rd type, Grand Cross set of insignia by Tostrup, Oslo, comprising sash badge with swords, gold and enamels; breast star without swords, silver, gold and enamels, with display sash; Soviet Russia, Order of Suvorov, 2nd type, 1st Class badge, gold, platinum, silver and enamel, the reverse officially numbered ‘102’ and stamped Monetny Dvov, original screw-back fitting removed and replaced by a pin-fitting, mounted court-style as worn where applicable, enamel work chipped in places, especially on Legion of Honour which is also lacking its original loop suspension, otherwise generally very fine and better (24) £30,000-£40,000 Provenance: Spink, November 1998.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

G.C.B. London Gazette 5 January 1944: ‘For good services rendered in the pursuit and destruction of the Scharnhorst on 26 December 1943.’

K.B.E. London Gazette 1 July 1941.

Denmark, Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, not gazetted: Visit to Norway as First Sea Lord.

France, Commander of the Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre, not gazetted: For services to the Free French Naval Forces when C.in-C. of the Home Fleet.

The Netherlands, Grand Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau London Gazette 19 January 1943: ‘For services to the Royal Netherlands Navy in the United Kingdom and the Far East.’

Norway, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olaf London Gazette 13 January 1948: ‘For service to the Royal Norwegian Navy in the war.’

Soviet Russia, 1st Class of the Order of Suvorov London Gazette 29 February 1944: ‘For distinguished services in the action which resulted in the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst.’

United States of America, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, not gazetted.

Admiral of the Fleet Baron Fraser of North Cape, G.C.B., K.B.E. - ‘the victor of the Royal Navy’s last battleship action and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful fleet Britain has ever sent to sea’ - was born Bruce Austin Fraser, the youngest son of General Alexander Fraser, C.B., R.E., in London on 5 February 1888. The General allotted his sons their respective careers shortly before his death in 1898, telling the older one he would join the Army and the younger, Bruce, that he would go into the Navy. Mrs. Fraser never thought of altering her husband’s choice, and in due course the boys went to Bradfield which offered both Army and Navy classes.

Though relegated to this backwater, he never ceased to be inventive and at this time gave the Navy one of its first heavy anti-aircraft guns by mounting a field gun on a capstan. He also proved himself an adept leader: ‘A finer officer and gentleman never breathed’ was the comment of one junior officer, who thought that Fraser should have ‘a job more worthy of his genius.’

After service with Minerva in the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli campaign, Fraser was finally ordered home in early 1916 to join the Senior Staff of Excellent, which entailed missing the battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. However, owing to heavy battle casualties, his appointment at Excellent was short lived, and in the autumn he was made Gunnery Officer of the new Royal Sovereign Class battleship Resolution in the Grand Fleet, but was nevertheless obliged to end the war without experiencing a major gun action.

Having shown ‘exceptional leadership’ and ‘technical capabilities’ during the latter cheerless years of the Great War, Fraser was promoted Commander in Resolution in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1919, but finding himself on poor terms with a new Captain, sought an escape by gaining the command of a small naval detachment, consisting of three other officers and 26 ratings, who were to advise the White Russian ‘Volunteer Fleet’ at Enzelei, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. Fraser’s party left Constantinople on 19 April, and with some difficulty reached the Azerbaidjanian capital of Baku by rail on the 27th of the same month. At the station, Fraser was met by the Head

In September 1902, the younger Fraser passed well into H.M.S. Britannia and on completing his Cadetship with distinction in January 1904, he was appointed a Midshipman in the Channel Fleet battleship Hannibal. Over the next seven years, amid Lord Fisher’s white-hot crusade for efficiency, he advanced steadily to the rank of Lieutenant, serving in a succession of battleships and destroyers in home waters.

In 1911, having decided to specialise, he commenced the forbidding Long Gunnery Course at H.M.S. Excellent, Whale Island, where for ten months or more candidates were exhaustively examined on every subject from ballistics and dynamics to personal marksmanship with rifle and pistol. When the results of the Long Course were published in October 1912, Fraser emerged top of his class and carried off the Egerton Prize. Now ‘a man of mark in the branch of the Service in which promotion was regarded as most certain,’ he was next sent on the Advanced Gunnery Course at Greenwich and then returned to Whale Island as a Junior Instructor to produce, on the eve of the First World War, the Navy’s handbook on Director Firing. Yet, even though recognised as a leading exponent of modern Naval gunnery in 1914, he was destined to serve the first two years of the war far from the technical excellence of the Grand Fleet’s Battle Squadrons massed in Scapa Flow.

In July 1914, he was appointed Gunnery Officer of the elderly light cruiser Minerva, and subsequently saw active service patrolling Akaba at the head of the Red Sea, landing agents, firing on forts, rescuing ditched seaplanes, and taking landing parties ashore with field guns.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

of the British Military Mission, Major Connal Rowan, and the acting Vice-Consul, with some ominous news: Bolshevik Forces had encroached on the country’s northern border, and so far the two British officials had been unable to arrange a passage for the naval detachment to Enzilei. The Azerbaijani government, they added, was rushing troops north to defend the country at all costs, and an evening meeting had been arranged with the Governor of Baku from whom a special permit to leave next day might be obtained.

Fraser’s first reaction was to grab a ship - ‘either by bribery or force’ - and sail that night, but Connal Rowan and the ViceConsul talked him out of it for fear of diplomatic repercussions.

Accordingly, Fraser accompanied by his officers, and leaving Chief Gunner Norman in charge of the party on the train, met the Governor at the Hotel Metropole at 11 p.m. An hour later they returned to the station with assurances that there was no danger for at least three or four days, and that they would be able to leave in the morning. The interview, however, was a sham, for that very night a Bolshevik coup d’état was taking place in the town, and in order to save himself the Azerbaijani Governor had agreed to hand over power without resistance and to lull the British and other Foreign Missions into remaining until they could be arrested.

Fraser and his officers were duly apprehended at the railway station and ushered into a waiting room at gunpoint where they found their ratings already under guard. ‘A Russian Commissar of the worst Bolshevik type then appeared,’ Fraser recalled, ‘and covering us with his revolver demanded through an interpreter that we should submit to be searched and that we should give up any firearms or weapons on our persons.’

For the next 15 weeks - ‘throughout the stifling heat of high summer’ - Fraser and his luckless companions were confined in three 12 x 12 ft. cells in the festering Bailoff Prison, where 350 offenders shared three seldom-cleaned latrines and one tap between them. Fraser at once opened a long campaign against a succession of hostile Commissars for better conditions and fairer treatment, whilst the ratings played up splendidly to morale boosting wheezes which clearly communicated the message ‘that British sailors obeyed their own officers, not unwashed thugs.’ But at the back of everyone’s mind was the feeling that they were the ‘forgotten men of Baku.’

Despite the tireless efforts of Fraser’s mother and Lord Strabolgi at home, Lloyd George’s government was determined to keep the affair low-key. Food, or rather the lack of it, was a constant problem, but at length help was obtained from the Dutch Consul, who, with the aid of one ‘M. A. Seaman’, a British national still at liberty, supplied regular rations bought in the town. Within the stinking confines of the Bailoff, the problem of sanitation was solved by Fraser, who, having negotiated for tools, led the team in clearing the drains. In June, the criminals disappeared and were replaced with members of the bourgeoisie, and, unnervingly, nightly executions of counter-revolutionaries by firing squad began.

Health was always a worry. ‘Nearly everyone,’ Fraser noted in mid-June, ‘is suffering from stomach troubles, two or three from malaria and we have no medicines. The smell still continues, but we have nearly all got used to it, flies are a scourge, but all have been impressed with the necessity of carefully covering up all food.’

In mid-August, the naval detachment was moved from the prison to broken-down quarters in the town, which were swiftly made shipshape: ‘The galley was converted to burn oil fuel by E.R.A. Grundy .. Two sailors carried out the cooking, another cut our hair, and the Chief Gunner arranged the supply of food from the bazaar.’ On Saturdays a ceremony was made of the ‘Entry of the

Bread Pudding’, sugar and other scarce ingredients having been painfully saved, but the future remained as uncertain as ever.

In October Fraser himself fell ill, and to further his troubles he heard that negotiations for an early release had just failed. ‘This,’ he recorded, ‘caused a great depression .. and it was a difficult matter breaking it to my party. However, a little later I was delighted to hear a sailor start a mandolin and then a song. Nothing could break their spirit.’ Finally, on 4 November 1920, as the detachment prepared to face the hardships of a Russian winter, a Commissar suddenly announced that they were to be released and that they would go by rail next day to Batum where H.M.S. Centurion was waiting to speed them home to Blighty.

Fraser and Connal Rowan, with urgent matters to discuss in London, left the ship at Constantinople and came home on the Orient Express. However, the detachment later briefly reunited in England to present their leader in captivity with a sword gratefully inscribed ‘From the Enzelei Expedition’, which, in 1980, Lord Fraser donated to the R.N. Museum, Portsmouth. Official recognition of his leadership at Baku took the form of an invitation to Buckingham Palace to meet the King, who proved particularly interested to know if he had brought any Russian stamps home with him. Fraser was sorry to report that he had not, and respectfully added that there really had not been the opportunity to buy any.

In 1921, the Excellent claimed Fraser’s services once more, and in 1922 he gained an important Admiralty appointment working on the new Fire Control Table for the Fleet. Receiving a Commendation for this work from the Admiralty Board in 1924, his career at last gathered pace, and he successively served as Fleet Gunnery Officer in the Mediterranean between 1925 and 1926, and as a Captain in the Admiralty’s Tactical Division between 1926 and 1929. From 1929 to 1932 he commanded the Cruiser Effingham on the East Indies Station, and, returning to the Admiralty as Director of Naval Ordnance, then devised the armament for the Navy’s last generation of battleships, the famous 14-inch ‘K.G.Vs’.

Between 1936 and 1937 he commanded the Aircraft Carrier Glorious, and in 1938 was appointed Rear-Admiral and Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, Sir Dudley Pound. In March 1939 he was appointed Controller of the Navy and Third Sea Lord, taking responsibility for the Navy’s construction and repair programme; his major achievements at this critical time including the creation of the corvette, ‘the mainstay of the Atlantic Convoy Escort System,’ and valuable work in the development of Warship Radar. He was appointed C.B. In May 1940, Fraser was promoted Vice-Admiral and in June 1942, shortly before the destruction of the Russian Convoy PQ.17, he was sent to sea once more, as Second-in-Command of the Home Fleet under Sir John Tovey, whom he was to succeed a year later.

Having then gained the confidence of his political masters at home and the respect and loyalty of subordinates afloat, his elevation to the command of the Home Fleet, on 8 May 1943, was ‘widely welcomed’, as was his elevation to K.C.B. However, it seemed unlikely in the strategic situation of the summer of 1943 that he would have the opportunity of engaging any of the German capital ships based in Norwegian waters, the bait of an Arctic convoy scarcely worth the hazard to their remaining Fleet. But in the autumn of 1943, as a succession of convoys sailed to Russia virtually unmolested, Fraser declined the position of First Sea Lord offered to him by Churchill, firmly believing that Sir Andrew Cunningham was better qualified and

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

that Scharnhorst, now alone after the escape of Lutzow into the Baltic and the crippling of Tirpitz by midget submarines, would sooner or later come out.

On 19 December 1943, ‘Ultra’ decrypts indicated that Scharnhorst had been brought to three hours readiness for sea. Four days later, after the completion of extensive exercises in identifying and engaging ships by radar in the almost continuous Arctic darkness, Fraser, flying his flag in the Duke of York, the only British ship with the armament to match that of Scharnhorst, sailed forth from Icelandic waters with Force 2. On Christmas Eve, in dreadful weather, Convoy JW55B was ordered to reduce speed to allow Force 2, struggling through mountainous seas some 400 miles behind, to catch up. At 2 a.m. on 26 December, Fraser was informed that Scharnhorst had sailed from Altenfjiord seven hours earlier to attack the convoy and, accepting the risk that his opponent Rear-Admiral Erich Bey might turn away if he broke wireless silence, ordered JW55B to steer northwards away from the enemy.

The next morning, the 8-inch-gun cruiser Norfolk, a unit of Force 1 under Vice-Admiral Burnett, located Scharnhorst on radar at 33,000 yards, and with her consorts Belfast and Sheffield opened fire whilst urgently attempting to close the range. Bey immediately broke away at 30 knots, having suffered some radar damage from Norfolk’s guns. There followed a period of acute apprehension for Fraser, it being feared the Scharnhorst might head into the Atlantic.

But at 12.20 Belfast triumphantly signalled that the German battle cruiser was once more in sight. Battle was re-joined, but this time the British cruisers suffered significant damage before Scharnhorst broke away unscathed. Now certain there was a British Battle Group at sea, Bey abandoned the hunt for the convoy and, independently from his destroyer escort, turned for home: ‘Fraser (with Force 2) was now racing to cut Scharnhorst’s southward track. At 6.17, Duke of York’s 14-inch guns opened fire at 12,000 yards, and straddled their target, clearly illuminated by star shell, with the first broadside .. Under fire from Duke of York, Scharnhorst turned away at full speed, first north, then east.’

It was only now that Fraser felt sufficiently confident enough to let loose his destroyers, having previously feared that a ‘premature torpedo attack would drive the ship away north eastwards, beyond his grasp.’ He had, however, left it too late. ‘The enemy was outrunning both the British Cruisers and Destroyers,’ and ‘only Duke of York’s guns were still within range.’ At 18.20, an 11-inch shell from Scharnhorst severed the flagship’s radar cables, temporarily blinding her gunners, and ‘for a few terrible minutes Fraser believed that victory had been snatched from him.’

However, just before the Duke of York was ‘blinded’ Scharnhorst had been hit by a shell from the flagship in her No. 1 Boiler Room, cutting her speed to a mere eight knots; and, whilst power was soon restored, the interval allowed three of Fraser’s destroyers to close and unleash 28 torpedoes. Four hit, drastically reducing Scharnhorst’s power for good and effectively sealing her fate. Finally, after concentrated gun and torpedo attacks for the next three hours the vaunted Scharnhorst was sent to the bottom, ‘ensuring Fraser’s perpetual celebrity in the annals of the Royal Navy, alongside that of the Norwegian North Cape beyond which the battle was fought.’

concentration of sea borne striking power assembled in the Navy’s history.’ The U.S. Navy, however, dominated the theatre, and the British presence in some American quarters was almost resented; however, due largely to Fraser’s ‘competence and transparent good nature,’ an amicable working relationship was formed, and strengthened by making such gestures as volunteering to adopt U.S. Navy signalling procedures. He had a high personal regard for Admiral Nimitz and ‘also worked well with General Mac Arthur.’

Moreover, he firmly believed that American co-operation would be needed after the war and did his utmost to perpetuate it.

In January 1945, Fraser’s determination to see for himself the punishing results of Japanese kamikaze air attacks almost cost him his life. Embarked in the U.S. battleship New Mexico to witness the coming bombardment and landings in Northern Luzon, he was on deck on 6 January when a suicide plane struck the New Mexico at the exact point he had been standing a few seconds previously.

‘As the attack developed.’ wrote his Flag Lieutenant, ‘Fraser just happened to go to the starboard side; (General Sir Herbert) Lumsden (Churchill’s Special Representative to MacArthur) moved across to the port side. And then this thing came in and hit us. General Lumsden and young Morton, whom Fraser had taken as his travelling Secretary, were both killed instantly .. (The Americans) were appalled at having lost a Limey three-star General and didn’t want to lose a four-star Admiral, too. They were all the more embarrassed because Fraser was easily the most senior officer in the ship. But of course he didn’t want anybody to think he was chicken. He didn’t want to go below at all. But people kept coming to me, and in the end I had to say “Come on, sir; you’re really embarrassing our hosts.”

Finally, with the defeat of Japan in August 1945, it fell to Fraser, as one of the ten representatives of the Allies, to put his name to the Japanese surrender document on behalf of the United Kingdom at the ceremony held on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri on 2 September. After the signing he was presented with one of the six copies of the surrender instrument and a treasured copy of the Mighty Mo’s Deck Log for that historic morning, which was additionally autographed by his colleague and friend Admiral Nimitz. When the formalities were completed, General MacArthur apparently made ‘attempts to retrieve all the pens used in the signing of the surrender for an all-American distribution, (but) Fraser managed to keep his. Apart from its obvious souvenir value there was a special letter he wanted to write with it, which earned a special reply: From Mr. Churchill to Admiral Fraser .. I am most grateful to you for your very kind letter .. written .. with the pen of the unconditional surrender of JAPAN. Your work during the war has always commanded my highest respect and admiration.’

In 1946, Fraser, a life-long bachelor married to the Service, was elevated to the Peerage, choosing in true Nelsonian tradition the location of his greatest naval triumph as the adjunct to his new title, whereas Lord Cunningham and others chose the names of their homes. The following year he was appointed Commander-inChief, Portsmouth, and in September 1948 became First Sea Lord.

Promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in October of the same year, he oversaw Britain’s naval participation in the Korean War as well as in a series of early Cold War crises. He had, meanwhile been much decorated by our wartime Allies.

He was promoted from K.C.B. to G.C.B. and, in time, further honoured with the Soviet Order of Suvorov, 1st Class.

The Admiral finally hung up his sea boots in 1952 and, after a long retirement of 28 years, died in London on 12 February 1981.

In June 1944, Fraser relinquished command of the Home Fleet and with the rank of full Admiral was appointed Commander-inChief of the Pacific Fleet, which was to grow into ‘the greatest

Reference sources: Fraser of North Cape, by Richard Humble (1983); Dictionary of National Biography; Sea Battles in Close

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Up, by Martin Stephen (1988); The Fighting Admirals, by Martin Stephen (1991).

2 September 1945, the screw-top privately engraved, ‘Japanese Surrender 1945’.

N.B. The Admiral’s Great War campaign medals were officially replaced in the 1940s, having been lost to bomb damage, a fate shared by his earlier awards of the C.B. and O.B.E.

(ii) His Admiral of the Fleet epaulettes, by Gieves, including ‘G.VI.R.’ A.D.C. badges, one with hinge-buckle device for wearing.

Sold with a selection of related artefacts, the whole as used and/or worn by Admiral of the Fleet Baron Fraser of North Cape in his long and distinguished career, comprising: (i) The ‘Eversharp’ fountain pen with 14K gold plated mounts, used by Fraser to sign the Japanese Surrender on behalf of Great Britain in the official ceremony held aboard the U.S.S. Missouri on

(iii) His Midshipman’s dirk, by S. W. Silver & Co., Portsmouth and London, the guard engraved, ‘B.A. Fraser, R.N.’, complete with bullion tassel. (iv) His Naval officer’s telescope, by Ross, London (No. 32899), single-pull, leather grip. (v) His final set of uniform ribbon bar mounted as worn on metal frames.

See Lot 481 for Admiral Fraser’s miniature medals.

The sinking of the Scharnhorst, 26 December 1943; by Charles Pears (1873-1958)

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

481X

The important G.C.B., K.B.E. group of nineteen miniature dress medals worn by Admiral of The Fleet Baron Fraser of North Cape, the architect of the destruction of the Scharnhorst and Great Britain’s representative at the signing of the Japanese Surrender in September 1945 Order of the Bath (Military); Order of the British Empire (Military); 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Coronation 1953; The Netherlands, Order of Orange-Nassau, with rosette; U.S.A., Distinguished Service Medal, Navy; France, Legion of Honour, with rosette; Denmark, Order of Dannebrog, with rosette; Norway, Order of St. Olav, with rosette; France, Croix de Guerre, with palm, mounted court-style as worn, generally very fine or better (19) £1,000-£1,400

Provenance: Spink, November 1998.

See Lot 480 for Admiral Fraser’s full sized awards.

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482X

The extremely rare post-war Palestine M.M. group of eight awarded to Colour-Sergeant D. R. Earp, 40 Commando, Royal Marines Military Medal, G.VI.R. (CH/X. 4368 A/Cpl. D. R. Earp. R.M.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 3 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya, Brunei (CH/X. 4368 D. R. Earp. A/Cpl. R.M.); Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (CH/X. 4368 D. R. Earp, M.M. A/Sgt. R.M.); U.N. Korea 1950-54; General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Borneo (CH/X. 4368 D. R. Earp. M.M. Clr/Sgt. R.M.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (CH/X. 4368 D. R. Earp. M.M. Sgt. R.M.) mounted as worn, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (8) £12,000-£15,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II One of only seven M.M.’s awarded for Palestine 1945-48, including two to 40 Commando R.M., the other award being won during the same incident.

M.M. London Gazette 7 January 1949: ‘In recognition of gallant conduct during recent operations in Palestine.’

The original recommendation states: ‘On 21 April 1948, ‘B’ Troop 40 Commando R.M., was holding positions to the North side of Kingsway, Haifa. I.Z.L. [Irgun Zeva’I Leu’mi – ‘The National Military Organization’] were known to be holding positions to their right.

Corporal Earp was N.C.O. in charge of a Bren Group on the roof of No. 29 Kingsway. At about 1500 hrs he saw his officer, Lieutenant Seed, R.M., who was moving across a flat roof towards him wounded in the back and head by L.M.G. fire coming from the I.Z.L. positions. Corporal Earp immediately decided to take action, and at great risk to himself ran across the open roof under fire, and rescued his officer. He remained extremely cool and carried out a careful observation in order to locate the L.M.G. which was firing at them.

Having located the L.M.G. he decided that he could not deal with it adequately from his present position. He therefore took his own Bren Gun and proceeded up Elijah street on the opposite side of Kingsway. There was considerable firing going on at the time and this was known to be a dangerous area containing a number of Jewish and Arab posts. At this stage he was joined by Corporal P. E. G. Pollard, R.M., also of ‘B’ Troop.

At the top of the street he forced an entrance into a hotel and proceeded at once to the top floor, spotted the L.M.G. post and engaged it with fire. The Jewish Bren Gunner was killed instantly, rolled over and fell from the position. His number two was also hit, rolled over and lay still. Corporal Earp was then fired on from another position. He and Corporal Pollard at once moved down one floor, took up position in another window and shot the other sniper.

Both Corporals, having eliminated the two sniper posts, then returned to their Troop positions and carried on with their normal duties. Throughout this action Corporal Earp acted without waiting for orders entirely on his own initiative, and at very great risk to himself. His display of offensive spirit and courage was exemplary.’

Dennis Roland Earp was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire on 15 February 1926 and died in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in February 1988.

Sold with copied recommendation.

Earp on right at presentation of M.M.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

483X

The rare post-war bomb and mine clearance B.E.M. pair awarded to Leading Seaman (Diver) A. J. B. Whitton, Royal Navy British Empire Medal (Military) E.II.R. (L.S. Arnold J. B. Whitton, D/JX.878990); Naval General Service 1915-62, 2 clasps, B. & M. Clearance, Mediterranean, Near East (D/JX.878990 A. J. B. Whitton, L.Smn. R.N.) mounted as worn, toned, nearly extremely fine (2) £2,400-£2,800 Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

Approximately 65 Naval General Service Medals, or clasps, were issued for six months’ consecutive work in bomb and mine disposal duties in the Mediterranean in the qualifying period 1953-60; British Battles & Medals, refers.

B.E.M. London Gazette 12 June 1958.

Seedies roll confirms award for services at H.M.S. Phoenicia, shore base on Manoel Island, Malta.

Arthur James Burden Whitton served with the Fleet Clearance Diving Team as a diver in the Mediterranean in 195657, when the team was involved in clearing old UXBs and mines from Valetta harbour, Malta, and ports in North Africa.

Although his B.E.M. was announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 1958, it was clearly an award for these clearance operations.

In that respect, the following letter from Admiral Sir Charles E. Lambe, G.C.B., C.V.O., C.-in-C. Mediterranean, dated 17 January 1958, is not without interest: ‘Mediterranean Fleet Clearance Diving Team I wish to draw the attention of the Fleet to the work carried out during the past year by the Mediterranean Fleet Clearance Diving Team, which has involved some 50 separate operations to render safe, often underwater, and dispose of, over 900 missiles of various kinds. These have included the disposal of a live magnetic-acoustic mine containing 1,536 lbs. of high explosive, and a bomb containing 2,120 lbs. of high explosive. 18 bombs have been found to contain a particularly sensitive trembler type anti-disturbance fuze.

2. The operation concerning the mine mentioned above was probably the highlight of the year’s endeavours. The mine, a German type C, which was found lodged against a jetty in Benghazi harbour, was rendered safe after 2 1/2 hours’ work underwater and subsequently lifted and ditched in deep water. Examination of parts removed from this mine showed that, despite 16 years’ immersion, it was still in working and lethal condition. Expressions of gratitude for this operation have been received from consular and local government authorities in Benghazi.

3. Throughout all the operations undertaken by the Team there has run a spirit of cheerful endeavour, which, combined with courage, skill and careful planning, has enabled its officers and men to maintain the very high standard of efficiency which we have come to expect of the Fleet Clearance Diving Team. Their work has been in keeping with the highest traditions of the Service.’

Sold with the recipient’s original Admiralty named letter of notification for the award of his B.E.M., cut-down and sealed in protective covering, together with some bullion uniform insignia, including 3 ‘Diver’ trade badges, and copied group photograph of the Fleet Clearance Diving Team, including Whitton.

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484X

The Korean War D.S.C. group of nine awarded to Commander C. E. Pollock, Royal Navy, who commanded the destroyer H.M.S. Comus during the conflict Distinguished Service Cross, E.II.R., a rare Spink & Son issue, the reverse officially inscribed ‘C. E. Pollock. 3 October. 1952’ and hallmarked London 1952; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star, 1 clasp, Pacific; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Korea 1950-53 (Cdr. C. E. Pollock. D.S.C. R.N.); U.N. Korea 1950-54; Coronation 1953, mounted as worn, very fine or better (9) £5,000-£6,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II Just 69 awards of the D.S.C. for the Korean War, in addition to 14 First Bars and five Second Bars.

D.S.C. London Gazette 3 October 1952: ‘For distinguished service in operations in Korean waters.’

Charles Edward Pollock was born in Darlington, Co. Durham on 14 May 1910, and was originally commissioned as a probationary Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in August 1935 but transferred to the Royal Navy as an acting Sub Lieutenant in October 1939.

He subsequently witnessed extensive action in the Second World War, not least as Torpedo Lieutenant aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Somali in the period February 1941 to May 1942, commencing with her supporting role in Operation ‘Claymore’, the Commando raid on the Lofoten Islands in early March 1941.

It was during these operations that Somali intercepted the trawler Krebs off Svolvaer and her boarding party discovered some rotor disks from an Enigma coding machine, together with some associated documents, all of which were found to be invaluable at Bletchley Park. This success led to a separate operation to intercept the German weather ship Munchen in early May 1941, from which further valuable documentation was obtained.

Having then taken part in the search for the Bismarck at the end of the same month, Somali transferred to the Arctic run in August 1941, and over the coming months participated in several ‘QP’ operations.

Promoted Lieutenant-Commander in May 1942, Pollock came ashore to an appointment Vernon, but he returned to sea in the carrier Victorious in January 1944, shortly before her part in Operation ‘Tungsten’, the Fleet Air Arm attack on the Tirpitz in her Norwegian lair.

In June 1944, however, Victorious sailed for the warmer climes of the Far East, where she was to remain on station for the remainder of the war. She was subsequently heavily engaged off Sabang, Palembang and Okinawa, and was attacked by kamikaze aircraft on two occasions in the latter operations, suffering a loss of three killed and 19 wounded. Pollock also no doubt shared in the ship’s V.J. Day celebrations in Sydney on 31 August 1945.

Having been advanced to Commander in April 1947, he was appointed to the command of the destroyer Comus in May 1951. Thus ensued a busy tour of operations in Korean waters, where she served as one of several destroyers used as escorts to the air groups or for coastal bombardments.

Official records reveal that Pollock was recommended for the American Legion of Merit, Degree of Legionnaire, the proposed citation stating: ‘For meritorious service to the United States Navy and to the Government of the United States as the Commanding Officer of HMS Comus during the period July 1951 to January 1952 while serving in the Korean conflict with the United Nations Blockade and Escort Force, Naval Forces Far East.

Commander Pollock by his intelligent leadership, aggressiveness, and untiring devotion to duty, both in his harassing attacks on Communist forces and installations, and in his long and arduous Escorting Patrols displayed his outstanding skill as a Naval Officer. He planned and carried out skilfully effective attacks on Communist coastal installations, against enemy counter battery fire.

Commander Pollock made a marked contribution to the success of the Naval Campaign in the Korean conflict and his services were in keeping with the best Naval traditions.’

That recommendation was not approved. Instead, he was awarded the D.S.C., which distinction he received at a Buckingham Palace investiture in March 1953.

Meanwhile, he was advanced to Captain and appointed to the command of Phoenix, the Royal Navy’s Defence School at Stamshaw, Portsmouth.

Then in March 1956, he was appointed Commanding Officer of Osprey, the Royal Navy’s underwater detection establishment, a post he held until being placed on the Retired List in May 1958.

He died in Florida, U.S.A. in November 1993.

Sold with a portrait photograph contained in an oval-shaped, silver-gilt glazed frame, together with copied research.

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485

X The rare post-war Suez Crisis M.M. pair awarded to Lance-Corporal J. Crossland, 40 Commando, Royal Marines Military Medal, E.II.R., 1st issue (RM.14422 Marine. J. W. Crossland, R.M.) official correction to first three letters of surname; Naval General Service 1915-62, 2 clasps, Cyprus, Near East (R.M. 14422 J. W. Crossland. Mne. R.M.) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (2) £6,000-£8,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 1998.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Only seven Military Medals were awarded for the Suez operations in 1956, namely four awards to the Royal Marines and three to the Parachute Regiment.

M.M. London Gazette 13 June 1957: ‘In recognition of distinguished services in operations in the Near East, October to December 1956.’

The original recommendation states: ‘Lance-Corporal Crossland was the second-in-command of his section during the Allied Landings at Port Said on 6 November 1956. Crossland and 4 men were led into an assault on an enemy held warehouse by their Commander. Just before entering the building 2 of the men were wounded by a grenade, but the attack was carried through. Just after the entry was made the officer was killed. It was then apparent that the further end of the warehouse was held by Egyptians who were determined to fight to the last. The section commander withdrew in order to obtain reinforcements. Crossland held his ground alone and continued to fire and throw grenades at the enemy. Soon, he ran out of ammunition, and the enemy advanced upon him. He still stood his ground and was preparing to use the butt of his Sten gun when the reinforcing section arrived just in time to account for the remaining enemy.

Lance-Corporal Crossland immediately turned to assist the 2 members of his section who were wounded and lying in the open outside the warehouse. Although under heavy fire from another position, with complete disregard for his personal safety he went out and dragged his wounded comrades to safety.

There were a further 4 rooms at the far end of the warehouse which still had to be searched. Crossland played a leading part in clearing these remaining rooms which contained 8 of the enemy.

Throughout this action Lance-Corporal Crossland showed outstanding courage in the face of the enemy and acted with great personal bravery accounting for a number of enemy. His actions inspired the men under him.’

James Willie Crossland received his M.M. at an investiture held on 19 November 1957.

His gallant actions were enacted in Port Said’s customs sheds, where strong Egyptian resistance resulted in a loss of two officers killed and several Marines wounded. A glimpse of that action is to be found in the Globe & Laurel of February 1957: ‘Lieutenant Ufton, with a section of ‘B’ Troop, then attacked the Customs Sheds and cleared part of the bottom floor and the whole of the top floor; two Marines were wounded before they reached the building. Lieutenant McCarthy, with two sections of ‘B’ Troop, attempted to clear the reminder of the bottom floor. They were met with heavy fire from the enemy hidden behind the Customs inspection table and from the many separate offices and lobbies in the large passenger inspection room. Two Marines were wounded effecting an entry and Lieutenant McCarthy was shot dead as soon as he entered the room. Lieutenant Ufton immediately led an attack which captured the building and was killed attempting to clear a separate office at the far end.

One Marine was wounded. 17 enemy were killed and two wounded and captured. One enemy was captured four hours later when he was found hiding in a cupboard.’

The Royal Marines suffered total casualties of 10 killed and 50 wounded in the Suez operations.

Sold with copied research.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

486X

The post-war Naval General Service medal awarded to Lieutenant D. J. Bingham, Royal Navy, a torpedo expert who ‘in an amazing act of treachery’ sold ‘red hot secrets’ to the Soviets Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Near East (P/J.965927 D. J. Bingham, J. Smn. R.N.) mounted as worn, a few edge bruises, otherwise good very fine £500-£700 Provenance: Jeffrey Hoare Auctions, April 2000.

The sorry saga of David Bingham and his wife is neatly summarised in one of several accompanying newspaper reports: ‘A Royal Navy officer was jailed for 21 years at Winchester Crown Court for spying for the Russians in the most damaging leak of military secrets since the notorious Portland spy ring of a decade ago.

Lieutenant David Bingham, a 31-year-old torpedo expert, pleaded guilty to 12 charges of passing vital secrets, including details of the West’s tactics for the defence against Soviet submarines.

His wife Maureen admitted to encouraging Bingham to take up spying two years earlier as a way out of their financial problems.

The couple, who had four children and lived near Portsmouth, had found it difficult to manage on his salary of £1,843 a year.

Their debts included a £2,000 overdraft.

The Russians paid her husband more than £5,000 for his services.

Mrs. Bingham was jailed for two-and-a-half years for making the initial approach to the Soviet Embassy.

The previous August, Bingham had confessed to his treachery in a bid to turn double-agent for the British, after his Russian masters tipped him off that a K.G.B. officer had defected and was about to unmask him. The plan failed.

The case caused grave embarrassment. An inquiry was called to discover how, despite changes made after earlier spy scandals, Bingham slipped through the net.

He was never put through the ‘positive vetting’ process used to assess weaknesses such as heavy drinking, sexual affairs or financial problems. Bingham was released in 1981 after serving nine years. He adopted a new identity, using the name David Brough, and became Vice-President of Bournemouth Conservative Club.

When he was recognised by a former colleague, he fled to a new home in Stratford-on-Avon with his second wife, May, where he worked as manager of an alternative therapy centre. He died last month [February 1997], aged 56.’

The Daily Mail’s ‘25 Years Ago’ feature, 13 March 1997, refers.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

487X

The unusual lifesaving pair awarded to Lieutenant (A.) F. H. Simpkin, Royal Navy, who piloted Skyraiders during the Suez Crisis before converting to helicopters as a Senior Pilot Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Near East (Lieut. F. H. Simkin. R.N.); Greece, Ministry of Mercantile Marine, Silver Medal, Second Class, the reverse named in Greek, good very fine (2) £1,600-£2,000

FrankHarveySimpkin was born on 19 January 1928, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet for Flying Duties in February 1952. Having qualified for his ‘Wings’ at R.N.A.S. Culdrose and been advanced to Lieutenant in January 1955, he joined 849 Naval Air Squadron (N.A.S.) and witnessed active service in the Suez operations, flying Skyraiders from H.M.S. Albion in the period October-November 1956.

He subsequently undertook a helicopter conversion course and joined 719 N.A.S., in which capacity he was awarded his Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine Silver Medal for rescuing members of the crew of the Argo Delos, which ran aground on the Tor Rocks, off Northern Ireland on 22 October 1960. On that occasion, piloting a Whirlwind helicopter, he transferred Greek seamen, dangling at the end of a harness, for over a mile in heavy seas to the awaiting frigate H.M.S. Leopard. Another Whirlwind likewise participated in the rescue operation, in which all 33 of the Argo Delos’s crew were saved, and a grateful Greek Government awarded eight Fleet Air Arm personnel silver medals.

Appointed a Senior Pilot in 819 N.A.S. in May 1962, in which he flew Wessex helicopters, Simpkin appears to have transferred to 706 N.A.S. shortly before his untimely death, cause unknown, at the Royal Cornwall Infirmary, Truro on 10 October 1963.

Sold with copied research including Admiralty Honours and Awards committee confirming these awards, noting that ‘Under the Foreign Office Regulations, there is no restriction on the acceptance and wearing of Foreign Medals for life-saving, and the Queen’s permission is not required.’

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488

X The unique Brunei D.S.M. pair awarded to Petty Officer Mechanician P. J. D. Kirwin, Royal Navy, Stoker Petty Officer of the leading lighter at the opposed Royal Marines Commando raid against heavily armed Indonesian supported rebels at Limbang, Brunei, on 12 December 1962, who, ‘when his craft came under heavy fire, left the safety of his engine room, grasped his automatic weapon, and engaged the rebels himself at very close range’ - one of just four D.S.M.s awarded to the Royal Navy in the period from the Korean War in 1953 until the Falklands War in 1982 Distinguished Service Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (P/KX.869578 P. J. D. Kirwin. P.O.M. (E) R.N.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Brunei (KX.869578 P. J. D. Kirwin. P.O.M. (E). R.N.) this with officially reimpressed naming, extremely fine (2) £10,000-£14,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, May 2022.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II D.S.M. London Gazette 31 May 1963: ‘For gallant and distinguished services in operations in Brunei during the period 8th to 23rd December 1962.’

Up to 1962, the island of Borneo was divided into the vast southern area under Indonesian rule and three British dependencies, Sarawak, North Borneo and, sandwiched between them, the tiny but very wealthy protectorate of Brunei. With the sun gradually setting on British interests in this part of the Far East, a proposal to include these three northern Borneo states into the new Federation of Malaysia was opposed by Indonesia which then proceeded to back the dissident TNKU in mounting an insurrection in Brunei with the aim of maintaining a North Borneo Union. To further this, in December 1962 the rebels occupied several towns, including Brunei town and at Limbang across the border in Sarawak, they held a number of hostages, including the British Government’s Agent - the ‘Resident’, ‘Dick’ Morris - his wife and a nursing sister. There were indications that the hostages were to be executed on 12 December. At this time 42 Commando, who were awaiting Christmas in Singapore, were put on short notice, and two days later ‘L’ Company, under Captain Jeremy Moore (later to command British Land Forces during the Falklands War), flew to Brunei Town where the Gurkhas had restored order. In fact, most of the trouble had been quickly stamped out, except at Limbang, only accessible by river.

Tasked with rescuing the Limbang hostages, Moore’s urgency was further sharpened when it was learned that the TKNU had murdered some hostages at Bangar. At the waterfront in Brunei

he met the Senior Naval Officer, Lieutenant-Commander J. J. Black (who by coincidence would also rise to senior command during the Falklands War as Captain of the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Invincible) who had requisitioned two Z-Lighter landing craft for the raid, the Nakhoda Manis and the Sindaun, and provided these with five man crews from the minesweepers Fiskerton and Chawton under his command. Lieutenant Willis, being Black’s First Lieutenant, was appointed as the Senior Naval Officer charged with ensuring that the task force arrived off Limbang but once the assault landing was under way, the lighters would then come under the tactical direction of the senior Royal Marine on board. None of the Royal Navy men under Willis had any experience in handling Z-Craft or landing craft operations but they were now being committed to the daunting prospect of an opposed landing.

At 10pm on 11 December, the understrength ‘L’ Company of 87 men, faces blackened, all wearing green berets with glinting cap badges for identification, filed on to the waiting Z-Craft. On board the lead lighter, Nakhoda Manis - commanded by Willis was Captain Moore, his reconnaissance group, part of Company HQ, and 5 Troop. Also aboard as guide was Captain Muton, the Brunei Director of Marine who would later receive the M.B.E. for his efforts and four more Royal Navy crew including Petty Officer Mechanician Kirwin.

The assault went in at first light: ‘When they were 300yds from the Limbang police station, and as the leading craft came abreast of the huts south of the town,’it erupted like a disturbed ants’ nest as the rebels stood to’. At

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

200yds the Commando Intelligence Sergeant called through the loud-hailer in Malay: ‘The rebellion is over . . . you should lay down your arms.’ They replied with automatic weapons - an LMG, three or four SMGs - and some dozen rifles, supported by over 100 shotguns. The instantaneous counter-fire from both craft gave the commandos, thanks to their Vickers machine-guns, the initiative, enabling the leading craft to beach half a minute later only 30yds from the police station. Two marines of the leading No.5 Troop were killed before the craft gained the bank and their OC, Lt ‘Paddy’ Davis, was wounded as he jumped ashore. Sgt Bickford led two Sections of the Troop against the police station, which was quickly cleared, but the naval coxswain of the leading craft had been wounded and as the craft drifted off the bank, Lt D.O. Willis, RN, drove it hard back ashore; but this shallow draught lighter broached to 150yds upstream between the hospital and the home of the British Resident. Capt Moore sent the reserve section ashore, with HQ personnel led by TSM McDonald, and they cleared the hospital. As they came through to the back of this building, the Troop sergeant and two marines were killed, ‘for the jungle comes literally right down to the back door of the hospital’.

The grounding of the craft up-river had been a fortunate accident, for Capt Moore found some of the hostages in the hospital. A rebel had fired at them but missed, and no one was hurt. While the ground between the hospital and the police station was being cleared, as was the Resident’s house, the Company Commander was told of more hostages. Therefore, he organised the clearing of the rest of the town to the south, and by the afternoon had released another eight hostages but at nightfall there were still rebels inside the Company’s perimeter, two of whom were killed close to the marines’ positions. Next day the town was secured.

Five marines had been killed and six wounded (including a sailor), but the action here, coupled with those of the Gurkhas and Queen’s Own Highlanders elsewhere in Brunei, had broken the rebellion. At Limbang alone 15 rebels had been killed and 50 captured from a force of 350, - twice the expected size. They had been taken by surprise, as the commandos now discovered. The Vickers guns in the second craft had been masked, the Company Commander also learnt, by the leading craft, until QMS Cyril Quoins asked the officer commanding this lighter if he could pull out of line to give them a clearer shot. ‘Sergeant Major’, the officer replied, ‘Nelson would have loved you’, and promptly swung his craft into a more exposed position.’ (The Royal Marines by James D. Ladd refers.)

It is also worth quoting Captain Jeremy Moore’s observations, made much later:

‘It is perhaps interesting to note that, though my assessment of where the enemy headquarters might be was right, I was quite wrong about the hostages. Furthermore, it was chance that the second beaching happened where it did, that resulted in us taking the hospital from the direction we did. It could be that this saved us heavier casualties, though I assess the most important factor in the success of the operation was first class leadership by junior NCOs. Their section battle craft was a joy to watch and the credit for this belongs to the troop and Section commanders.’

Moore received a Bar to the Military Cross he had won during operations against Communist terrorists in Malaya during the Emergency of the 1950s. Royal Marine Corporals W. J. Lester and R. C. Rawlinson were awarded the M.M. and decorations were also awarded to two of the Royal Navy crew of the 1st Lighter.

Lieutenant Willis got the D.S.C. for his command of the 1st Lighter when, having had two of his helmsmen shot at his side and 140 bullet holes in the bridge of his landing craft, he took the wheel himself and landed his Commando. Petty Officer Mechanician Kirwin, also of the 1st lighter under Willis, would be awarded the Distinguished Service Medal - The Naval Chronicle recording how, with his craft coming under heavy fire, Kirwin chose to leave the safety of the engine room and grasping an automatic weapon, engaged the rebels himself at very close range. Captain J. J. Black would later write of Kirwin’s gallantry: ‘after having heard the battle raging around his craft, he left his engines under the charge of his assistant, picked up his sten gun and joined in the gun battle by sticking his head out of his hatch.’

Kirwin’s rare award is one of only four Distinguished Service Medals awarded to men of the Royal Navy in the period from the Korean War in 1953 until the Falklands War in 1982. Two of these were for the Near East (Suez), one for operations in Borneo, and there is this sole award to Petty Officer Kirwin for Brunei.

Just one of these other interim post-war D.S.M.s has been seen at auction (Able Seaman Loader’s Suez Crisis group which sold in these rooms in December 2021) while the other Limbang gallantry awards - to Moore, Rawlinson, Lester and Willis - are all yet to be sighted.

Patrick John Dennis Kirwin was born in 1932 at Barton upon Irwell, Lancashire, the son of Kathleen Mary Magee and John Kirwin. He died at Salford, Greater Manchester, in 1989.

Sold with original Royal Mint case of issue for D.S.M., comprehensive copied research, and a print of Terence Cuneo’s painting of the action.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

489X

The rare Queen’s R.N. and R.M. Champion Shots Medal awarded to Lieutenant R. W. J. Walker, Royal Marines Queen’s Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, E.II.R., with dated clasp ‘1970’ (Lieut. Randle W. J. Walker, R.M.) impressed naming, extremely fine £1,800-£2,200 In the period up to 1979, there have been 56 awards.

The first Naval small-arms championship to compete for the Medal took place in 1966. Since then, the Royal Navy Small Arms Meeting has been held annually on the National Rifle Ranges at Bisley, Surrey, except in 1991, when no competition was held as a result of the Gulf War. The competition consists of a series of combat shooting matches encompassing attack, defence, fighting in built-up areas and close-quarter shooting.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

490X

The South Atlantic medal awarded to Lieutenant D. R. Mugridge, Royal Navy, who was duty navigating officer in the frigate H.M.S. Antelope when she was bombed and sunk in San Carlos Water in May 1982 South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (Lt D R Mugridge RN HMS Antelope) extremely fine

£1,200-£1,600

Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

David Rhodri Mugridge was born in Cardiff, Glamorganshire in July 1953, and entered the Royal Navy as a Midshipman in the Royal Naval College Dartmouth in September 1971. Confirmed in the rank of Sub Lieutenant on his passing out in September 1973, he joined the frigate H.M.S. Naiad, followed by time in the counter measures ship Crichton, in which he was advanced to Lieutenant in January 1978. But it was in the courses of his subsequent appointment to the frigate Antelope in 1981-82 that he witnessed active service in the South Atlantic.

Antelope arrived on station off the Falklands on 21 May 1982, and, two days later, was allocated to air defence duties at the entrance to San Carlos Water. Here she came under attack from four Argentine Skyhawks, operating in pairs.

The first pair swept in low from astern, one of them being damaged by a Sea Cat missile and forced to break away but the other delivering a 1,000lb. bomb through Antelope’s starboard side. It failed to explode but killed one of her crew. The second pair of Skyhawks attacked moments later from the starboard side and one of them delivered another well-aimed 1,000lb. bomb which penetrated Antelope amidships but also failed to explode. The aircraft in question was hit by Oerlikon 20mm. fire and collided with Antelope’s main mast before disintegrating.

Antelope withdrew to more sheltered waters to await the arrival of two bomb disposal specialists from the Royal Engineers, Warrant Officer Phillips and Staff Sergeant James Prescott. On arrival, one of the bombs was deemed inaccessible and work commenced on the other, but three attempts to remove the fuse by remote means failed. Tragically a fourth attempt, using a small explosive device, detonated the bomb, killing Prescott immediately and severely wounding Phillips. The detonation tore Antelope open from her waterline to her funnel, fracturing the starboard fire main in addition to further serious damage. With major fires spreading and no electrical power, Commander Nick Tobin gave the order to abandon ship. He was the last man to depart the crippled frigate and, about five minutes later, her missile magazines started to explode, thereby providing some of the most iconic photographs to emerge from the conflict.

By dawn it was evident that Antelope had broken her keel, and her superstructure appeared as a mass of melted, twisted metal.

She sank later that day.

An excellent firsthand account of Antelope’s fate appears in Michael Ashcroft’s Falklands War Heroes, as provided by Chief Petty Officer Malcolm Cooper.

Following his return from the Falklands, Mugridge resigned from the Royal Navy in 1983. Commander Nick Tobin was awarded the D.S.C.

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491

X The South Atlantic medal awarded to Marine Engineering Mechanic R. Butters, Royal Navy, who suffered burns when H.M.S. Ardent was bombed and sunk in San Carlos Water in May 1982 South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (MEM(M)2 R Butters D188250H HMS Ardent) extremely fine £1,600-£2,000

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

The frigate H.M.S. Ardent sustained serious damage from enemy air attack on 21 May 1982, and sank off North-West Island in Falkland Sound during the following evening, her casualties amounting to 22 killed and 37 wounded. The ship’s fate is best summarised in the citation for the D.S.C. awarded to her captain, Commander Alan West (later Admiral Lord West of Spithead) as announced in the London Gazette of 8 October 1982: ‘On 21 May 1982, H.M.S. Ardent, commanded by Commander West, was deployed to Grantham Sound to conduct Naval Gunfire Support during the amphibious landings in San Carlos Water; in particular to cover the withdrawal of an S.A.S. diversionary patrol. Isolated there, H.M.S. Ardent was subject to heavy air attack (at one stage eleven aircraft were involved). Despite these overwhelming odds, Commander West covered the S.A.S. withdrawal and supported 2 Para establishing themselves on Sussex Mountain. He fought his ship bravely, shooting down one Pucara, and continued to bring fire to bear on enemy aircraft despite the progressive loss of the ship’s propulsion, Seacat system and 4.5-inch gun.

Eventually, after being hit by no less than nine bombs and several rockets,

and with no hope of saving the ship, he ordered her to be abandoned.

The utmost credit should go to Commander West for continuing to fight his ship in the face of extreme adversity and in particular for the well organised manner in which she was abandoned. Without his calm courage and personal direction in the face of overwhelming odds far greater loss of life might have occurred.’

In addition to Commander Alan West, Lieutenant-Commander John Sephton was also awarded the D.S.C., a posthumous award stemming from a V.C. recommendation; Petty Officer John Leake was awarded the D.S.M.; Able Seaman John Edward Dillon the G.M., and M.E.A. 1 K. Enticknapp the Q.G.M. Leake’s D.S.M. was sold in these Rooms on 23 September 2011 (Lot 958) and his moving account of Ardent’s loss appears in Michael Ashcroft’s Falklands War Heroes.

Sold with an original letter from the recipient’s father, dated 3 November 1983, in which he confirms that his son received burns in the Ardent action, together with three related newspaper cuttings.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

492

X The South Atlantic and Gulf operations pair awarded to Leading Steward M. W. Devine, Royal Navy, who sustained concussion when H.M.S. Coventry was bombed and sunk in May 1982 South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (AL STD M W Devine D156565L HMS Coventry); General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Gulf (L STD M W Devine D156565L RN) mounted for display, good very fine (2) £1,600-£2,000 H.M.S. Coventry, a Type 42-class destroyer launched in 1974, served during the Falklands War under the command of Captain D. Hart Dyke, initially as part of the air defence vanguard for the two aircraft carriers, H.M.S. Hermes and H.M.S. Invincible.

On 25 May 1982, Coventry was attacked and hit by three bombs, and sank in less than 30 minutes, with the loss of 19 killed and 30 injured. One of the bombs exploded beneath the computer room, destroying it and the nearby operations room. A second entered the forward engine room, exploding beneath the junior ratings’ dining room. The third bomb failed to detonate.

Hart Dyke, father of the award-winning actress Miranda Hart, later described Coventry’s role and loss in Four Weeks in May, which was turned into a B.B.C. documentary, titled Sea of Fire. Of the moment the bombs hit, he recalled: ‘There was a vicious shockwave, a blinding flash and searing heat … the force and the shock of the impact shook my whole body to the core. All power and communication were lost, the ship stopped, burning furiously and beginning to role.’

The surviving crew were rescued by H.M.S. Broadsword.

Devine, who sustained concussion, went on to serve in the Gulf operations in H.M.S. Charybdis.

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Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

493

X The South Atlantic and Lebanon operations group of three awarded to Leading Air Engineering Mechanic (Electrical) P. Roberts, Royal Navy, who flew on operational missions as an ‘extra gunner’ in Sea King helicopters in the Falklands, prior to qualifying for the rare ‘Lebanon’ clasp for like services South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (ALAEM(L) P Roberts D112421W 846 Sqdn); General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Lebanon (ALAEM(L) P Roberts D112421W RN); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (ALAEM(L) P Roberts D112421W RN) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (3) £1,400-£1,800 Peter Roberts was born in Merionethshire, Wales on 27 September 1953, and joined the Royal Navy as an Engineering Mechanic (Air) in June 1969. Having worked on Canberra aircraft and Wessex helicopters in the interim, he joined No. 846 Naval Air Squadron (N.A.S.) in September 1980. And it was in this capacity that he journeyed south to the Falklands in the carrier Hermes in April 1982.

By Robert’s own account, he subsequently flew operational missions as ‘an extra gunner’ in the squadron’s Sea King helicopters, in addition to assisting in the preparation of a Wessex helicopter for an S.A.S. mission to the Argentinian mainland: stripped down for maximum speed and range, it dropped off an S.A.S. recce team before flying to Chile; the helicopter was torched on landing and the crew repatriated via the (neutral) German embassy.

It was during his tour of duty in 846 N.A.S. that Roberts also participated in the Lebanon operations of February 1983 to March 1984. One of the unit’s helicopters, and seven support personnel, were transferred to the support ship Reliant, from which he made several trips to Lebanon, acting as an ‘Air Gunner operating a machine-gun, plus a chaff dispenser.’ Roberts was finally discharged in May 1987.

Sold with the recipient’s hand-written summary of the salient points of his career, together with an Ordnance Survey map of San Carlos Bay, showing missile sites; a ‘Crossing the Line’ certificate; Grin & Bear It booklet published by the Falklands Task Force; Intrepid Observer magazine published on board the Intrepid, and a copy of his Royal Navy Certificate of Service.

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494

X The South Atlantic and Gulf operations group of four awarded to Lieutenant-Commander S. J. Ball, Royal Navy, who was aboard H.M.S. Sheffield when she was sunk by an Exocet Missile during the Falklands War, the first Royal Navy vessel sunk in action since the Second World War General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Gulf (CCMEA(M) S J Ball D145312X RN); South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (MEA(M)1 S J Ball D145312X HMS Sheffield); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (ASLT S J Ball RN) mounted in incorrect order as worn, together with Jubilee 2002, unnamed, in card box of issue, first medal with contact marks, very fine and better (4) £2,000-£2,400 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, July 2011.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

Stephen James Ball was born in 1956 in Tripoli, Libya. He volunteered for service in the Royal Navy in January 1974 serving aboard a number of different vessels, including H.M.S. Sheffield from 3 March 1980, which ship he was still serving aboard when she was sunk by an Exocet missile during the Falklands War. A specialist engineer, he received his commission in February 1989, remaining with the service until his retirement as Lieutenant-Commander in September 2006.

The sinking of H.M.S. Sheffield At approximately 10a.m. on 4 May 1982, HMS Sheffield was at defence watches, second degree readiness, as part of the British Task Force dispatched to the Falkland Islands. Sheffield had relieved her sister ship Coventry as the latter was having technical trouble with her radar. Sheffield and Coventry were chatting over the radio when communications suddenly ceased. Then an unidentified message was heard flatly stating "Sheffield is hit ".

The flagship, Hermes dispatched the escorts Arrow and Yarmouth to investigate, and a helicopter was launched.

Confusion reigned until Sheffield’s Lynx helicopter unexpectedly landed aboard Hermes carrying the Air Operations Officer and Operations Officer, confirming the disaster. Sheffield had picked up the incoming missiles on her ancient radar system and the Operations Officer informed the Missile Director, who queried the contacts with the fire control system. The launch aircraft had not been detected as the British had expected, and it was not until smoke was sighted that the target was confirmed as sea skimming missiles. Five seconds later, an Exocet impacted Sheffield amidships, approximately 8 feet above the waterline on Deck 2, tearing a gash in the hull, whilst the other one splashed into the sea half a mile off her port beam.

The Exocets were fired from two Super Étendards launched from Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Naval Air Base, piloted by Lieutenant Armando Mayora and Captain Augusto Bedacarratz, who commanded the mission. The MOD report into the sinking of the Sheffield concluded that; "Evidence indicates that the Warhead did not detonate ".

Some of the crew and members of the Task Force believe however that the missile’s 165 kilogram warhead did in fact detonate upon impact. Regardless, the impact of the missile and the burning rocket motor set Sheffield ablaze.

Accounts suggest that the initial impact of the missile immediately crippled the ship’s onboard electricity generating systems and fractured the water main, preventing the anti-fire mechanisms from operating effectively, and thereby dooming the ship to be consumed by the raging fire.

After the ship was struck, her crew, waiting to be rescued, sang "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life " from Monty Python’s Life of Brian. The burnt-out hulk was taken in tow by the Rothesay class frigate HMS Yarmouth but sank at 53° 04’ S, 56° 56’ W on 10 May 1982; high seas led to slow flooding through the hole in the ship’s side which eventually took her to the bottom. This made her the first Royal Navy vessel sunk in action in almost forty years. Twenty of her crew (mainly on duty in the Galley area) died during the attack. The wreck is a war grave and designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

Sold with original Certificate of Service, History Sheet for Marine Engineering Artificer, copy of recipient’s final appraisal prior to his retirement, Kit Record Book and three photographs including recipient.

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495X

The notable Northern Ireland and South Atlantic campaign group of three awarded to Sergeant (later Lieutenant) I. D. Fisk, Royal Marines, who was mentioned in despatches for gallantry whilst serving as Missile/Gun Director aboard H.M.S. Yarmouth, when during repeated Argentine air attacks ‘his efforts were rewarded by at least two confirmed kills’ General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (P028197B I. D. Fisk L. Cpl RM); South Atlantic 1982, with rosette and M.I.D. oak leaf (Sgt I D Fisk P028197B RM); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (Lt I D Fisk RM) mounted as worn, good very fine (3) £4,000-£5,000 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, May 2016.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

M.I.D. London Gazette 8 October 1982. The original recommendation states: ‘During the period of the Falklands conflict, Sergeant Fisk served as Missile/Gun Director (Visual) in H.M.S. Yarmouth. In the period prior to hostilities he used considerable initiative to acquire and mount extra close range Anti-Aircraft weapons on the upper deck and trained crews to use them. During hostilities and, in particular, during amphibious operations in San Carlos Water the days following (21 May-2 June), the ship came under numerous air attacks.

Throughout these attacks Sergeant Fisk conducted the close range Air defence of the ship from his exposed position on the G.D.P. with exceptional vigour, courage and leadership. His efforts were rewarded by at least two confirmed kills and several other aircraft were damaged or deterred by close range weapons.

Throughout long periods of less immediate danger, but often in appalling weather, between late April and late June he sustained the morale and vigilance of his lookouts and weapon crews in their exposed positions.

Although no single act of gallantry or leadership can be cited, Sergeant Fisk’s stamina, courage and leadership made a major contribution to the effectiveness of the ship over a prolonged period and are worthy of recognition.’

A further endorsement on his recommendation, signed by Admiral J. D. E. Fieldhouse, states: ‘Sergeant Fisk showed outstanding courage, resource and leadership during repeated air attacks. He is recommended for the award of a Mention in Despatches.’

Ian David Fisk joined H.M.S. Yarmouth in August 1981 and had been serving in the Royal Marines for 12 years at the time of being recommended for his “Mention” in June 1982.

The Yarmouth was a Type 12 Rothsay Class Frigate and steamed almost 40,000 miles in the period April-July 1982, often in atrocious conditions. She arrived off the Falklands in late April and quickly saw action.

When on 4 May Sheffield was hit by an Exocet missile, Arrow and Yarmouth having narrowly been missed by a second missile, went to her aid. While Arrow was fighting the fire, Yarmouth fought off a possible submarine attack. She then joined Arrow alongside Sheffield and fought the fire until the destroyer was abandoned and the survivors taken off.

For the next four days of foggy weather Yarmouth remained with the carrier group, before being despatched to take the still floating Sheffield in tow. She went along side the stricken ship in the early hours of 9 May and passed a tow. For twenty-nine hours Sheffield, with her White Ensign still flying, was towed much of the time in daylight and within range of enemy aircraft until, as the wind increased to gale force, the towed ship heeled over and, at 7a.m. on 10 May, sank. Yarmouth headed back towards the Task Force.

A week of storms followed and Yarmouth, the oldest escort ship in the Tank Force, rode out the weather with no damage despite her twenty-two years. On 19 May, the amphibious landing group arrived, joined the Task Force and headed West to the Falkland

Sound. The amphibious landing took place in the early hours of the 21 May in San Carlos Water. Yarmouth’s task was to provide anti-submarine and anti-air Protection. Throughout the bright, sunny day she patrolled in Falkland Sound as enemy Mirage and A4 aircraft attacked both the landing area in San Carlos Water and the ships protecting the landing force. During one such attack in the afternoon, Ardent was hit and set on fire. Shortly afterwards a wave of Skyhawks again attacked Ardent which immediately began to list and to burn more fiercely. Yarmouth went to her aid and took off the ship’s company as the fire spread towards the magazines. She then headed for San Carlos Water where she transferred Ardent’s crew to the Canberra before resuming her patrol in the Sound.

The next ten days saw Yarmouth in San Carlos Water by day and leaving at dusk each night to carry out a variety of tasks including shore bombardment, anti-submarine patrols, covert operations and escorting merchant ships to and from the landing area. Each morning at dawn she returned to San Carlos Water to provide anti-aircraft protection for the landing ships. This was a particularly testing, time for the two hundred and fifty men onboard as they spent the daylight hours at Action Stations, subject to frequent air attacks, and with little time for sleep at night. Many ships present at that time suffered damage from air attacks and only the concentrated fire of Yarmouth’s 4.5, inch and 20mm. guns, Seacat missile and small arms kept the enemy air craft at bay.

After this testing period, Yarmouth sailed East to the repair area and spent two days with a repair ship where she carried out essential maintenance before rejoining the Task Force. Most nights during the following week 6-13 June the ship was in volved in bombarding enemy positions to the West of Port Stanley with her 4.5 inch guns. During the conflict she fired well over a thousand rounds, some thirty-two tons of shells. The ship’s machinery performed marvellously as Yarmouth dashed nearly two hundred miles each way to and from the Islands at high speed to carry out the bombardment by night and arrive back with the battle group to replenish fuel and ammunition before heading inshore once more.

On one such mission the ship encountered a small coaster packed with Gurkhas and essential supplies, immobilised by a rope around her propeller and prey for enemy aircraft. Yarmouth’s diving team freed her screws, and the vessel was able to proceed to Goose Green. On another night the frigate stood by and provided firefighting and medical aid to the Glamorgan when the destroyer was hit by an Exocet missile fired from shore near Port Stanley.

After Port Stanley had been re-taken, Yarmouth was despatched to South Georgia, an island of glaciers and icebergs, and from there to Southern Thule to join Endurance and enforce the surrender of the Argentine contingent there. She later took the prisoners of war from South Georgia to Port Stanley.

On 7 July, after several more days patrolling with the Battle Group, she began her eight thousand mile voyage home in company with Exeter and Cardiff. Apart from Invincible she was the last of the original Task Force to leave the area.

www.noonans.co.uk All lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyer's premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

496

X The South Atlantic medal awarded to Captain F. V. Allen, 42 Commando Royal Marines South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (Lt F V Allen RM)nearly extremely fine

£2,000-£2,400

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2005.

Francis ‘Frank’ Victor Allen originally served in the ranks of the Royal Marines before being commissioned in the late 1970s. Promoted Lieutenant in March 1978, he served in 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron R.M., a helicopter support unit flying Gazelles, and at the R.M. Commando Training Centre, prior to being posted to 42 Commando, R.M. He subsequently served as 42’s Assistant Quarter-Master in the Falklands War, participating in the landings at Port San Carlos and in the attacks on Mount Kent and Mount Harrier. He kept a diary throughout the conflict, extracts from which are frequently quoted in March to the South Atlantic, written by his commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Nick Vaux, D.S.O. In his role as Assistant Quarter-Master, Allen faced all manner of challenges, whether caused by central supply shortages, the climate or enemy action. And his lively diary entries, supported by Nick Vaux’s observations, bear testament to those challenges. The following extract describes the moment he came under fire on the eve of 42’s attack on Mount Harriet on the night of 11-12 June 1982: ‘Shells began landing in the open between our positions, in a sort of open quarry, and Mount Harriet.

Marines from ‘J’ were carrying rations up to the feature and were caught by the shells in the open; two were wounded almost immediately. The shells tracked down towards us and were landing less than 100 metres away. I had grabbed an Argentine helmet and was moving from hole to hole in the opposite direction from the last explosion … It was very frightening indeed and the awful dilemma after each explosion was whether to stay put or move.’

Allen emerged unscathed and, having been advanced to Captain, he retired at his own request in June 1984.

Sold with copied extracts from Nick Vaux’s book.

www.noonans.co.uk All lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyer's premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

497

X The fine South Atlantic campaign group of four awarded to Sergeant J. D. Hill, Royal Marines, who served in the Medical Squadron of the R.M. Commando Logistic Regiment in the Falklands, including a stint at ‘The Red and Green Life Machine’ in Ajax Bay South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (Cpl J D Hill P0034950H RM); Gulf 1990-91, no clasp (Cpl J D Hill P0034950H RM); General Service 1962-2007, 2 clasps, N. Iraq & S. Turkey, Northern Ireland (Cpl J D Hill P0034950H RM); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (Cpl J D Hill P0034950H RM) mounted in incorrect order, generally very fine or better (4) £1,800-£2,200 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2008.

Jeffrey David Hill was born in Swansea on 15 April 1956, and joined the Royal Marines in September 1974. Posted to 42 Commando, R.M. on qualifying for his green beret, he attended the Arctic Warfare Course in early 1979 and was advanced to Corporal in November 1980.

Embarked in the S.S. Canberra for the Falklands in April 1982, he served in No. 3 Troop of the Medical Squadron, Commando Logistic Regiment, R.M., including a stint under Surgeon-Commander Rick Jolly at the Falklands Field Hospital, a.k.a. ‘The Red and Green Life Machine’ from 9-19 June 1982; his service there is confirmed in the book of the same name.

Having then been awarded his L.S. & G.C. medal in October 1988, he witnessed further active service in the First Gulf War, for which he received one of 130 medals awarded without clasp to the Royal Marines, and in Operation ‘Haven’ in Northern Iraq and Southern Turkey in April-July 1991. Having then been advanced to Sergeant and served in Northern Ireland with 40 Commando, R.M., Hill was discharged in June 1997.

Sold with copied Certificate of Service, which confirms all his medals and clasps, and three ‘Royal Marines Commando’ cloth patches.

www.noonans.co.uk All lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyer's premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

498X

The Gulf campaign pair awarded to Radio Operator 1 B. J. Morris, Royal Navy, who was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery during anti-smuggling operations in the Hong Kong Territories General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Gulf (RO1(T) B J Morris D216114X RN); Gulf 1990-91, 1 clasp, 16 Jan to 28 Feb 1991 (RO1(T) B J Morris D216114X RN) together with silver laurel leaf for Queen’s Commendation for Bravery, mounted as worn, good very fine and scarce (2) £700-£900 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb,. December 2002.

Queen’s Commendation for Bravery London Gazette 9 January 1995: ‘For services leading to the arrest of smugglers and capture of contraband during anti-smuggling operations in the Hong Kong Territories on 30th December 1993.’

A Commendation was also awarded to Petty Officer Weapon Engineering Mechanic (O.) Steven John Rule on the same occasion.

Sold with copied London Gazette entry.

www.noonans.co.uk All lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyer's premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)

499

X The campaign pair awarded to Lieutenant N. Day, Royal Marines, a qualified Special Boat Service diver Campaign Service Medal 1962-2007, 2 clasps, Northern Ireland, N. Iraq & S. Turkey (A/Lt N Day RM); U.N. Medal for Bosnia, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine and rare (2) £2,200-£2,600 Nicholas Day was born on 9 May 1968, and by virtue of his accompanying R.N. diving logs was clearly a member of the S.B.S. during the 1990s. Nothing further is known about his career but it is worth noting, his service in Northern Ireland aside, that the operations in Northern Iraq and Southern Turkey, during Operation ‘Haven’, took place in April-July 1991.

Sold with the recipient’s original Royal Navy Diver’s Log, with entries for the period January 1993 to October 1994, and his Royal Navy Diving Log, with portrait photograph and entries for November 1994 to February 1996, the whole appertaining to training dives with the S.B.S. at Poole, Dorset and overseas in Oman and Gibraltar.

www.noonans.co.uk All lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyer's premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)

500

X The First Gulf War pair awarded to Sub-Lieutenant L. C. Howell, Royal Navy, a Fleet Air Arm pilot who flew Sea King helicopters Gulf 1990-91, 1 clasp, 16 Jan to 28 Feb 1991 (S Lt L C Howell RN); Kuwait, Liberation Medal, nearly extremely fine (2) £400-£500 Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2000.

Leigh Howell attended the R.N.C. Britannia prior to undertaking a pilot’s course at Culdrose in 1989.

Having then been commissioned Sub-Lieutenant and qualified as a 1st Pilot in Sea King Mark 5 and 6 helicopters in May-July 1990, he joined 810 Naval Air Squadron (N.A.S.). In January 1991, however, he transferred to 820 N.A.S., and it was in this capacity that he served in the First Gulf War, when the squadron was assigned to the carrier H.M.S. Ark Royal in January-April 1991. Howell transferred to 826 N.A.S. in November 1992, with whom he would also serve in Ark Royal.

Sold with a quantity of career photographs of ships and helicopters, a photocopy of his Pilot’s Flying Log Book for the period April 1989-December 1992, and Fleet Air Arm bullion embroidered pilot’s wings.

Naval Medals From the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas: Part II

End of Sale

www.noonans.co.uk All lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyer's premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)

M COMMISSION FORM NAVAL MEDAL S FROM THE COLLEC TION OF THE L ATE JA SON PIL AL A S: PART II 11 MARCH 2025

Please bid on my behalf at the above sale for the following Lot(s) up to the price(s) mentioned overleaf. These bids are to be executed as cheaply as is permitted by other bids or any reserve.

I understand that in the case of a successful bid, a premium of 24 per cent (plus VAT if delivered or collected within the UK) will be payable by me on the hammer price of all lots.

Please see the Terms and Conditions of Business for any other charges which may be applicable.

Please ensure your bids comply with the steps outlined below: Up to £100 by £5 £100 to £200 by £10 £200 to £500 by £20 £500 to £1,000 by £50 £1,000 to £2,000 by £100 £2,000 to £5,000 by £200 £5,000 to £10,000 by £500 £10,000 to £20,000 by £1,000 £20,000 to £50,000 by £2,000 Bids of unusual amounts will be rounded down to the bid step below and will not take precedence over a similar bid unless received first.

NOTE: All bids placed other than via our website should be received by 4 PM on the day prior to the sale. Although we will endeavour to execute any late bids, Noonans cannot accept responsibility for bids received after that time. It is strongly advised that you use our online Advance Bidding Facility. If you have a valid email address bids may be entered, and amended or cancelled, online at www.noonans.co.uk right up until a lot is offered. You will receive a confirmatory email for all bids and amendments. Bids posted to our office using this form will be entered by our staff using the same Advance Bidding Facility. There is, therefore, no better way of ensuring the accuracy of your advance bids than to place them yourself online.

I confirm that I have read and agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions of Business in the catalogue.

SIGNED NAME (block capitals)

CLIENT CODE

ADDRESS TELEPHONE

EMAIL

If successful, payment can be made in the following ways: Credit/Debit card online via www.noonans.co.uk Bank Transfer Bankers: Lloyds; Address: Piccadilly, London; Sort code: 30-96-64; Account No.: 00622865; Swift Code: LOYDGB2L; IBAN: GB70LOYD30966400622865; BIC: LOYDGB21085 Cheque payable to Noonans Cash up to a maximum of £5,000 All payments to be made in pounds sterling.

Please note payment is due within five working days of the end of the auction.

YOUR BIDS MAY BE PL ACED OVERLE AF

NO O NA N S • 1 6 BOLTON S T RE E T MAY FAIR LO NDO N W 1 J 8 B Q • T. 0 2 0 7 0 16 1 7 0 0 • W W W. N O O NA NS .CO. UK

M COMMISSION FORM NAVAL MEDAL S FROM THE COLLEC TION OF THE L ATE JA SON PIL AL A S: PART II 11 MARCH 2025

If you wish to place a ‘plus one’ bid, please write ‘+1’ next to the relevant bid LOT NO.

£ BID

LOT NO.

£ BID

LOT NO.

£ BID

SALEROOM NOTICES: Any Saleroom Notices relevant to this auction are automatically posted on the Lot Description pages on our website.

Prospective buyers are strongly advised to consult the site for updates.

SUCCESSFUL BIDS Should you be a successful bidder you will receive an invoice detailing your purchases. All purchases are sent by registered post unless otherwise instructed, for which a minimum charge of £12.00 (plus VAT if resident in the UK) will be added to your invoice.

All payments for purchases must be made in pounds sterling. Please check your bids carefully.

PRICES RE ALISED The hammer prices bid at the auction are posted on the Internet at www.noonans.co.uk in real time. A full list of prices realised appear on our website as the auction progresses. Telephone enquiries are welcome from 9 AM the following day.

T ERM S A ND CO ND I T I O N S O F B U S I NE S S CO N DITIO NS M AINLY CO N CER NING BU YER S 1 The buyer The highest bidder shall be the buyer at the ‘hammer price’ and any dispute shall be settled at the auctioneer’s absolute discretion. Every bidder shall be deemed to act as principal unless there is in force a written acknowledgement by Noonans Mayfair Ltd. (“Noonans”) that he acts as agent on behalf of a named principal. Bids will be executed in the order that they are received.

2 Minimum increment The auctioneer shall have the right to refuse any bid which does not conform to Noonans’ published bidding increments which may be found at noonans.co.uk and in the bidding form included with the auction catalogue.

3 The premium The buyer shall pay to Noonans a premium of 24% on the ‘hammer price’ and agrees that Noonans, when acting as agent for the seller, may also receive commission from the seller in accordance with Condition 16.

4 Value Added Tax (VAT) The buyers’ premium is subject to the current rate of Value Added Tax if the lot is delivered to or collected by the purchaser within the UK. Lots marked ‘X’ are subject to importation VAT of 5% on the hammer price unless re-exported outside the UK, as per the conditions below.

Buyers who wish to hand carry their lots to export them from the UK will be charged VAT at the prevailing rate and importation VAT(where applicable) and will not be able to claim a VAT refund.

Buyers will only be able to secure a VAT free invoice and/or VAT refund if the goods are exported by Noonans or a pre-approved commercial shipper. Where the buyer instructs a pre-approved commercial shipper, proof of correct export out of the UK must be provided to Noonans by the buyer within 30 days of export and no later than 90 days from the date of the sale.

Refunds are subject to a £50 administrative fee.

Lots marked ‘††’ are subject to the Standard Rate of VAT, currently 20%, on both the hammer price and buyers’ premium.

VAT can only be removed from the hammer price, if goods are exported by Noonans or a preapproved commercial shipper as per above.

All lots will be subject to VAT on the buyers’ premium regardless of whether the lot is exported.

5. Artist’s Resale Rights (Droit de Suite) Lots marked ARR in the catalogue indicate lots that may be subject to this royalty payment.

The royalty will be charged to the buyer on the ‘hammer price’ and is in addition to the buyers’ premium. Royalties are charged on a sliding percentage scale as shown below but do not apply to lots where the hammer price is less than 1000 pounds sterling. All royalty charges are paid in full to The Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS).

Portion of the hammer price From 0 to £50,000 From £50,000.01 to £200,000 From £200,000.01 to £350,000 From £350,000.01 to £500,000 Exceeding £500,000

Royalties 4% 3% 1% 0.5% 0.25%

VAT does not apply to the Artist’s Resale Rights.

more of the following rights and remedies:

6 Payment When a lot is sold the buyer shall:

(a) to proceed against the buyer for damages for breach of contract. (b) to rescind the sale of that or any other lots sold to the defaulting buyer at the same or any other auction. (c) to re-sell the lot or cause it to be re-sold by public auction or private sale and the defaulting buyer shall pay to Noonans any resulting deficiency in the ‘total amount due’ (after deduction of any part payment and addition of re-sale costs) and any surplus shall belong to the seller. (d) to remove, store and insure the lot at the expense of the defaulting buyer and, in the case of storage, either at Noonans’ premises or elsewhere. (e) to charge interest at a rate not exceeding 2 percent per month on the ‘total amount due’ to the extent it remains unpaid for more than 5 working days after the day of the auction. (f) to retain that or any other lot sold to the same buyer at the sale or any other auction and release it only after payment of the ‘total amount due’. (g) to reject or ignore any bids made by or on behalf of the defaulting buyer at any future auctions or obtaining a deposit before accepting any bids in future. (h) to apply any proceeds of sale then due or at any time thereafter becoming due to the defaulting buyer towards settlement of the ‘total amount due’ and to exercise a lien on any property of the defaulting buyer which is in Noonans’ possession for any purpose.

(a) confirm to Noonans his or her name and address and, if so requested, give proof of identity; and (b) pay to Noonans the ‘total amount due’ in pounds sterling within five working days of the end of the sale (unless credit terms have been agreed with Noonans before the auction). Please note that we will not accept cash payments in excess of £5,000 (five thousand pounds) in settlement for purchases made at any one auction.

7 Noonans may, at its absolute discretion, agree credit terms with the buyer before an auction under which the buyer will be entitled to take possession of lots purchased up to an agreed amount in value in advance of payment by a determined future date of the ‘total amount due’.

8 Any payments by a buyer to Noonans may be applied by Noonans towards any sums owing from that buyer to Noonans on any account whatever, without regard to any directions of the buyer, his or her agent, whether expressed or implied.

9 Collection of purchases The ownership of the lot(s) purchased shall not pass to the buyer until he or she has made payment in full to Noonans of the ‘total amount due’ in pounds sterling.

10 (a) The buyer shall at his or her own expense take away the lot(s) purchased not later than 5 working days after the day of the auction but (unless credit terms have been agreed in accordance with Condition 7) not before payment to Noonans of the ‘total amount due’. (b) The buyer shall be responsible for any removal, storage and insurance charges on any lot not taken away within 5 working days after the day of the auction. (c) The packing and handling of purchased lots by Noonans staff is undertaken solely as a courtesy to clients and, in the case of fragile articles, will be undertaken only at Noonans’ discretion. In no event will Noonans be liable for damage to glass or frames, regardless of the cause. Bulky lots or sharp implements, etc., may not be suitable for in-house shipping.

11 Buyers’ responsibilities for lots purchased The buyer will be responsible for loss or damage to lots purchased from the time of collection or the expiry of 5 working days after the day of the auction, whichever is the sooner. Neither Noonans nor its servants or agents shall thereafter be responsible for any loss or damage of any kind, whether caused by negligence or otherwise, while any lot is in its custody or under its control.

Loss and damage warranty cover at the rate of 1.5% will be applied to any lots despatched by Noonans to destinations outside the UK, unless specifically instructed otherwise by the consignee.

12 Remedies for non-payment or failure to collect purchase If any lot is not paid for in full and taken away in accordance with Conditions 6 and 10, or if there is any other breach of either of those Conditions, Noonans as agent of the seller shall, at its absolute discretion and without prejudice to any other rights it may have, be entitled to exercise one or

13 Liability of Noonans and sellers (a) Goods auctioned are usually of some age.

All goods are sold with all faults and imperfections and errors of description. Illustrations in catalogues are for identification only. Buyers should satisfy themselves prior to the sale as to the condition of each lot and should exercise and rely on their own judgement as to whether the lot accords with its description. Subject to the obligations accepted by Noonans under this Condition, none of the seller, Noonans, its servants or agents is responsible for errors of descriptions or for the genuineness or authenticity of any lot. No warranty whatever is given by Noonans, its servants or agents, or any seller to any buyer in respect of any lot and any express or implied conditions or warranties are hereby excluded. (b) Any lot which proves to be a ‘deliberate forgery’ may be returned by the buyer to Noonans within 15 days of the date of the auction in the same condition in which it was at the time of the auction, accompanied by a statement of defects, the number of the lot, and the date of the auction at which it was purchased. If Noonans is satisfied that the item is a ‘deliberate forgery’ and that the buyer has and is able to transfer a good and marketable title to the lot free from any third party claims, the sale will be set aside and any amount paid in respect of the lot will be refunded, provided that the buyer shall have no rights under this Condition if: (i) the description in the catalogue at the date of the sale was in accordance with the then generally accepted opinion of scholars and experts or fairly indicated that there was a conflict of such opinion; or (ii) the only method of establishing at the date of publication of the catalogue that the lot was a

‘deliberate forgery’ was by means of scientific processes not generally accepted for use until after publication of the catalogue or a process which was unreasonably expensive or impractical. (c) A buyer’s claim under this Condition shall be limited to any amount paid in respect of the lot and shall not extend to any loss or damage suffered or expense incurred by him or her. (d) The benefit of the Condition shall not be assignable and shall rest solely and exclusively in the buyer who, for the purpose of this condition, shall be and only be the person to whom the original invoice is made out by Noonans in respect of the lot sold.

CO N DITIONS M AINLY CONCERN ING SE L L E R S AND CONSIGN OR S 14 Warranty of title and availability The seller warrants to Noonans and to the buyer that he or she is the true owner of the property or is properly authorised to sell the property by the true owner and is able to transfer good and marketable title to the property free from any third party claims. The seller will indemnify Noonans, its servants and agents and the buyer against any loss or damage suffered by either in consequence of any breach on the part of the seller.

15 Reserves The seller shall be entitled to place, prior to the first day of the auction, a reserve at or below the low estimate on any lot provided that the low estimate is more than £100. Such reserve being the minimum ‘hammer price’ at which that lot may be treated as sold. A reserve once placed by the seller shall not be changed without the consent of Noonans. Noonans may at their option sell at a ‘hammer price’ below the reserve but in any such cases the sale proceeds to which the seller is entitled shall be the same as they would have been had the sale been at the reserve. Where a reserve has been placed, only the auctioneer may bid on behalf of the seller.

16 Authority to deduct commission and expenses The seller authorises Noonans to deduct commission at the ‘stated rate’ and ‘expenses’ from the ‘hammer price’ and acknowledges Noonans’ right to retain the premium payable by the buyer.

17 Rescission of sale If before Noonans remit the ‘sale proceeds’ to the seller, the buyer makes a claim to rescind the sale that is appropriate and Noonans is of the opinion that the claim is justified, Noonans is authorised to rescind the sale and refund to the buyer any amount paid to Noonans in respect of the lot.

18 Payment of sale proceeds Noonans shall remit the ‘sale proceeds’ to the seller 35 days after the auction, but if by that date Noonans has not received the ‘total amount due’ from the buyer then Noonans will remit the sale proceeds within five working days after the date on which the ‘total amount due’ is received from the buyer. If credit terms have been agreed between Noonans and the buyer, Noonans shall remit to the seller the sale proceeds 35 days after the auction unless otherwise agreed by the seller.

19 If the buyer fails to pay to Noonans the ‘total amount due’ within 35 days after the auction, Noonans will endeavour to notify the seller and take the seller’s instructions as to the appropriate course of action and, so far as in Noonans’ opinion is practicable, will assist the seller to recover the

‘total amount due’ from the buyer. If circumstances do not permit Noonans to take instructions from the seller, the seller authorises Noonans at the seller’s expense to agree special terms for payment of the ‘total amount due’, to remove, store and insure the lot sold, to settle claims made by or against the buyer on such terms as Noonans shall in its absolute discretion think fit, to take such steps as are necessary to collect monies due by the buyer to the seller and if necessary to rescind the sale and refund money to the buyer if appropriate.

20 If, notwithstanding that, the buyer fails to pay to Noonans the ‘total amount due’ within 35 days after the auction and Noonans remits the ‘sale proceeds’ to the seller, the ownership of the lot shall pass to Noonans.

21 Charges for withdrawn lots Where a seller cancels instructions for sale, Noonans reserve the right to charge a fee of 15% of Noonans’ then latest middle estimate of the auction price of the property withdrawn, together with Value Added Tax thereon if the seller is resident in the UK, and ‘expenses’ incurred in relation to the property.

22 Rights to photographs and illustrations The seller gives Noonans full and absolute right to photograph and illustrate any lot placed in its hands for sale and to use such photographs and illustrations and any photographs and illustrations provided by the seller at any time at its absolute discretion (whether or not in connection with the auction).

23 Unsold lots Where any lot fails to sell, Noonans shall notify the seller accordingly. The seller shall make arrangements either to re-offer the lot for sale or to collect the lot.

24 Noonans reserve the right to charge commission up to one-half of the ‘stated rates’ calculated on the ‘bought-in price’ and in addition ‘expenses’ in respect of any unsold lots.

GENE RA L CO N D I TI O N S AN D DE FIN IT I O N S 25 Noonans sells as agent for the seller (except where it is stated wholly or partly to own any lot as principal) and as such is not responsible for any default by seller or buyer.

26 Any representation or statement by Noonans, in any catalogue as to authorship, attribution, genuineness, origin, date, age, provenance, condition or estimated selling price is a statement of opinion only. Every person interested should exercise and rely on his or her own judgement as to such matters and neither Noonans nor its servants or agents are responsible for the correctness of such opinions.

27 Whilst the interests of prospective buyers are best served by attendance at the auction, Noonans will, if so instructed, execute bids on their behalf.

Neither Noonans nor its servants or agents are responsible for any neglect or default in doing so or for failing to do so.

28 Noonans shall have the right, at its discretion, to refuse admission to its premises or attendance at its auctions by any person.

29 Noonans has absolute discretion without giving any reason to refuse any bid, to divide any lot, to combine any two or more lots, to withdraw any lot from the auction and in case of dispute to put

up any lot for auction again.

30 (a) Any indemnity under these Conditions shall extend to all actions, proceedings costs, expenses, claims and demands whatever incurred or suffered by the person entitled to the benefit of the indemnity. (b) Noonans declares itself to be a trustee for its relevant servants and agents of the benefit of every indemnity under these Conditions to the extent that such indemnity is expressed to be for the benefit of its servants and agents.

31 Any notice by Noonans to a seller, consignor, prospective bidder or buyer may be given by first class mail, airmail or email and if so given shall be deemed to have been duly received by the addressee within 48 hours.

32 These Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. All transactions to which these Conditions apply and all matters connected therewith shall also be governed by English law. Noonans hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts and all other parties concerned hereby submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

33 In these Conditions: (a) ‘catalogue’ includes any advertisement, brochure, estimate, price list or other publication; (b) ‘hammer price’ means the price at which a lot is knocked down by the auctioneer to the buyer; (c) ‘total amount due’ means the ‘hammer price’ in respect of the lot sold together with any premium, Value Added Tax chargeable and additional charges and expenses due from a defaulting buyer in pounds sterling; (d) ‘deliberate forgery’ means an imitation made with the intention of deceiving as to authorship, origin, date, age, period, culture or source which is not shown to be such in the description in the catalogue and which at the date of the sale had a value materially less than it would have had if it had been in accordance with that description; (e) ‘sale proceeds’ means the net amount due to the seller being the ‘hammer price’ of the lot sold less commission at the ‘stated rates’ and ‘expenses’ and any other amounts due to Noonans by the seller in whatever capacity and howsoever arising; (f) ‘stated rate’ means Noonans’ published rates of commission for the time and any Value Added Tax thereon; (g) ‘expenses’ in relation to the sale of any lot means Noonans charges and expenses for insurance, illustrations, special advertising, certification, remedials, packing and freight of that lot and any Value Added Tax thereon; (h) ‘bought-in price’ means 5 per cent more than the highest bid received below the reserve.

34 Vendors’ commission of sales A commission of 15% is payable by the vendor on the hammer price on lots sold.

Insurance is charged at 1.5% of the hammer price.

35 VAT Commission, illustrations, insurance and expenses are subject to VAT if the seller is resident in the UK.

AT NO ONANS OUR E XP E RT IS E E X TENDS BE YOND T HE K NOWLED GE WITH IN OUR SPEC IALIST DEPART ME N TS TO INC LU D E ALL A S P EC T S OF OUR AU C TIO N HOUS E , FROM OUR PHOTOGR APHY S TUDIO TO O U R ADVANCED P ROP RIETARY O NLINE BIDDING S Y S T E M. We’re a close-knit team of experts with deep knowledge across our specialist subjects: banknotes, coins, detectorist finds, historical & art medals, jewellery, medals & militaria, tokens and watches.

Focusing on these fascinating items, we share this expertise with an international community of sellers and buyers.

Each sale item that passes through our Mayfair auction house is appraised by an expert recognised as a leading authority in a particular field of interest, ranging from ancient coins and military medals to jewellery and vintage watches.

This depth of knowledge across all departments sets us apart from other generalist auctioneers.

NOONA N S 16 B OLTON ST REE T MAYFA IR LONDON W 1J 8BQ T. 020 7016 17 00 W W W.NO ONANS .CO.UK

SE L L W I TH US

B UY W I TH US

Respected worldwide for the breadth and depth of our specialist expertise, we can connect you to a broad, deep pool of potential buyers. Over the years, we’ve brought together an international community of people who share our particular passion. As recognised experts, with a vast store of freely available in-house knowledge and experience, we’ve earned the trust of buyers across the globe.

We’re here for you, whether you’re an experienced collector with a depth of knowledge or an occasional buyer attracted to a particular piece of jewellery or vintage watch.

Our fees are transparent. Unlike many other auction houses, we don’t charge for collecting your lots, photography or marketing and there’s no minimum lot charge.

Not surprisingly, our position as a trusted authority, with deep global reach, often leads to the achievement of higher than expected prices at auction.

Free valuation If you’re interested in selling your items and you’d like a free auction valuation, without obligation, our specialists will be happy to help. You can submit online or bring your sale item to a valuation day at our Mayfair auction house or at a regional venue. Alternatively, request a home visit.

Be assured that the item in question has been accurately described and photographed, detailing all available information, from its provenance to its current condition. Be certain that our price estimate is fair and sensible.

Delve deep into our website and you’ll discover a vast store of helpful background data, including prices achieved for similar items at previous auctions. Informed and empowered, study our detailed online catalogue, then place your bid in complete confidence.

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