GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
Then on 14 January 1917, she sighted the UB-37, Kapitain Lieutnant Günther. The U-Boat opened fire immediately and Grenfell
ordered the usual “abandon ship” tactics to be carried out. Slowly the UB-37 closed in until she was 700 yards off the Q-ship’s
starboard bow and twice in succession Penshurst was hit by shell fire and several members of her crew, who were waiting in
concealment for the order to open fire, were killed or wounded. At first Grenfell anticipated that Günther would take UB-37 around to
the Q-ship’s boats off Penshurt’s port quarter and that such action would afford the opportunity of decreasing the range, but it soon
became obvious that Günther had no intention of closing in and Grenfell decided to reveal his true colours and commence an action.
At 4.24 p.m. Penshurst hoisted her White Ensign and her apparently deserted decks became alive with activity as the screens
concealing her armament were lowered and her guns opened a rapid fire on the submarine. The first shell from Penshurst’s 12-pounder
struck the base of UB-37‘s conning tower and when the black smoke which resulted from the violent explosion had cleared away, it
was observed that a part of the U-Boat’s conning tower was missing. A second shell caused further damage to UB-37‘s hull and at least
four more hits were registered on her conning tower before she sank to the bottom with all hands. To ensure the U-Boat’s destruction,
Penshurst steamed over the position where she had disappeared and dropped depth-charges before returning to Portland.
Just over a month later, on 22 February, following an inconclusive action two days earlier, 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.
On 8 March Grenfell fought another surface action with a U-Boat at the Eastern end of the English Channel. Both vessels were badly
damaged, Penshurst requiring a major refit. Harrison was awarded the D.S.C. Cedric Naylor now assumed command, and fought his
first action as captain on 2 July, in the Western Approaches, his gunners getting in 16 hits on the U-Boat before it fled the scene as three
of our destroyers pitched up. Harrison was awarded a Bar to his D.S.C.
Again in action on 19 August, Penshurst was torpedoed and badly damaged by gunfire, exposing her hidden guns. Despite this, the U-
Boat surfaced and Penshurst pretended to “run away” according to plan. She then opened fire with her 3-pounder gun in an attempt to
entice the submarine closer before opening up with her heavier guns. Hits were scored against the U-Boat and eventually Penshurst
used her 12-pounder with good effect and hit the submarine four times, causing it to break off the action and dive. Penshurst, badly
damaged, was unable to follow up with depth charges, and so set course for Plymouth and much needed repairs. Harrison, who was
mentioned in despatches, is believed to have been present in Penshurst’s final action on 24 December 1917, in the Irish Sea, versus the
U-110, when she was again torpedoed, this time fatally - with two exceptions, however, all the crew were subsequently rescued.
Following his Q-ship career, Harrison was appointed to the Rhododendron for escort duties in the North Atlantic in February 1918.
Then in June of the same year he removed to President III for services with Defensively Armed Merchant Ships. He was finally
demobilised in April 1919, when he returned to the Mercantile Marine.
Recalled on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, Harrison was appointed a Temporary Lieutenant in May 1940, in which
month he joined the boom defence vessel Barnwell, and he remained similarly employed until taking command of the Atalanta in
November 1941, in the acting rank of Lieutenant-Commander. This appointment was short-lived, however, for a few weeks later he
removed to the command of the Forward for minesweeping duties out of Newhaven. Harrison’s final wartime appointment was at the
Boom Defence Depot in Portsmouth, from May 1944, and he was demobilised in November 1945.
802
A scarce Second World War D.S.C. group of seven awarded to Commander J. Staniforth, Royal Naval Volunteer
(Supplementary) Reserve, who served as a Landing Craft Flotilla Officer in the Sicily, Italy and South of France
landings
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1945’, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; 1939-45 STAR;
ATLANTIC STAR; AFRICA STAR, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; ITALY STAR; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS, together with original
Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for the D.S.C., in the name of ‘Lieut. Commander J. Staniforth, D.S.C., R.N.V.(S.).
R.’, extremely fine (7) £1200-1400
D.S.C. London Gazette 11 December 1945. The original recommendation states:
‘Acting Temporary Lieutenant-Commander Jack Staniforth, H.M.S. Hamilcar. L.C.M. Flotilla Officer during the landings in Sicily and
Italy, subsequently he became a Squadron Commander in the South of France landings. This officer is recommended for outstanding
operational services in Minor Landing Craft during the last two years in the Mediterranean. He was commended by General
Montgomery and by Rear-Admiral MacGregor for the fine work of his L.C.M.’s during the South of Italy landings. The Squadron
Commander of “C” L.C.T. Squadron reports on this officer as follows: “I was very impressed with the very efficient way in which he
organised and ran his Squadron during the landings in the South of France.” ’
Jack Staniforth, a native of Sheffield, was appointed a Sub. Lieutenant in the “Wavy Navy” in May 1942 and by the end of the year was
attending a Landing Craft training centre at Hayling Island. And he remained employed in this sphere of operations for the remainder of
the War, subsequent appointments including the Commando establishment at Largs and, as an Acting Temporary Lieutenant-
Commander, Hamilcar, the base in Algeria and later Messina.
www.dnw.co.uk
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