GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 977
A Great War Gallipoli operations D.S.M. group of six awarded to Leading Telegraphist C. H. Thomas, Royal Navy, who manned No. 1 Wireless Station at Cape Helles throughout the campaign
DISTINGUISHED SERVICEMEDAL, G.V.R. (J. 19105 C. H. Thomas, Ord. Tel., Gallipoli Opns. 1915-6); 1914-15 STAR (J. 19105 C. H. Thomas, Ord., R.N.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (J. 19105 C. H. Thomas, L. Tel., R.N.); DEFENCE ANDWAR MEDALS 1939-45, contact marks and a little polished, otherwise generally very fine (6)
£800-1000 D.S.M. London Gazette 15 May 1916:
‘In recognition of services rendered by Petty Officers and men of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron between the time of landing in the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915 and the evacuation in December 1915-January 1916.’ The original joint recommendation states:
‘Stationed at No. 1 Wireless Station Cape Helles. Have served continuously since 25 April, both displaying great ability and resource on all occasions.’
Cyril H. Thomas was borne on the books of the battleship H.M.S. Lord Nelson, prior to landing at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915.
978
A good Great War Battle of Jutland D.S.M. group of four awarded to Stoker J. Orton, Royal Naval Reserve, whose ship, the cruiser H.M.S. Calliope, found herself in a ‘boil of splashes’, taking five serious hits and casualties of 10 killed and 23 wounded - the latter including Orton
DISTINGUISHED SERVICEMEDAL, G.V.R. (S. 5094 J. Orton, Sto., R.N.R., H.M.S. Calliope, 31 May-1 June 1916); 1914-15 STAR (S. 5094 J. Orton, Sto., R.N.R.); BRITISHWAR ANDVICTORYMEDALS (5094S. J. Orton, Sto., R.N.R.), generally good very fine (4) £1000-1200
D.S.M. London Gazette 15 September 1916:
‘The following awards have been approved in connection with the recommendations of the Commander-in-Chief for services rendered by Petty Officers and men of the Grand Fleet in the action in the North Sea on 31 May-1 June 1916.’
James Orton was born in Durham in April 1892, joined the Royal Naval Reserve at West Hartlepool in December 1914 and the ship’s company of the cruiser H.M.S. Calliope in January 1915.
As the flagship of the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron, Calliope was heavily engaged throughout the battle, but it was not until the evening that she started to take her first casualties, the result of a duel with two Kaiser class battleships and one of the Heligoland class:
‘ ... only our speed and zigzagging saved us from annihilation. As it was, we seemed to be in the middle of splashes, and the noise of the bursting shell and flying fragments was absolutely deafening. We were hit five times in all, three of which did serious damage to personnel. One shell, bursting against the breech of the port after 4-inch gun, smashed the fittings and gun shield and killed practically all the gun’s crew, the notable exception being the sight-setter, a Corporal of Marines, who had the gun between him and the burst and only suffered a slight scalp wound.
The second hit on us burst near No. 3 4-inch gun under the bridge, disabled the gun, killing and wounding some of the crew, and fragments of this shell penetrated the deck of the lower bridge and wounded a signalman and a bugler.
The third shell penetrated the upper deck, and burst in the boys’ mess deck, almost in the middle of the after dressing station, killing some and wounding many others, including the Staff Surgeon.
For the last five minutes that we were under fire we were in sight of our own ships, although the two battle fleets were invisible to each other, and we were told afterwards that at times we were hidden in spray from the splashes. Altogether, we had 10 killed and 23 wounded, some seriously. We were ordered to take station on the port beam of the battle fleet for the night, and in the morning resumed our cruising station ahead during the search for disabled enemy ships.
On reaching Scapa afterwards, we were ordered in first, instead of waiting for the battle fleet to enter, to land our wounded. Our dead we buried at sea the morning after the action, the Commodore leaving the bridge for a few minutes to read the burial service, the one time he was ever known to leave the bridge at sea.’
Among those landed at Scapa, having received multiple wounds (’shell wound both feet and right forearm’), Orton was invalided from the Service at the R.N. Hospital, Chatham.
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253