GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 957
A Second World War destroyer action D.S.M. group of six awarded to Stoker Petty Officer T. Fairish, Royal Navy
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL,
G.VI.R. (Sto. P.O. T. Fairish, C/KX. 86451); 1939-45 STAR; ATLANTIC STAR; AFRICA STAR, clasp, North Africa 1942-43: BURMA STAR; WAR MEDAL 1939-45, the first with edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise generally very fine or better (6)
£600-800 D.S.M. London Gazette 10 October 1944. The original recommendation states:
‘Stoker Petty Officer Fairish was in charge of No. 3 Boiler Room when the boiler was pierced by C.R.W. fire, resulting in an immediate escape of large quantities of steam at high temperature and pressure which demanded an immediate evacuation of the boiler room. Fairish ordered the remainder of the ratings to leave while remaining himself to shut off the boiler. This he did with complete calm and deliberation and did not leave the boiler room until he was certain that everything had been dealt with. I consider his conduct most praiseworthy.’
Thomas Fairish, a native of Bishop Auckland, Durham, was decorated for his gallantry aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Eskimo during an action off the Channel Islands on the night of 27-28 June 1944, when two enemy vessels were sunk and another damaged.
Skippered by Lieutenant-Commander E. N. Sinclair, R.N., Eskimo, in company with H.M.C.S. Huron, fought a classic close range “firefight” with three enemy light craft, herself taking numerous hits, several of them in her No. 1 Boiler Room, where the gallant Fairish was on duty. The following extract has been taken from Sinclair’s official report of the action:
‘ ... At about 0125 Eskimo passed through the line of smoke. The enemy was well hit during the approach, but she was not seen to burn, though smoke was caused by the hits.
On clearing the smoke a Trawler (Target ‘C’) appeared close to Eskimo’s port side, bearing 310 degrees. She had been detected earlier but not tracked continuously, and was reported at this time to be on a similar bearing to Target ‘B’, but 2000 yards further on. She opened a rapid and accurate fire on Eskimo using one 3-inch gun, one Bofors and about four Oerlikons. She obtained hits with the Oerlikon on the ship’s side and after superstructure almost at once, and before her fire could be returned. The 3-inch fire was all over.
An auxiliary saturated steam pipe to the drenching system was severed in No. 1 Boiler Room [where Fairish was stationed], with steam causing it to be evacuated. Two shells were discovered subsequently in the Boiler which had pierced 6-inch tubes. Steam pressure dropped to less than a hundred pounds and the ship’s speed reduced to about six knots or less. A very large quantity of steam and smoke escaped, reducing visibility astern to almost nil. One dynamo came off the board, the steering motor stopped, a number of lighting circuits failed, and power to the foremost guns failed.
The foremost guns continued to engage the starboard target (Target ‘C’) and hits were obtained, the range being less than 1000 yards. The port target (Target ‘C’), who continued an unpleasantly rapid and accurate fire, was engaged by close range weapons, and the after group of guns shifted fire to her, firing in local control. Close range weapons obtained a number of hits, but the fire from the after group was not very effective, owing largely to the smoke and steam then enveloping the ship. I was reluctant to open blind fire in this direction with the heavy guns as Huron was known to be on the bearing, and the A.I.C. were continuously reminding me of her presence. A few hits were obtained but did not succeed in stopping the Trawler, who was now opening the range to the Eastwards as rapidly as she could.
Unfortunately during this period when its fire should have been devastating, all power to the Pom-pom failed. The automatic electrical power change-over switch which operated when the dynamo came off the board succeeded in shorting the switch, thereby causing a failure of supply from the after source. This mounting in hand control is extremely cumbersome and cannot be expected to be controlled effectively at night. The P.I. twin Oerlikons also jammed. In effect we were almost outgunned by this determined and gallant Trawler. The damage to the boiler rooms was reported by W./T. to the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, and Huron ... ’
Three days earlier, in company with H.M.C.S. Haida, Eskimo had contributed to the destruction of the U-971 in the English Channel. On the ninth depth-charge attack the U-Boat broke surface and Eskimo and Haida opened fire, destroying the enemy’s conning tower - a gallant boarding party subsequently managed to seize confidential code books from the U-971 before she slid below the surface for a final time. Also of interest is the fact the U-Boat’s commander, Leutnant Walter Zeplien, standing in flood water at knee height, coolly issued a round of beer and thanked his men for their loyalty, prior to surfacing to scuttle and surrender - he and 51 of his men were rescued by the two destroyers; sold with a quantity of research.
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