A Second World War D.S.C. attributed to Skipper R. G. Snelgrove, Royal Naval Reserve, awarded for services at Calais and Dunkirk aboard one of the “Little Ships”

Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1940’, additionally engraved, ‘Skipper R. G. Snelgrove, R.N.R., H.M. Yacht Conidaw’, hallmarks for London 1940, in Garrard, London case of issue, nearly extremely fine £550-650

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Brigadier Brian Parritt, C.B.E..

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D.S.C. London Gazette 27 August 1940. ‘... for good services in Operations off the Dutch, Belgian and French Coasts’. Recommendation states: ‘For showing great initiative, pertinacity and gallantry in entering Calais under extremely difficult conditions’.

Reginald George Snelgrove was probably a civilian ‘skipper’ before the war. In the summer of 1940, as the allied troops were forced back to the Channel, Snelgrove became a Skipper in the R.N.R., commanding the motor yacht Conidaw. Under his command, the ship entered Calais on 25 May, as part of a force to rescue the men of the beleaguered garrison. Arriving there on the morning of the 26th, she grounded on a falling tide and remained there until the afternoon under heavy gunfire. With the rising tide she got off and sailed for England with 165 men on board, including remnants of the Royal Marine guard, all of whose officers had been killed or captured. Snelgrove on the Conidaw made the crossing to Dunkirk on the 30th and returned with another 80 soldiers. For his services at Dunkirk, Snelgrove was awarded the D.S.C., a member of his crew was awarded the D.S.M. and three others were mentioned in despatches. On 29 July 1940, Snelgrove received a commission as a Temporary Lieutenant in the R.N.V.R. and on 9 August was appointed to the Eaglet at Liverpool. Throughout the war he served on small vessels, these usually employed in minesweeping activities. He was finally released from Naval service in the Summer/Autumn of 1945. In addition to the D.S.C. he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, France and Germany Star, Defence and War Medals.

The Conidaw was a twin screw ketch built by James A. Silver at Rosneath in 1939. At the time of ‘Dunkirk’ she was owned by E. Waddilove of Ilkley, West Yorkshire. She was later renamed the Thomasine. In 1974, on the basis of the exploits of the Conidaw, Captain Christopher N. Jackson of the Thomasine asked for and was granted permission to fly the flag of the “Asociation of Dunkirk Little Ships”. In 1994 the Thomasine was registered in Nice. Sold with a quantity of copied research.