Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War river gunboat D.S.M. group of four awarded to Stoker Douglas Lacey, Royal Naval Reserve, for services in the Shatt-el-Arab, 3rd to 9th December 1914

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (2903T. D. Lacey, Sto. R.N.R., H.M.S. Espiegle); 1914-15 Star Trio (2903/T. L.Sto. R.N.) the last three later issues, together with a second D.S.M., G.V.R. (L.Sto. D. Lacey, T.3903. R.N.R. (Replacement)) good very fine (5) £600-800

D.S.M. London Gazette 10 April 1915: ‘For services in the Shatt-el-Arab, 3rd to 9th December, 1914.’

On December 3rd, 1914, Lieut-Commander W. Nunn, S.N.O. Tigris River Flotilla, lead his small warships up the Shatt-el-Arab to lend support to the 17th Brigade’s attack on the vital position at Kurna, which lies at the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. On 4th December, the warships came under heavy Turkish artillery fire and several vessels were damaged. Stoker Lacey was attached to the small armed launch Miner, his parent ship, H.M.S. Espiegle, also being in this action. The Miner was holed below the waterline by a large calibre shell, and but for the devotion to duty shown by Lacey in staying at his post in a flooded engine room, the launch would not have made it safely to shore, where she was successfully beached. Only two D.S.M’s were awarded for this action.