Orders, Decorations and Medals

A good Second World War Light Coastal Forces D.S.M. group of four awarded to Able Seaman John Gillespie, Royal Navy, H.M. Motor Torpedo Boat 482

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (A.B. J. Gillespie. D/SSX. 22671) with original presentation case; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal, together with Admiralty letter dated 26 June 1945, advising of the award of the D.S.M. ‘for courage, skill and devotion to duty in Motor Torpedo Boat 482 while engaged in a successful action against enemy E-boats off the Belgian Coast,’ nearly extremely fine (4) £800-1000

D.S.M. London Gazette 19 June 1945: ‘For gallantry, determination and skill shown whilst serving in H.M.S. Rutherford and light coastal forces in successfully intercepting an attack on a convoy by E-boats in severe weather conditions.’

The following citation and details are taken from the official action report submitted by Lieutenant J. D. Dixon, D.S.C., commanding M.T.B. 482: ‘This rating is gunlayer of the twin Oerlikon and in his first action in Coastal Forces on the night of 7/8th April, 1945, manned his guns with outstanding courage and coolness. In very bad weather and in the face of heavy enemy fire, he maintained a steady and accurate fire upon the enemy inflicting much damage and materially assisting in the destruction of two E-boats.’ Later in his report, Lieutenant Dixon states: ‘Only one hit was sustained by the unit - an armour piercing shell of 20 mm calibre lodged in the upper section of the pedestal of the twin Oerlikon of M.T.B. 482, but not causing serious damage.’

John Dudley Dixon was one of the more outstanding Coastal Forces officers operating in the English Channel and Atlantic waters. The following extract is taken from The Battle of the Narrow Seas by Lieutenant Commander Peter Scott: ‘On the following night, April 7th, 1945, in spite of a strong wind which made gunnery difficult, Lt Dixon in a very brilliant action, sank two E-boats by gunfire, his own force suffered no damage whatever. The Germans claimed that the first of their boats was stopped by the gunfire and the second ran into it from astern. However that may be, the efforts of Dixon’s unit cost the enemy two E-boats, and won him his third D.S.C.’