Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

The Great War C.B., C.M.G. group of six awarded to Rear-Admiral H. M. Doughty, Royal Navy, who, having seen extensive action in the Dardanelles as captain of the 14-inch gun monitor Abercrombie, commanded the battleship Agincourt at Jutland - a record-breaking ship on account of her length and armament, which included seven twin-12-inch guns, it was argued by certain critics that she could never withstand the shock of discharging a full broadside: Doughty proved them wrong at Jutland, the resultant burst of flames looking like ‘a battle-cruiser blowing up’

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; 1914-15 Star (Capt. H. M. Doughty, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt. H.M. Doughty, R.N.); French Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with rosette on riband, together with a silver identity disc, the obverse with ‘For Zeal’ within a wreath and the reverse engraved, ‘Captain Henry M. Doughty, C.B., R.N., C. of E., 21.11.18, H.M.S. Royal Sovereign’, enamel work slightly chipped in places, generally good very fine (7) £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte.

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C.B. London Gazette 3 June 1918.

C.M.G. London Gazette 17 July 1919:
‘For valuable services in command of H.M.S. Royal Sovereign, First Battle Squadron.’

Henry Montagu Doughty was born in September 1870, the scion of a well-known East Anglian family, and entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet in Britannia in January 1884. Appointed a Midshipman in the Bellerophon in January 1886, he was advanced to Lieutenant in January 1892 and, while serving in the cruiser Theseus, ‘duplicated and confirmed valuable observations as an auxiliary in Sir Norman Lockyer’s expedition to observe the eclipse of the sun at Santa Pola on 17 May 1900’ (his service record refers). Advanced to Commander in December 1902, Doughty attended the Naval War College at Portsmouth, and served as a Member of the Admiralty Volunteer Committee in 1908, his promotion to post-rank being confirmed in June of the latter year.

By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was commanding the gunnery school at Devonport, but he quickly returned to sea as captain of the cruiser Hermione and was S.N.O. present in Mexican waters during the revolution. Command of the 14-inch gun monitor Abercrombie followed, in which ship he arrived off Mudros in July 1915, and quickly participated in the bombardment of Turkish positions - in August, while shelling enemy troops at Krithia and on the heights of Achi Baba, in support of the Helles operations, she scored a direct hit on a redoubt which sent ‘whole Turks whirling in the air.’ But because such bombardments were carried out close offshore, the Abercrombie was vulnerable to Turkish batteries, a case in point being the 8 September, when she was hit several times by 75mm. shells - luckily, on this occasion, the resultant damage was limited to her rigging and winch. Doughty remained in command of the Abercrombie until November 1915, in which month he received a signal from the Commander of VIII Army Corps, thanking him for his accurate support fire off Helles - he was commended for his services in action (London Gazette 14 March 1916 refers).

Back home, he took command of the Agincourt in January 1916, the longest battleship in the world, with the largest number of guns afloat, including the heaviest secondary armament, namely 20 6-inch and 10 3-inch guns to add to her seven twin-12-inch turrets - no surprise then that certain critics argued that she would never withstand the force of firing a full broadside. But at Jutland, Doughty proved otherwise, sometimes to the consternation of his ship’s company, one gunnery officer, inside a turret, believing the ship had taken a serious hit, when he heard a ‘violent explosion’ - he need not have worried, it was merely her starboard 6-inch gun battery (10 guns) going into action. And her gunnery was responsible for causing the enemy equal consternation, her mighty salvoes straddling their battleships and cruisers on several occasions, a case in point being the twice hit Kaiser. Indeed by close of play the Agincourt had fired 144 shells from her 12-inch turrets and and another 111 from her 6-inch guns. Doughty was again commended for his services in action, in addition to being appointed an Officer of the French Legion of Honour (London Gazette 15 September 1916).

In July 1917, he took command of another battleship, the Royal Sovereign, in which capacity he served until the end of the War, and in November 1919 - after being awarded the C.B. and C.M.G. - he was advanced to Rear-Admiral. Sadly, however, his enjoyment of flag rank was short-lived, for he died at the R.N.H. Haslar in May 1921. His brother, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie, was awarded a posthumous V.C. for his gallantry immediately following the Gallipoli landings in April 1915.

Sold with the recipient’s original warrants for his C.B., dated 3 June 1918, and C.M.G., dated 17 July 1919, in addition to his permission to wear document for the French Legion of Honour, this dated 6 January 1917.