Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

The Third China War Medal awarded to Engineer Rear-Admiral (E.) C. F. Dunn, Royal Navy, who went on to win a commendation at Jutland in the battleship Warspite - and the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd class

China 1900, no clasp (Engr. C. F. Dunne (sic), R.N., H.M.S. Redpole), good very fine £400-450

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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Charles Frederick Dunn was the first officer to be assigned to the battleship Warspite, her keel having been laid in October 1912 and he, in his capacity as Engineer-Commander, joining in August of the following year.

Having joined the Grand Fleet in April 1915, the Warspite, as part of the Fifth Battle Squadron, was heavily engaged at Jutland, taking no less than 18 ‘large projectile’ hits, several of them when her helm jammed and forced her out of line, right in the face of incoming enemy fire. Notwithstanding this heavy punishment, and the resultant 14 fatalities and 32 wounded, she managed to fire around 250 shells from her 15-inch guns, causing severe damage to the Von der Tann, among others. A very full account of her experiences, written by her Executive Officer, appears in The Fighting at Jutland, together with an impressive series of “battle-damage” photographs; extracts from the same account may be found under the entry for the Honours & Awards to Commander G. Giffiths, M.V.O., as described in the present catalogue.

For his own part, Dunn was commended by his captain in the following terms: ‘I consider this officer is worthy of reward as the efficiency of his department has proved to be excellent, and no further remarks are necessary beyond the fact that I was able to obtain full speed whenever I deemed it safe, considering the damage the ship had sustained from shell fire’. He was noted for early promotion (London Gazette 15 September 1916 refers), and awarded the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd class, with swords, in addition to the Greek Order of the Redeemer in 1919.

Dunn served in the Iron Duke from Octopber 1919 to February 1921, which period embraced anti-Bolshevik operations in the Baltic.