Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

The Great War D.S.C. group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Commander W. J. King, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, for services as a Naval Transport Officer in East Africa

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1918; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Agent W. J. King, F.I.D.); 1914-15 Star (Lieut. W. J. King, R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut. W. J. King, R.N.V.R.); Royal Humane Society’s Medal, bronze (successful) (Lieut. William J. King, R.N.V.R., 10th Dec. 1917), generally very fine and better (6) £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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D.S.C. London Gazette 15 June 1917:

‘For continuous good service in the operations of the Umba Valley Field Force; also served as Assistant Transport Officer and as Port Captain, Tanga.’

William John King, having served as an Agent in the Field Intelligence Department in the Boer War, was commissioned as a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in July 1915. He was subsequently employed out in East Africa, being borne on the books of the Hyacinth and Challenger, particularly at the time of the Umba Valley operations of 1916, when a 500-strong force fought skirmishes near Jasin and Mwakijembe, and advanced some 100 miles down the River Pangani - the latter aspect of the campaign no doubt calling upon King’s expertise as an attached Assistant Marine Transport Officer. He also served, as cited above, as a Transport Officer at Tanga, and added a “mention” to his D.S.C. ‘for services in East Africa in the period 1 August to 11 November 1918’ (Lieutenant-General van Deventer’s despatch, dated 20 January 1919, refers); so, too, on 10 December 1917, the Royal Humane Society’s Bronze Medal, for saving a native soldier in Lindi harbour:

‘The man fell into the water between two lighters in a very dangerous position. Night dark, strong current. Lieutenant King jumped in and managed to get a rope round him and he was pulled out’ (R.H.S. Case Book 1918, No. 44,042, refers).

King was demobilised in November 1919 and received his D.S.C. at a Buckingham Palace investiture in the following month.

Recalled in the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on the renewal of hostilities, he served at the shore bases Sheba (Aden, August 1939 to August 1941), Euphrates (Basra, September 1941 to May 1944), and Highflyer (Trincomalee, from May 1944).