Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

The Great War D.S.C. group of nine awarded to Captain E. C. Thornton, Royal Navy, a Jutland veteran who was decorated for his command of the destroyers Derwent and Lucifer in 1917, the former ship being mined and sunk off Le Havre - blown off the bridge into the sea by the blast, he nonetheless made strenuous efforts to save his Gunner, R.N., and was awarded the R.H.S. Medal in silver: recalled in the 1939-45 War, he rose to the rank of Commodore 2nd Class and served as C.O. of the Naval Air Station Daedalius

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1917; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. E. C. Thornton, D.S.C., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. E. C. Thornton, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, occasional edge bruising, very fine or better (9) £2000-2500

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

View
Collection

D.S.C. London Gazette 8 March 1918:

‘For services in Destroyer and Torpedo Boat Flotillas during the period ending 31 December 1917.’

Edward Chicheley Thornton was born in Co. Cork in September 1887 and entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet in Britannia in January 1905. Appointed Midshipman in the cruiser Black Prince in May 1906 and advanced to Lieutenant in April 1912, he was serving in the destroyer Grasshopper on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. Having then been present in the latter ship both before and during the April 1915 Gallipoli landings, and in the subsequent landings at Suvla that August, he removed to the flotilla leader Marksman towards the end of the same year.

He was subsequently present at Jutland, where his ship assisted in picking up survivors from the Ardent and Sparrowhawk, in addition to engaging four enemy cruisers in the early hours of 1 June. Next appointed to his own command, the destroyer Derwent, he remained similarly employed until she was mined and sunk off Le Havre on 2 May 1917, Their Lordships expressing their appreciation of his conduct on the same occasion, when, though blown off the bridge, he continued to take charge from the water, and attempted to save his Gunner, Mr. F. Ellis, R.N. Indeed the Royal Humane Society saw fit to award him their Silver Medal, the relevant case file - No. 43,713 - concluding:

‘Lieutenant Thornton got hold of a lifebuoy, but seeing that Ellis was severely hurt and unable to keep afloat, he gave up the buoy to him, and having secured another buoy, he endeavoured to keep the man afloat but failed, and was himself picked up about ten minutes later in a state of collapse.’

Having recovered from this ordeal, he returned to sea with command of the Lucifer in July 1917, and won further praise from Their Lordships for services rendered to the S.S. Bellogia on the 27th of that month, another incident that no doubt contributed to the award of his D.S.C. for the period ending December 1917. His final wartime command was the Romola, from January 1918 until March 1919, shortly after which he was advanced to Lieutenant-Commander.

Thornton enjoyed many further seagoing appointments and commands between the Wars, gaining advancement to Commander in December 1925 and to Captain in December 1933, in addition to another Admiralty commendation for his fine seamanship as C.O. of the Wryneck in bringing the S.S. Florida back to port at Malaga following her collision with the aircraft carrier Glorious on 1 April 1931 - 22 passengers were killed aboard the Florida.

Appointed a Commodore 2nd Class on the renewal of hostilities, he served as C.O. of the Royal Naval Air Station Daedalius from March 1941, and was closely involved in operations in support of the Normandy landings as a result of his subsequent appointment to the command of the “Air Spotting Pool” of the 34th Reconnaissance Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force - the Wing included five R.A.F. fighter squadrons, as well as several flights of Seafires.