Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

The Great War D.S.M group of five awarded to Able Seaman W. T. Wann, Royal Navy, who, having fought at Jutland in the battleship Agincourt, was decorated for his gallantry in the Q-Ship Stockforce’s clash with the U-98 in July 1918: his captain, Harold Auten, was awarded the V.C. on the same occasion

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (J. 24809 W. T. Wann, A.B., English Channel, 30th July 1918); 1914-15 Star (J. 24809 W. T. Wann, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J. 24809 W. T. Wann, A.B., R.N.); Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., Admiral’s bust (J. 24809 (Dev. B. 12059) W. T. Wann, A.B., R.F.R.), the first with re-riveted suspension claw, edge bruising and polished, thus good fine or a little better (5) £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.M. London Gazette 14 September 1918.

William Thomson Wann was born in Selkirk in April 1896 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1913. An Ordinary Seaman in the battleship Agincourt on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he remained similarly employed until September 1916, a period that encompassed her presence at Jutland. Fawcett and Hooper describe several lucky escapes she had from enemy torpedoes on that memorable day in The Fighting at Jutland:

‘As far as Agincourt was concerned, our excitement started at 7.08 p.m., when with a sharp turn of the ship a torpedo passed just under our stern, and later on another broke surface about 150 yards short on our starboard beam. At 7.35 p.m. the tracks of two more torpedoes were reported approaching on the starboard side, but by good co-operation between the fore-top and the conning tower they were both avoided. Aloft the tracks were clearly visible, and acting on the reports from there the ship was gradually turned away, so that by perfect timing one torpedo passed up the port side and one the starboard side; after which we resumed our place in the line. A fifth torpedo was successfully dodged by zigzagging at 7.47 p.m., but after this we had no further excitements. We ourselves had no opportunity to fire torpedoes at the enemy, but fired 144 shells from our 12-inch turrets and from our secondary armament (6-inch guns) 111 shells.’

In March 1917, Wann joined the clandestine world of Q-Ships, his first appointment being in Harold Auten’s command, the Heather (a.k.a. Q. 16). But it was for his subsequent deeds in the Q-Ship Stockforce (a.k.a. Charyce), another of Auten’s commands, that he won his D.S.M., on the occasion of her torpedoing off Prawle Point by the U-98 on the 30 July 1918.

The torpedo struck the ship abreast of No. 1 hatch, entirely wrecking the fore part of the ship including the bridge, and wounding three ratings. Officer’s Steward Starling was pinned under the wreckage of the foremost gun. A tremendous shower of planks, unexploded shells, hatches and other debris followed the explosion, wounding the Number One, Lieutenant E. J. Gray, and the navigating officer, Lieutenant L. E. Workman, and adding to the injuries of the foremost gun’s crew and a number of other ratings. The ship settled down forward, flooding the foremost magazine and between decks to the depth of about three feet. The “Panic Party”, in the charge of Lieutenant Workman, immediately took to the boat and abandoned ship, and the wounded were removed to the lower deck, where the surgeon, working up to his waist in water, attended to their injuries. Meanwhile Auten, two gun’s crews and the engine-room staff remained at their posts.

The submarine came to the surface ahead of the ship half a mile distant, and remained there a quarter of an hour, apparently watching the ship for any doubtful movement. The “Panic Party” in the boat accordingly commenced to row back to the ship in an endeavour to decoy the submarine within the range of the hidden guns. The submarine followed, coming slowly down the side of Stockforce, about 300 yards away. Auten, however, withheld his fire until she was abeam, when both of his guns could bear. Fire was opened at 5.40 p.m., the first shot carrying away one of the periscopes, and the second hitting the conning tower, blowing it away and throwing the occupants high in the air. The next round struck the submarine on the water-line, tearing her open, following which the enemy submarine subsided several feet into the water and her bows rose. She thus presented a large and immobile target into which Stockforce poured shell after shell until the submarine sank by the stern, leaving a quantity of debris on the water.

Despite the severity of the damage caused her, Stockforce was kept afloat by the gallant exertions of her crew until 9.25 p.m., when she sank with colours flying - all of them were taken off by two torpedo boats and a trawler.

This action is cited as one of the finest ever fought by a Q-Ship and the well deserved award of the Victoria Cross to the Lieutenant Harold Auten, D.S.C., was announced in the London Gazette on 14 September 1918 - much to his amusement, the band struck up “Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bogeyman” as he approached the King at his investiture a few days later.

For his own part in this memorable action, Wann was gazetted for the D.S.M. on the same occasion, and he ended the War in yet another of Auten’s commands, the Q-Ship Suffolk Coast. He enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve on purchasing his discharge in April 1922.