Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

A rare Siberia 1918 operations D.S.O. group of nine awarded to Captain J. Wolfe-Murray, Royal Navy, ‘an amazing Scot who lived for huntin’, shootin’ and fishin’ and, in so far as shootin’ of the active service kind was concerned, won Their Lordships approval for his good work with a Maxim gun during a raid on Sarzeh in the Persian Gulf in 1911 and for his command of H.M.S. Cornwall’s guns in the Falklands action in 1914 - so, too, for his gallant work with Suffolk’s 12-pounders in armoured trains during battles for the Ussuri District in August 1918

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (Lieut. J. W. Murray, R.N., H.M.S. Fox); 1914-15 Star (Commr. J. Wolfe-Murray, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Commr. J. Wolfe-Murray, R.N.); Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1902, silver; France, Croix de Guerre 1914-1917, with star riband fitment; Czechoslovakia War Cross 1918, the first with small hairline crack to enamel on obverse upper arm, traces of minor corrosion on base metal awards, otherwise very fine and better (9) £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.O. London Gazette 22 April 1919:

‘Between 14-28 August 1918, he displayed great resource in bringing H.M.S. Suffolk’s 12-pounder guns rapidly into action, and showed an excellent example of coolness and bravery under fire during the battles in the Ussuri District.’



James Wolfe-Murray was born in Surrey, in June 1880, the son of Major J. W. Murray, R.A., of Stirling Lodge, Farnborough, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in July 1894.

Awarded the Jubilee Medal while serving as a Midshipman aboard H.M.S. Prince George in the Channel Squadron in 1897, and the Coronation Medal while serving in the royal yacht Victoria & Albert in 1902, he was advanced to Lieutenant in September of the latter year.

Having then served aboard H.M.S. Fox during the troubles at Bahrein, Hodeida and Henjam in 1905-6, and returned to the U.K. for additional appointments and a gunnery course in Excellent, he rejoined the Fox in time for her part in the Persian Gulf operations of 1910-12, in which period he was brought to notice for his good work with the Maxim gun during a raid on Sarzeh (Medal & clasp).

Gaining further advancement to Lieutenant-Commander in September 1910, Wolfe-Murray was serving as Senior Gunnery Officer in the cruiser Cornwall on the outbreak of hostilities, and quickly saw action off the Falklands that December, gaining a mention in despatches from Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee for his ‘great coolness and marked ability’ as controller of the Cornwall’s gunfire during her telling clash with the Leipzig; so, too, rapid advancement to Commander.

Removing to the battleship Caesar in early 1915, he remained similarly employed until the year’s end, following which he joined the Swiftsure in April 1916, for Atlantic convoy duties in the 9th Cruiser Squadron. Finally, in May 1917, he joined the cruiser Suffolk, in which capacity he was embarked for Vladivostock in early 1918.

Subsequently landed for services with one of Suffolk’s 6-inch guns and a number of 12-pounders, Wolfe-Murray lent valuable support to British, French, Czech and White Russian troops in a number of operations, most of them of the armoured train variety, and most notably in the battles to secure the Ussuri District in August 1918 - see accompanying copied reports by Wolfe-Murray for full details, as sourced from T.N.A. ADM 1/850912.

And he continued to lend gallant support after events of August 1918, operations alongside General Voitzechoff’s Samara Army in October being a case in point, and when he and his men finally steamed into the railway station at Tcheliabinsk they were afforded a ‘splendid welcome’, a Guard of Honour composed of Czechs, Russians, Serbs and Ukranians being drawn up at the station with the Czech band played our national anthem and Rule Britannia, while Suffolk’s officers and men were loudly cheered. As Wolfe-Murray later reported that ‘the whole scene was most impressive, except only, perhaps, for the fact that we only had five Marines to reply to it all with ... Mr. Crockett (Interpreter) and myself lunched with the C.-in-C. and General Diterichs and their Staffs and all were most cordial.’

He was duly awarded awarded the Czech War Cross (London Gazette 26 August 1921 refers), and the French Croix de Guerre (London Gazette 17 January 1919 refers), in addition to the D.S.O., which insignia he received at Buckingham Palace in October 1920.

Having then served in the Naval Intelligence Department towards the end of 1920, Wolfe-Murray was advanced to Captain and served as Naval Attache in Norway, Sweden and Denmark in 1921-23, in which period his responsibilities were also extended to the newly independent states of Estonia and Latvia.

His final appointment was as Flag Captain to Vice-Admiral Waistell in the Kent in the Far East, from which he was invalided home on account of ill-health and placed on the Retired List in August 1929, his service record noting that he had been granted restricted permission to wear the 3rd Class insignia of the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure in the same year. The Captain died in November 1930.