The James Fox Collection of Naval Awards

A Great War ‘1919, Dvina Offensive’ D.S.M. pair awarded to Petty Officer Telegraphist F. S. Stuckey, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (J29 F. S. Stuckley, P.O. Tel. "M27" Archangel River 10/8/19); British War Medal (J.29 F. S. Stuckey. L. Tel. R.N.) pitting and contact marks, worn, good fine (2) £700-£900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The James Fox Collection of Naval Awards.

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1 of 22 D.S.M.s awarded for the Russian campaign.

D.S.M. London Gazette 11 November 1919:
‘For services in Russia.’

Frederick Simeon Stuckey was born in Islington, London, in 1892 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class in 1908. He served during the Great War in H.M.S. Dido from 18 July 1914, before transferring to H.M. Monitor 27, on 16 April 1919.

Northern Russia - Early Involvement for M. 27
Stuckey served in H.M. Monitor 27 from 16 April to 30 September 1919, arriving with her, as part of Captain E. Altham’s Flotilla, in Northern Russia in June 1919. As part of the Flotilla, M 27 participated in the operations to capture the high ground between Topsa and Troitsa on 29 June, providing heavy bombardment on the Bolo position prior to the land attack, and offering countering fire to the enemy ships. Once the flotilla had swept a path through the minefields they made a base at Troitsa. With the Mutiny in Dyer’s Battalion (7 July) the position came under heavy attack, with the enemy forces advancing to within 1200 yards of the flotilla anchorage and seaplane base, but ‘M. 27 did useful service with her triple 4 inch mounting’ (Bolos & Barishynas, The North Dvina 1919, refers).

Advance to Retreat, The August Offensive
Due to the failure of Koltchak, and the laborious and dangerous progress of the British combined forces (it had taken weeks to reach Troitsa, having been confronted by endless minefields and a variable river), pressure from the UK prevailed and the British troops were ordered to initiate evacuation. What followed was a large scale British Offensive in the form of several columns of attack, with the aim of capturing the Bolos positions including those of Seltso, Nijni Seltso, Sludka, Lipovets, Chudinova, and Borok amongst others of strategic importance. All land troops were in their assembly positions by 11am on 10 August, some having set out the night before. The plan was a surprise attack to be supported by the naval forces as and when they were required: ‘when trouble was announced at Borok, the Navy soon set to work and banged shell after shell into the village. The result of that shoot was exceedingly beneficial to the infantry, who were not having too pleasant a time in front of Borok. All through the afternoon the guns of the Navy dropped shells on to points selected for special treatment. They enjoyed the hurricane bombardment of Seltso amazingly. H.M.S. Humber, M.27, and M.33 bombarded in conjunction with the shore artillery, and Nijini Seltso was taken. Subsequently fire was lifted 500 yards and another 37 minutes’ bombardment carried out, the latter part being very intensive. Seltso was taken that evening... But the Navy’s work did not end with mere shooting. The coastal motor boats had another little adventure when the attack on Seltso took place, and their Lewis guns did good work amongst the fleeing Bolos. During these operations the flotilla also co-operated with the Army ashore. Thirty-five seaman under Lieutenant M. S. Spalding, R.N., and thirty-nine Marines under Lieutenant C. M. Sergeant, R.M.L.I., were landed to reinforce at the base.’ (ibid).

All objectives had been taken by the early hours of the morning of 11 August, and complete surprise had been effected: ‘Thus ended the blow delivered at the Bolshevik forces opposing us. The results were most serious for him. He had lost out of his 6,000 effectives at least 3,700 killed, wounded and missing. Hundreds of Bolos were lost in the woods, and, being without food, must have perished from exhaustion. In guns and equipment his losses were enormous. We captured 18 guns, 50 machine guns, 2,600 rifles, 7 trench mortars.... thousands of rounds... In short, he was entirely crushed as an offensive or as a force at all on the Dvina, for those remnants which remained were thoroughly disorganised and cowed.’ (ibid).

In the following month the British Combined Forces effected an organised withdrawal; the major set back - as far as the naval contingent was concerned - was the rise and fall of the river; sand-bars which they attempted to clear by dredging and explosion of depth charges were eventually to prove the downfall of M.27 and M.25, both being too deep of draught and, as a consequence, ‘after removing everything of value and leaving but the bare shells, the two ships that had served us so well were blown up in a most thorough fashion.’ (ibid).

Thus was the end of Stuckey’s service in M.27, and after being evacuated with the rest of the Russian Relief Force at the end of September, he returned for service in the U.K., being discharged in 1922.

Sold with a photograph of the recipient’s ship M.27; and a booklet regarding her sister ship M.33.