The James Fox Collection of Naval Awards

A fine Second War ‘Operation Dynamo’ D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Leading Patrol Man E. B. Wilkinson, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant deeds as a pom-pom gunner in the destroyer H.M.S. Keith

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (JX. 152120 E. B. Wilkinson, A.B., H.M.S. Keith); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Minesweeping 1945-51 (C/JX. 152120 E. B. Wilkinson, D.S.M., Ldg. Smn., R.N.); Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (C/MX. 804298 E. B. Wilkinson, D.S.M., L.P.M., R.N.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed as issued, mounted for wear, good very fine or better (7) £1,800-£2,200

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

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Dix Noonan Webb, June 2014.

D.S.M. London Gazette 16 August 1940:
‘For good services in the withdrawal of the allied armies from the beaches of Dunkirk.’

The original joint recommendation states: ‘The following members of the pom-pom crews showed great courage in keeping their guns in action up to the end.’

Eric Bradley Wilkinson was serving aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Keith at the time of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the allied armies from Dunkirk and neighbouring beaches between the 26 May and 4 June 1940. After completing a short refit at Chatham the Keith sailed for Dunkirk at 1732 on 30 May when she took off about 1400 troops, these being disembarked at Dover. At 0305 the next day she again sailed for Dunkirk where she acted as flagship for the Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker, who had charge of all sea forces on the coast. And from the time of her arrival until her sinking at about 0940 on 1 June, she was almost continually in action with enemy aircraft, two of which were shot down - her 3” H.A. gun was found to be most effective in warding off the attackers, so much so that all 3” ammunition was expended before the arrival of the final attacks which sank the ship.

Of H.M.S. Keith’s demise on Saturday, 1 June 1940, A. P. Divine’s Dunkirk states:
‘Actually Keith was damaged in the first attack, though she did not suffer a direct hit. A near miss jammed her rudder, and she turned in small circles for some time. In the second attack she was hit almost at once down her after-funnel and very near misses damaged her side severely. She was moving at high speed and turning at the moment of impact, and she at once listed heavily to port. Enormous clouds of steam came up through the after-funnel and boiler-room casings. Still turning, she lost speed rapidly as the steam went, and in a little her commander was compelled to bring his ship to anchor. Captain E. L. Berthon (he had won his D.S.C. at Zeebrugge during the great attack on St. George's Day, 1918) had taken the place of Captain D. J. R. Simson, Captain (D.) of the 19th Flotilla, who had been killed at Boulogne on May 24th. By the time the anchor took hold Keith was listing almost 20 degrees to port and had no more than two feet of freeboard on that side. At this point, however, she seemed to steady up and sank no farther for the time being.

Though Keith was still afloat, she was clearly out of action. Admiral Wake-Walker, with his staff, disembarked into M.T.B. 102, which had closed the destroyer immediately after she was damaged the second time, and headed down the roadstead to call up tugs. But the tugs had already turned towards the battered ship - the Admiralty tug St. Abbs, the tug Vincia and the tug Cervia. Captain Pim, in H.M. Skoot Hilda, was also making his best speed towards the wreck. Before they could reach her she was hit in a third attack. This time the bombs dropped under the bridge, and she heeled right over and sank almost instantly. Hilda picked up fifty survivors from the water, including Lieutenant-General W. G. Lindsell, the Quarter Master-General, and other staff officers. The tug Vincia picked up 108 officers and ratings, including staff officers from both British and French headquarters, and St. Abbs, which closed her just before she sank, took off Captain Berthon and more than 100 survivors.

All the while there was no cessation in the fury of the Luftwaffe's attack. Farther down the water the dive-bombers were peeling off at 10,000 feet and coming down with a terrifying snarl of their motors to within a few hundred feet of the water. While the work of rescue was in progress the destroyer Basilisk, which had been held ready to give supporting fire in the event of enemy attack along the beach, was bombed. St. Abbs, under the orders of Captain Berthon, turned towards the spot to rescue survivors. Aircraft were flying overhead continuously and a Junkers 88, at high level, let go a single bomb. By a thousand to one chance it hit the hurrying tug amidships. She disintegrated and sank, leaving Captain Berthon and the comparatively small number of men who now survived, a second time in the water.’

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