Beschreibung:

A rare Great War submariner’s D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer S. H. Silvester, Royal Navy, who thrice shared in prize money for the destruction of enemy ships in E-class submarines, including one the earliest recorded cases of a “sub-on-sub” victory Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (180563 S. H. Silvester, P.O., H.M. Sub. E 16); 1914-15 Star (180563 S. H. Silvester, P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (180563 S. H. Silvester, Act. C.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (180563 S. H. Silvester, P.O., H.M.S. Duke of Edinburgh), together with Royal Visit to India 1911-12, small oval medallion, silver, worn, and a Coronation 1911 commemorative medallion, suspension bar a little slack on the third, otherwise generally good very fine (7) £2000-2500 Footnote D.S.M. London Gazette 21 January 1916. Sidney Herbert Silvester was born in Waterlooville, Hampshire in May 1879, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in August 1894. Advanced to Petty Officer in November 1910, he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in August 1912 and transferred to the submarine branch in the same year. Similarly employed by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he quickly saw action, his service record noting that he was paid Prize Bounty ‘for the destruction of enemy ships in the Heligoland Bight action on 28 August 1914’. Though not confirmed, it seems likely he was serving in the E. 6 under Lieutenant-Commander Cecil Talbot, R.N., at this time. Absolutely certain is he was in Talbot’s next command, the E. 16, when he received a further Prize Bounty payment ‘for the destruction of enemy ship T.B.D. V. 188 on 26 July 1915’ (his service record refers). Of this encounter with enemy destroyers, Edwyn Gray’s A Damned Un-English Weapon states: ‘26 July dawned clear and sunny and E. 16 set off for the area of Terschelling Island in search of fresh targets. Once again a Zeppelin kept them submerged for several hours and, at about 3 p.m., three German destroyers appeared over the horizon having been called in, apparently, by the airship. Talbot should have dived and escaped his hunters but, brought up in the exciting days of the 8th Flotilla, he decided to attack, which, he reminded himself, is always the best means of defence. The destroyers were busy quartering the area and, after an hour’s careful stalking, E. 16 was within 600 yards of the unsuspecting V. 188. Talbot’s first shot took off her bows and, as her companions rushed in to aid their crippled companion, he stood off and awaited another opportunity. Realising that they were too busy rescuing survivors to hunt him, Talbot brought E. 16 to the surface for a few moments impudently displaying his presence to the enemy. Without hesitation the two destroyers broke away from V. 188 and roared in at full-speed to dispose of her attacker. Using E. 16 like a matador fluttering his cape at an enraged bull, Talbot drew them into a suitable position and fired a second torpedo. This time it missed and the two destroyers returned to the crippled V. 188. Talbot repeated his bull-fighting tactics again and, once more, the German warships charged at him. But the third torpedo also missed, which was not surprising as the enemy ships were moving at over 30 knots, and, reluctantly, he moved away leaving the destroyers to continue chasing their own tails for several profitless hours. The sinking of the V. 188 won Talbot the D.S.O. and, as we shall see, he continued to harry the Germans for many months to come.’ But it was for one of the first “sub-on-sub” victories of the Great War, when the E. 16 sunk the U-6 off Stavanger, Norway, on 15 September 1915, that Silvester was recommended for his D.S.M. by Talbot - his letter to the C.-in-C., dated 26 October 1915, refers (copy included). Edwyn Gray’s history continues: ‘By 1916 a number of submarines, including Talbot and E.16, were attached to the Grand Fleet under the direct orders of the Commander-in