Beschreibung:

Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte The Great War D.S.O. group of five awarded to Vice-Admiral C. Seymour, Royal Navy, whose period of command in the destroyer Colne in the Dardanelles 1915-16 witnessed many engagements with the enemy: having lent valuable assistance at the landings in “Anzac Cove”, where ‘the shots were hitting the steel bows of the destroyers with a sound like hail on an iron roof’, the Colne won high praise for her close support of the hard-pressed New Zealanders ashore - so much so that they renamed her H.M.S. Nursie Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; 1914-15 Star (Commr. C. Seymour, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt. C. Seymour, R.N.); Coronation 1911, good very fine and better (5) £2500-3000 Footnote D.S.O. London Gazette 14 March 1916: ‘All officers of the Destroyer Flotilla and specially recommended for the good services they have performed.’ Claude Seymour was born at Barrett Heath, Southampton in January 1876 and entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet in Britannia in January 1891, and was appointed a Midshipman on joining H.M.S. Blake on the North America Station in February 1892. Advanced to Lieutenant in April 1898 and to Commander in June 1910, he was serving as captain of the destroyer Colne, on the China station, on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, and was quickly employed on active service against the German settlement at Tsing-Tao, which was occupied by our allies, the Japanese. But it was for his part in the Dardanelles operations 1915-16 that Seymour won his D.S.O., a busy tour of duty that encompassed the bombardment of 18 March 1915, the “Anzac Cove” landings 25-26 April, and protracted stints of providing close support to the hard pressed military ashore. On 18 March 1915, during the aforementioned bombardment, Colne was on hand to witness the mining of the Irresistible and the Ocean, and, in spite of the ‘terrific fire’ being poured onto the crippled ships from both sides of the Straits, steamed to their assistance - ‘Commended for services in the Dardanelles operations prior to 25-26 April 1915, for saving lives from Ocean on 18 March 1915’ (his service record refers). In the following month, in the landings at “Anzac Cove”, Colne, in company with her fellow destroyers, approached close to the shore to disembark her boats, laden with New Zealanders: ‘The delay seemed ages long. Men were being hit on the destroyers’ decks by the gradually increasing rifle fire from the shore. The machine-guns had the range accurately, and the shots were hitting the steel bows of the destroyers with a sound like hail on an iron roof. The water through which the boats pulled to shore was ripped with bullets, man after man in the boats being killed or wounded ... The coxswain of one destroyer received a bullet which passed through both cheeks, removed two teeth on either side, and then killed a signalman alongside him. Bleeding, and spitting out the remains of his teeth, with, one expects, the inevitable nautical ejaculations, the Petty Officer remained at his post of duty ... ’ (Taffrail’s Endless Story refers). For his leadership and bravery amidst the carnage of the landings at “Anzac Cove”, Seymour was duly ‘Mentioned by Vice-Admiral Eastern Mediterranean for good services assisting in disembarkation at Gapa Tepe on 25-26 April 1915’ (his service record refers). One week later, with her consort Usk, the Colne embarked 50 men of the New Zealand Divison for a raid on an enemy observation post on Nibrunesi Point - landing at dawn, they surprised the Turks asleep in their trenches, killed three of them and embarked the remainder as prisoners. Yet it was for her subsequent part in providing support fire to the troops ashore that she won the highest of praise, Major Cecil Paddon of the Otago Mounted Rifles crediting Seymour’s command with saving many lives in his regiment - indeed henceforth the New Zealanders affe