A fine Second World War B.E.M. group of nine awarded to Signalman O. C. Mayland, Royal Navy, who had earlier won a “mention” for the withdrawal from France in 1940

British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 1st issue (Sig. Oscar Charles Mayland D./J. 31639 R.N.); 1914-15 Star (J. 31639 Sig. Boy, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J. 31639 Sig., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals; Royal Fleet Reserve L.S., G.V.R., 2nd issue, coinage bust (J. 31639 (Dev. B. 10424) Sig., R.F.R.), the Great War awards a little worn but generally very fine or better (9) £700-900

B.E.M. London Gazette 1 July 1941.

Oscar Charles Mayland was born at Govan in Lanarkshire in April 1899 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in June 1914. He subsequently witnessed active service as a Signalman aboard H.M.S. Collingwood between May 1915 and July 1917, including the Battle of Jutland in 1916, when his ship was credited with causing severe damage to the Lutzow and Derfflinger, in addition to engaging an enemy destroyer. Interestingly, too, it was aboard the same battleship that Prince Albert - afterwards King George VI - was serving as a Midshipman at this time. Following a spell ashore at Vivid I, Mayland next joined T.B. 2, in which ship he was still serving at the end of hostilities.

Having transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve in March 1920, he was recalled on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, shortly afterwards joining the ship’s company of the destroyer Venomous, an appointment that would lead to his participation in the evacuation of Boulogne and Dunkirk in May-June 1940, and the award of his B.E.M., in addition to a mention in despatches for ‘good services in the operations off the Dutch, Belgian and French coasts’ (London Gazette 16 August 1940 refers).

Few histories of the momentous part played by the Royal Navy in “Operation Dynamo” fail to mention in detail the achievements of the Venomous, and as a Signalman we may be sure that Mayland witnessed a good deal of the action, positioned, as he was, on the bridge. A glimpse of some of these activities may be found in Lord’s The Miracle of Dunkirk, activities which followed hot on the tail of Venomous’ work off Boulogne in late May, when she brought away 500 troops although subjected to heavy German artillery fire and at least two serious attacks launched by the Luftwaffe. Such was the close proximity of the enemy, that Venomous and her consorts engaged targets at almost point-blank range, the former’s pom-pom crew ‘blowing an armoured car to pieces.’ Lord’s history takes up the rest of Venomous’ story:

‘Although there were more ships than were required off the beaches [on the night of 1-2 June 1940], there was plenty of room at the East Pier, and during the night Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker, who had come over from Dover and was afloat in M.A./S.B. 10, diverted some of the redundant ships from Malo ... The destroyer Venomous had come over to Malo with a beach party of 10 officers and 90 men; no boats came off from the shore and at 02.00 Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker sent her to Dunkirk, where she took on board 632 troops and sailed for Dover about 02.30.’

And on the following night:

‘Venomous, which arrived at 21.50, had difficulty in going alongside the East Pier. This was not a solid jetty, but was built of concrete piles through which the west-going tide set. This, coupled with a fresh easterly wind, made it very difficult for ships to get alongside until the tide turned, about 23.00. Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker, who was afloat in M.A./S.B. 10 used the latter to push the Venomous in and tried to get other small craft to do likewise. The narrow harbour was now filled with numbers of small French craft of every sort, size and description. At this moment a defect developed in the M.A./S.B.’s clutch, apparently as a result of pushing the Venomous alongside, which prevented her from going astern and made turning a most hazardous adventure with boats of all sorts bearing down on her from both directions. The Venomous was away again in half an hour, with 1500 troops, including Major-General Alexander and his staff who had been taken on board M.A./S.B. 10 by Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker and transferred to the destroyer.’

In his history The Evacuation From Dunkirk, Gardner also refers to the arrival of Major-General Alexander at the East Pier:

‘In the midst of the crowd streaming onto the mole walked two officers, carrying a suitcase between them. One was a staff officer, worn and rumpled like everyone else. The other looked fresh, immaculate in service dress. Calm as ever, General Alexander was leaving with the final remnants of his command. By pre-arrangement M.A./S.B. 10 was waiting, and Admiral Wake-Walker welcomed the General aboard. They briefly checked the beaches to make sure all British units were off, then headed for the destroyer Venomous, still picking up troops at the mole. Commander John McBeath of the Venomous was standing on the bridge when a voice from the dark hailed him, asking if he could handle “some senior officers and staffs.” McBeath told them to come aboard, starboard side aft ... “We’ve got a couple of Generals now - fellows called Alexander and Perciva” ... Venomous pulled out about 10.00 p.m., packed with so many troops she almost rolled over. McBeath stopped, trimmed ship, then hurried on across the Channel.’

Venomous was back again for the final night of the evacuation on 3-4 June, when, as a result of the severe congestion in the harbour area, she had the misfortune to be ordered out to await her turn at 04.30, thereby making her, in all probability, the very last destroyer to depart Dunkirk. Including the 1200 or so troops she brought out on this occasion, Venomous was credited with - over five trips - the evacuation of nearly 4500 men.

Mayland, whose award of the B.E.M. most likely stemmed from these hectic operations, received his decoration at an investiture held on 24 March 1942.