A very rare Second World War Channel Mobile Balloon Barrage operations D.S.M. group of five awarded to Senior Commissioned Mechanician F. W. Leaversuch, Royal Navy, late Royal Navy Patrol Service

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (P./K. 65527 F. W. Leaversuch, 1 Cl. Mechn., R.N.P.S.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (K. 65527 Mech. 1, H.M.S. Penelope), generally good very fine (5) £1200-1500

D.S.M. London Gazette 6 May 1941:

‘For courage, zeal and devotion to duty while serving with the Channel Mobile Balloon Barrage.’

Frederick William Leaversuch, who was born in Portsmouth in December 1906, was awarded his D.S.M. in respect of services aboard the Channel Mobile Balloon Barrage (C.M.B.B.) vessel Pingouin, and, more to the point, largely as a result of convoy CW. 14, from Southend to St. Helen’s, on 11-12 October 1940, when vessels of the M.B.B. came under heavy and accurate fire from enemy batteries in France, the unit’s Senior Officer reporting that Pingouin was straddled by enemy shells on two occasions, from only 20 to 50 yards away, causing damage to her signal lights and showering the her with shell splinters - in all, he estimated that 100-120 shells had been fired at the convoy.

Established in 1940, the purpose of the Channel Mobile Balloon Barrage was to prevent enemy aircraft from carrying out low-level bombing attacks or mine-laying operations over important estuaries and convoys - each balloon was attached to a lethal wire cable which was moored to a winch on the ships’ decks, seagoing altitude tending to be around the 2000ft. mark. Largely manned by men from the Royal Naval Patrol Service, the ships of the C.M.B.B. served with good effect until disbanded in 1943, and 24 members of the unit were awarded the D.S.M. in the period 1940-42. For a full history of this little known but undoubtedly interesting unit, and a detailed account of convoy CW. 14, see John C. Welch’s articles in The Review (“Researching the Unresearchable”) and Warship World, March 2002 - copies included with the Lot.

Leaversuch, who was invested with his D.S.M. in March 1942, was appointed a Warrant Mechanician in March 1944 and advanced to Commissioned Mechanician in March 1945. Having gained further promotion to Senior Commissioned Mechanician in April 1951, however, he died as a result of illness at Portsmouth in September of the following year.