An extremely rare Great War land operations D.S.M. and post-war mine clearance Bar group of eight awarded to Chief Yeoman of the Signals S. W. Muirhead, Royal Navy: one of just three recipients of a 1914 Star for services to British Military Mission with the Belgian Army Headquarters, he was decorated for his gallant work with the Naval Siege Guns in 1915-16 - to which distinction he added a Bar for mine clearance operations in 1919

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the latter officially impressed ‘Sherborne 1919’ (219591 S. W. Muirhead, Yeo. Sigs., Nl. Siege Guns, Belgium, 1915-6); 1914 Star, with clasp (219591 S. Muirhead, Ldg. Sig., Attd. Belgian Hqs.); British War and Victory Medals (219591 S. W. Muirhead, Y.S., R.N.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue (219591 S. W. Muirhead, Y.S., H.M.S. Malaya); Belgium, Order of Leopold II, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver and enamel, the first with edge bruise, contact marks, otherwise generally very fine or better (8) £3000-3500

Just 67 D.S.Ms with Second Award Bars were issued in the period 1914-20.

D.S.M. London Gazette 22 June 1916:

‘For outstanding service with the Naval Siege Guns, British Military Mission with the Belgian Army Headquarters.’

Bar to D.S.M. London Gazette 17 October 1919:

‘For services in the Mine Clearance Force between 1 January and 30 June 1919.’

The original recommendation states:

‘Yeoman of the Signals S. W. Muirhead, D.S.M., has been of the utmost assistance to me during the clearance of the Yorkshire minefield. The operations necessitated a large amount of signalling, and he has never failed me yet. His coolness and devotion to duty are an outstanding feature.’

Stanley Wallace Muirhead was born in Rochester, Kent, in November 1886 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in February 1902.

A Leading Signalman by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was quickly embarked for Belgium, where, attached to the British Military Mission with Belgian Army Headquarters, he went on to lend gallant service with the Naval Siege Guns.

The first Naval Siege guns, a 9.2-inch and two 6-inch, were landed in France in 1914, and served under Commander H. C. Halahan, R.N., who was later killed at Zeebrugge. In the summer of 1915 four short 9.2s Mark VI were landed from the monitors which, due to their relatively short range had been found unsuited for coastal bombardment, and were mounted well up at the front near Nieuport Bails. Two of the guns known as “Eastney” and “Barbara” were mounted in concrete pits, the other two, mounted at first in the open, were afterwards similarly protected and became “Carnac Battery”. “Barbara” and “Carnac” were manned by the Royal Navy; “Eastney” was manned by the R.M.A. under Captain J. H. Hollingsworth. The whole unit formed the Royal Naval Siege Guns. In addition to these large calibre guns, eight 7.5-inch guns from H.M.S. Swiftsure were landed and mounted, on ship’s pivot mountings, well forward near Oost Dunkerke to assist in counter battery work.

A notation on Muirhead’s service record refers to a recommendation for a D.S.M. in the following year, instead of which he received special promotion to Yeoman of the Signals. But, in the fullness of time, he did indeed win a D.S.M., in addition to appointment as a Chevalier of the Belgian Order of Leopold II (London Gazette 1 January 1917 refers).

Muirhead, who appears to have remained employed with the Naval Siege Guns until March 1918, when they became exclusively manned by the R.M.A., ended the War in the minesweeper H.M.S. Penarth.

As it transpired, his next seagoing appointment was also of a mine clearance nature, this time aboard the Sherborne, and he was recommended for the award of a Bar to his D.S.M. by the Vice-Admiral commanding the East Coast of England on 10 July 1919, as per the above cited deeds in Area III in the period January-June 1919.

Having then added the L.S. & G.C. Medal to his accolades in October 1921, and gained advancement to Chief Yeoman of the Signals, Muirhead was pensioned ashore in November 1926; sold with two or three original photographs, including a siege gun in action in Belgium, and an old carbon copy confidential signal announcing the award of the Bar to his D.S.M., together with a quantity of copied research.

Withdrawn