A Great War D.S.M. awarded to Engine Room Artificer J. N. Reed, Royal Naval Reserve, for services aboard the destroyer Moresby when she and her sister ship Michael sank the German submarine U-110 in the North West Approaches on 15 March 1918

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (EA.1163. J. N. Reed, E.R.A. R.N.R. “Moresby” Atlantic. 15. Mch. 1918) nearly very fine £700-£900

D.S.M. London Gazette 14 September 1918: ‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’

James Nesbit Reed was born at Newcastle on Tyne on 18 December 1889. He enrolled in the R.N.R. as an Engine Room Artificer on 31 August 1914, and after service in Woolwich and Druid, was transferred, on 28 April 1916, to the newly built destroyer H.M.S. Moresby in which he was soon engaged at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. At Jutland, Moresby screened the First Battle Cruiser Squadron as one of twelve destroyers operating with the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla and was successful in sinking the German destroyer V. 4 by torpedo.

Remaining in Moresby until the conclusion of the war, Reed was present in her on 15 March 1918, at the sinking of U-110, a type 93 U-boat which had among its list of 10 previous victims, the celebrated Q-Ship H.M.S. Penshurst. When found north-west of Malin Head by Moresby and another destroyer H.M.S. Michael, she had just torpedoed and sunk the 10,000 tonne British ocean liner Amazon and was promptly sent to the bottom by depth charges from the British destroyers with the loss of 39 men. All of Amazon’s passengers and 9 surviving crew members from U-110 were rescued by Moresby.

Sold with copied service records and other research which confirm entitlement to 1914-15 Star trio and R.N.R. L.S. & G.C., this last awarded on 22 February 1930.