Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An extremely rare Second World War D.S.M. group of six awarded to Sergeant S. J. Holden, 4th Mercantile Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, one of only 51 Army recipients of the D.S.M. in the last war: he was decorated for his command of the guns crews in the S.S. Burdwan during Malta convoy “Operation Harpoon” in June 1942

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Sgt. S. J. Holden, 4188893, 4th M.A.A. Rgt., R.A.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals, the first with naming rubbed overall, good very fine or better (6) £1800-2200

D.S.M. London Gazette 22 December 1942:

‘For courage and determination while serving in Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships’

The original recommendation states:

‘Sergeant Holden, who was in charge of the guns crews, behaved exceptionally well throughout the attacks and was a fine example to the rest of the men.’

Samuel Joseph Holden was decorated for his services aboard the S.S. Burdwan during “Operation Harpoon”, the important Malta convoy of June 1942, in which four merchantmen were lost - indeed the only ship of note to reach Valetta unscathed was the S.S. Troilus. In his capacity as a Mercantile Anti-Aircraft Regiment N.C.O., he had charge of 21 Army and R.N. gunners aboard the Burdwan, a cargo ship on loan from the Hain Steamship Company.

The convoy set out from the Clyde for Gibraltar on 5 June 1942 and the first part of the voyage was comparatively uneventful. By the morning of the 12th, all forces had passed safely into the Mediterranean and the first serious run-in with enemy forces occurred on the 14th, when about 40 torpedo and dive-bombers from Sardinian airfields attacked in two waves. A furious air battle developed around the convoy but the carrier-borne fighters and the A.A. gunners in the warships and merchantmen put up a very resolute defence - for his own part, Holden’s gunners brought down at least one Ju. 88 and severely damaged another.

‘During the day we brought down a Ju. 88 aircraft with our Bofors guns. The aircraft was crossing our stern at a height of about 1000 feet and was firing towards the ship astern of us. The Bofors gun on the port side of the funnel hit him as he came across and the Bofors gun on the starboard side took up the attack as he passed over. The aircraft crashed into the sea about 1 - 2 miles away. Later the same day another aircraft passed over the ship and dropped three bombs just clear of the bow. We opened fire at this aircraft and I think we must have hit it as I saw two men bale out. One of the men’s parachutes did not open and he crashed into the sea’ (Captain’s report, S.S. Burdwan, refers).

Later in the forenoon and again in the evening Italian high-level bombers made a new series of attacks, but shortly after sunset the convoy reached the entrance to the Skerki Channel. It was here that the heavy ships of the escort turned back for Gibraltar, leaving one cruiser, nine destroyers and four minesweepers to carry on with the merchantmen. After dark that same evening the convoy rounded Cape Bon, turning to the south-east towards Malta, but early the following morning, the 15th, on approaching Pantellaria Island, a new threat loomed up on the horizon - the Italian Navy. An Italian squadron, consisting of two cruisers and five destroyers, was suddenly sighted coming in from the north, and very soon shells began to fall around the merchantmen. The British destroyers at once moved out to attack, while the Commodore turned the convoy away to the south, and ordered all ships to make smoke. Unfortunately, at this critical moment, a series of devastating air attacks took place, just when the escort had been depleted in order to deal with the Italian warships, and one of the first victims was the Burdwan:

‘We proceeded until 11.15 A.T.S. on 15 June when, in a position 35 miles south of Pantellaria, a Ju. 88 aircraft flew straight over the ship, dropping three bombs, one a near miss off the starboard side, and the other two near misses off the port side. We were heading S.E. at the time and the sun was to the South of us. There were many more aircraft circling around in groups at various heights, and this particular aircraft dived at an angle of about 45 degrees to attack my ship. Our two Bofors guns on each side of the bridge were in action and the rest of our guns were all firing. The engines stopped immediately as the main injection pipe and steam pipes were broken. I think the ship must have been holed as she listed to port and water poured into the engine and boiler rooms. I ordered the boats to be lowered and by 11.25 we had got them all away ... We were all away from the ship within ten minutes of the attack’ (Captain’s report, S.S. Burdwan, refers).

Picked up by H.M.S. Badsworth, which finished off the sinking Burdwan, Holden and his fellow crew were taken on to Malta, but not before three of them were killed when the destroyer hit a mine just short of her destination.

Holden received his D.S.M. at an investiture held on 15 May 1945.