Orders, Decorations and Medals

Family group:

A rare Second World War anti-U-boat operations D.S.C. and Bar group of five awarded to Lieutenant J. C. Langton, Royal Navy: having won his first D.S.C. for his contribution to the demise of the U-99, the second most successful U-boat of the War, and won a Bar for Malta convoy “Operation Harpoon”, he was among those lost when H.M.S. Partridge was torpedoed in the Western Mediterranean in December 1942

Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., hallmarks for London 1940, with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross officially dated ‘1941’ and the reverse of the Bar ‘1942’; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf, extremely fine

The Great War campaign service group of three awarded to his father, Major H. F. Langton, late 1st Dragoon Guards

1914-15 Star (Major, 1-D. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Major), with original card forwarding boxes, extremely fine (8) £1800-2200

D.S.C. London Gazette 6 May 1941: ‘For skill, enterprise and resource in successful actions against enemy submarines.’

Bar to D.S.C. London Gazette 22 September 1942: ‘For bravery and resolution in H.M. Ships ... Partridge ... while escorting an important convoy to Malta.’

Mention in despatches London Gazette 11 July 1940.

John Christopher Langton, who obtained advancement to Lieutenant in June 1936, was appointed No. 1 of the destroyer H.M.S. Walker in July 1939, which ship was then skippered by Commander Donald McIntryre, R.N., later a the holder of a D.S.O. with two Bars and the D.S.C., and the author of U-Boat Killer. Having gained a “mention” in the summer of 1940, Langton added a D.S.C. to his accolades for his part in the destruction of the U-99 in the North Atlantic in the following year.

On 15 March 1941, U-99, commanded by Otto Kretschmer, a holder of the Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves and Swords, was directed to intercept the eastbound convoy HX 112, W.S.W. of the Faroes and, after dark on the 16th, penetrated the convoy and sank three tankers and a steamer - Kretschmer also torpedoed and damaged another tanker. Then in the early hours of the 17th U-99 claimed yet another tanker, but with all torpedoes now expended, Kretschmer set course for home. Shortly afterwards, however, his Officer of the Watch sighted a destroyer, the Vanoc, and assuming U-99 had also been seen, ordered a crash dive. As a result, an Asdic contact was made and an ensuing salvo of depth charges badly damaged the U-boat, sending it down to the perilous depth of 720 feet. With leaks rapidly appearing, Kretschmer was obliged to re-surface and with nothing left to fight with, and unable to move as the Walker and Vanoc opened fire, he scuttled the boat by opening all hatches. The Walker duly lowered a boat to pick up survivors - 39 men including Kretschmer - but the U-99’s Engineer Officer was not among them, having turned back to try and speed up the U-boat’s demise by flooding the ballast tanks - he was never seen again. It had been a memorable victory, for in terms of tonnage and ships sunk, the U-99 was the second most successful U-boat of the entire war - Kretschmer had been her captain from the time of her commissioning in April 1940, and between then and her loss had orchestrated the sinking 39 ships totalling 246,794 tons, among them the auxiliary cruiser Laurentic, sunk after an epic engagement on 3 November 1940. As it transpired, it was to prove a bad night for U-boat aces, the Vanoc going on to ram and sink the U-100, the command of another Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves holder, Joachim Schepke. He was not among the six survivors.

Langton was awarded the D.S.C. and received his decoration at an investiture held on 21 October 1941. In the following month, he transferred as No. 1 to another destroyer, the Partridge, skippered by Lieutenant-Commander W. A. F. Hawkins, O.B.E., D.S.C., and added a Bar to his D.S.C. for his deeds in the course of Malta convoy “Operation Harpoon” in June 1942, when the Partridge was hit and damaged by Italian cruisers. Sadly, however, his next encounter with the enemy was to be his last, for the Partridge was torpedoed in the Western Mediterranean by the U-565 (Wilhelm Franken, Knight’s Cross) on 18 December 1942, and went down with three officers and 35 ratings, Langton, aged 30 years, among them.

According to official records, the Bar to his D.S.C. was presented to his next of kin, presumably his father Major H. F. Langton, while his campaign awards were later despatched to his brother (or cousin), Flight Lieutenant P. D. Langton.

Herbert Francis Langton was commissioned into the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards in October 1890 and was advanced to Lieutenant in September 1892 and to Captain in June 1898. Active service followed in South Africa 1901-02, for which he received the Queen’s Medal with 4 clasps, but sometime thereafter he was placed on the Special Reserve. Recalled in the Great War, he was twice mentioned in despatches, firstly for services as C.O. of 10th Entrenching Battalion, 1st Brigade of Guards (Cavalry) and secondly for services as a Major, Dragoon Guards (London Gazette 15 June 1916 and 4 January 1917 respectively); his MIC entry reveals that he was not actually issued with his 1914-15 Star Trio until February 1926.