Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War submariner’s D.S.M. group of five awarded to Leading Signalman H. W. Butcher, Royal Navy, for his part in the survey of the Belgian coast in a C-class submarine submerged off Nieuport

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (J.5129 H. W. Butcher, Sig. Belgian Coast 1917); 1914-15 Star (J.5129 Sig. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.5129 Sig. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue with fixed suspension (J.5129 L. Sig. H.M.S. Dolphin) severe edge bruise to the first and generally polished, good fine and better (5) £1600-1800

D.S.M. London Gazette 26 April 1918: 'For operations on the Belgian Coast.'

The following extract is taken from The Dover Patrol 1915-17, by Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, and refers to his preparations for a “Great Landing” on the Belgian Coast, a plan which was eventually postponed but which was at least reflected in the subsequent raids on Ostend and Zeebrugge:

'It was necessary that our survey should be accurate to within six inches. A submarine was, therefore, sent to submerge off Nieuport, to lie on the bottom, and to register the height of the water above her hull continuously for twenty-four hours by reading the depth guage. The rise and fall and the tide curve at this spot was thus obtained at springs, neaps and intermediate tides.

This information was obtained by Lieutenant Wardell-Yerburgh. It was a weird experience for a submarine to steal up and submerge right under the guns of the enemy's coast defence, always with the off chance that in her journey to the bottom she might settle down on a mine. Also as the submarine was a C Boat, and not large, and as she had to remain submerged for twenty-four hours, she was apt to get stuffy. The number of crew was therefore reduced to a minimum.'

Harold William Butcher was born at Lowestoft on 22 October 1893, and joined the Navy in August 1909, serving in submarines from February 1914. He joined H.M. Submarine C30 in February 1914 and served in that boat until September 1918. It was in the C30 that Wardell-Yerburgh conducted his valuable survey of the Belgian coast and for which he was awarded the D.S.C. in the same gazettte. Butcher subsequently served in H41 from September 1918 to November 1919, was promoted to Leading Signalman in September 1921, and qualified as a Hydrophone Operator in 1925. Sold with copy service record.