Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Second World War King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct group of four awarded to Chief Officer G. E. Gourlay, Merchant Navy, who was cited for his courage on the occasion of the torpedoing of the S.S. Fort Bellingham during Arctic convoy J.W. 56A in January 1944

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star, clasp, Burma; War Medal 1939-45; King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct oval plastic badges (2), in their card box of issue with related oak leaves (2), and accompanied by their original registered forwarding envelope addressed to ‘G. E. Gourlay, Esq., “Vistersatter”, Glencairn, Stevenston, Ayrshire’, extremely fine (8) £300-350

Gustaf Erik Gourlay was born in Stevenston, Ayrshire in August 1909 and qualified for his 2nd Mate’s Certificate (Steamships) at Glasgow in September 1929. Having then added to his qualifications a 1st Mate’s Certificate in December 1930, and a Master’s Certificate in June 1934, he was serving in the S.S. Baron Vernon on the outbreak of hostilities.

Several more ship appointments followed until, in June 1943, he joined as Chief Officer the recently launched Fort Bellingham, and he was similarly employed in that vessel when she was ordered to join Arctic convoy J.W. 56A in January 1944. Carrying a crew of 75 men, including the convoy’s Commodore and six of his staff, in addition to 12 Naval and 11 Army D.E.M.S. Gunners, the Fort Bellingham appears to have been torpedoed by two U-Boats on the night of the 25th-26th, namely the U-360, Kapitain Klaus Becker, and the U-957, Kapitain Gerd Schaar, several accounts stating that she survived the first attack but had to be abandoned as a result of the latter, and was finished off by torpedoes delivered by the escorting destroyer H.M.S. Offa.

Kenneth Wynn’s U-Boat Operations of the Second World War states that the U-957 picked up two survivors, their subsequent interrogation providing ‘valuable information’, while the official Admiralty report into the Fort Bellingham’s loss lists 39 missing crew, among them 16 Gunners and two members of the Commodore’s staff. What the same report fails to clarify (i.e. the ship’s Master’s account of the proceedings that night), is that there were indeed two separate attacks, a strange omission in an already controversial report that openly criticised the action of the convoy’s Commodore and his D.E.M.S. Gunners (see below). That the Fort Bellingham was indeed attacked twice over several hours seems in no doubt, a witness aboard the destroyer Offa, Lieutenant G. G. Connell, D.S.C., describing in his wartime memoir, Arctic Destroyers, The 17th Flotilla, the gallant efforts of a medical officer, Surgeon Lieutenant M. J. Hood, D.S.C., who boarded the damaged merchantman after the U-360’s attack, and then perished as a result of U-957’s subsequent attack. Be that as it may, Fort Bellingham’s Master, Captain J. N. Maley, described just one torpedo strike soon after midnight:

‘No one saw the track of the torpedo, which struck on the port side, in the after end of No. 3 hold, forward of the engine room. There was a dull explosion and a fair amount of water thrown up on the port side. No flash was seen. The ship rolled to starboard, then to port, but quickly righted herself, settling bodily. The engine room bulkhead was pierced, both boilers collapsed and the main steam pipes fractured. A spray of oil and steam was thrown up high into the air, which obscured the view from the bridge. The engines and dynamos stopped immediately and all lights went out. Ventilators were blown off, some of which landed on the after deck. Nos. 2 and 4 lifeboats were destroyed. The decks did not apppear to be torn or buckled. Although the ship settled several feet, she seemed to be in no immediate danger of sinking.’

He continues:

‘I sent the Chief [Gourlay] and Second Officers to the boat deck to clear away the boats. They found No. 1 boat hanging by the after fall and submerged. Apparently this boat had been lowered by the D.E.M.S. ratings, assisted by a number of seamen and engineers. When this boat capsized they went to No. 3 lifeboat, lowered it, cast off, and drifted astern ... I had given no orders to abandon ship, so obviously these men panicked. They were under the impression that the cargo contained ammunition, and feared a second torpedo ... ’

Further acts of indiscipline followed:

‘The Chief Officer [Gourlay] went round the decks and reported that all rafts, except one on the port side of the lower bridge and one in the after rigging, had been slipped and were floating astern ... I gathered the remaining men together, around 35 in all, and finally freed the raft from the lower bridge, giving instructions that it was to remain alongside, but as it became waterborne about 18 men jumped into it, cut the painter, and it quickly drifted from the ship’s side. The Chief Officer then took a party of men and endeavoured to release the raft from the after-rigging ... as the raft on the port side was proving difficult to free, the Chief and Second Officers went over the side to the waterlogged lifeboat in an attempt to make it serviceable. They were soon soaked in cold water and covered in fuel oil ... ’

The Royal Navy then appeared on the scene:

‘H.M.S. Offa tried to come alongside, but owing to the heavy swell, her bows crashed against my ship. At this moment, the Commodore jumped on board the Offa, followed by his Yeoman of Signals and Telegraphist. All got aboard successfully. The Commodore had not told me that he intended to make the atttempt, but went off without saying a word. The destroyer then stood off and picked up the survivors from the raft, also the Chief [Gourlay] and Second Officers from the waterlogged lifeboat, which was still alongside. The Second Officer was immediately taken to the sick bay suffering from the effects of fuel oil. At about 0230 H.M.S. Offa lowered her whaler, which came alongside the Fort Bellingham and took off all those on board. As the ship showed no signs of sinking the commander of H.M.S. Offa decided to sink her by torpedo and gunfire ... ’

Maley had praise for just one member of his crew, namely his Chief Officer, Gustaf Gourlay:

‘I would like to mention Chief Officer Gourlay, who displayed fine leadership and organisation. After this officer had made a thorough search for survivors, he gallantly went overboard into the fuel-covered water to clear the waterlogged lifeboat.’

He was awarded the King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct, the relevant London Gazette of 12 June 1945 listing him as Chief Officer of the Samvigna; an Apprentice aboard the same ship was similarly commended for ‘bravery when an aircraft crashed’ in the London Gazette of 10 April 1945, but Gourlay had already moved on to his final wartime appointment, the Fort Frontenac, back in late 1944, so it seems more likely his own Commendation did indeed stem from the events of J.W. 56A.