Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Great War D.S.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant T. J. Jones, Royal Naval Reserve, who spotted for the monitor M-33 in her many actions on the River Dvina, Russia in the summer of 1919

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1919, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; 1914-15 Star (S. Lt., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut., R.N.R.), generally extremely fine (4) £1800-2200

D.S.C. London Gazette 11 November 1919:

‘For distinguished services under fire in H.M. Monitor 33. Lieutenant Jones showed great zeal in preparing and perfecting the control and spotting instruments of the ship.’

The original recommendation states:

‘He has displayed great coolness under fire and his accurate spotting aloft has been of great assistance. He has shown great zeal in preparing and perfecting the control and spotting instruments of this ship.’

Thomas Johnson Jones, who was commissioned as a Temporary Sub. Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in April 1915, served in the Heather (a.k.a. Q-16) in the early part of 1917, prior to transferring to monitors with an appointment in the M-25 later that year. But it was for his services in the M-33 from June until September 1919, as part of what became known as the Altham Flotilla, that he was awarded his D.S.C., namely for the above cited deeds during the course of the River Dvina operations that summer. Indeed the valuable contribution made by the M-33 in several hotly contested actions is well recorded in G. R. Singleton-Gates’ Bolos & Barishynas, a case in point being the engagement she fought with enemy gunboats near Troitsa Bay in the early morning hours of 7 July:

‘The enemy gunboats, however, soon began to take a hand in the business, and we therefore advanced, in company with H.M. M-33, to engage them, and a pretty hot action followed. We took up a position close under the cliffs of the right bank, where continuous machine-gun fire still resounded through the woods, but a good distance inland. The enemy seemed to have got our position well marked off, and was getting unpleasantly close. We therefore shifted our position and closed the range. Just as we passed under the stern of M-33, a cloud of black smoke shot up from her amidships, and it was evident she was hit. She was not badly damaged, the shot having only destroyed the ward-room, sparing the wine store, as the captain cheerfully informed us as we passed. Together we continued the action for another half-hour or so, shifting from place to place, and the enemy, according to his usual tactics, ceased fire and retired behind the river bank. However, he was soon out again, and several more small strafes occurred; but at about 10 a.m. he packed up, and we were able to get some breakfast ... ’

Jones was demobilised in November 1919; also see Lot 226 for other family awards.