Orders, Decorations and Medals

A particularly fine Second World War Coastal Forces D.S.M. group of five awarded to Temporary Lieutenant (E.) R. J. A. Bunce, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who was decorated for his gallant deeds as a Chief Motor Mechanic in the 50th M.G.B. Flotilla

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (A.C.M.M. R. J. A. Bunce, P/MX. 98931); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue (Ty. Sub. Lieut. (E.) R. Bunce, R.N.V.R.), mounted as worn, together with his wartime identity disc, good very fine or better (6) £1400-1600

D.S.M. London Gazette 9 May 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘Acting Chief Motor Mechanic Bunce has consistently shown skill and devotion to duty of a high order.

On the night of 3 August 1943, when in M.G.B. 604 under my command, the boat was rammed in the engine room. Bunce worked up to his waist in oil and water, with the engine room full of wreckage and steam, and kept one partly submerged engine running for six hours and 33 minutes. He repeatedly dived below the engine, at great risk of being caught in the turning shafts, and was eventually successful in cutting the water inlet suction pipe so that the engine drew water out of the bilges.

During the action on the night of 24-25 October 1943, the lights failed in the plotting house, on the bridge, and down the whole port side of the ship [M.G.B. 609], due to a sudden short. He effected emergency repairs under difficulty in 30 seconds, thus materially assisting in the continuation of the action.’

Robert Joseph Arthur Bunce was born in Tooting, London in July 1915 and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as an Ordinary Seaman in March 1936. A Signalman serving aboard the cruiser H.M.S. Ceres on the outbreak of hostilities, he came ashore in October 1940 to take up successive appointments in the naval bases Lanka in Ceylon and Sheba in Aden, following which he returned to the U.K. in June 1941. Thereafter, as verified by his service record, he was ‘discharged to R.N. engagement’, and by May 1942 was serving as an Acting Chief Motor Mechanic at the Portland Coastal Forces’ base Attack - here then the commencement of his long association with M.G.Bs. Moving to the Lowestoft base Mantis in June 1942, where he was recommended for a decoration for services in M.G.B. 21 that September, Bunce remained similarly employed until removing to the 50th M.G.B. Flotilla, operating out of Midge at Great Yarmouth, in May 1943. And it was in the course of this latter appointment, for gallant service in M.G.Bs 604 - when rammed and flooded - and 609, that he won his D.S.M.

An indication of the importance of the actions fought by M.G.B. 609 and her consorts on the night of 24-25 October 1943 is to be found in the London Gazette of 15 October 1948, for therein was published a full account of the night’s proceedings, via Admiral of the Fleet Jack Tovey’s original despatch of 18 November 1943 - one of just four epic Coastal Forces’ actions chosen for post-war publication to represent the many daring feats and sacrifices made by that gallant body of men in the “Battle of the Narrow Seas”, and beyond. In it, Tovey describes a series of ferocious firefights with around 30 E-boats, at least two of which failed to return to base.

As part of the 50th Flotilla, operating out of Midge at Great Yarmouth, M.G.Bs 609 and 610 formed “Unit R” that night, the former commanded by Lieutenant P. N. “Pat” Edge, R.N.V.R., with Bunce aboard, and the latter by Lieutenant W. “Bob” Harrop, R.N.V.R. - both officers shortly to be D.S.Cs. One and all were in for a busy night, but by dawn the two “Dogboats” had contributed towards a significant turning point in Coastal Forces’ fortunes, the whole by means of highly skilled radar work and disciplined gunnery - and cold blooded courage of a high order. In summary of 609’s and 610’s engagements that night, Tovey stated in his famous “Coastal Forces Despatch”:

‘Unit R - M.G.Bs 609 and 610 - moved up to their northerly position at about 0100, and obtained hydrophone contact and then radar contact even before they were alerted by shore radar. From 0100 to 0141 Unit R stalked the enemy, keeping between him and the convoy. As soon as the enemy showed signs of closing the convoy, Unit R attacked, twice forcing him to withdraw to the eastward, the second time for good. The second boat in the line, on which 609 and 610 concentrated their fire, was undoubtedly hit hard and forced to leave the line. This group of E-Boats was the only one to operate north of 57F buoy, east of Sheringham ... the Senior Officer of this unit, Lieutenant P. Edge, showed a quick and sound appreciation of the C.-in-C’s object in fleeting the unit, i.e., the defence of the northbound convoy, and throughout handled his unit with tactical ability of a high order. Skilful use of radar gave him an exact picture of the enemy’s movements and enabled him to go into action at a moment of his own choosing. The moment he chose was entirely correct and there is no doubt that this well fought action saved the convoy from being located and attacked.’

Bunce remained actively employed in 609 until May 1944, when he removed to M.T.B. 734, in which boat he served off Normandy prior to coming ashore in mid-July. Having then been commissioned as a Temporary Sub. Lieutenant (E.), he would appear to have ended his war with an appointment in the frigate Grindall.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including Admiralty letter of notification for the award of the recipient’s D.S.M., dated 11 May 1944, and related Buckingham Palace forwarding letter in the name of ‘Sub. Lieutenant (E.) R. J. A. Bunce, D.S.M., R.N.V.R.’; official letters regarding the award of his L.S. & G.C. Medal, dated in March and May 1949; his R.N. and R.N.V.R. Certificates of Service and Signal History Sheet; a Sea Cadet Corps letter confirming his advancement to the rank of Temporary Lieutenant; and an interesting selection of wartime photographs (approximately 10), including M.G.B. crew line-up and scenes of the U-532 arriving at Liverpool on 17 May 1945.