Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Great War anti-U-Boat operations D.S.M. group of six awarded to Chief Petty Officer H. McR. Duncan, Royal Navy: his Dover Patrol destroyer, the Liberty, hit the UC-46 ‘a magnificent blow only two feet forward of the conning-tower’ - at 24 knots

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (188644 H. McR. Duncan, P.O., H.M.S. Liberty, Straits of Dover, 8 Feb. 1917); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State (H. McR. Duncan, A.B., H.M.S. Monarch); 1914-15 Star (188644 H. M. Duncan, P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (188644 H. McR. Duncan, P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (188644 H. McRae Duncan, P.O., H.M.S. Blake), the Great War campaign awards in their original card boxes of issue, the second with contact wear, very fine, the remainder good very fine and better (6) £800-1000

D.S.M. London Gazette 23 March 1917.

Harry McRae Duncan was born in Brighton, Sussex in August 1880 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1896. Advanced to Able Seaman during his time aboard H.M.S. Monarch, January 1898 to April 1901, he also qualified for the above described Medal & clasps for services in South Africa.

By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Duncan was serving as a Petty Officer (T.) in destroyers, and he remained similarly employed in the Dover Patrol for the remainder of the War, initially with an appointment in the Flying Fish, but later the Liberty, and it was in the latter ship that he won his D.S.M.

Keble Chatterton’s Beating the U-Boats takes up the story:

‘In the early hours of 8 February 1917, H.M. destroyer Liberty happened to be patrolling on a W.S.W. course towards No. 7A buoy of the Dover Barrage. She had altered course from E.N.E. only at 2.50 a.m. when half a mile from No. 7A. It was now 3.09 a.m. when a large submarine was seen to break surface and lying almost at right angles to the Liberty, slightly off the destroyer’s starboard bow but right in the centre of the moon’s rays. The enemy had evidently just come through this obstacle at a favourite jumping spot, but the “policeman” on duty was there waiting. Straight for the conning tower under the full moon the Liberty steered at full speed, firing one round. Unfortunately this shot fell wide, and the flash from the gun blinded those on the bridge.

The captain, Lieutenant-Commander P. W. S. King, R.N., therefore determined not to waste time but to ram the German. Travelling at a speed of 24 knots, the destroyer hit the enemy a magnificent blow only two feet forward of the conning-tower. You can imagine what effect such speed and weight of steel were like, meeting 420 German tons: in fact the latter’s dull weight momentarily stopped the destroyer dead. Not put off by that, Lieutenant-Commander King began dropping depth-charges, which of course exploded to some purpose and the fate of the UC-46 was rapidly settled. It was discovered that the destroyer was beginning to leak quickly, but presently, when she was taken round to Chatham and docked, it was established beyond all doubt that she must have cut through the submarine to a depth of at least four feet. Lieutenant-Commander King was awarded a D.S.O. for his neat performance.’

The UC-46 was lost with all hands, 23 officers and men under the command of Friedrich Moecke.

In April 1917, while repairs were carried out on the Liberty, Duncan removed to another destroyer, the Undine, and remained similarly employed until the War’s end. Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in June 1919, he was finally pensioned ashore as a Chief Petty Officer in September of the following year; sold with a portrait photograph, together with a file of research, including copied service record and assorted roll verification.