Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War Q-Ship action D.S.M. awarded to Quarter Master J. Drinkall, Mercantile Marine

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (J. Drinkall, Qr. Mr. (M.M.), Special Service Feb. 1916), edge nicks, good very fine
£800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Small Collection of Medals to the Merchant Navy.

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D.S.M. London Gazette 6 September 1916.

John Drinkall was serving in the Q-Ship Margit at the time of winning his D.S.M., her encounter with the U-35 off Malta on 17 January 1916 undoubtedly the reason behind his award. Q-Ships and Their Story, by E. Keble Chatterton, takes up the story:

‘In December 1915, the steamship Margit had been fitted out as a decoy, and on 17 January 1916, in Lat. 35.34 N., Long. 17.38 E., she was steering west for Malta, when she received S.O.S signals on her wireless. The time was 9.30 a.m., and presently shots were seen falling close to the S.S. Baron Napier, who was five miles to the southward. The captain of the Margit was Lieutenant-Commander G. L. Hodson, R.N., who then hoisted the Dutch ensign and altered course towards the Baron Napier. The latter kept making signals that she was being shelled and that the submarine was approaching; but when Margit got within a couple of miles the submarine transferred the shelling to her. Margit’s captain conned his ship, lying prone on the bridge and peering through the chinks in the bridge screen. In order to lure the enemy on he pretended to abandon ship, hoisted the international signal ‘I am stopped,’ and sent away the ship’s lifeboat with Sub-Lieutenant McClure, R.N.R., in charge. The ship now had every appearance of having been abandoned, but in addition to the captain lying unseen on the bridge, the guns’ crews, under Lieutenant Tweedie, R.N.R., and a Sub-Lieutenant, were remaining hidden at their stations. Riflemen were similarly placed on the foredeck and aft.

After the “panic party” had been sent away in the boat the enemy seemed fairly satisfied, ceased shelling, dived, and then reappeared a quarter of an hour later 800 yards away, with a couple of feet of periscope showing. He was now going to make quite sure this was no trap, so, still submerged, he came within 50 yards of Margit’s port side and then right round the ship, scrutinizing her carefully. At length, being apparently quite convinced that all was well, he steered for Margit’s boat about a thousand yards away and came to the surface. Three men then appeared on the submarine’s deck, the German ensign was hoisted, and one of them waved Margit’s boat to come alongside. This was as far as Lieutenant-Commander Hodson deemed it advisable to let matters go. Giving the orders to down screens, open fire, and hoist the White Ensign, the enemy now came under attack. One shot seemed to hit abaft, the conning-tower, and the submarine submerged, so fire was ceased and Margit proceeded to pick up her boat. The davit-falls had only just been hooked on when the submarine showed her conning-tower 70 yards off, apparently in difficulties. The Q-ship therefore opened fire once more, but the enemy again submerged. Unfortunately the submarine had not been sunk, although no effort had been neglected. From 9.30 a.m. to about midday officers and crew had been compelled to keep in cramped, tiring attitudes, with very little knowledge of what was going on; and after he had finally disappeared Margit had remained for about three hours in the hope that he might return. By a curious coincidence, at the time when Baron Napier was being attacked, another steamer, the Baron Ardrossan, belonging to the same owners, happened to be passing and saw the shells dropping around, but as she could steam nothing better than 3 knots slower than Baron Napier she could not go to her assistance. However, if the submarine had not been destroyed, Margit had saved the Baron Napier and caused the enemy to break off the engagement.’

Admiralty correspondence would suggest that the D.S.Ms awarded to Drinkall and another crew member, Leading Seaman F. W. Andrews, were added to the original list of recommendations at a slightly later date; sold with copied research and related article from The Review, “Connections”, by Geraint S. Griffith.