The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals (Part 1)

Pair: Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (PLY.9603 Pte. T. M. Symons, R.M.L.I., H.M.V. Duplex. E. Africa 23 Dec. 1914) some minor official corrections to the latter part of the naming: British War Medal (L. Cpl. R.M.L.I.) very fine (2)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals.

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D.S.M. London Gazette 21 April 1917 “The following awards have been made.”

The following recommendation was extracted from Admiralty records: Reconnaissance in course of KONIGSBERG, guarding operations off Rufigi Delta.

“During the above reconnaissance on 23 December 1914 Private T. M. Symons R.M.L.I., H.M.S. PEGASUS, serving at the time in H.M. Armed Vessel DUPLEX was in charge of a 3-pdr gun. On his No.2 (Private Harbron R.M.L.I., of H.M.S. FOX) being mortally wounded, Private Symons after carrying the wounded man to a place of shelter, returned immediately to his gun and under raking fire from the enemy continued to fight it by himself.”

Thomas Mitchell Symons was born in St Aubyn, Devonport, on 10 September 1879, and enlisted at Plymouth on 22 February 1899. On 21 September 1915 he was granted a Hurt Certificate for ‘Burns on left upper arm, punctured wound in lower part of left Biceps, tip of right index finger removed without injury to bone.’ As a consequence, he was invalided from the service on 14 August 1916. He was also awarded the French Medaille Militaire London Gazette 28 August 1918.