Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

A fine Submariner’s D.S.C. and Bar group of five awarded to Lieutenant J. M. S. Poole, Royal Navy, killed when H.M. Submarine Urge was lost off Libya in May 1942

Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse hallmarked 1941 and officially dated 1941, with Second Award Bar, the reverse officially dated 1942, in its Garrard & Co case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal, these in their named card box of issued addressed to his wife, together with a large gilt-framed oil painting of the recipient in uniform, approximately 23 by 19 inches, extremely fine (5) £3000-3500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars.

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D.S.C. London Gazette 2 December 1941: ‘For outstanding bravery, skill and resolution in successful submarine patrols. Lieutenant James Malcolm Stuart Poole, R.N., H.M.S. Urge.’ Seedie’s Roll states: ‘Mediterranean war Patrols in 1941. Sank the Italian Torpedo Boat Curatone off Lampedusa on 21 May 1941.’

Bar to D.S.C. London Gazette 29 September 1942: ‘For bravery and devotion to duty in successful submarine patrols in H.M.S. Urge. Lieutenant, R.N.’ Seedie’s Roll states: ‘Mediterranean War Patrols from May 1941. Sank the Italian Cruiser Giovanni della Bande Nere in the Mediterranean on 1 April 1942, and other vessels and damaged an Italian Battleship.’

James Malcolm Stuart Poole was born on 10 February 1919. He served in submarines from 6 May 1940 and joined H.M.S/M. Urge on 1 October that year. Under Lieutenant-Commander E. P. ‘Tommy’ Tomkinson, Urge sailed for the Mediterranean in April 1941. During the passage south, Tomkinson took the opportunity to sink the tanker Franco Martelli as she made for Brest. After a brief stay at Gibraltar Urge sailed to join the 10th Submarine Flotilla at Malta. It was in mid-December 1941, when Tomkinson was presented with the rare chance to attack a battleship. Urge was patrolling south of Messina when on the 14th Tomkinson got a periscope view of the Vittoria Veneto. A torpedo hit the battleship and put her out of action for months. The light cruiser Giovanni Delle Bande Nere did not fare so well. On the morning of 1 April 1942 Tomkinson scored two torpedo hits on the cruiser. In three minutes she had disappeared beneath the sea.

The heavy bombing and the mining of Malta’s harbours and their approaches eventually made submarine operations from the island too hazardous and, in April 1942, it was decided to move the 10th Flotilla to Alexandria. The submarine P31 was the first to leave on 26 April. She was followed by Urge on the 27th and P34 on the 29th. Una’s departure on 4 May was followed on the 10th by that of P35, the last to leave. With the exception of Urge, the flotilla arrived safely at Alexandria. Urge had been expected at Alexandria on 6 May but she failed to arrive. Two possibilities exist for her loss; she was either mined shortly after leaving Malta or she fell victim to attack off Libya by Fiat Falcon aircraft, the former probably more likely.

The loss of Urge was a bitter blow. Her skipper had won the D.S.O. and Bar and was in the top ten of submarine aces. Lieutenant James Poole had taken part in all eighteen of her patrols and been awarded the D.S.C. and Bar. Quite apart from special operations involving the landing of agents, saboteurs, etc., Urge had accounted for 26,000 tons of shipping sunk and a further 37,000 tons damaged. James Poole was just 23 years old when he was officially posted as killed in action on 6 May 1942. He is commemorated by name on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.