Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Second World War P.Q. 17 D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Temporary Acting Leading Seaman J. E. Foster, Royal Navy, who commanded the British gunners aboard the Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship Paulus Potter, a Dutch vessel, until she had to be abandoned on 5 July 1942, the day after the convoy was famously ordered to scatter

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (JX. 189737 J. E. Foster, T./A./L. Smn.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star, clasp, Pacific; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; U.S.S.R. 40th Anniversary Medal 1945-1985, in its case of issue, cleaned, good very fine (7) £1400-1600

D.S.M. London Gazette 16 March 1943. The recommendation states:

‘The S.S. Paulus Potter sailed in Convoy P.Q. 17 to North Russia in July 1942. She was very heavily attacked by aircraft and though she put up a fine defence she was so much damaged that she sunk. Leading Seaman Foster was in charge of the British gunners on board. Their work was exceptionally good and destroyed one aircraft and damaged two.’

Joseph Edward Foster was also recommended by the Dutch Government in exile to receive the Netherlands Bronze Cross, a proposition that was declined by the Admiralty in early 1943.

The ill-fated convoy P.Q. 17 assembled at Reykjavik on 27 June 1942, a formidable gathering that in addition to its naval escort comprised 22 American, eight British, two Russian, two Panamanian and one Dutch merchantmen. Just a few days later, following Sir Dudley Pound’s fateful order for the convoy to scatter, no less than 23 of these vessels were lost to enemy action.

Remaining in company with the Bolton Castle and Washington following the order to scatter, the Paulus Potter and her two consorts all fell victim to a formidable attack carried out by Junkers 88’s of K.G. 30, operating out of Banak, the most northerly aerodrome in Europe. And when the Olopana came onto the scene a few hours later to offer assistance, Captain Sissingh of the Paulus Potter refused an invitation for his crew to come aboard, quite convinced, like the survivors from the other two ships, that they would only be compelled to take to their lifeboats again. Captain Stone of the Olopana takes up the story in David Irving’s The Destruction of P.Q. 17:

‘Proceeded to [lifeboats of] Paulus Potter, Dutch. She had fought off the same group of planes, for an hour and had been badly smashed about by near misses; finally, engines stopped and taking water, she was abandoned. The crew of the Paulus Potter were in four lifeboats, one a motor-boat. We chased after them, and when alongside inquired if they had anyone injured, or did they wish to come on board? To both queries the answer was negative. They did request cigarettes, bread and lubricating oil. These wants were provided for, and the Dutchmen cast off to join the Washington’s lifeboats, also headed for Moller’s Bay.’

As it transpired, the decision not to board the Olopana was an inspired one, that ship being sunk by a U-Boat two days later. But unbeknown to Captain Sissingh and his crew, however, was the fact that their own ship was still afloat. Mercifully, by the time the Germans got around to boarding the drifting Dutch merchantman on the 12 July, the secret convoy papers found on her bridge were of little immediate use. Having been searched for any other interesting papers and equipment, the Paulus Potter was despatched by a torpedo from the U-255, an incident filmed from her conning tower - see David Irving’s The Destruction of P.Q. 17 for three stills taken from this footage.

Meanwhile, Captain Sissingh and his crew, Foster among them, had spent three hard days at sea, battling through ice and snowstorms, and by the time they reached land at a point about 40 miles north of Moller Bay, many of them were suffering from malnutrition and exposure. Hugging the coastline, they continued their journey south in their battered lifeboats until picked up by a Russian coaster on 15 July, following which they were transferred to the Empire Tide in Moller Bay. By now eight of Paulus Potter’s survivors were suffering from frostbite, and arrangements were made to evacuate aboard the corvette La Malouine. On 21 July the remainder set course for home in the Empire Tide, this time with a strong naval escort, the whole reaching the U.K. in safety.

The gallant Foster was invested with his D.S.M. at Buckingham Palace on 20 July 1943.

Sold with two original wartime photographs, and several copy photographs taken from a family album.