Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good 1940 ‘Coast of Norway’ D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Petty Officer J. D. Howarth, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who went on to survive the sinking of H.M.S. Kelly during the Battle of Crete in 1941, and later participated in the Normandy landings

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Ldk.3792 J. D. Howarth. A.B. H.M.S. Calcutta.); 1939-45 Star, reverse privately engraved ‘J. D. Howarth P.O. DSM H.M.S. Calcutta 1939/40; Kelly 1940/41; Q. Elizabeth 1940/41; Jackal 1942; Assegai 1943; Rochester/ L.S.T. 3507 1944; Eastbourne 1945’; Atlantic Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany, reverse privately engraved ‘J. D. Howarth P.O. DSM 1939 Atlantic; 1940 Norway, Dunkirk; 1943 Atlantic; 1944 D Day’; Africa Star, reverse privately engraved ‘J. D. Howarth P.O. DSM 1941 Malta; 1941 Crete; 1942 Tobruk’; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, unnamed as issued; Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve L.S. & G.C. G.VI.R., 1st issue (3792 J. D. Howarth. A/P.O. R.N.V.R.); together with the recipient’s related miniature awards, contact marks and light pitting, generally very fine (7) £1800-2200

D.S.M. London Gazette 19 July 1940.

J. D. Howarth served during the Second World War in H.M.S. Calcutta and was awarded his Distinguished Service Medal for gallantry off the coast of Norway in April 1940. The Commanding Officer’s report reveals that on 16 April 1940, the Calcutta was ordered, by means of Admiralty Message, to proceed with utmost despatch to land a party of 50 at Aandalsnes, on the Norwegian Coast. The course involved negotiating a number of fjords during which an enemy submarine was spotted. A brief attack ensued before the U-Boat submerged, and after depth charges were dropped in the position that the U-Boat was likely to be, a smoke screen was laid to cover Calcutta’s escape. Just after midnight, an Admiralty Message was received, instructing the York, Effingham, and Calcutta that it was vital to stop five enemy destroyers from entering and possibly landing troops at Andalsnes, and to report their positions, course, and speed to York. No information was available regarding the positions of other British vessels, but it was estimated that the enemy could not possibly attempt to enter the fjords before daybreak, so it was decided that Calcutta would retrace her steps into the fjords and then take up such a position that she could best inflict severe damage on the five enemy destroyers. In fact it was Effingham that first intercepted the enemy, with Ashanti and York making contact later in the morning.

In December 1940 Howarth transferred to H.M.S. Kelly, and after some service in the Channel, she and 5th Flotilla sailed for the Mediterranean, arriving at Malta in April 1941. On 23 May 1941, during the evacuation of Crete, Kelly was bombed and sunk, with half her crew killed. The survivors were deeply affected by the loss of their ship; her Captain, Lord Louis Mountbatten (later the Earl Mountbatten of Burma) consoled the ship’s company by reminding them all that ‘we didn’t leave the Kelly, the Kelly left us!’ Having survived the sinking of the Kelly, Howarth entered H.M.S. Jackall and on 12 May 1942 she was attacked by German Ju-88 bombers north-west of Mersa Matruh in Egypt. Severely damaged, she was scuttled by H.M.S. Jervis. Following a brief period at the Navy Training Ship, H.M.S. Assagai, in Durban, he entered the Sloop H.M.S. Rochester, and then the Landing Ship Tank 3507 for the D-Day landings in Normandy. He saw out the War in H.M.S. Eastbourne.