Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Mesopotamia and Persian Gulf’ D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer H. T. Wakeford, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (167246 H. T. Wakeford, C.P.O. Mesopotamia & Persian Gulf. 1917.) official correction to last four letters of surname; 1914-15 Star (167246 H. T. Wakeford. C.P.O. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (167246 H. T. Wakeford. C.P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (167246 H. T. Wakeford, P.O. 1Cl., H.M.S. Vivid.) mounted as worn, good very fine (5) £1200-1400

D.S.M. London Gazette 7 August 1918: ‘For services in Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf.’

Henry Thomas Wakeford was born at Portsea, Hampshire, on 11 November 1876, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 8 May 1892. He was advanced to Petty Officer 1st Class in April 1902, and received his L.S. & G.C. medal in November 1909. On the outbreak of the war in 1914 he was serving in H.M.S. Princess Royal, taking part in the actions at Heligoland Bight in August 1914 and Dogger Bank in January 1915. After a few months in shore stations in England he was drafted in September 1915 to H.M.S. Alert, a sloop employed in the Persian Gulf at Basra. On 15 November 1915 he was drafted into the Gunboat Comet for operations in Mesopotamia. At that time a British force, which had earlier forced its way into the heart of Mesopotamia, was being driven back down the river Tigris by the Turkish army and navy. Comet formed part of the fleet of shallow draught vessels supporting the withdrawal and had earlier been distinguished at Kut when Lieutenant-Commander E. C. Cookson was killed and awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. On 1 December 1915, a Turkish shell hit the gunboat Firefly’s boiler, and she was rendered helpless. Comet then tried to tow her to safety but was herself hit and Firefly ran aground, the attempt then being abandoned. While the crews were rescued by another gunboat, both vessels were left to their fate. Firefly was repaired and taken into Turkish service but Comet was subsequently sunk. Wakeford returned to Alert until 21 May 1916, when he was drafted to the river gunboat Sawfly, operating on the Tigris and Euphrates, until 7 January 1918. Sold with copied record of service.