Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Sinking of the Royal Oak 1939, small silver presentation medal, 26mm, Obv. engraved within a struck wreath the prow of a sinking battleship; Rev. engraved inscription ‘For Services Rendered. To Commemorate the sinking of the Royal Oak at Scapa Flow on October 14th 1939. A.B. W. Loker’, hallmarked Chester 1939, by J.P. & S. Ltd, with ring suspension, very fine and unusual £100-150

It has not been possible to identify W. Loker from Ancestry or the records of the Royal Navy. It is most likely that he was a Scottish fisherman. Loker was awarded a silver medallion in recognition of his role in rescuing survivors of HMS Royal Oak when she was torpedoed by a U-boat on the night of 13-14 October 1939 whilst at anchor in Scapa Flow. Nearly all the survivors were rescued by the drifter Daisy II and it is most likely that Loker was one of her crew.

Daisy II was a fishing boat, requisitioned by the Admiralty on the outbreak of war and employed in ferrying men, mail and supplies between the battleship and other ships or the shore. Her skipper was John Gatt RNR and she had a crew of five. On the night of 13 October she was moored against the port side of the battleship.

At 0116 hours three torpedoes struck the starboard side of the Royal Oak. The ship shuddered under the explosions and fires broke out inside, incinerating many of her crew. Gatt woke up, came on deck and asked what was happening. Someone in the ship told him to raise steam immediately and he passed on this order to the engineer. A searchlight on board the battleship was illuminated but after a couple of minutes the electricity supply failed and it went out.

Gatt ordered the Daisy to be cut adrift. However, even after the warps were severed, she did not budge – the battleship was listing to starboard and Daisy was caught on her anti-torpedo blister. The little drifter was lifted high out of the water as Royal Oak began rolling onto her beam ends. Fortunately, she broke free of the ship and was sent crashing into the sea, stern first. The impact started her leaking, but not too badly. Gatt backed off, began to blow a whistle to indicate his position and lit two gas lamps. By this time hundreds of men were already in the sea, and began singing “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, Do”.

Three other boats initially survived the sinking. However, as the ship lurched over the spotting top came adrift and crashed down on a launch, sinking it. The picket boat and the Rear Admiral’s gig had both floated free from the quarter deck. More than a hundred men swarmed aboard the picket boat, which capsized. Men continued to clamber on the upturned hull until it sank. The gig also capsized and turned over and over as men tried to climb aboard.

One of Royal Oak’s survivors recalled, “He (Gatt) was as calm as if he was on a milk round, just giving a little touch of the engine every now and again and hauling anyone aboard who came paddling past”. The injured and those badly affected by swallowing fuel oil were conveyed to the fish hold. The freezing sailors attempted to get close to the cowling to enjoy the warmth of the engine. More than three hundred were hauled aboard – each one was a struggle as the men were exhausted and slippery with oil. At last the time came when Gatt considered that taking any more aboard would risk capsizing the boat. As she steamed away, cries of “Don’t go, Daisy” could be heard from men still in the water. She transferred the survivors to the Pegasus.

There were 424 survivors from the ship’s company of 1,257 officers and men; 386 of these were rescued by the Daisy II. Others were rescued by boats sent from the Pegasus, and a couple of men managed to swim to shore. 833 were killed including Rear Admiral Blagrove. Captain Benn, one of those picked up by the Daisy, praised the Daisy’s crew in his evidence to a Board of Inquiry: “A great deal of rescue work was carried out by the drifter Daisy II who was alongside the port side of the ship and got clear after the fourth explosion … The skipper of the Daisy II and his crew did everything possible to get men aboard and into warm positions”. John Gatt was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.