Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second War D.S.M. awarded to Able Seaman W. J. Baugh, Royal Navy, for his gallantry on board the gunboat H.M.S. Ladybird, when she was attacked and sunk by a force of 47 enemy dive bombers, whilst harboured at Tobruk, 12 May 1941. She ‘went down with what guns we could firing to the last’, and accounted for 2 of the bombers, suffering 4 men killed and 14 wounded in the process

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (J. 95783 W. J. Baugh. A.B. H.M.S. Ladybird.) good very fine £1,800-£2,200

D.S.M. London Gazette 7 October 1941:

‘For courage and coolness when their ship was sunk by enemy aircraft.’

William Joseph Baugh was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in February 1904. He joined the Royal Navy as Boy 2nd Class in August 1919, and advanced to Able Seaman in March 1923. Subsequent service included in H.M. Ships Warspite and Bee. Baugh served with H.M.S. Ladybird from October 1939. She was originally allocated for service at Singapore in 1940, but operated in the Mediterranean from the end of 1940 onwards.

The Ladybird took part in the bombardment of Bardia, in support of the capture of the Italian held port, 5 January 1941. She was badly damaged landing Royal Marines during Operation Abstention, an ill-fated attempt to seize the Italian island of Kastelorizo, in February 1941.

Later lending her support to the Tobruk garrison, ferrying in supplies and bombarding the enemy airfield at Gazala, Ladybird met her end on 12 May 1941, the same occasion on which Baugh won his D.S.M. Her skipper, Commander John Blackburn, R.N., later described events that day:

‘We were anchored at Tobruk on 12 May, when 47 Nazi bombers swooped towards us. My Chief Gunner’s Mate saw the first plane dropping out of the sun shine, and it laid a stick of bombs so near that their explosion flung the crew to the deck. Then there was a terrific screech, and there came another lot, one of which got us right aft, almost immediately putting the deck under water. Then another bomb got us in the engine-room. The ship shivered from stem to stern and was obviously sinking, but my men urged me to carry on. We were burning like hell amidships and fire was pouring out of the engine-room. I saw many of my men dash into the inferno and carry out the wounded, while the forward six-inch guns, pom-poms and machine-guns sprayed a hail of metal at the Nazi planes.

The planes swarmed around us, dropping more bombs. By this time the wounded were helping to feed the guns as the planes swarmed around us. We got two of them. Rescue boats arrived from shore and took aboard the first of the wounded. We still kept firing our forward guns, but Ladybird was sinking fast with the water sweeping closer to the bridge every moment. Even then the sailors, gunners and officers, with fire all round them, and half the guns under water, said to me: “Carry on, sir, please.”

They stayed until, at the last minute, when the old ship was rolling for her final plunge. I ordered them to abandon ship. She went down with what guns we could man firing to the last.’

The Ladybird had four men killed and 14 wounded. Admiral Cunningham, C.-in-C. Mediterranean, sent the following signal to Commander Blackburn:

‘Great fighting finish worthy of the highest ideals and tradition of the Navy and an inspiration for all who fight on the sea.’

Baugh served at H.M.S. Hannibal (Shore Establishment at Algiers), before being invalided as ‘physically unfit for naval service’, 24 December 1943.

Sold with the following original documents: Parchment Certificate of Service; Gunnery History Sheet; Royal Navy Certificate for the Educational Test, Part I., dated 5 June 1923; B.R. 232 Signal Card 1937 and a Seaman’s Pocket Book June 1943.