Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Gunner H. G. Marshall, Royal Navy, awarded the French Medaille Militaire for services in the destroyer Moorsom at the battle of Jutland

1914-15 Star (Gnr. H. G. Marshall. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Gnr. H. G. Marshall. R.N.); Medaille Militaire, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, mounted for wear, good very fine (4) £800-£1,000

Henry George Marshall was born at Tiverton, Devon, on 17 September 1881, and joined the Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 14 June 1897, completing his training in Impregnable, the training ship at Devonport. Over the coming years Marshall trained as a torpedo specialist and regularly returned to Defiance, the torpedo training establishment at Devonport, between his sea-going drafts. He advanced in his non-substantive rate from Seaman Gunner and Seaman Torpedoman to Leading Torpedoman in 1902, and to Torpedo Gunner’s Mate in 1911. In 1912 he was passed for promotion to Gunner (Torpedo), a Warrant Officer rank, and in May 1913 was appointed to the destroyer Foxhound. In January 1915 he transferred to the destroyer Moorsom which formed part of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, deployed with the Harwich Force.

In May 1916, Moorsom, commanded by Lieutenant-Commander J. C. Hodgson, was one of eight destroyers from the Harwich Force (four each from the 9th and 10th Flotillas) temporarily detached for duty with the Grand Fleet and assigned to escort the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron. At Jutland, when the enemy was sighted, Beatty ordered them to take station five miles ahead of the fleet. Moorsom, Morris, Turbulent, and Termagant complied and joined the light cruiser Champion and eight destroyers from the 13th Flotilla. The other four, being of an older, slower class, remained with the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron.

After Beatty’s flagship Lion had been hit and nearly destroyed, Indefatigable sunk, and his other ships being hard hit, he ordered the 13th Destroyer Flotilla to attack the enemy battlecruisers, led by Bingham in the Nestor. Moorsom and the other three destroyers from the 9th/10th Flotilla followed. The Germans responded by sending eleven destroyers to meet the British threat and mount their own torpedo attack on the British battlecruisers. One British sub-lieutenant recalled:

‘By sheer coincidence the hounds on both sides had been unleashed simultaneously to steam at full speed into a fierce melee between the lines. The opposing forces were evenly matched and their combat was spectacular, highly exciting and chaotic - 30 ships at 30 knots weaving about in a restricted area striving to find a way through to a torpedo-firing position and hotly engaged in frustrating enemy craft. The approaching German torpedo-boats with gushing funnels, high bow waves and sterns tucked down in foaming waves looked sinister and menacing.’

Sub-Lieutenant Owen of the Moorsom later recalled:

‘It was a very confused affair with everybody getting in each other’s way at great speed and no chance of following on one of the enemy but a boat of one’s own side would come surging past, or else Hodgson would have to put his helm hard over and we had to hold on to anything to avoid going overboard, because the guard rails were down. But we got off about thirty rounds in local control, but due to interference, I cannot honestly say we got any hits.’

Just at the point that Hodgson in Moorsom found himself in a favourable position to attack the German battleships, Beatty ordered his ships to reverse course towards the north, having observed the main German battle fleet approaching from the south. At this point, Owen recalled, ‘...Hodgson altered course 16 points to the south and I saw the south horizon filled with ships. These were 20 battleships of the High Seas Fleet in sub-divisions in line ahead disposed quarterly to port. The sun was shining on them and they looked almost white. At the moment they were not engaged and the secondary armament of the enemy battlecruisers was firing chiefly at Nestor, Nomad and Nicator. For the moment we were having a quiet time. The Chief was giving her all he could get and I realised we were making a torpedo attack on the High Seas Fleet. I think they were so surprised that they thought there was a catch in it, but we were approaching at a relative sped of 53 knots, nearly a mile a minute... Then the High Seas Fleet opened fire and our Gunner [Marshall] related how he saw a salvo of 11-inch “like a flight of wild duck” which fell only 100 yards short and the large shell splinters found lying about the deck bore him out. We were approaching so fast that most of the salvos were over. Then, at a range of about 6,000 yards we turned to port and fired two torpedoes, one from each tube, and then we legged it for the safety of our own line.

‘Our relative speed of escape was only 13 knots and we came under very heavy fire... We just stayed there waiting for the inevitable to happen, and happen it did. We were just beginning to feel that we were soon to be out of range when there was a frightful explosion and we were totally enveloped in black smoke. I felt that the ship must be going down and I nearly felt the water in my boots - but when the smoke cleared I found we were still afloat and still making our 33 knots. Except for the projectile number, who had a bit of a cut in one hand, we were quite unscathed but there was a 6-inch hole in our torpedo winch. The after shelter around the cabin had disappeared, the mainmast was towing along on the starboard quarter, there was a large hole in the deck above my cabin and the cabin flat, the after torpedo tube was riddled with splinters and so was the searchlight and the after funnel... The Leading Torpedo Operator of the after torpedo tube was lying between his tubes with multiple splinter injuries, but not really serious. Our Surgeon Probationer soon had him bandaged up and quite comfortable. I was worried about the mainmast towing alongside in case it fouled the propellor, but I could not slip the shrouds. Once again the Chief Stoker came to the fore with a fireman’s axe and we cut then away.’

Shortly after she was hit, Moorsom began to lose speed, the main oil tanks having been holed by splinters and then contaminated with water from a broken fire main. Hodgson took a bold decision:

‘All seemed set for our departure from the danger zone and we were beginning to draw out of range when, to my surprise and horror, Hodgson turned 16 points and steered once more for the High Seas Fleet. I am afraid to admit that if I had been in his shoes I would not have continued with it. The reason for his decision was that, now the after oil tanks were full of water, we only had enough oil left to return to Rosyth and Hodgson was determined to fire our two remaining torpedoes before we quit the battle. So once more we were approaching the High Seas Fleet at an approach speed of 53 knots and once more most of their salvos were over. We were soon at about 6,000 yards and turned to port to fire our two remaining torpedoes, one of which, having several splinter holes in it, sank immediately. Then away with us once more to regain the safety of our own line. This was the worst we went through with splashes all round and we just stood there feeling naked and would have been glad of anything, even a canvas screen, against the enemy fire. We passed half a mile from Nomad who was stopped with splashes all round her, a sitting target. Hodgson and Hamilton discussed taking her in tow but decided we could not do it with the High Seas Fleet hot on our heels. I cannot remember Hodgson using a smoke screen or dodging like a snipe...’

Moorsom rejoined the fleet safely and was ordered to return to Rosyth. Nome of her torpedoes struck a target. During the destroyer battle, Petard managed to torpedo and sink a German torpedo boat, the V29, and also torpedoed the Seydlitz, which was severely damaged. Both Nestor and Nomad were crippled by enemy shells, and sunk when the High Seas Fleet caught up with them.

Of the commanding officers of the destroyers in the 13th Flotilla and the attached vessels of the 9th/10th Flotilla, Commander Bingham of the Nestor was awarded the Victoria Cross. Hodgson and seven others were all appointed to the Distinguished Service Order. Amongst other decorations for the ships’ companies, Marshall was awarded a well-earned Medaille Militaire. The award was gazetted on 16 September 1916, with other Jutland awards.

Marshall was transferred to the destroyer Taurus in April 1917. Subsequent appointments included her sister-ship, the Sturgeon, in 1919, then the depot ship Sandhurst (1921). Following his promotion to Chief Gunner in April 1923, he served in the light cruiser Concord and the old battleship Thunderer. He retired in June 1925 and settled in Plymouth, where he died on 16 November 1943.