Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second War ‘anti-U-boat operations’ D.S.M. group of five awarded to Temporary Sub-Lieutenant T. W. Collyer, Royal Navy, Higher Submarine Detector in the Frigate H.M.S. Lagan, who was awarded the D.S.M. for his part in the destruction of U-89 and U-753 in the North Atlantic during May 1943. Four months later, H.M.S. Lagan was herself torpedoed by U-270, losing her stern and 29 men

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (JX.273487 T. W. Collyer. A.B.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, these both privately engraved ‘JX.273487 T. W. Collyer. D.S.M. AB. H.M.S. Lagan’; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, these both privately engraved ‘JX.273487. T. W. Collyer. DSM. AB. R.N.’ nearly extremely fine (5) £1,200-£1,600

D.S.M. London Gazette 19 October 1943:
‘For gallantry and devotion to duty in determined and successful attacks on U-boats while serving in H.M. Ships ... Lagan ... on Convoy Escort duty.’

Thomas William Collyer was born in Poplar, London in 1922 and was decorated for his services in May 1943 while serving as Higher Submarine Detector aboard H.M.S. Lagan, which ship contributed to the destruction of U-89 and U-753 on 12 and 13 May 1943 respectively.

H.M.S. Lagan was a British built, River class Frigate which was used by the Royal Navy as an anti-submarine convoy escort ship in the North Atlantic. Launched in July 1942 and commissioned in December 1942 she was on escort duty in the North Atlantic in May 1943 with Convoy HX 237 from Halifax, Canada to the U.K. when she contributed to the destruction of two U-boats before being damaged beyond repair herself by a torpedo fired by U-270 in September 1943.

The first of these actions occurred on 12 May 1943 when Lagan (Lt.Cdr. A. Ayre, RNR) together with Fairey Swordfish aircraft (Squadron 811 R.N.A.S.) from the British escort carrier H.M.S. Biter (Capt. E. M. C. Abel Smith, RN) and the British destroyer H.M.S. Broadway (Lt.Cdr. E. H. Chevasse, RN) sunk U-89 (K. Kapt Dietrich Lohmann) with all hands. The following day Lagan shared in her second U-boat kill when U-753, under the command of F. Kapt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein, was sighted near Convoy HX237 by a Sunderland aircraft of 423 Squadron R.C.A.F. After a twenty-minute exchange of fire with the aircraft, U-753 dived when the corvette H.M.C.S. Drumheller joined the action. The Sunderland dropped two depth charges immediately after and an aircraft from the escort carrier H.M.S. Biter marked the location of the submarine with smoke flares. Lagan now joined Drumheller in the engagement and both ships proceeded to attack the U-boat with depth charges and hedgehog mortar, finally sinking her. All 47 of her crew were killed. Some sources incorrectly identify this second kill to be U-456 which was in attendance and attacking the same convoy, HX 237, when she was sunk on 12 May 1943 by H.M.S. Opportune.

A little over four months later, on 20 September, while she was escorting convoy ON 202, contact with a U-boat was obtained at 02.02 by the famous rescue ship, S.S. Rathlin on H/F D/F. Lagan, also in the escort group, was instructed to search to a range of ten miles and at 02.44 contact was obtained and the attack commenced. At 03.03, when at 1200 yards from the position at which the U-boat was presumed to have dived, she was struck by an acoustic Gnat torpedo fired from the German submarine U-270 (Kptlt. Paul-Frederich Otto). The stern of the ship was blown off and thirty feet of the forward superstructure badly damaged as a result of debris, ranging from tinned food to depth charges, raining down. Twenty-nine men were lost, however, the ship’s watertight doors held and the U-boat was then successfully chased away by depth charges from the Canadian destroyer H.M.C.S. Gatineau. The following day the ocean going tug, Destiny, was able to take the badly damaged frigate in tow to Liverpool where she was declared a constructive total loss.

Collyer was commissioned Temporary Acting Sub-Lieutenant on 7 Jan 1944 and promoted Temporary Sub-Lieutenant on 7 July 1944.