Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Patrol Cruisers’ D.S.C. group of five awarded to Lieutenant R. J. Thomas, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 (Gunner R. J. Thomas, R.N., H.M.S. Merlin); 1914-15 Star (Ch. Gnr. R. J. Thomas. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. R. J. Thomas. R.N.) mounted as worn, good very fine (5) £1,600-£2,000

Provenance: Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997.

D.S.C. London Gazette 25 October 1916 ‘In recognition of services in the Patrol Cruisers during the period January to June 1916.’ His Distinguished Service Cross was awarded in recognition of the high state of efficiency that had been achieved by the Gunnery Department of H.M.S. Andes whilst under his charge, and particularly for her role in sinking the German raider Greif by gunfire on 29 February 1916, north-east of the Shetlands.

Robert John Thomas was promoted to Gunner, R.N., on 16 June 1896, and served in this rank aboard H.M.S. Merlin during the operations off the coast of Somaliland in 1902-04. He was promoted to Chief Gunner on 1 April 1912, and at the outbreak of war was serving aboard the cruiser H.M.S. Royal Arthur, 10th Cruiser Squadron, serving with the Northern Patrol. He was appointed, on 5 August 1914, to H.M.S. Eskimo, an armed Merchant Cruiser, for service with the Northern Patrol, and on 31 March 1915, he joined H.M.S. Andes, another armed Merchant Cruiser. He continued to serve in this vessel for over three years mainly in Icelandic waters with the Northern Patrol. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 13 September 1918, and appointed on 10 September 1918, to H.M.S. Actaeon, Torpedo Training School at Sheerness for Flotilla Duties. On 19 May 1919, he was appointed to H.M.S. Excellent for a Gunnery course and on completion he was appointed to the Royal Naval Dockyard at Rosyth, where he continued to serve until he retired in 1923. He was promoted on the Retired List to Lieutenant-Commander on 13 September 1926, and died on 7 February 1951.

Action between the Alcantara and Greif

Under the command of Captain Thomas Wardle, H.M.S. Alcantara was an armed merchant cruiser and assigned to 10th Cruiser Squadron. When on patrol north-east of Shetland, she encountered the German merchant raider Greif masquerading as the Norwegian merchant ship Rena. Suspicious of the vessel Captain Wardle brought his crew to action stations and trained her guns on Greif and ordered her to stop for inspection. The Greif complied and watched the Alcantara lower a cutter to put an armed guard aboard. After lowering the Norwegian ensign Greif opened fire, the initial salvo inflicting substantial damage and casualties on Alcantara. Both ships continued to exchange fire from virtually point blank range. H.M.S. Andes joined the fight, firing from 3 miles distance and one of her shells detonated the raider’s mines, causing a massive explosion which killed ninety-seven German sailors. The damage on the Greif was now so severe she began to sink; within an hour H.M.S. Alcantara would join her at the bottom of the ocean. 70 members of Alcantara’s ship’s company were killed in the action. Captain Wardle was later criticised for manoeuvring too close to the German raider before knowing its true identity, but, despite this he was recognised for bravery and awarded the Distinguished Service Order and eventually became a rear-admiral. Survivors from both ships were picked up by the Andes, including 219 German prisoners. See The Big Blockade, E. Keble Chatterton, for further details of this action.