Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Acting Leading Seaman R. Johnson, Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Reserve: he was decorated for his deeds aboard H.M.S. “Stork”, commanded by the legendary “U-boat-killer” Captain F. J. Walker, R.N., during convoy HG. 76

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (J. 106179 R. Johnson, A./L. Smn.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Fleet Reserve L.S., G.VI.R., 1st issue (J. 106179 (Dev. D. 65) A.B., R.F.R.), mounted as worn, good very fine or better (7) £1200-1500

D.S.M. London Gazette 7 April 1942: ‘For skill and bravery in action against enemy submarines while serving in H.M. Ships Stork, Penstemon, Deptford and Samphire.’

Convoy HG. 76, which comprised 32 merchantmen bound for Liverpool from Gibraltar, was under the overall command of Vice-Admiral Sir R. FitzMaurice, but her escort - the 36th Escort Group - which comprised two sloops, seven corvettes and three destroyers, was led by Commander (afterwards Captain) F. J. Walker, R.N., himself in the sloop H.M.S. Stork. As events would quickly prove, not least between 17-21 December 1941, Walker, on his first such operation, was about to prove that a convoy could be successfully defended, even when, as was the case here, it was attacked by no less than 10 U-boats. Indeed, in a matter of days, Walker’s superb leadership and skilful command resulted in the confirmed destruction of no less than three U-boats, the U-131, U-434 and U-574. The latter fell victim to the Stork, an unforgettable occasion best described by the great man himself:

‘As I went to ram, he ran away from me and turned to port. I followed and was surprised to find later, by the plot, that I turned three complete circles, the U-boat turning continuously to port just inside Stork’s turning circle at only two or three knots slower than me. I kept her illuminated with snowflake and fired at him with the four-inch guns until they could no longer be sufficiently depressed. After this the gun’s crews were reduced to fist shaking and roaring curses at the enemy who several times seemed to be a matter of feet away rather than yards ...’

After several such frantic minutes of circling his prey, Walker finally lined the Stork up and rammed the U-boat with a glancing blow on its starboard quarter, rolling it over and ending with a shallow-pattern depth-charge attack for good measure. While undoubtedly having the desired effect - 18 Germans were subsequently picked-up to verify the victory - the Stork sustained considerable damage, her bows being so badly bent that her fuel consumption doubled over night. In fact, with the additional loss of her Asdic dome and a reduced speed of 10 knots, she was all but a sitting duck.

In the circumstances therefore, the events of the following evening did little to steady everyone’s nerves, for her fellow sloop escort, the Deptford, while racing to plug a gap in the convoy’s defensive screen, ran straight into the Stork’s stern. An officer aboard the former ship later recalled:

‘A chunk of plating about six foot square was torn from Deptford’s bow about four feet above the waterline. Stork was struck about two-thirds of her length aft, just above the break of the boat-deck. At deck level she was cut almost to the centre line, and only the rake of Deptford’s stem prevented damage to her port propeller shaft. Some U-boat prisoners on board Stork were killed by the impact and two others appeared, terrified, on Deptford’s forecastle, having seized the deck’s edge and hauled themselves up on to her foredeck. The awful grinding of the tortured plate as the two ships moved in the slight seaway is in my ears still. Stork’s rum store was flooded and her ship’s company never forgave me ...’ (The Fighting Captain, by Alan Burn, refers).

Mercifully both ships parted company without further damage, although Walker felt bound to elaborate on a message received the following day, as his battered command was revealed to all and sundry in the early morning light. Referring to the damage received by Stork when she rammed the U-574, a witty C.O. had flashed by lamp, “What have you done to your nose?” Walker, referring to the recently inflicted damage from Deptford, responded: “That’s nothing. You should see what they have done to my arse.”

Yet, as HG. 76 finally arrived at Liverpool, a far more important message was received by Walker, a message from Vice-Admiral Sir R. FitzMaurice. It stated, simply: “You have won a great victory.” The Walker legend was born, and with it came an immediate D.S.O., the first of four. And for Acting Leading Seaman Ralph Johnson, who had shared in his trials and tribulations aboard his command, a very special D.S.M.

Sold with the recipient’s campaign medal forwarding slip, together with Buckingham Palace investiture invite and entrance ticket, dated 14 March 1944.