Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

The Great War D.S.O. and Second World War Bar group of eight awarded to Captain G. B. Hartford, Royal Navy, who, following a lucky escape from an early demise at Jutland, while in command of the destroyer Marne, won his first distinction for the destruction of the UB-124 in July 1918, and a Bar and a “mention” for sustained leadership and endurance in minesweeping operations in 1940-41

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, officially dated ‘1941’ on reverse, silver-gilt and enamel; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr. G. B. Hartford, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Commr. G. B. Hartford, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf, minor chips to the wreaths on the first, good very fine and better (8) £5000-6000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 5 October 1918:
‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’

Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 29 April 1941:
‘For leadership, endurance and devotion to duty.’

George Bibby Hartford was born in Christchurch in April 1883, the son of a physician, and entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet in Britannia in January 1898. Appointed a Midshipman in the cruiser Crescent in June 1899, he was advanced to Lieutenant in December 1904 and to Lieutenant-Commander in December 1912, and was serving in command of the destroyer Electra on the outbreak of hostilties in August 1914. Shortly afterwards he removed to the Acorn and, in August 1915, to the Marne, in which latter ship he remained in command until April 1919.

Having assisted in the rescue of the crew members from the battleship King Edward VII, when she was mined off the Orkneys in January 1916, Marne was present at Jutland with the 11th Destroyer Flotilla, she and her consorts engaging the enemy’s Second Scouting Group, in company with the cruiser Castor:

‘About 10.30 p.m., what appeared to be three light-cruisers were sighted about 1,500 yards away on the starboard beam. Before they could be identified as friend or foe, they had switched on their searchlights and opened fire on the flotilla with every available gun. Apparently Marne was the first ship they made out in the darkness. Telegraphs were put to “Full speed ahead” but for some reason unknown there was a temporary stoppage and the ship lost her way - most fortunate as it happened, for it caused the enemy’s salvoes to fall in the water just ahead of us. Everyone on the bridge thought that we had been hit aft, but our stoppage apparently was only due to a hang up in the signals to the engine-room. Castor then came between Marne and the enemy, incurring a heavy gruelling herself, but probably saving Marne. One hit that the enemy scored on Castor set one of her boats afire, and, burning fiercely, it lit up the whole side of the ship. She was an impressive sight, racing along past us with this fire in her and at the same time engaging the enemy with her starboard broadside.

Fortunately Marne’s stopping was only momentary, and we then darted ahead again. Castor drew clear, and she and Marne and Magic each discharged torpedoes. One of these must have found its target, for an explosion occurred among the enemy ships. The hostile vessels then extinguished their lights, and nothing more of them was either seen or heard. The gun-flashes and the searchlights had been so intensely glaring during this short action, that for some few minutes after firing ceased one felt almost completely blind in the ordinary darkness. Marne had a lucky escape in this skirmish, as most of the enemy shells fell ahead of her and only one 4-inch struck her, and that one aft without exploding ... ’ (The Fighting at Jutland refers).

But it was for Marne’s successful attack on the UB-124 in the North Channel on 19 July 1918 that Hartford received his D.S.O. Keble Chatterton’s Beating the U-Boats takes up the story:

‘It was 4.55 p.m. when the three fast destroyers Milbrook, Marne and Pigeon caught a glimpse of the UB-124 and then minutes later Wutsdorff likewise espied these foes so unwillingly sought refuge below the water, whereupon Marne let go two depth-charges and Milbrook dropped one. No results were observed and, the trio having now exhausted all their “wasser-boms”, resolved to quit the area for a time, but left behind H.M. Submarine E-38 to keep a look-out. Of her the Germans were completely unaware.

Actually, however, this final unloading of the destroyers’ explosives created such an effect that Wutsdorff no longer could remain submerged, even had the atmosphere within been less vitiated. At 5.23, using both Diesel engines, working up to 13 knots, he sought escape on the surface when the three vigilant destroyers sighted him again. They in the meantime had noticed a periscope (of either UB-64 or U-54) which they chased, but, having returned, now switched their concentration on the escaping UB-124. Opening fire, advancing like express trains, they quickly got the range and gave the enemy “hell”.

It has never been established which projectile did the first damage, but either the second round from Pigeon or the third from Milbrook did the job, both shells being fired simultaneously, and with Marne’s twelfth round the submarine’s bows uprose vertically from the water and she sank stern first. Wutsdorff with his crew after the first hit took to the water, leaving the unfortunate Seevers and an engineer to sink the ship. They went down with her ... Some survivors were picked up by Marne and landed at Rathmullen.’

Thereafter, Marne was kept busy on patrol and convoy work until the end of hostilities, Hartford claiming in his autobiography, Commander, R.N. (published in 1927), that another U-Boat fell to a depth-charge attack she delivered in Scapa Flow on 28 October 1918. Certainly the UB-116 was sunk in that location on that date, but her loss was generally attributed to a controlled mine explosion set-off by a hydrophone officer ashore. Hartford, however, contends it was Marne’s attack that confirmed the kill - even noting the appearance of a German Petty Officer’s jacket on the surface.

Having been advanced to Commander in June 1917, post-war he served as Chief Staff Officer to the Rear-Admiral, Yangtze 1919-21, and was placed on the Retired List in July 1922.

Recalled on the renewal of hostilities, as a Captain (Retired), which rank he had attained in April 1928, Hartford took command of Wildfire II, the minesweeper force operating out of Sheerness, in which capacity he was awarded a “Letter of Praise”, a mention in despatches (London Gazette 1 January 1941) and his second D.S.O., a reflection of the huge strain imposed on him as a result of constant nightime operations:

‘It was essential to sweep mines laid by German aircraft at night. This problem was mastered by the pioneering leadership of Captain Hartford. During the winter of 1940, the sweepers of one base covered 1,000 miles every week. The strain on the officers and seaman was severe’ (His Majesty’s Minesweepers refers).

Mindful of that strain, Their Lordships ordained that Hartford be placed on lighter duties in March 1941, but he died unexpectedly nonetheless, on 14 August of the same year.