The John Chidzey Collection

A rare Great War Dardanelles C.G.M. group of six awarded to Chief Engine Room Artificer 1st Class J. J. F. Runalls, Royal Navy, who was severely wounded during the famous action to force the Narrows on 18 March 1915

Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, G.V.R. (272059 J. J. F. Runalls, E.R.A. 2nd Cl., H.M.S. Inflexible); 1914-15 Star (272059 J. J. F. Runalls, Act. C.E.R.A. 2, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (272059 J. J. F. Runalls, C.E.R.A. 2, R.N.; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue (272059 J. J. F. Runalls, C.E.R.A. 2nd Cl., H.M.S. Columbine); France, Croix de Guerre, with bronze palm, contact marks, very fine or better (6) £8000-10000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The John Chidzey Collection.

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C.G.M. London Gazette 16 August 1915:

‘For services when H.M.S. Inflexible was damaged by a mine on 18 March 1915.’

The original recommendation states:

‘He escaped up the trunk from the fore air compressor room with difficulty, helped up his Stoker and closed the W./T. door to the trunk before he fell insensible.’

French Croix de Guerre London Gazette 19 December 1917.

Joseph John Fielding Runalls was born in Devonport in November 1884 and entered the Royal Navy as an Engine Room Artificer 4th Class in November 1905.

An Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class in the battle cruiser Inflexible on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he quickly witnessed action in the battle of the Falklands in on 8 December, when the Inflexible and her consorts inflicted heavy loss on Vice-Admiral Graf von Spee’s squadron, sinking the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and the light cruisers Nurnberg and Leipzig. Herself damaged in the engagement, Inflexible was ordered to Gibraltar for repairs and a refit, but she was quickly back in action in the Dardanelles.

Thus her part in the bombardment of the Turkish forts protecting the Narrows on 24 January and 19 February 1915, and once again on 18 March, when she suffered serious damage as a result of several direct hits, including a 5.9-inch howitzer shell in ‘P’ turret, a 4.1-inch shell in the foretop, another heavy calibre shell which glanced off her port side below the waterline, and, above all, a 9.1 inch shell that hit her foremast on the same level as the flying bridge, the whole causing heavy casualties and a good deal of smoke. But worse was to follow - Alan Moorhead’s history, Gallipoli, takes up the story:

‘At 4.11 p.m. the Inflexible, which had held her place in A Line all this time, despite the fire in her foremast and other damage, was seen to suddenly take a heavy list to starboard. She reported that she had struck a mine not far from the spot where the Bouvet had gone down and now she left the battle line. She was observed to be down by the bows and still listing considerably as she steamed for the mouth of the Straits, with the cruiser Phaeton attending her. It seemed likely that she would go down at any moment. The explosion of the mine had flooded the fore torpedo flat and besides killing 27 men stationed there had done extensive damage. Flames and poisonous fumes began to spread; not only were the ship’s electric lights extinguished but the oil lamps, which had been lit for just such an emergency, failed as well. At the same time the ventilator fan stopped running and the heat below was intolerable. In these circumstances Phillimore, the captain, decided it was not necessary to keep both steaming watches on duty, and he ordered one of the watches up to the comparative safety of the deck. All, however, volunteered to stay below. They worked in darkness amid the fumes and the rising water until all the valves and watertight doors were closed. The remainder of the ship’s company stood to attention on the upper deck as they passed back through the rest of the Fleet. It seemed to those who saw them that none of these men had been defeated by the day’s events, or were shaken by the imminent prospect of drowning; and they got their ship back to Tenedos.’

As verified by his Service Record, Runalls was severely wounded and, as per the above recommendation, was awarded the C.G.M.

Having undergone repairs at Malta, the Inflexible returned to the U.K. in June 1915, where she joined the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron in the Grand Fleet. And it was in the same capacity that she lent valuable service in the battle of Jutland in the following year, when she gained hits on the Pillau, Lutzow and Seydlitz, in addition to having a lucky escape when a torpedo passed underneath her.

Runalls, who had been advanced to Chief Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class just before Jutland, remained actively employed in the Inflexible until the War’s end, and was present in her at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow on 21 November 1918. He was finally pensioned ashore as a Chief Engine Room Artificer 1st Class in November 1927.