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A scarce Great War D.S.C. and Bar group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Commander Reginald Allen, Royal Naval Reserve, who won his D.S.C. in the Gallipoli landings of April 1915, and his Bar for services in Q-ships Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar; 1914-15 Star (Mid., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals, with small M.I.D. oak leaf (S.Lt., R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R., mounted as worn, together with Master’s Certificate (1922), Board of Trade Continuous Certificate of Discharge and two photographs, good very fine (5) £2500-3000 Footnote D.S.C. London Gazette 14 March 1916: ‘Probationary Midshipman Reginald Allen, H.M.S. Europa. For services performed under shell fire on the beaches and in steam boats off the beaches.’ Also commended for service in action during the operations in Gallipoli, April 1915-January 1916. Bar to D.S.C. London Gazette 17 November 1917: ‘Sub. Lieutenant, D.S.C., R.N.R. For services in action against enemy submarines.’ For the possible destruction of an enemy submarine by the Q-ship Chagford. One of only approximately 92 bars to the D.S.C. awarded during the Great War. The following extract is taken from Q Ships and their Story by E. Keble Chatterton: “In the spring of 1917 there was a 2,905-ton steamship, called the Bracondale, in the employment of the Admiralty as a collier. It was decided that she would make a very useful Q-ship, so at the beginning of April she was thus commissioned and her name changed to Chagford. She was fitted out at Devonport and armed with a 4-inch, two 12-pounders, and a couple of torpedo tubes, and was ready for sea at the end of June. Commanded by Lieutenant D. G. Jeffery, R.N.R., she proceeded to Falmouth in order to tune everything up, and then was based on Buncrana, which she left on August 2 for what was to be her last cruise, and I think that in the following story we have another instance of heroism and pertinacity of great distinction. Chagford’s position on August 5 at 4.10 a.m. was roughly 120 miles north-west of Tory Island, and she was endeavouring to find two enemy submarines which had been reported on the previous day. At the time mentioned she was herself torpedoed just below the bridge, and in this one explosion was caused very great injury: for it disabled both her torpedo tubes and her 4-inch gun; it shattered the boats on the starboard side as well as the Captain’s cabin and chart room. In addition, it also wrecked all the voice-pipe connections to the torpedo tubes and guns, and it flooded the engine-room and put the engines out of commission, killing one of the crew. Lieutenant Jeffery therefore ‘abandoned’ ship [i.e. sent off the panic party], and just as the boats were getting away two periscopes and a submarine were sighted on the starboard side 800 yards away. As soon as the enemy came to the surface fire was opened on her by the two 12-pounders and both Lewis and machine-guns, several direct hits being observed. The submarine then dived, but at 4.40 a.m. she fired a second torpedo at Chagford, which hit the ship abaft the bridge on the starboard side. From the time the first torpedo had hit, the enemy realised that the Chagford was a warship, for the 4-inch gun and torpedo tubes had been made visible, and now that the second explosion had come Lieutenant Jeffery decided to recall his boats so that the ship might genuinely be abandoned. The lifeboat, dinghy, and a barrel raft were accordingly filled, and about 5.30 a.m. the enemy fired a third torpedo, which struck also on the starboard side. Having sent away in the boats and raft everyone with the exception of himself and a lieutenant, R.N.R. [James S. Hely], two sub-lieutenants, R.N.R. [Reginald Allen, D.S.C., and George E. Martin], also an assistant paymaster, R.N.R. [Harry Manley], and one petty officer [E. A. Edgecombe], Lieutenant Jeffery stationed these in hiding under cover of the fo’c’sle and poop, keeping a smart look-out, however, through the sc