Beschreibung:

Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte The Great War D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer W. C. R. Griffin, Royal Navy, one of a handful of survivors from the destroyer Shark following her loss at Jutland: tales of that ship’s heroic point blank “last stand” filled the front pages of national press long before the deeds of “Boy Cornwall” were generally known - and her skipper, Loftus Jones, whose shattered leg was dressed by Griffin, was awarded a posthumous V.C. Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (201404 W. C. R. Griffin, P.O., H.M.S. Shark, 31 May - 1 June 1916); 1914-15 Star (201404 W. C. R. Griffin, P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (201404 W. C. R. Griffin, P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (201404 W. C. R. Griffin, P.O., H.M.S. Hecla), mounted as worn, minor official corrections to surname on the first, and ship’s name on the last, contact marks and polished, thus nearly very fine (5) £5000-6000 Footnote D.S.M. London Gazette 15 September 1916: ‘For services rendered by Petty Officers and Men of the Grand Fleet in the action in the North Sea on 31 May-1 June 1916.’ A further announcement appeared in the London Gazette of 6 March 1917, listing six D.S.Ms ‘to the survivors of H.M.S. Shark for their services during the Battle of Jutland’, among them recipient, but with an accompanying note: ‘The award to Petty Officer Griffin has already been gazetted).’ William Charles Richard Griffin was born in Portsmouth in May 1883 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in October 1898. By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was serving as a Petty Officer in the cruiser Edgar, but he came ashore at the end of the year to take up an appointment in Vernon. In mid-May 1916, however, he joined the destroyer Shark as a Torpedo Coxswain, and it was in this capacity that he was present in that ship’s memorable “last stand” at Jutland a week or two later. Of that action, in his report as the senior survivor of his ship - a report that was included in the official Jutland despatches - Griffin wrote: ‘I, William Griffin Torpedo Coxswain, will endeavour to give you the information to the best of my knowledge of the action and sinking of H.M.S. Shark. We were in company with the battlecruisers Invincible & c., also four destroyers (including the Shark): during the day 31 May we were told by the captain that we would probably meet the enemy. During the afternoon, about 3 o’clock, I should say, the report of the enemy sighted was received, which was in great number, and action stations was rung on the alarm bell. We then proceeded at a speed of 25 knots. The signal was made to open fire, at which we altered course to port, the course being N.E., the starboard guns being used. Again we altered course to port, the course being N., and it was then that our steering was hit. I reported steering gear gone, sir, at which the captain gave orders to me to man the after wheel. It was then that I got wounded in the head and over the right eye. We then went to starboard making use of our guns on the port side, and this was when the forecastle’s gun crew were completely blown away, gun and all; about this time Acasta arrived, and the captain of Acasta asked if he could assist us, and the captain replied don’t get sunk over us, we then with our steering gear and engines out of action. She was helpless and with only one gun firing which was the midship gun, and the captain came off the bridge and spotted for the midship gun. During that time he gave me orders for the boats and rafts to be lowered and got out, but the boats were useless, and he also gave orders for the collision mat to be got out, which was done; all this time the enemy’s light cruisers and destroyers were constantly shelling us; several of the enemy destroyers came very close to us in line formation, the range being only about 600 yards, and we were firing our only gun, by this time the gun’s crew consis