Beschreibung:

The extremely rare Great War D.S.M. group of four awarded to Petty Officer Mechanic D. McL. Graham, Royal Naval Air Service, a member of that remarkable team of “Jack Tars” who transported two gunboats through 100 miles of African jungle to successfully challenge German superiority on Lake Taganyika in 1915-16 - and inspire C. S. Forester’s “The African Queen”: to be sold with his important photographic archive of the expedition Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (F. 4625 D. Mc L. Graham, P.O. Mech., R.N.A.S., Taganyika 1915-6); 1914-15 Star (F. 4625 D. M. Graham, P.O.M., R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (F. 4625 D. M. Graham, P.O.M., R.N.A.S.), contact marks and polished, nearly very fine or better (4) £12000-15000 Footnote D.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1917, as per Commander G. Spicer-Simpson’s recommendation for ‘general excellent work’ written in October 1916. One of only two awards to the R.N.A.S. for this unique Naval expedition. In the summer of 1915, the key to success in Central Africa lay in the overwhelming German supremacy on Lake Tanganyika. Just how this was challenged by a force of two gunboats - the Mimi and Toutou - under the direction of Commander G. Spicer-Simson, R.N., an eccentric officer with a talent for public relations, is one of the most extraordinary stories of the whole War - indeed no single achievement during that conflict was distinguished by more bizarre features than the successfully executed undertaking of 28 daring men who transported a ‘ready-made’ Navy overland through the wilds of Africa to destroy this enemy flotilla in control of Lake Tanganyika. And among their number was Donald McLean Graham, a Glaswegian and pre-hostilities motor engineer who had entered the Royal Naval Air Service as a Petty Officer Mechanic in May 1915. Placed on the books of President II, he was among those recruited by Spicer-Simpson’s for his forthcoming Taganyike expedition, and was embarked for Cape Town in the Llanstephen Castle in June. To cover the three thousand miles or so that lay between Cape Town and the Lake, the boats had to be hauled by steam traction engines and ox trains over more than 100 miles of extremely wild and difficult country, where there were no roads or communications of any kind. The whole journey, by barely navigable rivers and narrow-guage railways, through country where sleep-sickness and other horrible diseases were rife, is one of the strangest passages in the history of the Royal Navy. By 23 December 1915, however, the Mimi and Toutou had been successfully launched on the Lake, and three days later they went into action. It was on Boxing Day, which also happened to be a Sunday, and during the usual church service Spicer-Simson received a message of the impending arrival of the German gunboat Kingani. Coolly placing the note in his pocket, he returned his attention to the ongoing service, even though his officers - who were facing the Lake - could by now see the approaching enemy vessel. Much to the latter’s relief the service finally came to an end, and, having held up a hand to indicate that the men were not to be dismissed, Spicer-Simson took a long look at the approaching gunboat. Then he said, in a cool, clear voice, “You may dismiss the divisions - and man the launches for immediate action!” The ensuing action resulted in the capture of the Kingani, a vessel of 30-40 tons, armed with one gun. A 12-pounder was mounted duly added to her armament and as the newly commissioned H.M.S. Fifi, she proved to be a valuable addition to the British Flotilla. This left the enemy with two ships, the Graf von Gotzen, a vessel of 400-500 tons carrying one 4-inch and two smaller guns, and the Hedwig von Wissman, a gunboat of about three times the tonnage of the ex-Kingani. Then on 9 February 1916, Fifi, under Spicer-Simson, and the Mimi under Lieutenant A. E. Wainwright, R.N.V.R., fought a hotly contested engagement with the Hedwig von Wissman, in fact a running fight of three hou