Description

Offered is a 1944 Distinguished Service Medal group to Temporary Acting Leading Seaman Herbert Martin, Royal Navy, who apart from serving in at least 3 different theatres of war during WW2, also served during WW1, including seeing action during the Battle of Jutland, whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Temeraire

Distinguished Service Medal (G.VI.R.) impressed named J.31903 T/AL.SMN.; 1914 – 15 Star, impressed named J.31903 H. MARTIN. BOY 1 R.N.; British War and Victory Medals, impressed named J.31903 H.MARTIN. A.B. R.N.; 1939 – 45 Star; Atlantic Star with clasp FRANCE & GERMANY; Africa Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939 – 45. Court mounted for display. Comes with original Gunlayer 1^st class bullion badge and WW2 medal issue slip and with copies of service records, medal roll and London Gazette 1944.

London Gazette 1/1/1944 Distinguished Service Medal.

Petty Officer Herbert Martin was born in Ramsay, Isle of Man, on 10/12/1898, he was working as a ‘mason labourer’ when he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a boy seaman on 11/7/1914 (service number J31903). He served on H.M.S. Impregnable (training ship) 11/7/1914 -7/2/15, H.M.S. Temeraire (Dreadnought) 8/2/15 – 22/4/1919 in which he fought at the battle of Jutland (17 year old). Post-war he served on a variety of H.M.S ships and stations including the following:  Vivid, Colleen (Depot Ship Queenstown Ireland), H.M.S. Speedy 4/1/1922 – 21/7/22 (rammed and sunk 24/9/22), Diligence (Depot ship), Serapis (Destroyer), Ramillies (Super Dreadnought), Eagle (Aircraft carrier), Drake 1 (Base ship), Diomede (Depot ship) for the Garadoc (C Class light Cruiser) and was discharged to pension ashore 28/1/1939.

Recalled for WW2 he served on the following H.M.S. Ship and shore establishments and served aboard Garadoc 2/2/1939 – 5/4/1941. In October 1939, she ferried two million gbp worth of gold to Halifax, Nova Scotia. On 23 October the light cruiser Orion and the Canadian destroyer Saguenay spotted the German oil tanker Emmy Friedrich in the Yucatán Channel. When Caradoc stopped the ship, the Germans scuttled her to prevent her capture. On 11/12/1940 the German blockade runner Rhein was intercepted by the Dutch sloop Van Kinsbergen west of the Florida Strait. Rhein was set on fire by her own crew to prevent her capture and the wreck was sunk later that day by Caradoc. Drake (Shore establishment) 6/4/41 – 5/8/41.

H.M.S. Paris 5/8/1941 –  This was the French Battleship Paris which escaped from Cherbourg in 1940 and was seized by the R.N. to be renamed H.M.S. Paris and became the base ship for minesweepers operating out of Plymouth. His service records show various promotions up to the rank of Acting Petty Officer 4/11/43 being administered by H.M.S. Victory III (Portsmouth RN Accounting Base) 24/11/44 administered by H.M.S Raleigh (RN training shore base). He was released from service on 18/9/1945.

A previous researchers’ notes the D.S.M as being issued whilst serving on H.M.S. Albrighton.

Jutland May-June 1916, H.M.S. Temeraire: During the first stage of the general engagement, the ship fired five salvos from her main guns at the crippled light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden claiming two or three hits. The ship fired seven salvos at the battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger, but did not make any hits. About ten minutes later, Temeraire engaged several German destroyer flotillas with three salvos from her main armament without result. This was the last time that the ship fired her guns during the battle. She received no damage and fired a total of 72 twelve-inch shells (all high explosive) and 50 shells from her four-inch guns during the battle.