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Auction: 11007 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 11

A Great War 1918 ´Dover Patrol´ D.S.O. Group of Five to Captain W.J.T. Saunders, Royal Navy a) Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar b) Queen´s South Africa 1899-1900, no clasp (Lieut. W.J.T. Saunders. R.N. H.M.S. Sappho.) c) 1914-15 Star (Commr. W.J.T. Saunders. R.N.) d) British War and Victory Medals (Commr. W.J.T. Saunders. R.N.), genenerally very fine, mounted as originally worn (5) Estimate £ 1,600-1,800 D.S.O. London Gazette 6.4.1918 Saunders, Walter John Tite, Commander, R.N. ´In recognition of services in vessels of the Auxiliary Patrol between 1st January and 31st December 1917.´ Captain Walter John Tite Saunders, D.S.O., born 1862; who ´was the third son of Thomas William Saunders a High Court Judge and started his sea career in 1875 as a sailor in one of the famous China Tea Clippers´ (Obituary refers); commissioned Lieutenant, Royal Navy, 1895; served in H.M.S. Sappho, August 1900-18.9.1901; posted for service at H.M.S. Victory, for Portsmouth Dockyard, 6.11.1905; retired to the Reserve the following year taking up employment with the Netherlands Steamship Company; re-engaged for service as a Commander with the outbreak of the Great War, and was employed with the Dover Patrol; he commanded H.M. armed Yacht Rhouma, September 1914-May 1915 and the Lorna May 1915-December 1915, ´February 1915 mentioned in report from C-in-C Home Fleet in connection with the recovery of German mines... and great bravery displayed in recovering and dismantling the mines´ (Service papers refer); subsequently in command of an Armed Drifter Flotilla, and was once again mentioned in ´September 1917... for initiative and zeal in recovery an enemy mine´ (Ibid); promoted to Captain (Retd) in recognition of services rendered during the war, 11.11.1918; reverted to Retired List, 14.10.1919; in ´the 1939 War he joined the Home Guard and served with it when he was 80. He was a member and post Captain of the Bognor Regis Golf Club´ (Obituary refers); Saunders resided at Kingsmead, Felpham, and was 91 years old at the time of his death.

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£2,100