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Auction: 13003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 23

The Immediate 1942 'St. Nazaire Raid' D.S.M. Group of Six to 'Oerlikon Gunner' Ordinary Seaman F.W.J. Woodward, Royal Navy, Who Served in M.L. 307 As Part of the Port Column for "The Greatest Raid of All"; M.L. 307 Was One of Just Three Motor Launches That Made it Home From the Raid; Assailed By Land, Sea and Air Woodward Managed to Shoot Down a Heinkel III, Before His Craft Limped Home to Falmouth
a) Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (JX.263654 F,W.J. Woodward, O. Smn.), minor edge bruise, in case of issue
b) 1939-1945 Star
c) Atlantic Star
d) France and Germany Star
e) Pacific Star, with Burma bar
f) War Medal, generally nearly extremely fine, with the following related contemporary items and documents:
- Associated Miniature Awards; with medal riband bars, and Campaign Medal card box of issue addressed to 'Mr. F.W. Woodward, 2 Oxford Ave, West Southbourne, Bournemouth'
- Salva, silver plate, engraved 'Presented to Fred Woodward (Operational Gunnery Instructor, R.N.) By The Directors of Brights of Bournemouth, As A Token Of Esteem & To Commemorate The Award of D.S.M. And Investiture By H.M. The King, At Buckingham Palace, March 16th 1943. In Recognition Of Outstanding Gallantry And Devotion To Duty At St. Nazaire. March 1942'
- Certificate For Wounds and Hurts, dated 4.6.1944
- Pencil sketch of ML 307, on Government embossed paper, signed, glazed and framed
- Personal Letter to recipient from Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Lyster, K.C.B., C.V.O., C.B.E., D.S.O., dated 5.4.1949
- Letter from Don Croft, Crew Member of ML 307, dated 16.11.1998
- Photographs and paperwork relating to the St. Nazaire Commemoration Ceremony, including named Permit for embarkation in H.M.S. Sirius; Menu from the St. Nazaire Society Annual Re-union Dinner, dated 26.3.1949, with a quantity of St. Nazaire Society stationary
- National Identity Card; Civilian Driving Licence
- Numerous newspaper cuttings, both French and English; and a number of photographs of recipient in uniform (lot)

D.S.M. London Gazette 21.5.1942 P/JX.263654 Ordinary Seaman Frederick William Joseph Woodward, R.N.
The Recommendation states: 'W. Woodward, Gunlayer on the after Oerlikon was responsible for some excellent shooting. He put out several searchlights and conserved his ammunition wherever possible. On the homeward journey he hit and brought down an enemy plane, Heinkel III, and throughout showed coolness and courage.'

Remarks of Intermediate Authority, Commander R.E.D. Ryder, R.N., 10th A/S Striking Force: 'I consider that M.L. 307 fought in a very determined manner and also that the Commanding Officer tends to understate the case of this rating, I therefore strongly support his recommendation.'

Leading Seaman Frederick William Joseph Woodward, D.S.M. (1910-1971) born Islington, London; was employed as a Departmental Store Manager prior to enlistment in the Royal Navy, July 1940; served in ML 307, October 1941 - August 1942.

St. Nazaire Raid
Frederick 'Woodward is a shy, retiring man. He doesn't like publicity and never mentions that on March 16, 1943 he went to Buckingham Palace to receive from King George VI the Distinguished Service Medal. But despite Fred's reticence, the whole story has come to light in a new book published this week called The Greatest Raid of All. The book tells of the raid on St. Nazaire, in which a small force in the face of fantastic odds attacked the heavily defended harbour. It succeeded in denying the great Normandy Dock to the German Navy in general and in particular to the battleship Tirpitz.

If Mr. Woodward were the talkative type he would tell how, on a small motor-launch, together with a few other such craft, they cruised into the harbour on that night in 1942. How despite the tremendous crossfire, their launch came alongside the quay with a party of demolition men and unable to find the landing stairs to the quay towering above them by 25 feet, they cruised around. How they shot a party of enemy soldiers who were trying to drop hand grenades into their craft. How eventually they pulled out and generally assisted by shooting at the searchlights, despite all hell being let loose at them. How their launch was one of the few that got back, but, in company with three others they had quite an eventful crossing. They shot down a Heinkel III and drove off a seaplane. How one in four of the entire force died and five V.C.s were awarded.

A spokesman of the company publishing the book said of Mr. Woodward, then a gunnery instructor:
"To stand at his gun in the murderous fire that was being thrown at him, with the petrol tanks right underneath him, must have taken some guts."

All these things Mr. Woodward could tell you- but like most brave men he prefers to let actions speak louder than words. All he will say is: "It's all over, lets forget it." (Article from the Bournemouth Times, included with the lot refers)

Port Column
Woodward was the gun layer in Motor Launch 307, the latter being commanded by Lieutenant N. Wallis, R.A.N.V.R (awarded the D.S.C. for the raid). M.L. 307 was one of 19 vessels that made up "Force Chariot" for the St. Nazaire Raid. As part of the Port Column she was tasked with delivering a Commando party under the command of Captain E.W. Bradley to the Old Mole. Wallis and his crew received a hot reception as part of this column, when they passed under the stern of H.M.S. Campbeltown after she had just rammed the dock gate 'the most important task of the Commando troops in the M.L.s of the port column… was to capture what I have referred to as the "Ile de St. Nazaire"; isolate it by demolishing the bridges and lock gates, and to hold the Old Mole so that it could be used as a comparatively secure place from which to re-embark all forces landed.

There were seven troop-carrying craft in this column, whose positions numbered from 9-15 [M.L. 307 was no. 12] with one spare M.L. astern in position 16. M.L. 447, in position 9, was leading the column and turned towards the Old Mole, but was hit by the flak and burst into flames before reaching it. M.L. 341, who had originally been stationed next in line, had developed engine trouble before entering the river, and acting according to previous instructions had transferred her troops to M.L. 446, who had come as a spare. Undaunted by the disaster to the leading craft, M.L. 457, now second in the column, led on into the strongly defended Old Mole and landed her troops. She circled round and returned to the Mole; here, however, she was heavily attacked, and while backing into mid-stream she was hit and burst into flames. M.L. 307, the third ship, passing the leader of her column in flames, proceeded close in to the Old Mole where she was attacked by flak and grenades. They killed at least four of the enemy on the jetty but suffered very heavily themselves. After grounding in the shallow water ahead of them, they withdrew and engaged the batteries and searchlights on the east bank.

The fourth ship of the column, M.L. 443, like several of the other craft, was blinded by the searchlights and overshot her mark. She returned to the Old Mole but was unable to get alongside owing to the heavy opposition. By the time M.L. 306, the fifth ship, arrived she found both sides of the Old Mole obstructed by burning M.L.s (No. 192 to the south and No. 447 to the north). She circled round twice, under heavy gunfire, in an attempt to get alongside, but was unable to do so and withdrew. M.L. 446 had embarked the troops from M.L. 341 at dusk and did not regain the force till they were entering the river. She also, at first, overshot the mark in the glare of the searchlights, but returned and attempted to get alongside the Old Mole. In approaching, however, the commanding officer found that most of the soldiers had been wounded, including both officers and the sergeant. After consulting them, he withdrew. It will be seen from this that only one craft landed her troops successfully at the Old Mole, that was M.L. 457.' (The Attack on St. Nazaire, Commander R.E.D. Ryder, V.C., R.N., refers)

The Withdrawal - Extraction From Hell
The Motor Launches has been devastated by the German defences. They had been met with unexpected levels of automatic machine-gun fire, which had swept across the small vessels decks causing untold damage. Many were in flames as they tried to extract themselves and turn for home. 169 men were killed whilst the vessels tried to leave the river, and out of 16 M.L.s used for the raid only 3 made it home. Assailed by land, sea and air M.L.s 160, 307 and 443 were the lucky ones. This small force 'under the command of Lieutenant T.D.L. Platt, R.N.R. [See Spink Medal Auction 21st July 2005, Lot 531], was however attacked several times by enemy bombers. First by a Heinkel III [see D.S.M. Recommendation above], which was hit by the concentrated fire of all these craft and crashed into the sea, and later by a large Blomm and Voss seaplane, which withdrew after being hit. It is to the credit of this small force that they completed their long passage and succeeded in reaching Falmouth without escort. They arrived there with scarcely a gallon of fuel to spare.' (ibid)

The commanding officer of M.L. 160 (Lieutenant T. Boyd, R.N.V.R.) adds, 'As the Heinkel came down to have a closer look everything opened up. The first rounds hit him in the glasshouse and he crashed at once. It was a fine sight to see the iron crosses smash into the sea and the plane break up. We all cheered and I gave the boys two rations of rum. The shooting of the other two boats was very, very good. We turned north at five in the evening and were attacked again at dusk by a seaplane which dropped a 1,000lb bomb just astern of me… I feared surface craft would get us before we got round Ushant. But our luck held, and next morning about 10am we picked up the Lizard - a place well known to me - and pushed on into Falmouth with a little over an hour's petrol left.' (ibid).

24 D.S.M.'s were awarded for the St. Nazaire Raid- two of which went to the crew of M.L. 307, whilst their skipper and Sub-Lieutenant Clegg were also awarded the D.S.C.

Woodward's subsequent service included in H.M.S. Attack, August-October 1942; H.M.S. Bee, December 1942- April 1945; discharged to shore, 15.2.1946; after the War he was employed as a Textiles Manufacturers Agent; he was present, and laid a wreath, at the dedication of the War Memorial at St. Nazaire.

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Sold for
£10,500