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Auction: 21001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals (conducted behind closed doors)
Lot: 631

Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant

The campaign group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Commander P. T. Miles, Royal Navy, a long-served submariner who shared in the famous covert landing of SOE agents on the Andaman Islands of 'Operation HATCH' in December 1944; he latterly who won a 'mention' for his command of H.M.S. Crane during the Korean War when she fired no less than 1756 high-explosive 4" rounds

Miles left a fine and notable account of his wartime service through A Gift of Observation a book showcasing some 50 watercolours of his experiences, each with a personal insight to the actions and events

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Korea 1950-53, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Cdr. P. T. Miles. R.N.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, mounted court-style as worn, Stars gilt, good very fine (7)

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 June 1953.

Peter Tremayne Miles was born at Woolwich on 8 June 1920, the first son of Admiral Sir G. J. A. Miles. Educated at the Nautical College, Pangbourne, he entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in May 1938 and was appointed Midshipman on 1 May 1939. His first appointment afloat came with Newcastle from May 1939-October 1940. During this period she engaged and badly damaged two German destroyers off Brest and also set a record during this period by staying at sea continuously for 126 days. On 23 November 1939, Newcastle encountered the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau but they escaped in bad weather before other ships could come up.

Advanced Sub-Lieutenant on 1 January 1941, Miles thence joined Versatile, aboard whom he served from June-December 1941. Made Lieutenant on 16 February 1942, he completed training as a submariner and served as 1st Lieutenant in Clyde from 13 September 1942-January 1945. Having spent the first period of service with his submarine in for repairs, Clyde was assigned in January 1944 to the Eastern Fleet, joining 2nd Submarine Flotilla at Trincomalee in May. There she took part in patrol and fleet operations, making several covert missions landing SOE agents. On 27 June she bombarded Ross Island, Port Blair, hitting the Port with her 4" shells with deadly accuracy. She thence took part in Operation 'Congress' on 23 November. Miles gives his own introduction:

'Most of Clyde's subsequent patrols were in the area around the northern end of the Malacca Straits, and were of the type colloquially known as 'False Nose' or 'Cloak and Dagger'. These involved landing special parties with their gear to carry out clandestine operations in enemy held territory and, in due course, picking them up again to return to their bases...This RV took place place off St Luke's Island in the Mergui Archipelago, where the special party had been carry out a reconnaissance of a site for an airstrip. Clyde is trimmed down with her fore hatch just clear of the water, ready to receive the airtrip party and their gear, and her astern wash can just be seen as she takes her way off for them to come alongside abreast the fore hatch. The trio on the fore casing waiting to bring them inboard are the CPO in charge of the fore ends whose territory they are about to invade, an Able Seaman on his right, and me (the one in the blue shirt). In charge of the special boat party and steering the inflatable rubber boat is a US Naval Reserve Lieutenant (a great character - in peacetime a lawyer in Brooklyn) who came as special boat party on several runs in Clyde. As soon as the party were safely embarked, their gear and deflated boat dropped down through the fore hatch and the hatch shut and dogged - a matter of a few minutes - Clyde would quickly move off to get clear of the area by dawn, and head back to Trinco.'

Miles then notably participated in Operation 'Hatch' to the Andaman Islands.

The mission took place on 21 December 1944 and had been named 'Hatch' which replaced its original name 'Baldhead VIII'. The mission was a risky one, it involved the landing of no less than 28 SOE operatives, which was the most ever dropped at that time. Having used the periscope with the utmost care to prevent detection, Clyde, under command of Lieutenant R. H. Bull, surfaced of Breakfast Bay at 1845hrs and began the unloading of the men and stores, including use of a motorised canoe. On-shore, Major Charles Greig had with him Captain Shaw, besides another unnamed British officer, two Subadars and a number of gallant Pathans and South Indian troops, besides 6 Signalmen. In the spirit of seeing some action, a rather tiresome Staff Lieutenant-Colonel from SOE in Ceylon had come along for the ride to see operations and was swiftly left ashore when it was decided to pause unloading at 0220hrs on 22 December. He was left, no doubt to the great amusement of those aboard Clyde, behind the lines and firmly in enemy territory. She remained offshore and made the final drop, besides collecting the rather startled Officer, at 0400hrs on 23 December, returning to Ceylon. The SOE party remained on the Andaman Islands into March 1945 (Special Operations South-East Asia 1942–1945: Minerva, Baldhead & Longshank/Creek by David Millar refers).

In his own words:

'The Army Major in charge of this landing commented, after its successful completion, that he considered all special boat party training was now a waste of time because Clyde had shown she could lie so close to a beach that only a ladder from the after casing would be required to bring the gear ashore - plus, perhaps, a long hook to pick bananas off the nearby palm trees! This was to be my last patrol in Clyde, and the end of a very happy involvement of over two years with this, the largest, fastest and by that time oldest operational submarine in the Navy. I have been recommended for the course to qualify for command of a submarine, known as the 'Perisher', in which, towards the end of May 1945, I duly qualified a few days before my 25th birthday.

Miles was given command of H50 on 7 June 1945, his only role being to take the 'Nifty Fifty' to the breakers yard at Troon from Rothesay, before assuming command of Sanguine from 22 September 1945-April 1946. During the Korean War he commanded Crane and earned a 'mention' before War's end. Having also spent time in Naval Intelligence and as the Naval Member of the Commanders-in-Chief Committee Secretariat British Forces in Germany, Miles retired on 15 November 1962 and died at Windsor on 19 August 1995; sold together with riband bar, buttons and housed in fitted wooden box in which the recipient kept them, besides a signed copy of A Gift of Observation.

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Sold for
£1,800

Starting price
£320