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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 326

The exceptional destroyer Commander's 'Operation Red Trek, Baltic 1919' D.S.O., and Battle of Jutland Russian Order of St Anne awarded to Commander R. V. Eyre, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr. R. V. Eyre. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Commr. R. V. Eyre. R.N.); Russia, Imperial, Order of St. Anne, 3rd Class breast Badge, gold and enamel, mounted court-style as worn, slight wear to compaign awards, overall good very fine (5)

Provenance:
Ex-R. C. Witte collection, D.N.W., September 2012.

D.S.O. London Gazette 8 March 1920, the citation stating:

'For distinguished Services in Command of H.M.S. Wryneck in the Baltic 1919.'

Russian Order of St. Anne London Gazette 5 June 1917.

Ralph Vincent Eyre was born at London on 21 September 1882 the son of Eva and Colonel Henry Eyre, Coldstream Guards. Entering H.M.S. Brittania as a Naval Cadet on 15 May 1897 he was promoted Midshipman on 15 September 1898 and posted to the Battleship Illustrious for his first period of service afloat.

Seeing further stretches both ashore on aboard ship Eyre was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant on 29 April 1902, being advanced Lieutenant with the Torpedo Boat Destroyer Albatross. Continuing to serve in this rank Eyre assembled valuable experience aboard such vessels as Doris, Arrogant and Salmon. He served in command of the last for several periods in 1909, with a remark on his record at the time reading ''Valuable for Destroyer Service. Recd. for fully manned flotilla.'

Joining the Destroyer Brisk on 1 January 1912 he was serving in command by the outbreak of the Great War. This Acorn-class destroyer was serving as part of the Second Destroyer Flotilla at this point and was soon employed on anti-submarine patrols throughout 1914. Eyre was promoted Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June 1915 and not long after in October 1915 given command of the M-class destroyer Mounsey.

Stationed with the 11th Destroyer Flotilla she took part in the Battle of Jutland in support of the Grand Fleet under Admiral Jellico. Taking station by King George V - the leading battleship in the British line - they launched a counter-attack against a German destroyer squadron however this was aborted before it could strike home. Remaining on station for the rest of the engagement, during the confused withdrawal that night they did have a close call. At around 11:05 Mounsey and her flotilla ran into the German Light Cruisers acting as pathfinders for the main fleet. Both sides were taken by surprise and unable to fully capitalise with the destroyer Castor taking heavy fire and 11th Flotilla managing only two torpedoes in return.

Eyre received the Russian Order of St. Anne for 'Distinguished Services rendered in Battle of Jutland' and added to his laurels with a 'mention'. He remained with Mounsey for the bulk of the conflict with her operations focused mainly around anti-submarine patrol or convoy escort work. Promoted to the rank of Commander - quite possibly as a result of his steady handling of Mounsey at Jutland - on 31 December 1916. He was finally posted ashore on 16 January 1918 to Victoria, Canada on the Staff of the C.S. Torpedo Boat Destroyers. Here Eyre's success may have resulted in some overconfidence as he caused an accident, his service papers calling it a 'Collision between Vancouver and Victoria' in May 1919.

Despite this small humiliation his record still spoke for itself and he was let off with a warning to be more careful. Soon afterwards being posted to the 'W'-class Destroyer Wryneck on 19 September 1918. This vessel was posted to the British Squadron in the Baltic as part of Operation Red Trek and stationed at the base of Libau. Here she was instrumental in delivering reinforcements to the garrison of Windau on 5 November, coming under heavy fire in the process. Latterly she was still at Libau with the rest of her Flotilla when the Germans attacked the town between 4-14 November 1919 as part of their effort to reassert control over the Baltic. Wryneck provided fire support to troops on the ground, it is likely for this event that Eyre received his D.S.O. Admiral Cowan - British Commander in the region and famously inspiration for a series of mutinies not long before - noted in his report that the withdrawal of the German forces here was:

'a death blow for the German attempt to once again overwhelm and dominate the Baltic.'

Eyre was invested with the D.S.O. at Buckingham Palace by the King on 23 July 1920, again adding to his laurels with a mention several months earlier on 9 April 1920. His final posting afloat was the sloop Magnolia between 15 October-21 December 1922. Eyre was placed on the retired list on 2 March 1923, despite this he was still advanced Captain on 21 September 1927. He died on 18 April 1940 at Cliff Coombe, Tunbridge Wells, Kent; sold together with copied research comprising service papers, a family tree and list of Russian awards made at Jutland along with extracts from Admiral Cowan's report regarding the actions in the Baltic, the London Gazette, At War with the Bolsheviks and Cattaro to Krinstadt.

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Sold for
£2,400

Starting price
£1800