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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 280

An outstanding Great War ‘Western Front’ D.C.M., M.M. and Bar group of eight awarded to Sergeant D. Watson, Royal Irish Regiment - formerly Royal Munster Fusiliers - who was killed in action aboard H.M.T. Lancastria when she was bombed and sunk by German Ju-88s in June 1940, at which time he was serving as a Warrant Officer in the Cameron Highlanders with the B.E.F. having been evacuated from St. Nazaire: the loss of the Lancastria was the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history with some estimates putting the casualties as high as 6,500 souls

Having taken a direct hit, Lancastria capsized in about 20 minutes, and those who managed to get clear were machine-gunned by the Luftwaffe in the water, whilst many more succumbed to thick oil fuel, much of which was set ablaze by incendiary bullets

Such was the scale of the disaster that Churchill ordered a media blackout and it was full five weeks before reports of the incident started to appear in The New York Times

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (18004 L. Cpl. D. Watson. 2/R. Ir: Regt.); Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (18004 Sjt: D. Watson. D.C.M. 2/R. Ir: R.); 1914-15 Star (6. 662 Pte. D. Watson, R. Muns. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (622 Sjt. D. Watson. R. Mun. Fus.); 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45; Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., Regular Army (2923773 W.O. Cl. II. D. Watson. D.C.M., M.M. Camerons.), minor official correction to unit on the last, generally very fine (8)

D.C.M. London Gazette 1 May 1918:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He himself shot several of the enemy who were offering resistance, and bombed the shafts of a trench system where they were holding out. He then, on his own initiative, collected a party of bombers, with which he successfully mopped up some enemy snipers, twelve of whom he took prisoners. Later he took out a covering party, remaining in a position whence he could protect a wiring party, only withdrawing when the wiring was complete. All through the engagement his fearlessness and initiative were beyond all praise.’

M.M. London Gazette 13 November 1918.

Second Award Bar to M.M. London Gazette 14 May 1919.

David Watson, a native of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, served with the Royal Munster Fusiliers at Gallipoli from 9 July 1915 before joining the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment in France. He earned no less than three decorations by War's end. Watson joined the Cameron Highlanders on 10 August 1921 and served until discharged to pension on 28 January 1937.

Rejoining the Camerons on the outbreak of the Second World War, he quickly found himself deployed with the British Expeditionary Force in France. Following the Fall of the country and the subsequent evacuation of Dunkirk, Watson was one of those who ended up at St. Nazaire to await evacuation. Operation Aerial was launched to effect the rescue of the remaining Allied troops and civilians from Atlantic ports - particularly St. Nazaire and Nantes - over 15-16 June 1940; the Luftwaffe attacked the evacuation ships as frequently as possible and, on 17 June, evaded R.A.F. fighter patrols to sink the Cunard liner and troopship H.M.T. Lancastria in the Loire estuary. The horrific details are all too well-known today: Lancastria sank quickly and vessels in the area were still under attack during rescue operations: the gallant actions of others saved some 2,477 passengers and crew, but the liner had thousands more troops, R.A.F. personnel and civilians on board the overcrowded ship and the number who died in the sinking is unknown - it is, however, believed that well over 3,500 people subsequently drowned, making the disaster the greatest loss of life in British maritime history. Indeed, news of the sinking was repressed on the personal orders of Winston Churchill out of concern for what it would do for the morale of the nation.

Watson was one of those tragically killed on 17 June 1940 and is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial.

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Sold for
£3,500

Starting price
£2800