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Auction: 24003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 150

A rare B.E.M. for Gallantry & Commander-in-Chief's Commendation pair awarded to Petty Officer Engineering Mechanic D. G. Doignie, Royal Navy, decorated for his bravery in entering the red-hot engine room of the tanker Bahia Gaditana which found itself ablaze and drifting off the coast of Crete in January 1968

British Empire Medal for Gallantry, E.II.R., Military Division with 'Gallantry' oak leaves upon riband (P.O.M. (E) Derek G. Doignie, P/K 939971.), officially impressed naming upon a pre-prepared ground; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R. (K.939971 D. G. Doignie. B.E.M. P.O.M. (E). H.M.S. Sultan.), very fine and rare

Approximately 189 B.E.M.'s for Gallantry (Military Division) awarded in its short period of existence from 1957-74, with just 9 awards for 1968 (British Gallantry Awards, Abbott & Tamplin refers).

B.E.M. for Gallantry London Gazette 17 December 1968:

'Petty Officers Doignie and Hornby and Leading Mechanic White were members of the fire fighting party on the Spanish Tanker Bahia Gaditana. They were first to enter the engine room, the seat of the fire. The three ratings, dressed in protective clothing, entered the engine room at 1515 behind a protective wall of water. However, if the intense heat and poor visibility forced them to abandon the engine room after only 5 minutes.

A second and more successful attempt was made some 20 minutes later, although the circumstances of this occasion were more hazardous than the first occasion due to the danger of re-ignition and the fact that suction on the fire pump was very uncertain. Had the pump suction failed the engine room team might well have been burned alive. During the whole of this time the three ratings gave clear and accurate reports which were of the greatest value in directing fire fighting operations and consequently resulted in the extinguishing of the fire.

The example of their coolness, endurance and application of professional knowledge was an inspiration to those engaged in fighting the fire which, but for their courage and selfless devotion to duty, might well have resulted in loss of life of Spanish crew and boarding party.'

Commander-in-Chief's Commendation 17 May 1968.

Derek George Doignie was born in London in 1937 and by 1953 worked as a Postman in South-West London, living on the Munster Road in Fulham from the mid-1950s. Having joined the Royal Navy, he then lived at Waterlooville, Portsmouth from 1967. Doignie won his outstanding B.E.M. for Gallantry whilst serving aboard the Diana on 27-28 January 1968, when boarding the 20,867 ton Bahia Gaditana, which was burning off the west coast of Crete. She had originally been routed to search for the Israeli submarine Dakar which was lost when the call to assist the burning tanker came. His C-i-C's Commendation gives a few more details:

'Initially a fire part of 2 officers and 4 ratings attempted to board the tanker by liferaft in a Force 5 wind but the attempt was frustrated by the weather and lack of understanding of the Spanish crew of the tanker. A second and more successful attempt was made at 0745 the next morning.

The fire was situated in the tanker's engine room and was generating a fierce and intense heat so that the surrounding decks and bulkheads were red hot. The engine room itself was dark, exceedingly hot and full of thick smoke and acrid fumes.'

It was at 1515hrs that Doignie, Horby & White entered the engine room, fully aware that they faced the risk of being burned alive if their attempts failed. It was due to their work that the fire was eventually extinguished, in no short order to the '...coolness and bravery in this dangerous and certain situation' that Doignie showed.

He was photographed with the other members of the rescue crew, with Lieutenant-Commander's Teague & Barley taking M.B.E.'s for Gallantry to go with the 3 B.E.M.'s for Gallantry (IWM A 35191, refers), went up to Buckingham Palace to be presented his Medal by The Queen and latterly lived on Hayling Island.

Sold together with his original framed and glazed Commander-in-Chief's Commendation.

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Estimate
£1,400 to £1,800

Starting price
£1100