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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 591

The campaign group of four awarded to Able Seaman J. Sumner, Royal Navy, who was severely wounded when Javelin had her stern & bow blown clean off by gunfire and torpedoes from German Destroyers in November 1940

Those wounds were so serious he was invalided from the service and his ship gained the nickname 'The Ship That Would Not Die'; that day Lord Mountbatten was aboard in his capacity as Captain (D.) and he added the D.S.O. to his laurels as a result

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R. (J.105196 (PO.D, 985) J, Sumner. A.B. R.F.R.), with his N.R.N.O.C.A. Badge, this numbered '779' to the reverse, good very fine (4)

Jack Sumner was born at Winchfield, Hampshire on 22 March 1905 and was a farm hand upon his joining the Royal Navy on 28 December 1921. Transferred to the Royal Naval Reserve on 22 March 1935, he was recalled in September 1938 and joined Javelin on 23 August 1939.

Javelin firstly assisted with picking up survivors from the SS Abukir in the North Sea after she had come off Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo on 29 May 1940. The Abukir became the first Allied vessel sunk by an E-Boat when she was struck by torpedos by Oberleutnant zur See Obermaier's S-34.

Sumner was then himself under the enemy guns, when on 29 November 1940 Javelin she formed part of Lord Louis Mountbatten's 5th Destroyer Flotilla. The flotilla engaged the German destroyers Hans Lody, Richard Beitzen, and Karl Galster. As it happened, and as was his want in the absence of the Kelly undergoing repairs, Lord Mountbatten was aboard in his capacity as Captain (D.), 5th Destroyer Flotilla. Christopher Langtree’s definitive history, The Kelly’s, which includes two spectacular images of the damaged Javelin, takes up the story:

‘As they turned the British ships lost the targets on their directors and steamed right into the paths of torpedoes launched by the German ships. Most missed but two topedoes hit Javelin in the bow and stern. The first hit almost blew the stern off up to Station 64 and ignited the oil tanks. The stern dropped off two minutes after the explosion but luckily the aft magazine did not explode. The second hit blew off the whole bow forward Station 30 and caused rapid flooding up to Station 35, flooding No. 2 Magazine at a rate of 6 inches per hour. The German ships turned away, pursued by the rest of the flotilla, but escaped undamaged. The four ships then returned to stand by Javelin which had been reduced from a length of 366 and a half feet to 155 feet. At midday the tug Caroline Moller arrived and by passing a line round Javelin’s torpedo mount was able to tow her back to Plymouth at two knots, arriving on the 30th.’

Mountbatten added the D.S.O. to his riband bar and Chief Petty Officer Derrick won the D.S.M., he recalled:

‘There was a terrific explosion, water went up in the air like a water-spout, and the next thing I knew was that I had two men where I had started with 16 - many of the crew left by small boats and rafts, or were taken off by supporting ships. The Javelin was in such a bad way that she hardly looked worth salvaging. But Lord Mountbatten decided to try and get her in. Throughout the day we were bombed by Dorniers who were trying to finish us off but we were eventually given a strong escort and towed, after-part first, back into port. Lord Haw Haw was gloating that the Javelin had gone down but by the time we returned the B.B.C. were able to put him right.’

She was out of action for almost a year, with a total of 45 officers and ratings were killed in this action and Sumner able to count himself lucky he was only wounded. That wound was clearly of a most grave nature, for his Hurt Certificate was issued in December 1940 and he was invalided on 1 June 1942, with 36 Munster Road, Fulham, SW6 being noted.

See www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tg6dtjp1z0 for further detail.

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Sold for
£110

Starting price
£50