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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 162

Family group:

The Second World War D.S.M. awarded to Leading Seaman D. Petrini, Royal Naval Reserve, who was decorated for his services in H.M. Trawler Polly Johnson in the opening months of the war

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (D. Petrini, Smn., R.N.R.), good very fine

The Second World War B.E.M. awarded to H. Petrini, Merchant Navy, late Royal Naval Reserve, a Hull trawlerman who was commended and decorated for separate actions against enemy aircraft in November 1940 and April 1941

British Empire Medal, G.VI.R., Civil Division (Harold Petrini), good very fine (2)

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1940, the original citation states:

'For, unfailing courage, endurance and resource in H.M. Trawlers, Drifters and Minesweepers in their hard and perilous task of sweeping the seas clear of enemy mines, and combating submarines.'

Dennis Petrini enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve in May 1939 and was awarded his D.S.M. for services in the minesweeper trawler Polly Johnson in the opening months of the war. He is likely therefore to have been similarly employed at the time of her loss to enemy aircraft off Dunkirk on 29 May 1940. She sank near the harbour entrance with the loss of a gunner.

Petrini received his D.S.M. at a Buckingham Palace investiture in March 1941 and was advanced to Leading Seaman in January 1945.

B.E.M. London Gazette 20 January 1942, the original recommendation states:

'The trawler was proceeding alone to grounds in Northern waters. An enemy aircraft was seen approaching on the starboard bow. It attacked with machine-guns and wounded the Master who was in the wheelhouse.

Austin and Petrini held their fire till the last moment and aimed so well that the aircraft burst into flames, the tail fell off, and it crashed into the sea.

The trawler is of little more than 200 tons, and the spirit and vigour with which she was fought was most creditable to all concerned. She had only two strip guns, without stands or protection of any sort.'

Harold Petrini was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire on 11 October 1917 and enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve. His service record reveals that he served out of Fleetwood and Hull in the trawler Kingston Ceylonite but that he was discharged in May 1940, when he was diagnosed as suffering from epilepsy. Given subsequent events, however, he clearly returned to sea in the Merchant Navy, for he received a commendation for his gallantry in the M.V. Apapa on 15 November 1940, when she was bombed and sunk by F.W. 200 Condor aircraft 200 miles west of Achill Head, Co. Mayo (London Gazette 13 May 1941, refers).

And, moreover, the B.E.M. for the above cited deeds which were enacted in the trawler Dandara on 24 April 1941. Of the latter action, his Captain later reported:

'We left Hull on 19 May bound for the Iceland fishing grounds, sailing under instructions received at Hull. We proceeded without incident until 1200 on 24 May, when in position 61.40 N. 14.35 W. heading N. W. by N 1 N we sighted a plane on our starboard bow about 4 or 5 miles off. I was not on the bridge when the 'plane was first sighted, but came up immediately it was reported to me. The sea at the time was rough with wind S.E. force 6-7. The weather was overcast and the visibility good.

The 'plane flew straight towards us at a height of about 100 ft. and when he was about 1 mile distant, he altered course athwartships and flew straight for us. As the 'plane approached he opened fire with his machine-guns and seemed to be aiming below the water line. My two gunners did not open fire until the 'plane was very near us, and one of them told me afterwards that he wanted to be very sure of hitting the 'plane.

We were armed with 2 strip Lewis guns; H. Austin the 3rd Hand was on the bridge with one gun, and Petrini another member of my crew was on the after deck with the other gun, neither of them having any protection of any kind. When the 'plane was almost overhead they opened fire and said that they could see their bullets entering the 'plane. As soon as the 'plane passed over us we could see smoke and flames coming from the fuselage, and he did not open fire anymore, and I think that the rear gunner of the 'plane must have been killed. As the 'plane was going away the pilot was obviously trying to gain height, but when about 2-3 miles away from the ship, the tail of the machine suddenly fell off and the 'plane dived into the water. We went to the spot where the 'plane crashed, but we could find nothing.

We therefore turned round and made for Iceland and arrived at Reykjavik where we landed on 25 May, without being attacked again. I had a bullet in my shoulder and was immediately taken to hospital, but 4 days after having the bullet removed, I was at sea again, although I should have been in hospital for a fortnight.
My two gunners behaved very well indeed. I gave no orders to them at the time of the attack, but knew that I could entirely rely upon them. They stood unprotected on the ship until the enemy 'plane was almost upon us before they opened fire, so that they could be quite sure of hitting the machine, and then both opened fire together.'

Petrini died in Hull in November 2001.

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Estimate
£1,200 to £1,600

Starting price
£950