A rare Great War Antwerp 1914 operations D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer J. Payne, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant deeds in the Machine Gun Section Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (188844 J. Payne, C.P.O., R.N. Bde.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (J. Payne, P.O. 1st Cl., H.M.S. Pelorus); 1914 Star, with clasp (118844 J. Payne, C.P.O., Anson Bttn. R.N.D.); Victory Medal 1914-19, M.I.D. oak leaf (118844 J. Payne, C.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st type (118844 John Payne, C.P.O., H.M.S. Pomone), contact marks, generally very fine or better (5) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals relating to the Boer War formed by two brothers.

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D.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1915:

‘For the operations round Antwerp 3-9 October 1914.’

John Payne was born in Templemore, Co. Kerry in November 1866 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in February 1882. Advanced to Petty Officer 1st Class in May 1895, he served in H.M.S. Pelorus from January 1898 until January 1901, latterly off South Africa, and was pensioned ashore in November 1904.

Having then been placed on the strength of the Royal Fleet Reserve, he was recalled on the outbreak of hostilities and attached to the Machine Gun Section of Anson Battalion, R.N.D. from 19 September until 26 October 1914 - in which period he won his D.S.M. for gallant deeds in the Antwerp operations, as per his original “mention” in Major-General Paris’ despatch dated 31 October 1914: an indication of the chaotic nature of the R.N.D’s retreat may be gleaned from the resultant casualties of 29 killed, 167 wounded and 3428 missing, including men from the Royal Marine Brigade.

Discharged to Vivid after the Antwerp operations, Payne joined the training ship Pomone in April 1915, in which capacity he served until the end of the War and was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal; the whereabouts of his British War Medal remains unknown.