A rare Great War D.S.O. group of three awarded to Lieutenant J. Martin, Royal Naval Reserve, onetime Mercantile Marine, who commanded the Q-ships Dargyle and Fresh Hope 1917-18

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. J. Martin, R.N.R.), good very fine (3) £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 19 December 1917:

‘The King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of Honours, Decorations and Medals to the under mentioned Officers and men of the British Mercantile Marine, in recognition of zeal and devotion to duty shown in carrying on the trade of the country during the War ... Chief Officer James Martin (Lieutenant, R.N.R.)’

James Martin, who was appointed a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in May 1917, assumed command of the Q-ship Dargyle in the following month, a topsail schooner fitted out with a 4-inch and two 12-pounders. Operating out of Lerwick, she certainly had a number of encounters with enemy submarines, though the background to Martin’s D.S.O. requires further research.

In a lengthy patrol report sent to the Admiral Commanding, Orkney and Shetland, on 16 August 1917, Martin expressed his doubts about the Dargyle’s suitability for Q-ship operations:

‘It is my opinion that this vessel owing to her uncommon build is marked and suspected by enemy submarines of being armed. Three times in my experience submarines have been in the vicinity and no attempt made to attack us has been made until we had a torpedo fired at us. As a decoy ship she is a failure, and I should recommend her being handed back to her owners, and the guns, engines and material being taken out of her and fitted in a vessel more serviceable.’

Martin’s report swiftly invoked the Admiral Commanding to send a scathing report to the C.-in-C. Grand Fleet:

‘I consider that the present Commanding Officer of the Special Service Vessel Dargyle is not suitable for appointment in command of a Special Service Vessel. Lieutenant J. Martin, R.N.R., is of an excitable temperament which is most undesirable. At various interviews he has not impressed me or members of my staff as being a suitable officer for his present command. He is constantly using his motors and does not appear to realise the importance of making his vessel look like a peaceful merchant ship, as will be seen from the letter of the Rear-Admiral, Stornaway ... I am therefore desirous of giving her another trial under a new Commanding Officer and submit that Lieutenant Martin may be relieved.’

As a result, according to Carson Ritchie’s Q-Ships:

‘Martin resigned from his command on the grounds of ill-health, but captain James Startin, Senior Naval Officer, Granton, who felt that he was a very capable officer, but ‘certainly difficult as regards naval etiquette and discipline’, had him transferred to another vessel. A year later, as commander of the Fresh Hope, another sailing Q-ship, Martin justified this good opinion by bringing the fore-and-aft schooner into an encounter with a U-boat on which he scored four direct hits.’

Also entitled to 1914-15 Star as Sub Lieut RNR