The British War Medal awarded to Able Seaman H. S. Cross, Royal Navy, who was mentioned in despatches for services in action with enemy submarines and was killed in action when the Q-Ship Stonecrop was sunk on 18 September 1917

British War Medal 1914-20 (211054 H. S. Cross. A.B. R.N.) good very fine £60-£80

M.I.D. London Gazette 16 November 1917: ‘For services in action with enemy submarines:- A.B. Herbert Stanley Cross, O.N. 211054 (Po.) (since killed)’.

Herbert Stanley Cross was born in Peckham, London, on 18 April 1884, and was a milkman when he joined the Royal Navy on 3 August 1900, and signed on for 12 years Continuous Service on 18 April 1902. His C.S. expired on 1 May 1914, but on 4 September he signed on again for the duration of the war, serving in the light cruiser Birmingham from September 1914 to September 1916. After postings to Vernon and Victory I, he joined his next ship, H.M.S. Stonecrop, on 1 August 1917. Originally the collier Glenfoyle, she was converted for service as a ‘Q-Ship’ in April 1917 and fitted with one visible 6-pounder gun capable of firing only in the aft direction (as was legitimate defence for a merchant ship) but also with a concealed 4-inch gun, 12-pounder howitzers for projecting bombs, and torpedo tubes.

On 17 September 1917, when some 300 miles south-west of Co. Kerry, she sighted a submarine on the surface at 14000 yards distance. The submarine opened fire and Stonecrop turned away at her top speed of 7 knots, sending out SOS signals. The submarine followed, overtaking and firing, but without making any direct hits. After half an hour of this, Stonecrop lighted her Smoke Apparatus, simulating a very realistic fire, and sent off her ‘panic party’. the submarine then submerged but reappeared later and circled the ship at 600 yards. Stonecrop opened fire with her 4-inch gun, scoring several hits. The submarine then moved away, to sink stern-first. She surfaced again briefly before finally sinking. Her conning-tower hatch had not been opened and no wreckage appeared, just oil and scum, but Stonecrop’s captain was convinced that she had been sunk. The Admiralty awarded £1000 to be distributed amongst the crew, of which Cross’s share, as an Able Seaman, would have been £9. 1s. 10d. The submarine is believed to have been the U-151.

On 18 September 1917, at 1 p.m. Stonecrop was some 180 miles south-west of Fastnet when she was struck by two torpedoes, suffering extensive damage and slowly settling by the head. The ‘panic party’ left in the boats and the gun crews went to their concealed posts and waited. A submarine appeared and cruised around at about 3000 yards but never came within the field of fire of any of the ship’s remaining weapons which were still serviceable. The ship continued to settle and at about 2.30 p.m. all those still on board had to abandon her as she tilted into a vertical position and sank. The submarine then approached to enquire the ship’s name and destination, a false answer being given. She then left without taking any further hostile action. The men in the water had two boats, a partly wrecked raft and plenty of wreckage, from which they repaired the raft and constructed another. One boat was sent away towards Ireland to fetch assistance. It arrived safely and ships were sent out the following day to search. Meanwhile, the other boat became separated from the rafts during the night of 18-19 and, since it could be of no help even if it did find them again, it sailed on towards and reached Bantry Bay at 7.30 p.m. The two rafts were not sighted by the searching ships until the afternoon of 23 September. They had been without food and with only a little water since 20 September, and only 10 remained alive out of the 22 who had been on the rafts originally. In all, some 32 of the ship’s complement perished including Able Seaman H. S. Cross who is commemorated by name on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.