An extremely rare Second War Combined Operations Pilotage Party D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Acting Petty Officer Lawrence Kennedy, Royal Navy, who was the Coxswain of COPP 7 when performing a night canoe reconnaissance of Biruen Beach in Operation ‘FRIPPERY’ in Japanese held territory in North Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, in August 1944 paddling ashore in folboats from H.M. Submarine Tudor

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Temp. A/P.O. L. Kennedy. P/JX. 235015); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Italy Star; Burma Star, 1 clasp, Pacific; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (7) £3,000-£4,000

D.S.M. London Gazette 23 January 1945: ‘For bravery and devotion to duty in hazardous reconnaissance operations. The Distinguished Service Medal - Temporary Acting Petty Officer Lawrence Kennedy, P/JX.235015.’

The recommendation for this award in Admiralty Honours and Awards file H&A 1209/44 is in the National Archives under reference ADM1/29987. It reads:

‘The Honours and Awards Committee has considered the good services of Officers and Men in the reconnaissance of enemy beaches in August 1944, and submit that the King may be asked to approve the Awards set forth below.

These Officers and ratings took part in a successful night canoe-sortie to an enemy held beach.

D.S.M.
T/A/Petty Officer Lawrence Kennedy, P/JX.235015, H.M. Naval Party 735.

Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant Geoffrey Penmore Dickenson Hall, D.S.C., R.N., Naval Party 735
T/Lieutenant (Sp) John David Ruari McLean, D.S.C., R.N.V.R. Naval Party 735

Recommendations for Captain Alexander Francis Lionel Colson, R.E. and Captain Alfred William Tindall Lucas, R.E. and 3768 Lance Corporal Alec Ashley Morrison, R.E. have been sent to the War Office.’

The individual recommendation for Kennedy adds to this…

‘H.M. Small Operations Group – Naval Party 735.

“This rating has taken part, as coxswain of COPP7, in two successful operations, and has fulfilled his duties in a most efficient manner. On Operation FRIPPERY the burden of maintenance fell chiefly on his shoulders and he has consistently, through long weary months of training and preparation, carried out his duties in such a manner as to contribute much to the morale and efficiency of the unit. He has twice paddled canoes to enemy beaches, and (on a previous operation) actually landed in enemy territory.”

Signed by Lieutenant Geoffrey Hall, D.S.C., R.N., mentioned in despatches above.

The beach landing is understood to have been on Biruen Beach in the vicinity of the Peudada River in North Sumatra.

These recommendations were originally raised in late September 1944 but it would be early January 1945 before they had been approved in London by the First Lord of the Admiralty and submitted to the King.

Note the recommendation above of Captain Alexander Lionel Francis Colson, Royal Engineers. This recommendation eventually resulted in his appointment as M.B.E. for service in Operation ‘FRIPPERY’. Many years later the Reverend Alec Colson, now a priest in Lyng near Norwich, was very active in documenting the history of COPP operations and in assisting the Royal Engineers Museum in Chatham to assemble materials to illustrate this. Copies of letters in 1988 between the then Rev. Alec Coulson and Gus Britten, the archivist of the Submarine Museum in Gosport, discussing the COPP operations and H/M Submarine Tudor which conveyed them, are included with the lot.

Sold with comprehensive research including recommendations, patrol reports, portrait photograph and a COPP party group photograph.