The rare post-War Operation ‘Musketeer’ D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Leading Seaman T. Dyer, Royal Navy

In a quite unique episode of the Suez crisis, the cruiser H.M.S. Newfoundland sank the Egyptian frigate Domiat in a ferocious engegement, both ships sustaining casualties: high on the list of subsequent recommendations was Leading Seaman Dyer, who commanded a Bofors gun and ‘did good work in hosing down Domiat’s deck with 40mm.’
Distinguished Service Medal, E.II.R., 1st issue (L.S. T. Dyer, P/JX 163578); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, one clasp, Near East (P/JX.163578 T. Dyer D.S.M. L. Smn. R.N.) mounted as worn, good very fine (7) £7,000-£9,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas.

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One of just two D.S.Ms awarded for the Suez operations.

D.S.M. London Gazette 13 June 1957:

‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the operations in the Near East. October to December 1956.’

On the evening of 31 October 1956, the Fiji-class cruiser H.M.S. Newfoundland was patrolling in the Red Sea, south of Suez, when she encountered a darkened ship, later identified as the Egyptian frigate Domiat. Closing to 1,500 yards, Newfoundland came parallel to the then unidentified ship and asked it to heave-to. Instead, however, it extinguished its running lights and trained its guns on the Newfoundland, thereby prompting the latter’s captain to give the order to open fire. A ferocious firefight ensued, the enemy frigate’s 4-inch guns causing damage and six casualties aboard the Newfoundland. But Domiat’s armament was no match for the British cruiser and, much shot about, she capsized with a loss of six officers and 50 ratings. Newfoundland and her consort, the destroyer Diana, rescued 69 Egyptians, who were later dropped off at Djibouti.

A glimpse of Leading Seaman Thomas Dyer in action is to be found in an account written by one of Newfoundland’s Midshipmen. He takes up the story as the cruiser fired her first broadside:

‘WOOMFAH! The whole ship shook as I had never felt her shake before. We were firing on the beam with the guns almost horizontal. Away went a nine-gun, full charge, full-calibre cruiser broadside of 130-pound High Effect shell, smack into the bridge structure of the Egyptian frigate Domiat, about 1400 yards away … Our next broadside smashed into Domiat’s bows and ignited her paint shop so that her bows glowed cherry red in the dark night. Diana, astern, had seen Domiat turn and got in seventeen rounds of 4.5-inch from her A and B. As we closed the range the 4-inch and Bofors joined in and the Captain of one of the port Bofors later received a D.S.M. for his good work hosing Domiat’s deck down with 40mm. Y turret was able to join in again later. After five minutes or so, at 0130, and after 51 rounds of 6-inch in nine broadsides, we checked fire because the Domiat was visibly sinking. She capsized and sank five minutes later. We picked up two Egyptian officers out of the water, and Diana recovered 67 other survivors, but then we decided that hanging about in the area might be silly because of the M.T.B. threat, so asked a nearby South African merchantman - what must they have thought about all the pyrotechnics? - to see if they could find any more people in the ocean. She was one of a large number of merchant ships getting out of the Gulf of Suez just as quick as they could … ‘

Sold with a replacement group of seven medals, as listed above except the D.S.M. which is 2nd type and the N.G.S. which is marked ‘Replacement’.