A Great War trawler action D.S.C. group of four awarded to Skipper A. E. Sayers, Royal Naval Reserve, later killed in a mine explosion

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarked 1914; 1914-15 Star (W.S.A. 820 A. E. Sayers, D.S.C., Skr. R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Skr. R.N.R.) together with Bronze Memorial Plaque (Albert Edward Sayers) extremely fine (5) £1400-1600

D.S.C. London Gazette 13th September 1915.

The following extract is taken from 'The Auxiliary Patrol' by E. Keble-Chatterton:- ‘The Peterhead trawlers, while on patrol in July, 1915, had a meeting with a U-Boat. The Searanger, Cameo and Eastward Ho were off the same coast when Cameo sighted a submarine, made for her, and informed the others. The enemy began firing with his gun and tried to get round Cameo's stern, but Skipper Albert Sayers cleverly outmanoeuvred him and opened fire with nothing better than a 3-pounder against the enemy's 3.4-inch plus one other gun. A shell came, struck the Cameo's wheel house, passed through the steel plating, smashed the upper part of the ship's wheel and passed out of the open door at the after-side of the wheelhouse. It was a pretty narrow escape from death for Skipper Sayers, who was wounded in his right side and eye, but he remained at his post steering with the remainder of the wheel in his hand. A second shot struck Cameo on the starboard quarter just above the deck and a third exploded inside the galley, wrecking it. Owing to the direction of the wind Eastward Ho heard neither the firing nor Cameo's whistle, but saw the splash of the shells, so made for the submarine after the engagement had been going on for a quarter of an hour. But the submarine at once ceased firing, and made off at high speed on the surface. For his plucky conduct Skipper Sayers was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross and the gunner a D.S.M.’

Skipper Albert Edward Sayers, D.S.C., R.N.R., was the son of Thomas and Martha Sayers, of Hull, and husband of Kate, also of Hull. He was killed whilst serving on H.M. Trawler Gambri when she was sunk by a mine in the English Channel, near Royal Sovereign Light Vessel, on 18 January 1918. He was forty-seven years old and is commemorated by name on the Chatham Naval Memorial.