A Great War group of three awarded to Leading Seaman W. J. Dewar, Royal Navy, a Jutland veteran who was afterwards mentioned in despatches for services in Q-Ships

1914-15 Star (J. 5851 L.S., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (J. 5851 L.S., R.N.) contact marks and edge bruising, about very fine (3) £300-400

William James Dewar, who was born at Tiverton, Devon, entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in October 1909. An Able Seaman serving ashore at Vivid I by the outbreak of hostilities, he joined the battleship H.M.S. Benbow in October 1914 and served in her until June 1917, consequently being present at Jutland.

In October 1917, following another period ashore at Vivid I, Dewar volunteered for service in Q-Ships, and was ‘highly commended’ on the occasion of the loss of the Candytuft on 18 November 1917 (service record refers). Keble Chatterton takes up the story in his well-known Q-Ship history:

‘At the beginning of the following November [1917], Commander Cochrane left Devonport in command of the Q-Ship Candytuft, together with a convoy of merchant ships bound for Gibraltar. Candytuft was disguised to represent a tramp steamer, and on the eighth, when in the vicinity of Cape St. Vincent, had an encounter with a submarine, in which the usual tactics were employed. One of the enemy’s shells struck the Q-Ship’s bridge, exploding under the bunk in Captain Cochrane’s cabin, wrecking the wireless and steering-gear. Candytuft was able to fire three shots, but the enemy disappeared, made off, and was never seen by the Q-Ship again.

After having repaired at Gibraltar, Candytuft left in company with the merchant ship Tremayne for Malta. This was November 16. Two days later they were off Cap Sigli, when a torpedo crossed Tremayne’s bows, but struck Candytuft on the starboard quarter, entirely blowing off the ship’s stern and killing all the officers excepting Captain Cochrane and Lieutenant Phillips, R.N.R., who was on the bridge, but very badly wounding Lieutenant Errington, R.N.R.

With sound judgment and true unselfishness Captain Cochrane now ordered Tremayne to make for Bougie as fast as she could, and in the meantime the Q-Ship hoisted her foresail to assist the ship to drift inshore. Most of the ship’s company were sent away in boats, only sufficient being kept aboard to man the two 4-inch guns, and everyone kept out of sight. Within half an hour a periscope was seen by Captain Cochrane, concealed behind the bridge screens. A periscope is a poor target, but it was fired at ineffectually. On came the torpedo, striking Candytuft just foreward of the bridge, completely wrecking the fore part of the ship. This explosion wounded several men in a boat, covered the bridge with coal barrows and other miscellaneous wreckage, blew a leading-seaman overboard - happily he was picked up unhurt - blew Captain Cochrane up also, but some of the falling wreckage struck him on the head, knocked him back inboard, and left him staggering on the bridge.

Presently the ship gave a sudden jerk, and rid herself of her bow, which now floated away and sank. Candytuft drifted towards the African shore, and after the captain and one of the crew had gallantly closed the watertight door at the forward end of the mess-deck, up to their middles in water and working in almost complete darkness, with tables and other articles washing about, it became time for these last two to leave the ship. They were taken off by a French armed trawler and landed at Bougie. Candytuft, minus bow and stern, drifted ashore on to a sandy beach, and eventually the two 4-inch guns were salved. Lieutenant Errington had died before reaching land, and the wounded had to be left in the hospital. But afterwards some of Candytuft’s crew went to sea in another Q-Ship, and so the whole gallant story went on. Ships may be torpedoed, but, like soldiers, sailors never die. They keep on ‘keeping on’ all the time, as a young seaman once was heard to remark.’

Dewar did indeed return to the Q-Ship scene, with an appointment in the Pangloss in the summer of 1918, which vessel had previously sailed under Colin Campbell, V.C. as Pargust. Initially assigned to serve under the Vice-Admiral Northern Patrol, Pangloss later operated further south.

Mentioned in despatches for ‘services in action with enemy submarines’ (London Gazette 30 June 1919 refers), Dewar was finally discharged ‘time expired’ in September 1922.