Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War D.S.M. group of three awarded to Air Mechanic 1st Grade J. A. Mortimer, Royal Naval Air Service, a member of the famous “Spider Web” patrol who was present on the occasion of the destruction of the enemy submarines UC-1 and UC-6

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (F. 11344 J. A. Mortimer, Air Mech. 1st Gr., R.N.A.S., 28th Sept. 1917); British War and Victory Medals (F. 11344 J. A. Mortimer, A.M. 1, R.N.A.S.), good very fine (3) £2000-2500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force.

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D.S.M. London Gazette 30 November 1917:

‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’

James Andrew “Jimmy” Mortimer was born in Elgin in October 1887 and joined the Royal Naval Air Service in February 1916, in which month he was posted to R.N.A.S. Felixstowe, home to the famous “Spider Web” operations that were carried out over the North Sea. And it was while employed on one of these operations that he won his D.S.M. for his gallantry in a successful attack against the UC-6 on 28 September 1917.

The “Web” lay across the usual route taken by enemy submarines, extending to 60 miles in diameter and a search area of 4000 square miles - it took a U-Boat 10 hours to cross the area in question at normal cruising speed - and proved highly successful, the period April 1917 to April 1918 witnessing the completion of over 600 patrols encompassing 105,000 nautical miles, the sighting of 47 U-Boats, of which 25 were attacked. And some of the latter were sunk, as confirmed in the following account of Mortimer’s action which appeared in an Air Ministry publication shortly after the War:

‘Lower down the coast, the war flight at Felixstowe met with more success in their offensive operations. At 7.20 on the morning of the 28th September 1917, a flying boat, with Flight Lieutenant B. D. Hobbs, Flight Sub. Lieutenant R. F. L. Dickey, and Air Mechanics J. A. Mortimer (Engineer), E. M. Nicol (W./T. Operator), as crew, left Felixstowe to search for a submarine, whose wireless signals had shown her to be operating near the North Hinder. After an hour’s flight, the Wireless Operator picked up signals from some vessel within ten miles, and ten minutes later the crew from the flying boat sighted a hostile submarine a mile ahead. She was still at full buoyancy, with mast and gun showing. The [American] flying boat was at once opened up to eighty knots, and at 600 ft. flew straight for her prey, firing recognition signals as she went. These remained unanswered, and flying directly over the submarine one 250-lb. bomb was dropped and the boat turned to make a second run. Thereupon the U-boat opened fire - one shell exploding 50 ft. in front of the flying boat. Almost at the same moment the flying boat’s bomb burst on the tail of the enemy craft, making a large rent in the deck. Several red flashes now appeared on the water some distance in front of the flying boat, and through the mist three other submarines, with three enemy destroyers immediately behind them, were sighted line abreast. Escorting this detachment were two seaplanes which, however, did not attack, apparently owing to the barrage put up by the ships.

Unconcerned by the volume of shell fire, the flying boat was turned about, and passing over the already stricken craft - now sinking by the stern - dropped another 250-lb. bomb. This exploded dead on, 15 ft. ahead of the bow. The submarine sank immediately. The flying boat, after sending a wireless message giving the position of the hostile flotilla, returned home. The submarine destroyed proved to be the UC-6, a minelayer, operating from Zeebrugge. On receipt of the wireless message at Felixstowe, three more flying boats were despatched to hunt for the enemy ships and seaplanes. Although the detachment was sighted, attempts at attack were made abortive by the barrage of anti-aircraft fire put up by the enemy.’

Mortimer, who had earlier been present at the destruction of the UC-1 off North Hinder on 24 July 1917, and Nicol were awarded D.S.Ms, while Flight Lieutenant B. D. Hobbs added a Bar to his D.S.C. and Flight Sub. Lieutenant R. F. L. Dickey a second Bar to his D.S.C., the latter having been decorated for earlier exploits that led to the destruction of a zeppelin; sold with a file of research.