Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An outstanding Great War Tigris operations D.S.O. group of four awarded to Lieutenant-Commander M. Singleton, Royal Navy, who accomplished the remarkable feat in his small armed tug of bringing to surrender a body of about 11 officers and 250 Turkish troops - indeed it was the opinion of the official historian of the campaign that greater daring than Singleton’s cool audacity could hardly be imagined

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. M. Singleton, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Commr. M. Singleton, R.N.), contained in an old leather case, very fine or better (4) £4000-5000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 13 September 1915:

‘For his services during the advance from Qurnah and capture of Amara at the beginning of June 1915. Lieutenant Singleton was in command of the armed launch Shaitan, and displayed great skill and energy in pursuit of the enemy gunboat Mamariss and other craft. He went ahead of the main force through Amara in a gallant manner, and performed the remarkable feat in his small armed tug of bringing to surrender a body of about 11 officers and 250 Turkish troops, whom he had intercepted, and causing a large number to retire, thus largely contributing to the surrender of the town.’

Mark Singleton was born in Theale Wedmore, Somerset, in June 1887, and entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in Britannia in May 1902. Advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in May 1907 and to Lieutenant in December 1909, he was serving in the base ship H.M.S. Espiegle in the Persian Gulf on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, and was subsequently employed with naval units co-operating with military forces in Mesopotamia.

By May 1915 the Turks had been driven from the lower reaches of the Tigris, and in order that the Navy might render assistance to the Army in following them up, a number of flat bottomed tug boats were commandeered and commissioned as H.M. Ships for use on the river. One of these, the Shaitan, was placed under Singleton’s command. Crewed by eight men, his boat was armed with a 12-pounder quick-firing gun in her bows and a smaller gun aft.

Advancing from Qurnah in June, the Shaitan, due to Singleton’s skilful boat handling, got ahead of the other small craft, and reached a point three miles south of Amara on her own. As she entered the reach of the river immediately below the town, which was situated on the east bank, large numbers of enemy troops were seen crossing the river to the western bank by a bridge of boats and getting into a barge secured to the Turkish gun boat Mamarris. The bridge of boats was then opened, the enemy gun boat clearly going to depart up river. Singleton immediately opened fire with the 12-pounder, causing the troops to abandon the barge for a safer spot on the west bank. Shaitan then steamed on and as she passed through the bridge of boats found the town was occupied in force. Half a battalion of Turks, moving through the streets to the river front, smartly retreated. Around the next bend on both banks yet more troops were retiring from the Shaitan which was in effect surrounded. The Turks held their fire for fear of drawing the attention of Shaitan’s 12-pounder, and she continued upstream for about half a mile, whence Singleton called on a party of about two hundred Turks with six officers to surrender. The Bluejacket’s disarmed them and, taking their weapons on board, compelled them to march down river abreast of the tug. On the way back to Amara, Singleton took more prisoners, who emerged from trees and threw down their arms; and, unattended, the sorry Turkish party obediently walked to the now deserted town where they sat down by a coffee shop and awaited the arrival of British troops.

Thus Singleton, at the expenditure of only two or three shells, captured 250 Turkish troops and 11 officers and contributed largely to the evacuation of Amara by 2000 troops. It was the opinion of the official historian of the campaign that greater daring than the Singleton’s cool audacity could hardly be imagined. He was awarded the D.S.O.

Having taken part in further advances up river over the course of the next three months, and been mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 21 January 1916 refers), Singleton, due to heavy casualties and sickness, became the Senior Naval Officer on the Tigris although only 26 years of age. And in February 1916, he was given command of the 98-ton gunboat Stonefly, in which capacity he was twice mentioned in despatches for further actions on the Tigris and the Euphrates (London Gazettes 5 April 1916 and 21 September 1917 refer).

Returning home in January 1918, he was invested with his D.S.O. at Buckingham Palace that March and saw out the War with the Harwich Force in command of the destroyer Patrician. Placed on the Retired List on account of ill-health in December 1923, the gallant Singleton died in December 1952; sold with copied research.