Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Leading Seaman J. C. Rowland, Royal Navy, a veteran of the Dardanelles who went on to serve in Q-Ships and was present on the occasion of the loss of the Tulip (a.k.a. Q-8) to the U. 61 in April 1917

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (J. 342 J. C. Rowlands, A.B., H.M.S. Swiftsure), note surname spelling; 1914-15 Star (J. 342 J. C. Rowland, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J. 342 J. C. Rowland, L.S., R.N.), contact marks, therefore nearly very fine (4) £400-500

Joseph Charles Rowland was born in Camberwell, London in January 1892 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in January 1908. Joining the cruiser H.M.S. Swiftsure as an Able Seaman in March 1913, and having seen active service in the Persian Gulf, he was similarly employed on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 and was landed for service ashore in the Suez and Dardanelles operations of 1915-16.

Coming ashore to Pembroke in May 1916, he next transferred to the clandestine world of Q-Ships, and served in the Q-12 from August 1916 until her sinking in the Atlantic on 30 April 1917, when she was torpedoed by the U. 62. Q-Ships, by Carson Ritchie, takes up the story: ‘On 30 April 1917, Tulip was steaming 200 miles west of Ireland when a periscope was sighted. The commander, Norman Lewis, turned towards the submarine, intending to ram, but before the ship could answer the helm a torpedo hit her amidships, killing many of the engine room staff and wrecking the largest lifeboat. Lewis gave the order to abandon ship and threw overboard the iron box containing the confidential books. His steward, a butler in civilian life, apologised for leaving the captain’s cabin in such a terrible state as the survivors got away in the three remaining boats. The U-boat, U. 62, commanded by Korvetten-Kapitan Hashagen, closed the life boats, and a young officer asked for the captain. Lewis raised his hand and was ordered aboard. He was taken to Hashagen who said: “Good afternoon, captain. Do you have any papers or weapons on you?” Lewis said that he did not. “Very well, “ said Hashagen, “sit down and have a drink.” Lewis was expecting a rather different reception, but as he said later: “Being of a tactful nature, I had one.” He continued to be treated well in the U-boat and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner at Freiburg. His men were left to a 200-mile row home: fortunately they were picked up the following day.’

Rowland saw out the War with appointments in the cruisers Euryalus in July-October 1917 and Sapphire from the latter month until the end of hostilities, and he was finally pensioned ashore as a Leading Seaman in September 1922; sold with copied service record.