Orders, Decorations and Medals Including five Special Collections

Three: Lieutenant-Commander D. R. Mason, Royal Naval Reserve, killed whilst Captain of H.M.S. Osmanieh in 1917

1914-15 Star (Lieut., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Commr., R.N.R.) extremely fine (3) £600-800

M.I.D. London Gazette 14 September 1917. Sold with copy of recommendation for this award, which is shared with two other officers of H.M.S. Osmamaneih. ‘...for good services on the occasion of an attack by the Racoon on an enemy submarine, when the action taken by the Osmanieh was of material assistance to the Racoon. On 23 June 1917 the Osmanieh was attacked by two enemy submarines and the promptness with which fire was opened and the ships course altered undoubtedly led to the failure of the attack.’

Lieutenant-Commander David Richard Mason was lost on 31 December 1917 whilst in command of H.M.S. Osmanieh, when she struck a mine at the entrance to the harbour at Alexandria. At the time she was carrying troops and medical staff, she sank very quickly taking with her the Captain (Lt.-Cdr. Mason), two other officers, 21 crew, one military officer, and 166 other ranks and eight nurses. Lieutenant-Commander Mason is commemorated on the Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

Sold with a copy of a detailed report regarding the loss of the Osmanieh, from which the following information is extracted. Statement of Sub. Lieut. H.S. Barnes: ‘...At about 10:20a.m. I received the pilot on board. Following him up on to the bridge I questioned the pilot as to the ship docking. The order “slow ahead” had just been given when the explosion occurred.

The Captain [Lt.-Cdr. Mason] and myself standing together were blown through the roof of the wheel house and back on to the deck. He immediately gave orders “stop engines” telling me to clear away the boats...’

Statement of Lieut. Col. P.R.C. Groves, D.S.O.: ‘When the explosion occurred I was standing looking over the rail on the promenade deck, on the port side, close to the steps leading up to the bridge. I immediately ran up these steps on to the bridge and asked the Captain [Lt.-Cdr. Mason] how much time we had. He replied “A few minutes”. I said “Is the order to be, into the water?” He said “yes”...The Captain pointed out to me that the ship was going down by the bow and also told me to get everyone forward. He was apparently thinking of the boilers exploding...Finally, when the boat was level with the water and the forward well deck was nearly full, I turned to the Captain and said “what about it now”. He said “yes, we must be off”. He then ran to the port side of the bridge whilst I went to the starboard...’

The court of enquiry stated the following in their summing up of the incident: ‘We consider the loss was occasioned by striking a mine or mines. For this no blame is attributable to the Captain or officers of the Osmanieh, and their conduct throughout, and that of the crew, with a few exceptions was marked by courage and devotion to duty.’