Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A superb Battle of the Atlantic D.S.M. awarded to Chief Stoker W. L. Scarff, Royal Navy, for gallantry in H.M.S. Harvester after she had rammed and destroyed the U-444 before she was herself torpedoed and sunk by the U-432, which was in turn rammed and sunk by the Free French corvette Aconit, the few survivors from Harvester being subsequently rescued by Aconit

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (K.66425 W. L. Scarff. Ch. Sto.) very fine £1800-2200

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 June 1943: ‘For distinguished services in action against enemy submarines, whilst serving in H.M.S. Harvester - Chief Stoker Wilfred Leonard Scarff, CK.66425.’ Only two D.S.Ms. awarded for this remarkable action, in addition to one D.S.C. and five M.I.Ds., two of them Posthumous.

Sold with original Admiralty letter, torn and repaired, notifying recipient of his award, ‘for gallantry and steadfast devotion to duty in H.M.S. Harvester after she had rammed and destroyed an Enemy Submarine on the night of 10th/11th March, 1943, in gallant defence of a Convoy.’

In March 1943, the experienced Group B3, comprised of British, Polish and Free French escort vessels employed on convoy duties in the Atlantic, led by Commander A. A. Tait in the destroyer Harvester, was detailed to escort Convoy HX 228, comprising sixty ships from Halifax. The convoy was set upon by a German Wolf Pack, comprising thirteen U-boats of the mid-Atlantic Neuland Group, who succeeded in sinking four Merchantmen as well as the Harvester, but not without their own losses.

On the night of 10th-11th March, running down a radar contact, Tait sighted U-444 on the surface, and, after attacking her with depth charges, rammed the U-boat at full speed. However, as the Harvester drove through and over, the submarine scraped and bumped its way along the destroyer’s keel and became wedged under her propellers. The two vessels lay locked in this way for a time, and, by the time the U-boat finally broke free, Harvester’s propellers and shafts had suffered so much damage that she was reduced to a slow crawl on one engine.

The French corvette Aconit, coming to her leader’s help, found U-444 still miraculously afloat and delivered the coup de grace by ramming her again. Meanwhile, Tait, in spite of Harvester’s heavy damage, had rescued 50 survivors from one of the sunken merchant ships before limping slowly on. Aconit was ordered away to rejoin the convoy; but soon after daylight Harvester’s propeller shaft cracked, bringing her to a standstill. Called back again to Harvester’s aid, Aconit was still some distance away when a column of smoke on the horizon and a last signal told Lieutenant Levasseur, her captain, that the helpless and immobilized destroyer had been torpedoed. Hurrying to the rescue, Aconit was rewarded with an asdic contact. Depth-charges brought a U-boat to the surface and once again Lavasseur had the satisfaction of ramming and sinking one of the enemy - a satisfaction deepened by the discovery that his victim, U-432, had been responsible for torpedoing the Harvester. Loss of life from the Harvester was tragically heavy, and included her captain, eight officers and 136 ratings. Chief Stoker Scarff was one of the few survivors picked up by the Aconit.

Sold with copied extracts from the Board of Enquiry report into the loss of Harvester, and other research.