Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Auxiliary Patrol 1917’ D.S.M. group of three awarded to Engineman Henry Charman, Royal Naval Reserve, for services in H.M. Admiralty Trawler Sabreur, which was engaged by enemy destroyers during a raid on the night of 20/21 April 1917, which culminated in the famous action with H.M.S Swift and H.M.S. Broke and the sinking of two German destroyers

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (E.S.4455. H. Charman, Engn. R.N.R. “Sabreur” Aux. Patrol. 1917.); British War and Victory Medals (4455E.S. H. Charman. Engn. R.N.R.) toned, extremely fine (3) £800-£1,000

D.S.M. London Gazette 6 April 1918: ‘In recognition of services in vessels of the Auxiliary Patrol between 1st January and 31st December 1917.’

Sold with original ‘flimsy’ notification of the award from ‘The Captain Trawler Patrol, Dover’. Whilst this award is not gazetted for any specific action, it is worth pointing out that the only recorded incident of note involving the trawler Sabreur in this period occurred in the opening act of the famous engagement between H.M. Ships Swift and Broke and German destroyers on the night of the 20th to 21st April, 1917, when they successfully engaged a flotilla of five or six German destroyers, of which two were sunk.

On the night of 20/21 April, 1917, German Zeebrugge-based large torpedo boats made a raid on the Dover barrage; Gruppe Albrecht (6 Torpedo Boats) aiming to bombard Calais, Gruppe Gautier (also 6 Torpedo boats) to strike at Dover.

The action started at 2310 on 20 April, when Gruppe Albrecht shelled Calais, after which it returned to Port. At about 2330 Gruppe Gautier encountered the trawler Sabreur and attacked with gunfire, scoring two hits, one shell bursting in front of the wheelhouse and another in the engine room wounding a Trimmer. While the Germans believed that they had sunk the trawler, Sabreur, armed only with one 6-pdr, extinguished her lights and managed to escape. Gruppe Gautier then shelled Dover and the Kent countryside (shelling was wild) before swinging away south towards the Barrage.

At 0045 the destroyers H.M.S. Swift and Broke, just east of the Goodwins, sighted ships approaching on an opposite course. The Germans opened fire, and scored several hits on Swift. Swift turned to ram but missed, passed through the German line and scored some hits too. She then fired a torpedo which hit G.85. Swift had been sorely hit, had wireless out of action, damage to bridge and 4 ft of water in the stokers mess-deck, 1 crew killed and 4 wounded. She turned to follow the Germans but couldn't keep up, so made her way home.

At the start of the fight Broke also opened fire with guns and torpedo, but failed to score. She then rammed G.42 amidships at 27 kts. Locked together, Broke's sailors had to repel German borders in hand to hand fighting while Broke's guns poured fire into G.42 at point blank range. While this battle was going on the last two German torpedo boats in the line sailed past and fired into Broke. Broke managed to break clear of G.42 and started limping eastwards after Swift. Broke had suffered damage to her boiler rooms with steam dropping, half of the bridge was on fire and the decks had been swept by gunfire. As she sailed away both G.85 and G.42 fired on Broke. Broke then turned back and fired on both German destroyers, silencing their guns. The battle ended at 0115. Both German destroyers sank shortly after.

At this point Broke's engines stopped and she drifted until taken under tow by H.M.S. Lydiard, who along with H.M.S. Mentor and Lucifer had come out of Dover to help, but arrived too late.