Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare ‘River Tigris Operations’ Great War D.S.M. group of four awarded to Petty Officer W. H. Rowe, Royal Navy, Gunlayer of H.M. Armed Launch Shaitan, whose crew of 9, armed with a single 12-pounder, in a display of cool audacity at the expenditure of only 2 or 3 shells, captured over 250 Turkish Troops and contributed largely to the evacuation of Amara

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (152932. W. H. Rowe. Lg. Sean. H.M.S. Shaitan.) minor official correction to rate; 1914-15 Star (152932. W. H. Rowe. P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (152932 W. H. Rowe. P.O. R.N.) nearly extremely fine, rare (4) £3,000-£4,000

D.S.M. London Gazette 13 September 1915.
The original Recommendation states: ‘Shaitan, Amara, 3 June 1915. Gunlayer of Shaitan’s 12 pdr gun, an excellent shot, cool and steady. I recommend him from early advancement.’

Rowe was awarded his D.S.M. for his role in pursuit of the enemy gunboat Marmariss and the capture of Amara by H.M. Armed Launch Shaitan. For their daring exploit and resolution, Shaitan’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant M. Singleton, was awarded the D.S.O., and two of the crew (Coxswain A. J. Roberts and Gunlayer W. H. Rowe) were awarded the D.S.M.

Singleton’s D.S.O. citation, which appeared in the same London Gazette, is as follows:
‘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 Marmariss 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.’

William Henry Rowe was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 16 September 1874 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 17 March 1890. He was advanced Leading Seaman on 1 December 1910 and served during the Great War in H.M. Armed Launch Shaitan from 1 August 1915, whilst borne on the books of H.M.S. Clio and H.M.S. Alert. He transferred to H.M.S. Dragonfly, with the rate of Petty Officer, on 11 December 1915, and served in her until 7 January 1918. He was shore demobilised on 5 December 1919, and subsequently joined the Royal Fleet Reserve.

H.M. Armed Launch Shaitan on the River Tigris
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, in reality little more than a harbour tug with a single piece of artillery, 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 Marmarris. 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 the Shaitan, 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 2,000 troops.

As the Official History of the Great War rightly stated, ‘Greater daring than that of the Shaitan can hardly be imagined... a very little resolution of the enemy’s side would have disposed [of her crew of nine] easily at point blank range.’

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