Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Nine: Stoker Petty Officer A. R. Murrell, Royal Navy, who served in H.M.S. Suffolk during the first sighting and chase of German battleship Bismarck and her escort Prinz Eugen during the Battle of Denmark Strait, May 1941

1914-15 Star (K.21015, A. R. Murrell, Sto.1., S); British War and Victory Medals (K.21015, A. R. Murrell, Sto.1. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension, with Second Award Bar (K.21015, A. R. Murrell, S.P.O. H.M.S. Bluebell.) mounted court-style for display, the Great War awards and LS&GC heavily worn, therefore fair; the Second War awards and Jubilee Medal good very fine (9) £400-£500

Arthur Robert Murrell was born on at Colliers Row, Essex, on 5 April 1895 and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker Second Class on 6 October 1913 stating his occupation as ‘Porter Great Eastern Railway.’ He served during the Great War in the Devonshire-class armed cruiser H.M.S. Antrim from 2 April 1914 to 16 December 1917 when she was decommissioned, at which point he reverted to Pembroke II. Advanced Leading Stoker on 3 May 1918, he served during the inter-War period in a variety of ships and shore based establishments; was promoted Stoker Petty Officer on 1 April 1925; and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with Gratuity on 8 January 1929. Shore pensioned on 5 October 1935, he was recalled for duty on 6 September 1939, and joined H.M.S. Suffolk on 10 April 1941.

The Battle of Denmark Strait
Murrell’s period of service with H.M.S. Suffolk would encompass the ‘Battle of the Denmark Strait’, when, alerted by aerial reconnaissance to the sighting of the German battleship Bismarck and its escort Prinz Eugen in the immediate vicinity, one of Suffolk’s look-outs sighted both enemy ships emerging from a snow squall, at 7.22 p.m. on the evening of 23 May 1941, moving fast in a South-Westerly direction parallel to the ice. Ordered to maintain contact, Suffolk increased speed and tracked the enemy ships with its RDF. One of the officers afterwards recalling; ‘We could tell by the tremendous vibration that Suffolk was putting all her reserves into the chase. I had never seen the needle touch 30 knots before, and it was difficult to use instruments on the plotting table. Every moment we expected Bismarck to open fire. At this stage however it was more important to maintain contact than force action and be annihilated’. No doubt Petty Officer Stoker Murrell was directly responsible for maintaining maximum speed during this critical period.

The following account which was written by one of Suffolk’s officers, Lieutenant D. N. Paton, would echo the experiences of Petty Officer Stoker Murrell during this momentous occasion:
‘On 22 May, a naval aircraft reported that the enemy ships were no longer at Bergen, so that the stage seemed set for the battle likely to follow. Suddenly, at 7.22 in the evening of 23 May, one of the look-outs sighted Bismarck and Prinz Eugen emerging from a snow squall between Suffolk and the ice. There could be no mistaking the vastness of the battleship at the point blank range of seven miles, though the somewhat inappropriate remark of a midshipman - “Hood and Prince of Wales, I suppose” - subsequently became legendary. The enemy ships were moving fast in a S.W. direction parallel to the ice. This was the culminating moment of all those weary months of training and waiting. “Action stations” was immediately piped, full speed rung to the engine-room, and a sharp alteration of course made into the enveloping mist. Every second was vital. In a flash the first of a long stream of reports was sent out; that stream which set in motion the elaborate chase that followed.
Meanwhile Suffolk had increased speed and located the enemy ships with the RDF. We could tell by the tremendous vibration that she was putting all her reserves into the chase. I had never seen the needle touch 30 knots before, and it was difficult to use instruments on the plotting table. Every moment we expected Bismarck to open fire. At this stage however it was more important to maintain contact than force action and be annihilated. Later Norfolk joined us and began to shadow too. So the pursuit continued at high speed throughout the night, moving roughly parallel to the coast of Greenland. I remember losing all sense of time, especially as in that latitude there is no true night but only a kind of pallid twilight.
During this time Norfolk and Suffolk sent out a succession of enemy reports, from which the battle cruiser force of Hood and Prince of Wales was directed to engage the enemy. Admiral Tovey sailed from Scapa Flow in the battleship King George V together with Repulse and Victorious, cruisers and destroyers. Hood and Prince of Wales had expected to engage the enemy shortly after midnight on 24 May but at that time Suffolk lost contact in a snowstorm. It was feared that the enemy may have doubled back in the poor visibility to return to base. But at 2.47 a.m. Suffolk regained contact. We all knew action was imminent and it was only a question of time and place.
With the pale light of the morning Hood and Prince of Wales intercepted the enemy at 5.35 a.m. and the battle opened about 6 o’clock. The orange flashes on the horizon showed the enemy had replied. In the short action which ensued Hood was hit and a great column of flame shot into the air followed by an immense pall of black smoke. In an instant the stately ship and all but three of her gallant crew of over 1400 perished. Apart from the magnitude of the disaster a dazed sense of incredulity overtook us all.
Prince of Wales had suffered damage too. One gun turret was out of action and in her forward turret there was a defective gun. Shortly after 6 a.m. a hit on the bridge killed or wounded all the officers except for the captain. The ship had only recently been commissioned and owing to defects was still carrying civilian workmen. But the enemy had not escaped entirely and her speed had been reduced. There were also tell-tale patches of oil in the sea. So the chase continued with the enemy ships heading for the safety of the ocean, followed closely by Prince of Wales and the two cruisers.
“After mid-day the enemy altered course to the south. At the same time the weather deteriorated and patches of mist and rain got thicker and more frequent. The range was closed so as to maintain contact. As each successive storm hid the German ships it became crucial to proceed warily. At about 6.30 in the evening of 24 May the enemy entered a particularly thick squall. An uncanny sense must have warned the captain to beware of the ambush. Suddenly the great battleship loomed through the mist about ten miles distant. Immediately we altered course and at the same time opened fire with the main armament of 8-inch guns. The noise was deafening. Bismarck, too, was firing and after what seemed an interminable wait, great fountains of water rose into the air nearby. From the comparative safety of the plotting office exploding shells sounded like extra loud machine gun fire. We made violent alterations of course and laid smoke in order to escape the fire. Prince of Wales had come to our assistance, but the enemy turned again to the south and tried to elude the British ships at high speed. What was not known at the time was that during this encounter Prinz Eugen had been detached to the south west.
So the chase continued with another brief, but ineffective encounter at about 1 a.m. on 25 May. But at 3.06 a.m. Suffolk lost contact. It was apparently at this time that Bismarck had altered course eastwards seeking the shelter of a French port. Suffolk and Norfolk were ordered to search to the west and south west in case the enemy tried to rendezvous with a supply tanker. By this time the ship’s company had been at action stations for 32 hours and tiredness was inevitable. We tried to snatch an hour’s rest in turn if opportunity allowed. Outside, the sea was rising and the visibility getting worse. We were no longer in the Arctic Circle and darkness was adding to other difficulties. Meanwhile conflicting reports were reaching the C. in C. as to the enemy’s position and intentions. However practically every capital ship was diverted to the area to prevent the enemy from reaching France. An anxious search proceeded throughout the day but it was not until 10.30 a.m. on 26 May that Bismarck was at last located by a Catalina aircraft of Coastal Command some 700 miles N.W. of Brest.
During 25 May and until Bismarck had been found Suffolk had maintained a high degree of readiness. It was with great relief that the news of her location and subsequent sinking was received by the ship’s company, though with a feeling of admiration for her fight against hopeless odds. We were sent to St. John’s, Newfoundland to refuel and take on stores’.

Murrell next joined H.M.S. Pembroke II on 11 March 1942, and was borne for the rest of the War in various shore based establishments, being released Class ‘A’ Reserve on 16 August 1945. He re-entered the service on 4 September 1950 upon volunteering for the Naval Careers Service, and was permitted to serve until his 60th Birthday. His service papers confirm the award of the King’s Jubilee Medal on the 6th May 1935, and he was awarded a Second Award Bar to his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 29 October 1952. He was discharged to pension on 6 April 1955, and died in 1963.

Sold with a photograph of the recipient.