Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War ‘Konigsberg’ D.S.C. group of ten awarded to Rear-Admiral G. A. Scott, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1918; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. G. A. Scott. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Commr. G. A. Scott. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued; Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued; France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, bronze, the reverse dated 1914-1918, very fine and better (10) £4,000-£5,000

D.S.C. London Gazette 10 July 1919:
‘For distinguished services in H.M.S. Severn.’

The following recommendation was submitted by Captain E. J. A. Fullerton, R.N.: ‘Lieutenant Scott was Executive Officer of H.M.S. Severn, during the bombardment of the right flank of the German Army in September, October, November and December, 1914, and behaved with exceptional gallantry on several occasions. He was also Executive Officer of H.M.S. Severn during the attacks of S.M.S. Konigsberg in Rufugi River, July, 1915. On this occasion Lt. Scott showed great coolness, ability and excellent leadership when under heavy fire. He showed quick decision and a disregard of danger in taking a motor boat away by himself with a Marine, in the heat of the action, to rescue the observers from an aeroplane which had been shot down.

The major part of the burden for preparing H.M.S. Severn for being towed out to East Africa and subsequent fitting out of the ship for action fell on Lieutenant Scott's shoulders. He has received no reward of any kind, nor was he mentioned in Sir H. King-Hall's despatches, although very strongly recommended by me.’

George Arthur Scott was born on 5 September 1888, and entered the Royal Navy as a Midshipman on 30 November 1904, becoming Sub-Lieutenant on 30 January 1908, and Lieutenant on 1 October 1910. On 9 February 1914, while studying at Osborne College, he was admitted to Haslar Hospital for an injured knee. He returned to service on 6 March. He was appointed to Collongwood on 1 August 1914, but this was cancelled and a week later he was appointed to the monitor Severn. He took part in the bombardments off the Belgian coast, September to December 1914, and in Severn’s operations in the Rufiji Delta, including her two epic engagements against the Konigsberg in July 1915 (see The Konigsberg Adventure and Severn’s Saga, both by E. Keble Chatterton, for full details of these actions). He was invalided from Severn at Simonstown on 8 September 1915, with further knee problems and he was not fit until 8 December when he was appointed to Tyne for command of the “C” Class destroyer Bat. During the remainder of the war he commanded, successively, H.M. Ships Arun, Nymphe, Mons and Urchin.

Scott was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 1 October 1918, becoming Commander on 31 December 1923, and Captain on 30 June 1931. During this period he held various commands but his record was tarnished on at least two occasions when he was found to be at blame for collisions with other ships. On 24 April 1939, Scott was appointed the first commanding officer of H.M.S. Belfast upon her commissioning for trials. However, diagnosed with ‘nervous dyspepsia’ on 15 January 1940, he left Belfast at the end of that month for duty outside the Admiralty not exceeding six months. Scott was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 8 July 1941, and placed on the Retired List the following day.

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