Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War ‘Gallipoli Landings’ D.S.M. group of four awarded to Able Seaman D. S. Kerr, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Ribble

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (239816. D. S. Kerr. A.B. H.M.S. Ribble); 1914-15 Star (239816, D. S. Kerr, D.S.M., A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (239816 D. S. Kerr. L.S. R.N.) contact marks, therefore nearly very fine (4) £1,400-£1,800

D.S.M. London Gazette 16 August 1915: ‘In recognition of services as mentioned in the foregoing despatch - from Vice-Admiral John M. de Robeck, reporting the landing of the Army on the Gallipoli Peninsula, 25th-26th April, 1915:- Able Seaman David S. Kerr, O.N.239816, H.M.S. Ribble.’

Of the 311 D.S.Ms awarded for Gallipoli, only 24 awards were made for the original landings of 25th-26th April, this award being unique to the destroyer H.M.S. Ribble for the landing at Gaba Tepe.

‘The Ribble, Lt Cdr R. W. Wilkinson (the northernmost destroyer), Usk, and Chelmer attempted a landing on the broad and open beach beside Fisherman’s Hut, standing almost in front of the perpendicular and strangely shaped cliff afterwards called the “Sphinx”. Here they suffered serious losses. This beach, afterwards known as Ocean beach, gradually broadens out until it merges into the open marshy plain which extends to Suvla and the Salt Lake... The Turks were ready to oppose a landing. For days afterwards we could see stranded boats left full of dead.’ (‘Gallipoli’ by Eric Wheeler Bush, DSO**, DSC refers).

David Sim Kerr was born at Walthamstow, London, on 27 January 1891, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in H.M.S. Impregnable on 17 October 1907, Boy 1st Class from May 1908. He advanced to Ordinary Seaman aboard Cressy in January 1909, and to Able Seaman whilst in Natal in December 1910. Shortly after the outbreak of the war he was placed on the books of Blenheim for service in the destroyer Ribble, from 2 December 1914 until 30 September 1916. During this period he took part in the Gallipoli operations including the initial landing on 25th-26th April 1915, for which he received the D.S.M. Upon his return to the U.K. he volunteered for the submarine service, joining Dolphin in December 1916, and Maidstone in January 1917, for service in H.M. Submarines E31 and C23 up to 14 June 1918, having meanwhile advanced to Leading Seaman in the previous September. After the war he continued in submarines, serving in H.M. Submarine H32 continuously from 4 July 1919 to 20 October 1921, and as Petty Officer from September 1921. He was invalided to Shore with ‘defective vision’ on 8 March 1922.

Sold with copied record of service and gazette notices.