Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas (Part I)

The Great War D.S.O. group of four awarded to Commander H. B. Boothby, Royal Naval Reserve, for minesweeping off Scarborough in December 1914, the first award of the D.S.O. to an Officer of the R.N.R.

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top riband bar; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. H. B. Boothby, D.S.O., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Commr. H. B. Boothby. R.N.R.) mounted for display, good very fine (4) £3,000-£4,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 19 February 1915. Awarded in recognition of his services described in the despatch published in the London Gazette of the same date:

‘The following Memorandum has been furnished by the Admiral Commanding the East Coast Mine-sweepers, detailing the recent mine-sweeping operations off Scarborough:- From the 19th to the 31st December sweeping operations were conducted by the East Coast Mine-sweepers with the object of clearing the minefield which had been laid by the enemy off Scarborough. At the beginning there was no indication of the position of the mines, although owing to losses of passing merchant ships it was known that a minefield had been laid. In order to ascertain how the mines lay it was necessary to work at all times of tide with a consequent large increase in the element of danger. The following officers are specially noticed for their services during the operations:-

‘Lieutenant H. Boothby, R.N.R., H.M.S. Pekin. When Trawler No. 99 (“Orianda”))in which he was serving was blown up by a mine on the 19th December, Lieutenant Boothby successfully got all his crew (except one who was killed) into safety. Lieutenant Boothby was again blown up on the 6th January, 1915, in Trawler No. 450 (“The Banyers”).’

Sold with a copy of his autobiography Spunyarn, published by G. T. Foulis & Co., London, circa 1930. Boothby describes his many adventures at sea, from a small boy of 15 in 1878 to 1914 when he volunteered for the Royal Naval Reserve. He was interviewed by Admiral of Minesweepers, Admiral Charlton, who asked him to recommend five merchant officers for R.N.R. commissions. Boothby naturally put his own name down but seems to have lost five years when describing his age! All five, however, were accepted and ended the war with four D.S.Cs and 2 D.S.Os between them. During 1915 and 1916, Boothby had various mine-sweeper group commands as Principal Mine-sweeping Officer. He was promoted to Commander in 1919.