Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War anti-U-boat operations D.S.O. group of four awarded to Commander F. C. Platt, Royal Navy: as Commanding Officer of the sloop H.M.S. Wallflower, he was credited with the destruction of the U-32 in the Mediterranean in May 1918

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Commr., R.N.), the first with slightly recessed centre-piece, generally very fine and better (4) £1800-2200

D.S.O. London Gazette 29 November 1918:

‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’

The recommendation states:

‘In recognition of his prompt and successful action in the destruction of the enemy submarine U-32 on 8 May 1918.’

Francis Cuthbert Platt was born in Whitkirk, near Leeds, the son of a clergyman, in August 1885 and entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in Britannia in January 1901. In the period leading up to the Great War, he enjoyed numerous seagoing appointments and favourable reports, gaining advancement to Lieutenant in July 1907 and, following the outbreak of hostilities, to Lieutenant-Commander in July 1915, by which stage he was serving in H.M.S. Cadmus. He subsequently removed to the Glory as a Gunnery Officer in 1916, and received his first command, the sloop Wallflower, in November 1917. The latter ship was employed on convoy duties ranging from Gibraltar to Port Said, and on 8 May 1918, following a less conclusive action with another enemy submarine in the previous month, was credited with the destruction of the U-32. Robert M. Grant’s U-Boat Intelligence 1914-1918 takes up the story:

‘May 8 was the day when another U-boat was sunk, this time in the Sicilian Sea. At 0900 the French interceptors picked up a signal from U-48. Soon afterwards the sloop, H.M.S. Wallflower, escorting a convoy from Alexandria to Marseilles, took action against a submarine. Her log contains a record of the brief encounter:

10.22: sighted periscope ahead about 400 yards; proceeded full speed.
10.28: let go depth charge which failed to explode; turned to starboard.
10.33: dropped two charges; second explosion observed 30-50 yards from explosion of depth charges.

French Intelligence concluded that the submarine was U-48 and that she had been damaged by the depth charges. What happened, however, was that the homeward-bound U-48 had made her signal to U-32, who had informed her that she was following a large convoy heading to the north-west. The convoy, including a large transport, was being escorted by a British destroyer. U-48 could not participate, since she had fired all her torpedoes. As she left the scene she picked up an ‘Allo’ signal from the convoy, indicating that the presence of U-32 had been observed. Presumably Cattaro radio picked up the signal of U-48, for that afternoon U-32 was ordered to repeat a garbled message about shipping traffic. Naturally she did not reply (she had already been sunk).’

About 30 officers and ratings made up the crew of Wallflower’s victim.

Platt, who was advanced to Commander on the Retired List between the Wars, offered his services to the Royal Navy on the renewal of hostilities, but was clearly suffering from ill-health. Admitted to the R.N.H. Haslar in July 1940, he died in February 1941.