Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas

The ‘Okinawa operations’ D.S.M. group of six awarded to Acting Leading Seaman D. I. J. Moyse, who as a Bofors gunner displayed ‘great courage and presence of mind’ aboard the aircraft carrier Illustrious during ‘a suicide attack by a Japanese aircraft which missed his position by only a few feet’: the enemy pilot’s eyeballs were afterwards found on the flight-deck, and booted overboard by a “Kiwi” from the F.A.A.

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (A./Temp. L.S. D. I. J. Moyse, DJ/X. 245806); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star, 1 clasp, Pacific; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, some edge bruising but generally good very fine (6) £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.M. London Gazette 23 October 1945: ‘For gallantry, skill and great devotion to duty whilst serving in H.M. Ships Formidable, Victorious, Indefatigable, Illustrious and Indomitable during the operations performed in collaboration with the United States Pacific Fleet in the capture of Okinawa and the Nansei Shoto area, over a period from 26 March 1945 to 20 April 1945.’

The recommendation states: ‘As Captain of No. 2 Bofors during a suicide attack by a Japanese aircraft which missed his gun position by only a few feet, he showed great courage and presence of mind in jumping into the layer’s seat and firing the gun when the layer was absent from his position, scoring several hits on the enemy and thereby materially assisting in the enemy’s destruction clear of the ship.’

In what was code-named “Operation Iceberg”, a series of air strikes against Okinawa and surrounding targets between March and May 1945, five British aircraft carriers, as part of Task Force 57, worked alongside the American Pacific Fleet. The British assignment was to neutralise, and keep neutralised, the enemy airfields of the Sakishima group. On several occasions the carriers were subjected to Japanese suicide attacks, or as the enemy preferred to term it “Divine Wind”, but they remained on station and mounted numerous F.A.A. strikes which accounted for 100 enemy aircraft.

Of the action in which Moyse, a Devonshire man, won his D.S.M., on 6 April 1945, Kenneth Poolman records in his history Illustrious: ‘Five days later it was the turn of Illustrious. The gunners saw him coming, diving towards the forward part of the ship. Perhaps he was following the usual Tokko practice of aiming for the forward lift. Whatever he had in mind the Bofors gunners changed it for him, knocking him about so much that he exploded over the side.

But he left some souvenirs behind. The starboard wing of the suicider had actually crashed into the bridge about nine feet away from Captain Lambe, and pieces of plane and pilot were scattered over the flight deck.

Bob Ellison bent down rather dazedly and picked up two eyeballs and a piece of skull. He was looking stupidly at them when Don Hadman, a wild Kiwi from 1833, dashed up and grabbed the piece of skull from his hand.

“That’s my mascot from now on!” he yelled.

Then he booted the eyeballs over the side, for Don had never heard of Emperor Meiji and cared even less for the immeasurable blessings of the Imperial Goddess. Even so, he very soon helped yet another acolyte towards deification and “everlasting honours in the temple”, for Don was carrying his mascot when he took off and stopped the breath of the next Divine Wind to appear over the Fleet.’