Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas

The Great War Jutland D.S.O. group of six awarded to Rear-Admiral H. S. Currey, Royal Navy, Commander and Executive Officer of H.M.S. Marlborough, the only ship to be torpedoed during the battle

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top riband bar, the edge of the lower arm inscribed ‘H. S. Currey 1916’; 1914-15 Star (Commr. H. S. Currey, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. H. S. Currey, R.N.); Jubilee 1897, silver (H. S. Currey); Russia, Empire, Order of St Stanislas, 2nd Class neck badge with swords, gold and enamels by Eduard, the ring stamped ‘56’ and with St Petersburg mark for 1907-17, the horizontal reverse arms inscribed ‘H. S. Currey 1917’, the first five court mounted by Hunt & Roskell as worn and contained in Hunt & Roskell carrying case with fitted recess below the pad for the St Stanislas badge, good very fine (6) £4,000-£5,000

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 15 September 1916: ‘In recognition of services as mentioned in the foregoing despatch’, viz:

‘Honours for service in the battle of Jutland. Remarks of Admiral Sir Cecil Burney [second in command Grand Fleet]. Commander Hugh Schomberg Currey, R.N. Executive officer of “Marlborough” whose untiring energy and skilful work greatly assisted in saving the ship after she was torpedoed.’

Order of St Stanislas, 2nd Class with Swords London Gazette 5 June 1917: ‘Conferred by the Russian Government on Officers of the Grand Fleet for distinguished service rendered in the battle of Jutland.’

H.M.S. Marlborough, flagship of Vice-Admiral Burney, Commanding the First Battle Squadron, was the only ship of the Grand Fleet to be hit by torpedo in the battle of Jutland, a remarkable point that was not lost on Admiral Jellicoe in his despatch:

‘One of the features of the action was the large number of torpedoes that crossed our line without taking effect on any ship except Marlborough. Sir Cecil Burney estimates that at least twenty-one torpedoes were seen to cross the line of his squadron. All were avoided by skilful handling, except that single one, and it is notable that the Marlborough herself evaded seven. Similarly the Fifth Battle Squadron, in rear of the First Battle Squadron, avoided a considerable number and the other squadrons had similar experiences.’

The following narrative of events were noted by an officer from the fore-top of H.M.S. Marlborough:

‘At 6.54 we were hit by a torpedo. We thought at the time it might have been a mine, for we saw no track of a torpedo whatsoever, but we know now for certain that it was a torpedo as bits of one were found later in the ship. It hit on the starboard side, and aloft the top swayed a lot and finally took up a list to starboard, so that I imagined one strut of the tripod mast had been shot away; but looking over the side of the top I saw that it was the whole ship that had taken a list to starboard. The shock caused some of the switches on the electrical switchboard to jump, and one of the gunnery control instruments got out of step; also some fuses of the telephone circuits went, but they were very quickly, replaced.

A few minutes after we were hit we passed a destroyer, the Acasta, close on our port hand, flying 6 flag - “Am in danger of sinking” - and the “Not under control” signal; she had a collision mat stretched out over her starboard quarter. I was afraid for a moment that we were going to collide with her, as we passed so close to her that from aloft she was almost hidden by our ram, and we seemed to be practically on top of her. But she came by all clear, and her men cheered as we passed.

At about 7 o'clock, when we were just getting “square” again after the torpedo explosion, three tracks of torpedoes were seen approaching on the starboard side, all three apparently going to cross our track. The bridge were informed, and the ship was turned to port to avoid them, so that two passed ahead and one astern of us. Five or ten minutes before this some German destroyers had appeared on our starboard bow, so presumably these torpedoes, as well as the one that had hit us, came from them.

Directly after we had dodged these three torpedoes a four-funnelled cruiser of apparently the Roon class came into sight on our starboard beam, range 9,800 yards, bearing exactly on the beam, Green 90. She was stopped and already badly damaged, but we opened fire on her and fired four salvoes. The third and fourth salvoes hit her, opened up her sides, and revealed a deep red flame inside her hull. This was at 7.03, and two minutes later we ceased fire, as she appeared to be completely disabled and was sinking fast.

We now sighted three battleships, and at 7.06 shifted target on to the left-hand one of them - they were ships of the Konig class, carrying two funnels wide apart. We opened fire at a range of 10,750 yards, and fired 14 salvoes. The sixth, the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth were all distinct hits. From the sixth salvo a large cloud of grey smoke appeared near her foremast, and from the twelfth salvo two hits could be seen under her bridge, rather low down.

At 7.10 we fired a torpedo from the fore submerged tube at the disabled enemy cruiser. At 7.19 a flotilla of German destroyers appeared on our starboard quarter, approaching us, and fire was quickly opened upon them with the 6-inch battery. Also one 13.5 inch salvo was fired from the turrets. Two destroyers were hit, and the remainder immediately turned away to starboard and disappeared from sight behind a dense cloud of funnel smoke. Fourteen minutes later (7.33) the tracks of the torpedoes they had fired were observed approaching from the starboard bow and beam. The tracks were quite clear to us from aloft, and could be picked out when nearly a mile away. At once we reported to the bridge, and they altered course to starboard, so that No. 1 track, the farthest off, passed ahead of us, but Nos. 2 and 3 were nearly on top of us before the ship commenced swinging. No. 2 passed so close to the stern that we lost sight of its track from the top, and we should certainly have been hit if the stern had not been swinging away under the influence of helm; and No. 3, which I saw break surface when about 500 yards on our beam, came straight for the ship, and its track came right up against our starboard quarter - it must have been running below its depth and went right under the ship. The fact that these three were as clear as daylight, whereas no track was visible from the torpedo that had hit us at 6.54, made one think that it was a mine, not a torpedo by which we had been hit, but, as I said, other certain evidence showed that it was a torpedo.’

Remarkably, only two stokers had been killed by the explosion of the torpedo. As Executive officer of H.M.S. Marlborough, Commander Currey was responsible for damage control and organizing repairs to the ship. At 3 a.m. on 1st June Vice-Admiral Burney reported that he had transferred his flag to Revenge and that Marlborough, her speed now reduced to 12 knots, was proceeding with Fearless in company and a few hours later four destroyers were detached to screen Marlborough. At 6.50 p.m., after a long day of repair work and damage assessment, Marlborough reported - ‘All compartments between 78 and 111 stations starboard from outer bottom to middle or main deck probably flooded. All double bottom compartments between these stations on starboard side vertical keel damaged and probably double bottom compartments vertical to 2nd longitudinal on port side also damaged. Boilers, auxiliary machinary in “A” boiler room not damaged, except air blower and Diesel engine oil pump. “A” boiler room partially flooded but water is being kept under.’

Marlborough arrived safely in the Humber on the morning of 2nd June, screened by Fearless and eight destroyers. Commander Currey was praised for his ‘untiring energy and skilful work,’ which ‘greatly assisted in saving the ship after she was torpedoed’ and was subsequently awarded the D.S.O. which he received from the King at Buckingham Palace on 5 February 1917. Amongst recipients of other gallantry awards, Marlborough’s engine-room stoke-hold ratings featured to the fore, including C.G.Ms. to Stoker P.O. William Ackerman of “A” boiler room and Stoker Joseph Hughes of the starboard forward hydraulic room, which was immediately above the compartment which was struck by the torpedo, as well as several D.S.Ms.

Hugh Schomberg Currey was born on 11 November 1876, eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Currey, 4th Dragoon Guards. He entered the Navy as a cadet in the training ship Britannia in January 1891, becoming Midshipman in March 1893, Sub-Lieutenant in September 1896, Lieutenant in April 1899. He served as Commander and Executive officer of Marlborough during the Great War 1914-17, including the battle of Jutland (D.S.O., despatches, Order of St Stanislas of Russia). From February 1917 until November 1918 he commanded the sloop Lupin. Placed on the retired list in 1922, he was subsequently Captain Superintendent of the training ship Exmouth, 1923-34, being promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1928. Admiral Currey died on 12 August 1955.

Sold with copy record of service and a copy of Currey’s report published in the official despatches for the battle of Jutland.