Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce Second War 1942 ‘Channel Air/Sea Rescue’ C.G.M. group of five awarded to Chief Motor Mechanic L. C. T. Adams, Royal Naval Reserve, who took part in a noble, but ultimately doomed, joint Naval and R.A.F. Air/Sea Rescue operation to save the fighter ace Wing Commander ‘Paddy’ Finucane who had been shot down and ditched into the sea south west of Boulogne, 15 July 1942.

Four launches, M.L.s 139, 141 and R.A.F. H.S.L.s 138 and 140, set out for the stricken aircraft only to come under concentrated attack from at least 10 F.W. 190 fighter aircraft. Adams’ launch, M.L. 139, was attacked on five separate occasions, suffering casualties to the crew and hits which set the fuel tanks on fire. Adams and one other advanced into this inferno, surrounded by deadly gas, and managed to control the fires enough for the ship to withdraw - ‘That was the last attack, and three damaged boats came safely to harbour with their load of wounded. The courage of their crews under this fierce onslaught showed most eloquently how the human spirit can rise above such grim horror and misfortune and the ugliness of war’

Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, G.VI.R. (L. C. T. Adams. A/Ch. Mtr. Mech. R.N.) officially impressed naming, minor official correction to ‘RN’; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, nearly extremely fine (5) £10,000-£14,000

C.G.M. London Gazette 29 September 1942:

‘For gallantry, resolution and seamanship when H.M. Air/Sea Rescue Craft were heavily attacked by enemy aircraft in the Straits of Dover.’

The original recommendation (jointly listed with D/JX. 133162 Able Seaman G. Sandford) for an immediate C.G.M. states:

‘On 15th July 1942, H.M. M.L.139 with three other craft was engaged in rescuing airmen from the sea in the Dover Strait when she was attacked by 12 or more F.W.190s. M.L.139 was hit and a fire was started in the petrol compartment. Adams together with another rating [Sandford] entered the almost inaccessible compartment without breathing apparatus and put out the fire. Their action, knowing that the compartment contained over a thousand gallons of high octane spirit, that a tank was holed and vapour was present with the ship under fire from the enemy showed the greatest courage and devotion. These two men undoubtedly saved the ship by their bravery, resource and initiative.’

Leslie Charles Adams resided in Court Hill, Sanderstead, Surrey. He served with the Royal Naval Reserve during the Second World War, and distinguished himself whilst serving with Motor Launch 139 in an Air/Sea Rescue capacity, 15 July 1942. The incident is related in detail in The Battle of the Narrow Seas, A History of the Light Coastal Forces in the Channel and North Sea, 1939-1945, by Lieutenant Commander P. Scott, M.B.E., D.S.C. & Bar, R.N.V.R.:

‘Air/Sea Rescue is a duty shared between the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. The R.A.F. uses H.S.L.s (High Speed Launches) and the Navy uses specially constructed R.M.L.s (Rescue Motor Launches), which are larger and slower. Besides these vessels specially designed for the work many other ships have been required to go to the assistance of airmen in distress, amongst them all kinds of Coastal Force craft.

Air/Sea Rescue is an all-weather job, for the airmen are just as likely to crash into the sea when it is rough as when it is smooth; the boats must put forth in foul weather as well as fair, for broken hull frames are of no consequence when there are lives to be saved. The R.M.L.s based on the east coast, for example, have done their unspectacular work magnificently, far out in the North Sea, searching in all weathers for the crews of our own and American aircraft damaged in the air battles over the Continent.

With the steady increase in air activity, A.S.R. work increased proportionately... With our ever-increasing control of the skies, the danger of being attacked by enemy aircraft while engaged on A.S.R. work grew steadily less. But in the summer of 1942 it was still a serious menace. For example, on the 15th July in the course of a fighter sweep, Wing Commander “Paddy” Finucane, D.S.O., D.F.C., was shot down into the sea 7 miles south-west of Boulogne. Two H.S.L.s and two M.L.s were directed to attempt the rescue, although it was later discovered that he had not survived the crash. The boats reached the Bullock Bank in mid-Channel at about 1.20 in the afternoon when the first of a series of devastating attacks was carried out on them by ten Focke Wulf 190 fighters. First H.S.L. 140 was hit, suffering casualties of one killed and one wounded. One of the aircraft, however, was seen to be damaged. The remainder made H.S.L. 138 (commanded by F/O. W. E. Walters, R.A.F.) the object of their concentrated attention.

Walters was wounded in the first attack on his boat and fell forward into the fo’c’sle; the forward gunner was also wounded, but in spite of that the H.S.L. kept firing until all its ammunition was expended. By that time it was burning from stem to stern. The nursing orderly, Aircraftman W. Morgan, who had been badly wounded in the arm, continued to carry out his duties and attended to the casualties below. Every member of the ship’s company had by now been wounded and the fo’c’sle was full of smoke. The attacks continued and a moment later Morgan was killed.

Flying Officer Walters and Aircraftman M. Pring, themselves both wounded in the legs but realising the imminent necessity for abandoning ship, struggled to carry the gunner to the upper deck.

When finally they succeeded they collapsed on the deck. Aircraftman Pring was the first to come to, and he pushed the other two over the side and joined them in the water.

Having set the H.S.L. on fire the German fighters switched their attack to M.L. 139. Her Commanding Officer - Lt. A. R. S. Hodgson, R.N.V.R., records that they made five runs, in the first of which the fuel tanks were set on fire. The second caused another fire aft and a number of casualties, but in each of these runs one aircraft was damaged and the second time pieces were seen to fall off the target. Each successive attack increased the damage and the casualties.

The fires were the most serious menace, however. The methyl-bromide extinguishers had been released in the petrol compartment, but the fire was only partially extinguished and the compartment was filled with the deadly gas. In spite of this, Acting Chief Motor Mechanic L. Adams and Able Seaman G. Sandford, armed with hoses and Pyrenes, entered this most inaccessible compartment without breathing apparatus and put out the fire. They both worked in this confined space well knowing that the tank, with over a thousand gallons of high-octane spirit, had been pierced and that petrol vapour was present which might explode at any time; and in addition the ship was still under fire. In the opinion of the Commanding Officer the ship was saved by the bravery and resource of these two men, who were later awarded the C.G.M.

When the Germans flew off and the fires had been brought under control, M.L. 139, with two officers and two ratings wounded, went at once to the assistance of the burning H.S.L., where three survivors were taken from the water.

M.L. 141 which had so far escaped attack, although she had been engaging the Germans as they attacked the others, rescued seven more survivors of the H.S.L. from their raft and proceeded to destroy the blazing wreck by depth charges. Twenty minutes later six more F.W. 190s appeared, and although our Spitfires were protecting the other M.L., the enemy managed to carry out one run on 141 from ahead, in the course of which one officer was killed and three ratings were wounded. The Commanding Officer, Lt. P. M. C. Williams, R.N.R., records that several aircraft were seen to be hit, two of which emitted clouds of black smoke which was clearly distinguished from their exhaust smoke at full throttle. One of these was seen to crash some distance away.

That was the last attack, and three damaged boats came safely to harbour with their load of wounded. The courage of their crews under this fierce onslaught showed most eloquently how the human spirit can rise above such grim horror and misfortune and the ugliness of war.’

The rescue force suffered 2 killed, and 8 wounded. Their bravery was recognised with the award of 1 D.S.C., 2 C.G.M.s and 1 D.S.M. to a member of the R.A.F. A number of Naval Ratings and R.A.F. personnel were Mentioned in Despatches (including Aircraftman W. Morgan, who was Posthumously Mentioned). Adams was invested with his C.G.M., 24 November 1942.

Sold with newspaper cuttings including a photographic image of recipient in uniform, and copied research.