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

The important Second War K.C.B., C.B.E., Royal Visit M.V.O. group of twenty-one awarded to Admiral Sir William Tennant, Royal Navy

After playing a pivotal role in Operation ‘Dynamo’ in 1940, when he was the Senior Naval Officer ashore at Dunkirk and the last to depart the beleaguered port, he likewise played a vital role in the planning and execution of Operation ‘Neptune’ in 1944, not least in the deployment of the Mulberry Harbours and ‘Pluto’ pipelines

In the interim, he served as captain of H.M.S. Repulse in the Far East, up until her famous loss to Japanese aircraft in 1941, on which unhappy occasion he determined to go down with his ship, but three of his officers pushed him bodily off the bridge and over the side

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; and breast star, silver, with gold and enamel appliqué centre; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knight of Grace’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge and breast star, silver and enamel; The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O., Member’s 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse numbered ‘1189’; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. W. G. Tennant, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. W. G. Tennant. R.N.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (Capt. W. G. Tennant. M.V.O. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Pacific Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Coronation 1953; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Croix de Guerre 1939, with palm; Greece, Kingdom, Order of George I (Military), 2nd Class set of insignia by Spink, London, comprising neck badge and breast star, silver-gilt and enamels, red enamel in centre of badge badly chipped; United States of America, Legion of Merit, Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, suspension loop numbered ‘385’, mounted court-style where appropriate, together with related mounted group of twenty miniature medals (not including Greek Order), generally good very fine or better (24) £8,000-£10,000

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

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Spink, December 1997, when the Greek insignia was incorrectly described as that of the Order of the Phoenix.

K.C.B. London Gazette 18 December 1945: ‘For distinguished service throughout the War in Europe.’

C.B. London Gazette 7 June 1940: ‘For good services in organising the withdrawal to England under fire and in the face of many and great difficulties of 335,490 officers and men of the Allied Armies, in about one thousand of His Majesty’s Ships and other craft between the 27th May and 4th June 1940.’

The original recommendation states:

‘For distinguished service as Senior Naval Officer on shore at Dunkirk during the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and part of the French Army. His excellent liaison with the French authorities enabled the drawn-out process of embarkation, both from the breakwater and the beaches, to be carried out to the best possible advantage. This work was carried on throughout the whole period of nine days under the strain of continuous bombardment both from the air and land.’

C.B.E. London Gazette 28 November 1944: ‘For distinguished services in operations which led to the successful landing of Allied Forces in Normandy.’

The original recommendation states:

‘Rear-Admiral Tennant was the Flag Officer placed in charge of the operations connected with the construction of the artificial harbours and craft shelters, known collectively as ‘Mulberries’ and ‘Gooseberries’. Nothing of this extent and nature has ever before been attempted, even in times of peace, and for the work to be successful called for great powers of organisation, combined with initiative, resource and seamanlike skill of a very high order, all of which was forthcoming in full measure.

In addition to this task Admiral Tennant was charged with the responsibility for co-ordinating all the multifarious towing requirements connected with the operation, extending over a period of several months, as well as for other tasks in all of which he was supremely successful. His tact, patience and charm of manner overcame many difficult situations and gained of him the universal support of the heterogeneous collection of individuals comprising the organisations which he had formed and over which he so effectively presided. I have no hesitation in stating that the very satisfactory maintenance of the Allied Armies in France was due in large measure to the successful work of Admiral Tennant and his organisation.’

M.V.O. London Gazette 10 November 1925: ‘On the occasion of the visit of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to Africa and South America.’

Greek Order of George I London Gazette 15 April 1947: ‘For valuable services to the Royal Hellenic Navy during the war in Europe.’

U.S.A. Legion of Merit London Gazette 15 October 1946: ‘For services to the United States of America during the war.’

His French Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre are also verified and were for services on the Staff of the C.-in-C. of the Allied Expeditionary Force in the liberation of France. The original recommendation (ADM 1/16697) states:

‘As a member of Admiral Sir Bertram H. Ramsay’s staff, he played an important part in the preparation and, especially, in the execution of the operations of disembarkation in Normandy on 6 June 1944 and the days immediately following, thus effectively participating in the liberation of a portion of French territory.’

William George Tennant was born at Upton-on-Severn on 2 January 1890, the son of an army officer, and was educated at Hanley Castle Grammar School prior to entering the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in May 1905. Subsequently confirmed in the rank of Sub. Lieutenant in December 1909, and advanced to Lieutenant in June 1912, he specialised in navigation.

During the Great War he served in the Harwich Force, in the destroyers Lizard and Ferret, and afterwards in the Grand Fleet in the cruisers Chatham and Nottingham, and he was present at the latter’s loss on 19 August 1916, when she was torpedoed in the North Sea by the U-52, with a loss of 38 men.

Having ended the war in the cruiser Concord, Tennant was next appointed to the royal yacht Alexandra, in which role he made a good impression, for, in September 1921, as a recently promoted Lieutenant-Commander, he joined the battle cruiser Renown as navigating officer for the Prince of Wales’s royal tour to India and Japan. That too clearly went well, for he was subsequently appointed navigating officer of the Repulse for the Prince’s tour to Africa and South America in 1924-25. He was advanced to Commander and appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (M.V.O.).

Royal service aside, Tennant gained valuable experience in the Operations Division of the Admiralty in the mid-20s, toured the Mediterranean as executive officer of the cruiser Sussex in 1929-30, and was advanced to Captain on the staff of the R.N.C. Greenwich in December 1932. Another tour in the Mediterranean having ensued, in command of the cruiser Arethusa, he was appointed Chief Staff Officer to First Sea Lord Sir Dudley Pound in August 1939.

Operation ‘Dynamo’

With the advent of the German Blitzkrieg in May 1940, and the rapid retreat of the B.E.F. to Dunkirk, Tennant was called to the Dover naval base Lynx, under Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay. The latter had been given the unenvious task of organising the evacuation of the B.E.F. and he needed a competent, senior officer on the ground to oversee the operation, namely the embarkation of tens of thousands of troops.

Tennant was duly appointed Senior Naval Officer, Dunkirk and, with a party of eight officers and 160 ratings, crossed the Channel in the destroyer Wolfhound. Over the next few days, he and his team performed magnificently, under fire and in the face of huge challenges, so much so that ultimately 338,000 British and allied troops were evacuated from the port’s mole and surrounding beaches.

In a hurried conference at Dunkirk’s Bastion No. 32 on 1 June, Rear-Admiral W. F. Wake-Walker, who had charge of all surface vessels, updated Tennant on the losses incurred since 27 May. They were severe indeed and it was agreed that no further operations should take place in daylight along the beaches. Even so, a further 30,000 men were evacuated in the hours of darkness on 2 June. On that date, Tennant is said to have scoured the dunes with a loud hailer, seeking any stragglers, prior to joining Major-General H. Alexander in a motor boat to tour the harbour for a final time. At 11.30 p.m., after no stragglers were forthcoming, Tennant sent Dover one of the most memorable signals of the war: ‘B.E.F. evacuated … ’

Much lauded for his inspiring role in ‘Dynamo’s’ success, he was afforded the sobriquet ‘Dunkirk Joe’ and awarded the C.B.; in Christopher Nolan’s award-winning film ‘Dunkirk’, actor Kenneth Branagh drew on Tennant’s example for his part as ‘Commander Bolton.’

Loss of the Repulse

Tennant had little time to rest on his laurels, however, for in the immediate wake of ‘Dynamo’ he was appointed to the command of the battle cruiser Repulse.

In late 1941, Churchill decided to send a brace of capital ships and an aircraft carrier to Singapore to deter anticipated Japanese aggression. And so, in November, the Repulse joined-up with Admiral Tom Phillips’s flagship the Prince of Wales at Ceylon to form Force Z; the aircraft carrier Indomitable was delayed elsewhere but the two capital ships had a destroyer escort. And their subsequent arrival in Singapore on 2 December was much welcomed on account of concerns of a Japanese invasion. That invasion, albeit to the north on the shores of the Kra Peninsula, commenced just five days later.

Admiral Phillips hastily convened a meeting aboard the Prince of Wales, where he informed the gathered throng that he intended to sail that evening with Repulse and four destroyers to counter the enemy’s landings. Force Z duly sailed as planned, Tennant’s order of the day to his ship’s company stating, ‘We are off to look for trouble. I expect we will find it.’ Phillips, meanwhile, received a worrying radiogram from Air Vice-Marshal Pulford, informing him that the vital air cover he required could no longer be provided, as his forward bases were already under attack. Then on the evening of the 9th, another signal arrived from Singapore, confirming the Japanese had now landed at Kuantan, about half-way down the Malay peninsula. Phillips therefore set Force Z on course for Kuantan, but failed to notify Singapore of his decision.

Force Z had earlier been spotted by the Japanese submarine I-65, and on the morning of the 10th the crew of a Mitsubishi reconnaissance bomber also picked up the force. The latter remained in contact and broadcast a directional signal that others could follow, thereby guiding in the first attack by nine enemy aircraft at 1113 hours. Two of their bombs straddled Repulse and a third crashed through the hangar, setting alight the ship’s Walrus aircraft and causing casualties; the Walrus was pushed over the side.

Repulse’s gunners had performed well, five of the attacking aircraft sustaining damage. So had Tennant, who skilfully manoeuvred Repulse to avoid both bombs and torpedoes. He also took it upon himself to break radio silence and contact Singapore: ‘Enemy aircraft bombing’. As a result, six ancient Buffalo aircraft were scrambled but there was no time for them to intercept.

Nine aircraft of the enemy’s Kanoya Group now arrived on the scene, and they scored a telling hit on the Prince of Wales, crippling her rudder and flooding her engine room. Tennant had just signalled his consort: ‘We have dodged 19 torpedoes so far, thanks to providence.’ But providence’s shield was about to be penetrated by a synchronised pincer attack from 17 Mitsubishi torpedo bombers. Once again, Repulse’s gunners rose to the occasion, downing two of them and severely damaging others, but at least five torpedoes found their mark: one jammed the rudder, another exploded near her bow, and three more smashed home broadside, two on the port side and one on the starboard.

Repulse was doomed and Tennant ordered everybody on deck in readiness to abandon ship. Then, in a final address from the bridge, over the loudspeaker, he thanked his crew: “You’ve put up a good show. Now look after yourselves and God bless you.” Having then resigned himself to a watery grave, he was confronted by three of his officers, pleading with him to save his own life. Tennant smiled, shook his head, and told them, “Off you go now. There’s not much time.” Convinced their captain had no intention of budging, the three officers chose to push him bodily off the bridge and over the side, themselves following in quick succession. It was a timely departure, for at 1223 hours Repulse listed severely to port, capsized, and went down by the stern, taking with her over 500 officers and men. Mercifully, the destroyers Electra and Vampire steamed to the rescue of those in the water, Tennant among them.

The Prince of Wales had likewise succumbed to multiple torpedo strikes, in her case with a loss over 300 officers and men, including Admiral Phillips. When the survivors of both ships were paraded at Singapore, it was Tennant, as senior surviving officer, who addressed them. He told them that he had been ordered home to explain the disaster and that he would do all within his power to seek their earliest return too. He was cheered off the parade ground and reached England within a few days, where he was absolved of any blame in the disaster.

Madagascan interlude

Advanced to Rear-Admiral in February 1942, he served as Flag Officer, China for a month or two, prior to gaining appointment as Commanding Officer of the 4th Cruiser Squadron. It was in this capacity that he had charge of the naval operations covering the occupation of Madagascar in 1942-43, including Operation ‘Stream, Line & Jane’, the British landings at Majunga on the north-west coast of the island on 11-12 September 1942. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 23 February 1943, refers).

Operation ‘Neptune’

Having then served as Second-in-Command of the Eastern Fleet, Tennant returned home in January 1944, where he joined the staff of the Allied Naval Commander Expeditionary Force (ANCXF).

It was the commencement of a highly important role in support of Operation ‘Neptune’, not least in respect of his work in assembling the Mulberry harbours and the laying the ‘Pluto’ fuel pipelines between England and France. Both projects were crucial to the success of the Normandy landings, and he proved instrumental in getting things done.

There are plenty of references to his leadership in both projects, but rather an entertaining one concerns the matter of secrecy, as recalled by his assistant Captain Harold Hickling, R.N.:

‘As D-Day approached, life became more and more hectic. It was a good thing Bill [Tennant] and I were of the sanguine type not given to worrying, introspection or crossing our bridges before we came to them. I don’t think it ever occurred to either of us that the Mulberry could fail, not that so vast and so unusual an operation - the like of which the world had never known - was anything more than routine stuff. It was as well ... for every now and then there would be a crisis.

For instance, a week or so before D-Day, I went down to Selsey, where Burgess Watson, a retired Admiral, who lived in a houseboat at Bosham was in charge. ‘Burgoo’ greeted me with a face like a sea-boot. “The worst has happened!” “Tell me!” “You know those sealed secret packets issued to every tug skipper, and marked in large letters: not to be opened without orders?” Well one bloody fool has opened his and there are the Normandy beaches as large as life!” Even my cast iron tummy gave a turn, for the gaff could easily have been blown, and all our security measures to spring a surprise on the enemy undone. I shuddered at the thought of the carnage on those beaches had the Germans got an inkling. I sped back and broke the news to Bill. Admiral Tennant’s face remained impassive. He picked up the telephone. “Give me ‘Tugs’ … Is that you, Loveland? [The American tug specialist, Mr. Samuel Loveland]. I want you to issue every tug with all the charts covering the French coast, from Brest to the straits of Dover.” By next day, each one of those hundred tugs had a sheaf of charts - and the crucial one was just one of a dozen.’

Tennant was created C.B.E. in November 1944.

Final honours

In October 1944, he was appointed Flag Officer Levant and Eastern Mediterranean, in which post he was still serving on his advancement to Vice-Admiral and appointment to K.B.E. in 1945. His extraordinary contribution to the war effort was additionally recognised by our American, French and Greek allies.

Having then held the post of Senior British Naval Officer and Flag Officer Liaison Middle East at Alexandria in 1946, he served as C-in-C. of the America and West Indies Station in 1946-49, in which period he was advanced to Admiral.

Placed on the Retired List in August 1949, Tennant settled in Worcester on his retirement, where he served as Honorary Colonel of the Worcestershire Hussars, R.A.C. (T.A.) 1952-67 and as the county’s Lord Lieutenant from 1950. Otherwise occupying himself with charitable causes – he was onetime Chairman of King George’s Fund for Sailors and a Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John – he died in July 1963.

Sold with a quantity of uniform tunic ribands and several lapel badges, the latter including Comrades of the Great War; R.N.O.C.A.; British Legion (2), and Past President of the Three Counties Agricultural Society.