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

The Great War posthumous Italian Al Valore Militare group of four awarded to Commander R. G. Fane, Royal Navy, who was killed aboard the cruiser Dartmouth in the Adriatic in May 1917, when an Austrian squadron attacked the Otranto barrage

1914-15 Star (Commr. R. G. Fane. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Commr. R. G. Fane. R.N.); Italy, Kingdom, Al Valore Militare, silver, mint mark crowned Z over F.G, the reverse upper surround field engraved ‘Basso Adriatico 15 Maggio 1917’ and the centre ‘R. G. Fane’, together with an engraved silver plaque from an old display frame, this inscribed ‘Commander Robert Gerald Fane R.N., Italian Medal of Valour, H.M.S. Dartmouth’, nearly extremely fine (4) £2,400-£2,800

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

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Dix Noonan Webb, December 2005.

M.I.D. (Posthumous) 29 August 1917.

Al Valore Militare London Gazette 6 April 1918.

Robert Gerald Fane was born on 8 April 1882, and entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in May 1897. Promoted to Sub. Lieutenant in April 1901, he was advanced to Lieutenant in October 1902 for gaining ‘four Firsts’ in his examinations.

By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Fane was serving in the rank of Commander in the special torpedo vessel and depot ship Vulcan, the Navy List for January 1915 also noting after his name, ‘and for duty with submarines’. But by 1917 he was back on more regular seagoing duties as a Commander in the cruiser H.M.S. Dartmouth in the Adriatic.

On 15 May 1917, a mixed Italian and French destroyer force led by the British cruiser Dartmouth encountered an Austrian squadron of cruisers, supported by destroyers, who were raiding the allied drifter barrage in the Otranto Straits. Single-handed, the Dartmouth engaged the Austrian ships, her 6-inch guns scoring a direct hit on the fore-bridge of the Austrian cruiser Novara within the opening minutes of the engagement, killing her captain, Commander Szuboritz. But it quickly became apparent that the Dartmouth was outnumbered and outgunned and, having already been “near-missed” by enemy aircraft, was hit several times by gunfire and later by a torpedo fired by the UC-25 - it was most probably this latter explosion that killed Commander Fane. Dartmouth took on a heavy list, forcing her crew to abandon ship, but when the Austrian squadron had departed, her captain, along with a party of volunteers, reboarded her and managed to partially right her, and eventually raised steam for Brindisi.

Eighteen D.S.Ms and one Bar were awarded for this action, many of them to the drifter men who made a most spirited attack against the Austrians in their little boats. Foremost amongst these was Skipper Joseph Watt of the Gowan Lea, who was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Fane, who was 35 years of age, was buried in Brindisi Cemetery, together with four ratings from Dartmouth killed on the same occasion.