Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War anti-U-boat operations D.S.M. awarded to Acting Petty Officer J. C. Fuller, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his part in H.M.S. Westcott’s destruction of U-581 in February 1942

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (J.110428 J. C. Fuller. L. Smn.) officially impressed naming, mounted on original investiture pin, extremely fine £700-£900

Spink, May 1998.

D.S.M. London Gazette 14 April 1942: ‘For skill and enterprise in action against enemy submarines.’

James Charles Fuller was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire on 27 December 1908, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1924. Having then been invalided ashore with a sight defect in February 1931, he rejoined the service in March 1934 and served off Palestine in the lead-up to hostilities in September 1939 (entitled to N.G.S., medal).

The date of his joining the destroyer H.M.S. Wescott is currently unknown, but the award of his D.S.M. stemmed from her successful action against the U-581 just off the Portuguese Azores on 2 February 1942; his captain, Commander I. Bockett-Pugh, R.N., won the first of his three D.S.O.s for the same action.

On that date, as part of the 7th Escort Group, Westcott was proceeding with her consort Croome to the assistance of the Langibby Castle when an A/.S. contact was made. On investigating further, a U-boat was observed surfacing on Westcott’s starboard side. Bockett-Pugh immediately ordered full speed and steered to ram, but passed wide of the target, subsequently dropping a pattern of 10 depth charges set to 50-140 feet. These fell extremely close to the U-boat and then Westcott turned for a second ramming attempt, closing at 14 knots, but incredibly, the enemy crew returned no fire. In fact, according to Bockett-Pugh’s official report, they ‘lined up on deck as if at Divisions’, not jumping overboard until five seconds before the inevitable collision. The enemy submarine - the U-581 - was struck abaft the conning tower and sank stern first shortly afterwards. Her captain and 40 of her crew were rescued, but one of their number swam to shore to neutral Horta and was repatriated to Germany.

Fuller received his D.S.M. at a Buckingham Palace investiture on 2 November 1943, and ended the war as an Acting Petty Officer at the shore base Fabius. He was invalided from the service for a second time in January 1949.

Sold with copied record of service and full action report.