Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Chief Petty Officer D. W. Barclay, Royal Navy, who disembarked half a Battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers at “Y” Beach on 25 April 1915 and was later noted for War Services during Operations in the Dardanelles

1914-15 Star (157110, D. W. Barclay. P.O.1., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (157110 D. W. Barclay. C.P.O. R.N.) good very fine (3) £80-£100

David Wemyss Barclay, a potter, was born in Kirkaldy, Fife, on 7 September 1874, and joined the Royal Navy as Boy 2nd Class on 3 September 1890. Advanced Petty Officer 2nd Class in H.M.S. Furious 16 May 1902, he was raised Petty Officer 1st Class whilst serving aboard the protected cruiser H.M.S. Hermes on 10 March 1904. Posted aboard H.M.S. Cressy from 2 July 1914, he transferred to H.M.S. Sapphire as Acting Chief Petty Officer on 25 July 1914; a fortuitous transfer given the torpedoing of H.M.S. Cressy and loss of 560 sailors two months later.

Initially detailed to guarding the English Channel as part of 7th Battle Squadron, Channel Fleet, H.M.S. Sapphire spent October 1914 in support of Allied land forces fighting on the Belgian coast. Deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean in early 1915 to support the Gallipoli Campaign, her ship’s log reports opening fire on Turkish infantry at Dikili on 4 March 1915 and the destruction of the telegraph station at Tuz Burnu the following day. On 25 April 1915 she played a pivotal role in disembarking the King’s Own Scottish Borderers at the base of 100-foot cliffs at “Y” Beach, adding: ‘Opened heavy fire on Turkish troops attacking from northward. Action stations and patrolling off Y Beach.’

The following morning H.M.S. Sapphire landed 20,000 rounds of .303 ammunition ashore, her boats returning with dozens of servicemen wounded in the first day’s assault. She then proceeded to chase a hostile submarine reported off Gaba Tepe on 27 April 1915, spending the rest of the day protecting the balloon ship H.M.S. Manica. Returned to shore to collect more wounded, the entry for 2 May 1915 states ‘heavy rifle fire against ship. Firing 4” guns at intervals. Anchored to cover advance of left flank’. On 20 May 1915, she sank a floating mine off Ponente Point and on 4 June 1915 sighted a hostile submarine and attacked. Transferred to H.M.S. Euralyus 31 October 1917, Barclay survived naval operations and was demobilised on 19 February 1920.

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