Superb Second World War Distinguished Service Cross and Second Award Bar Meal Group of Seven Attributed to Commander Harold Bernard Samways Whose First Award Was for Service on H.M.S. Onslow for Convoy J.W.51B in December 1942 in What Became Known as the Battle of the Barents Sea when the Vessels Captain was Awarded a Victoria Cross, the Second Award Being for HMS Carlisle When She was Attacked and Badly Damaged by Enemy Aircraft in the Mediterranean in October 1943
Superb Second World War Distinguished Service Cross and Second Award Bar Meal Group of Seven Attributed to Commander Harold Bernard Samways Whose First Award Was for Service on H.M.S. Onslow for Convoy J.W.51B in December 1942 in What Became Known as the Battle of the Barents Sea when the Vessels Captain was Awarded a Victoria Cross, the Second Award Being for HMS Carlisle When She was Attacked and Badly Damaged by Enemy Aircraft in the Mediterranean in October 1943, Distinguished Service Cross, reverse officially dated 1943, with second award bar, the reverse dated 1944, 1939-45 Star medal, Atlantic Star medal, Africa Star medal with clasp North Africa 1942-43, Italy Star medal, Defence medal and War medal 1939-45, medals unnamed as issued and court mounted for wearing. With matching set of miniature medals. This lot also includes the following items; Buckingham Palace enclosure slip, Letter Confirming the award of the D.S.C. dated 8th April 1943, Photograph of H.M.S. Onslow showing battle damage after the Battle of the Barents Sea, Newspaper cutting relating the death of Harold Samways at the age of 68. Photograph of the recipient in his uniform, Hallmarked silver ashtray with the crest of HMS Renown, Hallmarked silver trinket dish, engraved HBS from CM HMS Eagle 1937-38, Hallmarked silver cigarette case, engraved HBS HMS Velox 4th May 1933 with signatures, Copy of the book ‘73 North’ by Dudley Pope which covers the Battle of the Barents Sea in some detail. Distinguished Service Cross, London Gazette 23rd March 1943 - For distinguished, services against the Enemy. Commander (E) Harold Bernard Samways, Royal Navy. Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross, London Gazette 4th April 1944 - For undaunted courage, determination and endurance in H.M. Ships Sinus, Penelope, Carlisle, Aurora, Belvoir, Hurworth, Echo, Faulknor, Pathfinder, Penn, Fury, Beaufort, Jervis, Hursley, Intrepid, Petard, Eclipse, Rockwood, Dulverton, Croome, Aldenham, Blencathra, the Polish Ship Krakowiak, the Greek Ship Adrias and in Light Coastal Forces in many sweeps against enemy shipping in the Aegean under fierce and constant attack from the air, and in maintaining supplies to the islands of Kos and Leros until they fell to superior enemy forces. Commander (E) Harold Bernard Samways. D.S.C., Royal Navy (Petersfield, Hants). The Battle of the Barents Sea was based around the convoy JW51B, carrying supplies to the USSR with the flotilla leader being the Onslow (Captain R. St. V. Sherbrooke, D.S.O.). To begin with the enemy heavy cruiser, Hipper, was reluctant to close, fearful of a torpedo strike due to Sherbrooke making a clever dummy turn, but inevitably, as described in 73 North, Admiral Kummetz, aboard the Hipper, regained his nerve: ‘Kummetz realized he had been outmanoeuvred by Sherbrooke in his first attack on the convoy and prepared for the second. He turned the Hipper eastwards at 0957 on to a course parallel to the Onslow and Orwell and opened fire with all four turrets. However, both destroyers fired back vigorously and three minutes later the Hipper altered away to the obscurity of the north-east. All the time Kummetz was being driven farther away from the convoy, and although this meant that because of the bad light and the shortcomings of the radar it was out of effective range of his guns, it would perhaps give the Lutzow a better chance when she attacked from the south. Then he saw the enemy had followed round boldly - almost impertinently - on his starboard quarter, carefully keeping between him and the merchantmen. Four minutes later, at 1004, he decided to make his third sally and this time the Hipper came round to the south-east to a course converging on the Onslow and Orwell. For four minutes she steamed along, her 8-inch guns blazing away. But although the two British destroyers weaved to dodge the shells, they still stubbornly steered in an easterly direction, effectively cutting Kummetz off from the convoy. Once again, at 1008, he took the Hipper away to the north-east and ceased firing, as if to regain his breath. Then at 1013 he decided to make a fourth attack and turned the Hipper to the south-east to bring all her eight 8-inch guns and as many of the 4.1-inch anti-aircraft guns as possible to bear on the two destroyers and overwhelm them. At the same time he signalled to his force: “Hipper to the north of the convoy and there are four enemy destroyers between us and the convoy.” This was an ambiguous signal because the Onslow and Orwell were the only two ships then fighting him off. Kummetz’s own three destroyers now formed up astern of the Hipper, which was increasing speed and firing fast at the Onslow and Orwell. They in turn were steaming along just forward of her beam. It was an unequal contest and, since the Hipper’s gunners would soon get the Onslow’s range, it could surely have only one outcome. The Hipper’s eight 8-inch guns fired a broadside weighing more than 2000 lb., and the six 4.1-inch anti-aircraft guns added another 200 lb. In reply the Onslow’s two guns (two were still frozen up) fired a 96 lb. reply and the Orwell’s four 4-inch guns a 124 lb. broadside. A total of more than 2200 lb. versus 220 lb. Thus the Hipper had the advantage of being able to fire nearly a ton more of high explosives and in addition she knew the guns of the Onslow and Orwell could do her little harm ... ’ What followed led to the award of the Victoria Cross to Sherbrooke of the Onslow, for it was to his command that the Hipper first turned her attention, again and again ominous red glows rippling along the enemy cruiser’s side as she fired her 8-inch guns - several found their mark, turning the little destroyer into a mass of flames forward, but Sherbrooke remained very much in command on the bridge, despite being grievously wounded by a shell splinter - his left eye was hanging down his face. 73 North continues: ‘From astern Austen, in the Orwell, had seen the salvos falling near the Onslow; then the flash of a hit on the funnel was followed by the two hits forward and the whole ship dissolved into a cloud of smoke and steam which streamed aft from a pulsating nucleus of fire. He thought she was going to blow up and immediately came round to port to keep clear. A few moments later he saw her alter away to starboard. Immediately the Hipper’s gunners switched target and her 8-inch salvos started falling with deadly monotony round the Orwell. Austen ordered her to make smoke to help screen the Onslow and flotilla leader, the Onslow (Captain R. St. V. Sherbrooke, D.S.O.). To begin with the enemy heavy cruiser was reluctant to close, fearful of a torpedo strike due to Sherbrooke making a clever dummy turn, but inevitably, as described in 73 North, Admiral Kummetz, aboard the Hipper, regained his nerve: ‘Kummetz realized he had been outmanoeuvred by Sherbrooke in his first attack on the convoy and prepared for the second. He turned the Hipper eastwards at 0957 on to a course parallel to the Onslow and Orwell and opened fire with all four turrets. However, both destroyers fired back vigorously and three minutes later the Hipper altered away to the obscurity of the north-east. All the time Kummetz was being driven farther away from the convoy, and although this meant that because of the bad light and the shortcomings of the radar it was out of effective range of his guns, it would perhaps give the Lutzow a better chance when she attacked from the south. Then he saw the enemy had followed round boldly - almost impertinently - on his starboard quarter, carefully keeping between him and the merchantmen. Four minutes later, at 1004, he decided to make his third sally and this time the Hipper came round to the south-east to a course converging on the Onslow and Orwell. For four minutes she steamed along, her 8-inch guns blazing away. But although the two British destroyers weaved to dodge the shells, they still stubbornly steered in an easterly direction, effectively cutting Kummetz off from the convoy. Once again, at 1008, he took the Hipper away to the north-east and ceased firing, as if to regain his breath. Then at 1013 he decided to make a fourth attack and turned the Hipper to the south-east to bring all her eight 8-inch guns and as many of the 4.1-inch anti-aircraft guns as possible to bear on the two destroyers and overwhelm them. At the same time he signalled to his force: “Hipper to the north of the convoy and there are four enemy destroyers between us and the convoy.” This was an ambiguous signal because the Onslow and Orwell were the only two ships then fighting him off. Kummetz’s own three destroyers now formed up astern of the Hipper, which was increasing speed and firing fast at the Onslow and Orwell. They in turn were steaming along just forward of her beam. It was an unequal contest and, since the Hipper’s gunners would soon get the Onslow’s range, it could surely have only one outcome. The Hipper’s eight 8-inch guns fired a broadside weighing more than 2000 lb., and the six 4.1-inch anti-aircraft guns added another 200 lb. In reply, the Onslow’s two guns (two were still frozen up) fired a 96 lb. reply and the Orwell’s four 4-inch guns a 124 lb. broadside. A total of more than 2200 lb. versus 220 lb. Thus the Hipper had the advantage of being able to fire nearly a ton more of high explosives and in addition she knew the guns of the Onslow and Orwell could do her little harm ... ’ What followed led to the award of the Victoria Cross to Sherbrooke of the Onslow, for it was to his command that the Hipper first turned her attention, again and again ominous red glows rippling along the enemy cruiser’s side as she fired her 8-inch guns – several found their mark, turning the little destroyer into a mass of flames forward, but Sherbrooke remained very much in command on the bridge, despite being grievously wounded by a shell splinter – his left eye was hanging down his face. 73 North continues: ‘From astern Austen, in the Orwell, had seen the salvos falling near the Onslow; then the flash of a hit on the funnel was followed by the two hits forward and the whole ship dissolved into a cloud of smoke and steam which streamed aft from a pulsating nucleus of fire. He thought she was going to blow up and immediately came round to port to keep clear. A few moments later he saw her alter away to starboard. Immediately the Hipper’s gunners switched target and her 8-inch salvos started falling with deadly monotony round the Orwell. Austen ordered her to make smoke to help screen the Onslow and at this point Hipper turned away, retiring to the east into the dark anonymity of a convenient snow squall. 17 members of Onslow crew were killed and 23 wounded in this encounter. Onslow went on to Murmansk for temporary repairs before making an uneventful return to the UK for repairs as part of convoy RA 52. Samways bar was awarded for service on board H.M.S. Carlisle In July 1943, she escorted the support force for the Allied invasion of Sicily. In September–October, during the German counter-attack in the Aegean Sea, Carlisle made a sortie into the area south of Piraeus with the destroyers H.M.S. Panther and HMS Rockwood; intercepting German convoys in the Scarpanto Strait. On 9 October 1943, they were spotted by German Ju87 dive bombers from I. StG 3 from the Megara air base which succeeded in sinking Panther at 12.05 and later on seriously damaged Carlisle; killing 24 members of the ship’s company. She was taken in tow to Alexandria by Rockwood. She was considered to be beyond economical repair as a warship Categories: Medals