I've been asked by a lady at church if I can find out why her late father in law was awarded the D.S.M in WW2. He was Charles William Scales and he served with the Royal Naval Patrol Service. I found his service records on Ancestry and they confirm that he was awarded the medal but give no other details. The record dates from 1/7/44 when he became an officer and his award of a D.S.M. predates this. It was in the London Gazette of 2 June 1943 when he was a "second hand." Is there any way of tracing the citation?
There was something on National Archives website, but it directs you to Ancestry, as it has been transferred.
Hello Fred. I think it unlikely that there will have been an individual citation as such as Charles Scales D.S.M. was awarded as a "King's Birthday Honour". Beyond a certificate that may have accompanied the medal there is unlikely to be any further documentation (forum members Hugh Maclean and Roy Martin will hopefully be able to confirm this) Admiralty Orders reproduced the London Gazette entries from said Birthday Honours list (please see images below). The most important part is the introductory paragraph from page six of Admiralty Orders which gives reasons for the award listings that follow, and said wording applies to all recipients of awards listed, from D.S.O. through D.S.C. to Charles Scales D.S.M. associated with his service aboard HMS Achievable of the 3rd Minesweeper Flotilla. Charles' D.S.M. would have been hard earned. You can read more regarding the Minesweeper war here: WWII — THE VERNON LINK And I've (hopefully) attached the full pdf of the pertinent Admiralty orders below too. Kind regards, always, Jim.
This is wonderful thank you and the Scales family will be very grateful. I live in Scarborough North Yorkshire and a lot of fishermen from the town went on to serve with the R.N.P.S. My friend's father was mine sweeping on D day and was steaming away as the fleet came in. I did intend to visit the museum in Lowestoft this year but life and caring responsibilities get in the way.
I think that Second Hand means one of the Mates on a fishing vessel, probably The Mate, so the second in command.
There wont be a citation apart from the general one given in the London Gazette. HMS ACHIEVABLE was actually a drifter requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1940 and was allocated to the Mine Recovery Flotilla. Regards Hugh
Thank you Hugh, I google HMS Achievable without luck but now understand what she was. Does the merchant navy in the Great War interest you? Doing some research in Dean Road cemetery Scarborough I came across a funeral for a merchant seaman whose name is on the Tower Hill Memorial. I've submitted the details to the cwgc and I'm waiting to hear.
Hi Fred, Yes, indeed, my area of interest is the MN 20th century esp. WWI and II. There have been quite a few cases where seamen were thought to have been lost at sea only for them to turn up buried ashore. Masters of ships were obliged to return deaths at sea to the authorities but in some cases bodies were washed up ashore and buried without the records being properly connected. Good luck with that. Regards Hugh
