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Auction: 24113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 621

A 'Battle of Jutland' D.S.M. group of four awarded to Chief Stoker P. W. Dennis, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (285011. P.W. Dennis, Ch. Sto. H.M.S. Morning Star. 31 May -1. June,1916); Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp, (P.W. Dennis. Sto. H.M.S. Doris); British War Medal (285011. P.W. Dennis. Ch. Sto. R.N.); Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (285011 Dev. A.5904 P.W. Dennis: Ch. Sto. R.F.R.), contact marks, very fine (4)

The only D.S.M. awarded to the crew of Morning Star for the Battle of Jutland.

D.S.M. London Gazette 15 September 1916, the original citation states:

'For services rendered in the action (Jutland) in the North Sea on the 31 May - 1 June 1916'.

Percy William Dennis was born at Saint Neots, Cornwall on 12 September 1877, the son of William and Lucy Dennis. A labourer, he enlisted as a Stoker 2nd Class in the Royal Navy on 6 March 1897. After initial shore-based postings he was drafted to H.M.S. Doris for service in the Boer War.

Leaving the ship's company on 31 May 1901 his next postings included Triumph, August to December 1903; Commonwealth, April 1905 to December 1906; Ramillies, July 1907 to June 1908; Warrior, February to October 1909, and Goldfinch, July 1913 to February 1915.

Goldfinch served in home waters during the First World War as part of the Grand Fleet and was wrecked in fog on Start Point, Sanday, one of the northern Orkney Isles, on the night of 18-19 February 1915.

After a shore-based posting, Dennis was drafted as Chief Stoker to the newly launched M class destroyer Morning Star on 26 August 1915; he was to see out the war with this vessel.

Surviving the Battle, Morning Star was part of the 11th Destroyer Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland and helped screen the battle fleet. They later had an encounter with a force of German light cruisers during the return to Britain, fortunately for Morning Star they focused their fire on Castor.

Morning Star suffered two collisions in 1918, the first on 26 January with Moon and the second on 4 June with SS Euryolochus in the English Channel

Pensioned ashore on 9 October 1919, Dennis joined the Royal Fleet Reserve at Devonport. In the 1939 Register Dennis was living at Liskeard where he died on 7 June 1957.

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Sold for
£750

Starting price
£700