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Auction: 25111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 684

A good Second World War submariner's 'Fighting Tenth' D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic F. Malone, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his services as United's periscope reader in 17 war patrols in the Mediterranean in 1942-43

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (KX. 85452 F. Malone, A./S.P.O.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R. (KX. 909541 F. Malone, P.O.S.M., H.M.S. Dolphin), mounted as worn, somewhat polished, generally very fine (7)

D.S.M. London Gazette 12 October 1943, the original citation states:

'For courage, resolution and skill successful patrols in H.M. Submarines.'

The original recommendation - for an immediate award - states:

'For good services as a Leading Stoker and latterly as Stoker Petty Officer of United, throughout 17 patrols in the Mediterranean.

For unfailing cheerfulness and devotion to duty on all occasions. He has acted as periscope reader during attacks with alertness and accuracy.

During the period covered by this recommendation, United has carried out 17 war patrols in the central Mediterranean while operating from the Tenth Submarine Flotilla. During this period she inflicted the following losses on the enemy:

Sunk: 1 Italian U-boat, 4 merchant vessels, 3 schooners.

Probably sunk: 1 merchant vessel.
Damaged: 4 merchant vessels.

In addition, one destroyer may have been sunk or damaged.

As a consequence of these attacks, depth charge attacks of varying severity have been experienced.'

Francis Malone, a native of Newcastle, must have joined the P. 44 (a.k.a. United) in early 1942, shortly before she was commissioned and ordered to the Mediterranean, where she would join the famous 'Fighting Tenth' Flotilla in Malta. To begin with, however, and under the command of Lieutenant T. E. Barlow (afterwards Commodore Sir Thomas Barlow, Bt., D.S.C.) she operated out of Gibraltar.
Having lent support to Operations 'Pedestal' in August 1942, United claimed her first victim in the same month, when she torpedoed the Italian destroyer Rosolino Pilo on the 18th. And she followed up that success with a brace of 'kills' west of Zliten, Libya on 17 September, when she torpedoed the salvage vessel Rostro and the auxiliary anti-submarine schooner Giovanni. Later still, on 21 November, she sortied into Buerat harbour. Her log takes up the story:

'1745 hours - Surfaced and closed the harbour entrance. Three or four small ships were sighted in the harbour in the forenoon. Decided for gun action in the hope of sinking some of these and if possible the pier before the reply would come too hot.

1803 hours - Opened fire on a 150-ton schooner, the largest vessel visible from a range of 1000 yards. Scored 10 to 12 hits out of 16 rounds fired. Then shifted target to the pier and a small steamer alongside it. After firing 12 rounds for six hits some small arms fire opened up from the beach, followed by light and erratic field gun fire. At the same time the gun malfunctioned.

1807 hours - Broke off the action and retired to the seaward. The schooner was seen to be smoking and to be lower in the water. She may have settled on the bottom.'

In December 1942, after nine war patrols, Barlow was rested, and Lieutenant John Roxburgh - afterwards Vice-Admiral Sir John Roxburgh, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., D.S.C. - assumed command. And of subsequent events during his command, the following summary appeared in his Daily Telegraph obituary notice:

'His youthful appearance dismayed United's crew when he took command in December 1942, aged 23; but they quickly discovered that he was "a cool customer". Over 10 days on his first patrol off Italy, Roxburgh saw 11 enemy merchant ships being escorted by air patrols, as well as by numerous destroyers and anti-submarine craft.

He was forced into sudden dives and alterations of course; and, since the only torpedoes available from Malta were of First World War vintage, Roxburgh's attacks were unsuccessful. But as "Shrimp" Simpson, commanding the "Fighting Tenth" flotilla, noted: 'For continual activity and strain on personnel, Roxburgh's patrol can have few equals. Determination and good submarine sense have brought him safely through.'

On his second patrol, Roxburgh closed to 3,000 yards to attack a heavily defended convoy; he missed his target but hit a zigzagging Italian destroyer. United was then depth-charged for 13 hours, and on surfacing at night was forced to crash-dive after finding several destroyers waiting to attack.

The hatch was open for only a minute, but the fresh air taken into the boat was vital for United's survival. By the time it surfaced next evening, the air inside was so foul that the crew were suffering from headaches and loss of concentration. Roxburgh recalled spending the first few minutes on the bridge 'feeling far from aggressive and being extremely sick'. Leading Seaman Cyril Balls wrote in his diary: 'It was some time before there was sufficient oxygen for the first all-important cigarette.'

Returning late from this patrol, Roxburgh was offended to discover from the wardroom steward that his brother officers had drunk his precious ration of beer, to wish him 'health in eternity'.

While United was secretly surveying the beaches of Sicily, a U-boat crossed its bows at 500 yards range, but Roxburgh, determined not to betray his position, withheld fire and submerged. As a result he lost one of his landing parties, which had to paddle back to Malta in a voyage lasting 37 hours.

Later a Spitfire undertaking photo-reconnaissance filmed Roxburgh torpedoing the 5,000-ton, German-operated Ringulo in the Messina Straits, then being bombed by an enemy aircraft and depth-charged by a destroyer before Ringulo broke in two.

Six days later Roxburgh sank the small armed merchant cruiser Olbia. He thought the Italians foolish to send an unescorted ship through his area, but it enabled him to leave the periscope up so that United's crew could see the results of their handiwork.

On July 15 1943 Roxburgh was one of an outer ring of submarines defending Operation Husky, the Allied landings on Sicily, when he intercepted the Italian submarine Remo on the surface and fired a full salvo of torpedoes at 500 yards. United shuddered as Remo exploded; Roxburgh watched through his periscope as the Italian boat's stern reared high, its propellors spinning, before it sank. He recalled that he felt 'no elation after such a rapid end to one's own kind, but a momentary awe'.

Capitano di Corvetta Salvatore Vassallo, the rescued captain of Remo, proved an enthusiastic cook and a quiet but interested spectator during his nine days' imprisonment in United, during which Roxburgh carried out an unsuccessful attack on a fast-moving cruiser. Since Vassallo's wife was pregnant, he joined in celebrating the news of the birth of Roxburgh's daughter, announced by the codeword "Grommet"; if the baby had been a boy, the codeword was to have been "Toggle". The two captains became friends, though Roxburgh was careful to take his farewell of Vassallo in private.

In addition to the usual Jolly Roger, Roxburgh entered Malta flying a white flag showing a stork carrying a baby. His logbook recorded 'A happy day, taken all in all', and Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham signalled congratulation at the "double event".

On Roxburgh's final patrol on August 15, when he was ordered to intercept Italian mine-laying cruisers and destroyers, he was tempted to creep inside a minefield to sink a grounded warship; but a 'still small voice' whispered in his ear that it was his last patrol - and he turned south for Malta.

Roxburgh had survived torpedoes, bombs and depth charges, while one third of his fellow submariners had not returned from patrol. After 11 months and 10 patrols he had sunk some 12,000 tons of shipping. He was awarded the D.S.O.

Homeward bound on September 10, he was speechless with emotion as he watched the Italian fleet being escorted into internment at Malta, and he quietly called his crew up to the bridge to witness the historic sight. His first lieutenant was awarded the D.S.C., and six ratings the D.S.M., which they received at Buckingham Palace on the same day, before setting off immediately for Berkhamsted to thank the townspeople for adopting United.'

And Malone was among them.

Extensive coverage of United's exploits may also be found in John Wingate's The Fighting Tenth, the author having been her First Lieutenant during Malone's time aboard. A hair-raising run-in with some E-boats is just one of many extraordinary encounters related by Wingate, encounters that often resulted in gruelling depth charge attacks.

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Sold for
£1,400

Starting price
£700