A very good Great War Royal Naval Reserve officer and Second World War Boom Defence Lieutenant Commander’s Mention in Despatches group awarded to Lieutenant, C.J. Durand, Royal Naval Reserve who would later serve during the Second World War in Boom Defence roles at Swansea and on the Clyde. In September 1944 he would be in command of Boom Defence Party R1 attached to Naval Party 1732 in Holland where he was tasked with constructing and maintaining boom defences for the critically important road bridge over the River Wall at Nijmegen for which he would be Mentioned in Despatches on 1st February 1945.
Group of 7: 1914-1915 Star; (LIEUT. C.J. DURAND. R.N.R.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (LIEUT. C.J. DURAND. R.N.R.) 1939-1945 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal and War Medal with Mention in Despatches oak leaf emblem.
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Cecil Jermyn Durand was born in Bloomsbury in 1886, his father a French children. He was employed in the Merchant Navy from 1906, and would serve aboard the SS City of Delhi and the SS City of London. He would qualify as 2nd Mate in 1910 and First Mate in June 1914.
Commissioned into the Royal Naval Reserve on the outbreak of war, he was posted to SS Fiona, an armed merchant ship, remaining aboard until May 1917. He would be appointed Lieutenant in November 1915. He would serve on HMS Colleen at Queenstown as Admiralty Transport Officer and Shipping Intelligence Officer from May 1917 until he was demobilised in January 1920.
Durand would volunteer for service in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and in August 1940 joined H.M.S. Rooke at Rosyth for Boom Defence training. On bases at Swansea and on the Clyde until 1944 where his Commanding Officer would call him ‘an inventive genius’.
In September 1944 he would be in command of Boom Defence Party R1 as a Temporary Lieutenant Commander attached to Naval Pary 1732 in Holland. This group was tasked with constructing and maintaining boom defences across the river Waal as part of the defences of the newly captured bridge at Nijmegen which had been captured by XXX Corps as part of Operation Market Garden.
Durand’s party would be present at Nijmegen from September-December 1944, and he would be Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette of 1st February 1945 for resource, energy and devotion to duty under arduous conditions during the invasion of the Low Countries, originally recommended for a decoration, this was reduced to a Mention in Despatches, the recommendation read:
‘Although 58 years of age, Lt. Cdr. Durand has worked for three months on the construction and maintenance of naval booms across the river Waal to protect the vitally important road bridge at Nijmegen. His practical experience has made the completion of this work possible. He had had to work under intermittent shellfire on several occasions and has frequently been in danger from ricochets off the water from the fire of our own defences. Despite this and the very adverse weather conditions he has always supervised and encouraged the men. His steadiness and his determination have been an inspiration to them.’
Durand returned to HMS Safeguard on the Clyde and worked in experimental work and as an instructor. He was released from service on 26th September 1946.
