The fascinating and notable Great War Q-Ship operations Distinguished Service Cross group awarded to Engineer Lieutenant J.M. Dowie, Royal Naval Reserve who would be receive the Distinguished Service Cross in the London Gazette of 19th November 1915 for his gallantry in the Q-Ship Baralong in August and September 1915 when he was present at the destruction of both the U-27 and U-41. The former action led to accusations of ‘cold-blooded murder’ by members of the Baralong’s crew who boarded the liner Nicosian when six of the U-27s survivors were seen to seek refuge in her. The accusations were refuted by Baralong’s skipper Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert, Royal Navy at the time, but some 20 years later he wrote: ‘Without further ado, these submariners were shot. Meanwhile the Marines continued their search and found the remainder, who, in default of surrender, were too put to death likewise, and buried at once.
The following month Baralong, now operating under the name Wyandra would be sent on the hunt for a U-Boat that had sunk three British steamers in a nine hour period to the south-east of Fastnet, she found the steamer Urbino lying stopped and under fire from U-41. By means of skilful manoeuvring, the ship managed to close the range for their hidden guns to 500 yards, and the panic party distracted the U-Boat commander Kapitan-Leutnant Claus Hansen. Wyandra’s subsequent barrage of fire blew the U-41s conning tower to pieces, the U-Boat leaving just two survivors both of whom were picked up and unjustly claimed another example of a ‘murderous act’. Dowie subsequently became the first Royal Naval Reserve Engineer to receive the Distinguished Service Cross during the War.
Group of 5: Distinguished Service Cross, GVR, hallmarked London 1916; Transport Medal 1899-1902, 1 Clasp: China 1900; (J.M. DOWIE) 1914-1915 Star; (ENG. LT. J.M. DOWIE. R.N.R.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (ENG.LT. J.M. DOWIE. R.N.R.) Court-mounted for display.
Condition: court-mounted for display, Nearly Extremely Fine
Provenance: Ex Jason Pilalas Collection.
Along with:
Card boxes of issue for Great War Medals and forwarding envelope addressed to ‘Eng Lieut J.M. Davie, DSC, 19 St. John’s Road, East Ham, London.
Original Newspaper Article confirming the award of the D.S.C.
James Munro Dowie would see service aboard the Transport Ship S.S. Duke of Portland which would aid in the transportation of troops to China during the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion. He would join the crew of the Q-Ship Baralong upon her commission in march 1915 and would be aboard her during the controversial action with the U-27 on 19th August 1915 which would led to an international outcry and claims of cold-blooded murder.
The incident took place when an enemy submarine torpedoed the White Star passenger liner Arabic, leading to 45 deaths.
Informed of the liner’s loss, the Baralong, under Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert, R.N., with Sub. Lieutenant Gordon Steele, R.N., the future Kronstadt raid V.C., as his First Lieutenant, set off in pursuit of the offending U-boat. By all accounts tempers were running high among the crew, the recent loss of the Lusitania fresh on their minds, not least the tragic images of dead women and children laid out in the morgue at Queenstown, their operational base. As it transpired, the Baralong never did catch up with the U-boat responsible for the Arabic’s demise, but she did discover the U-27 engaging the Letland Line’s Nicosian. Herbert immediately ordered action stations and fought a classic engagement which resulted in the destruction of the enemy submarine with no loss to his own crew.
He then observed a number of German survivors attempting to clamber up the side of the Nicosian and, fearing that they might attempt to scuttle or set fire to her, he ordered his men to renew their fire. Several Germans were undoubtedly killed in this manner, but at least another six got aboard and quickly disappeared below deck. What happened next will probably never be known for certain, too many conflicting accounts having shrouded the true version of events, but in his original report Herbert merely stated that he sent a party of his Marines aboard to apprehend the enemy submariners, but fearful that they might have gained access to the Nicosian’s fire-arms in her charthouse, he warned a Lance-Corporal not to hesitate to open fire on them if necessary. Herbert continues:
‘A thorough search was made, which resulted in six of the enemy being found but they succumbed to the injuries they had received from lyddite shell shortly afterwards and were buried at sea at once.’
Some 20 years later, after the furore had somewhat abated, Herbert wrote a differing account which confessed to three of the enemy having been found hidden in the propeller-shaft alley:
‘Without further ado, these were shot. Meanwhile, the Marines continued their search and found the remainder, who, in default of surrender, were too put to death likewise, and buried at once.’
This latter account bears striking similarities to those taken from the Nicosian’s passengers, some of whom reported their version of events to the German Ambassador in the United States, thereby sparking off the entire controversy, a situation further fuelled by the Baralong having been seen flying the ‘Stars and Stripes’ as part of her neutral disguise.
Although the official Admiralty version of events would later compromise Herbert by its conspicuous absence of exoneration for his actions, for the moment at least he was the architect of the destruction of an enemy submarine, a feat that resulted in him being awarded the D.S.O. Three of his men received D.S.M.s, including the Lance-Corporal who had headed the boarding party.
Quickly re-christened the Wyandra, and given a new C.O., Lieutenant-Commander A. Wilmot-Smith, the ex-Baralong was back in action in the following month, when, on news being received of the loss of three British steamers over a nine-hour period, she was despatched to find the culprit. Heading for the area in question, south-east of the Fastnet, Wilmot-Smith came upon the steamer Urbino, lying stopped and under fire from the U-41. By means of skilful manoeuvring, he managed to close the range for his hidden guns to 500 yards, his ‘Panic Party’ all the while distracting the U-Boat’s commander, Kapitan-Leutnant Claus Hansen. Wyandra’s subsequent barrage of fire blew the U-41’s conning tower to pieces, and she slipped below the surface leaving just two survivors - both of whom were picked up and unjustly claimed another example of a ‘murderous act’.
Wilmot-Smith was awarded the D.S.O., Dowie his D.S.C., and two ratings the D.S.M., it being noted by Keble Chatterton that Dowie’s award ‘was a well-deserved decoration, for much depended on the Engineers in these ships, and they had much to suffer.’ He was also the very first R.N.R. Engineer Lieutenant to be so honoured in the War.
And he appears to have remained employed on Q-ship duties in the Mediterranean, his service record bearing the following endorsement:
‘Great credit due to him for steaming the ship some 18,000 miles whilst employed on special service and for raising steam in emergency as quickest possible time.’
His service record further notes that he removed to the troopship R.I.M.S. Hardinge in February 1916 and was embarked for the U.K. at the year’s end, following which he appears to have returned to the merchant service.
