The rare vessel Second World War Home Waters Submarine Operations Attack on a Merchant Vessel 15 October 1940 Mention in Despatches and inter-war long service group awarded to Leading Seaman later Petty Officer H. Thumwood, Royal Navy, who came from Croydon, London, and having served in service vessels from the early 1920s, was a submariner from 1933 onwards. With the outbreak of the Second World War he went on to complete 11 war patrols aboard the submarine L27 between September 1939 and April 1941, and was present for all of her attacks on enemy vessels, being decorated with one of only 6 Mention in Despatches awarded to the crew of L27 for the unsuccessful, though presumed successful, attack on an escorted German transport ship north-east of Cherbourg on 15 October 1941. Three torpedoes were fired, four were intended but tube no.3 misfired due to a malfunction. Three big explosions were heard and HE ceased after the last explosion but in fact the target was not hit. It was thought though that the target had been sunk. The target of this attack was the German Sperrbrecher 3 / Belgrad, which was underway with several minesweepers from the 12th Mineweeper Flotilla. Sperrbrecher 3 sighted the first torpedo which was a surface runner coming from the starboard side and missed her ahead and two more torpedoes missed her under and then surfaced to the port side. Sperrbrecher 3 then dropped depth charges. Following this attack six German minesweepers from the 1st Minesweeper Flotilla were sailed to hunt the submarine. In addition to the six Mentions, two Distinguished Service Crosses and four Distinguished Services Medals were awarded for this action, which was conducted by a crew operating an antiquated First World War submarine.
Group of 4: 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal with Mention in Despatches Oakleaf; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR Coinage bust; (J.100897 H. THUMWOOD. A.B. H.M.S. MEDWAY.), mounted court style for display.
Condition: overall Good Very Fine or better.
Sold together with a 1930s postcard of H.M.Sub L27.
Henry Thumwood was born on 8 August 1903 in Croydon, London, and having worked as a groom, he then joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 1st Class (Portsmouth No.J.100897) with Vivid III from 14 January 1921, being rated as an Ordinary Seaman whilst aboard the battleship Courageous on 8 August 1921, and as an Able Seaman whilst aboard the battlecruiser Renown on 19 June 1922.
In April 1933 he joined the Submarine Service as spare crew with Dolphin, and he was aboard the submarine Swordfish from September 1933 to April 1934. Serving in the Mediterranean, he was aboard the submarine Clyde from August 1935 to January 1936 when he transferred to the submarine Osiris, and returned with her to home waters in July 1936, joining the submarine depot ship Medway, and he was with this establishment when he was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 22 October 1936.
Continuing to serve in home waters, he joined the submarine L27 in March 1938, this being an old First World War vessel, and he was with her when a few days after the outbreak of the Second World War, he was rated as an Acting Leading Seaman on 7 September 1939. Thumwood was qualified in gunnery and was a Layer Rating 2nd Class, and his duties would have been manning the deck gun when the vessel surfaced.
On the outbreak of the war, L27 was an antiquated vessel, and whilst a part of the 6th Submarine Flotilla operating in the North Sea out of both Dundee and Blyth, was used predominantly for training duties and very local coastal patrols. From 20 September 1939 to 15 January 1940, the 6th Submarine Flotilla was deployed off Skagerrak, Jutland, and Horns Reef. L27 was commanded by Lieutenant P.J. Cowell through to February 1940. Commanded successively by Lieutenants C.W. Walker, C.B. Crouch, J.D. Martin, and R.E. Campbell through to October 1940, it was the latter who had command when on 15 October 1940 L27 attacked a German convoy unsuccessfully in the English Channel.
At 1535 hours, L27 made a torpedo attack on an escorted German transport ship north-east of Cherbourg, France in position 49°45'N, 01°30'W. Three torpedoes were fired, four were intended but tube no.3 misfired due to a malfunction. Three big explosions were heard and HE ceased after the last explosion but in fact the target was not hit. It was thought though that the target had been sunk.
The target of this attack was the German Sperrbrecher 3 / Belgrad (4418 GRT, built 1937) which was underway with several minesweepers from the 12th Mineweeper Flotilla. Sperrbrecher 3 sighted the first torpedo which was a surface runner coming from the starboard side and missed her ahead and two more torpedoes missed her under and then surfaced to the port side. Sperrbrecher 3 then dropped depth charges. Following this attack six German minesweepers from the 1st Minesweeper Flotilla were sailed to hunt the submarine.
It was for this attack on 15 October 1940, and described in the London Gazette of 3 January 1941 as a ‘successful attack on an escorted enemy Supply Ship’ that Leading Seaman Thumwood was awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished services, one of six such awards given to the crew of L27 for this action, together with two Distinguished Service Crosses and four Distinguished Services Medals. These were the only wartime decorations even given to the crew of L27, and thus it is a rare confirmed award.
Lieutenant Commander W.A.K.N. Cavaye then assumed command of L27 for the remainder of the month until Lieutenant J.S. Huddart took command, and held it until January 1941. By the end of 1940, Thumwood had completed 7 war patrols aboard L27, having been rated as a Leading Seaman back on 7 September 1940.
From January until August 1941, Lieutenant H.N. Edmonds had command. Beginning on 22 March 1941, the Royal Navy and Allies began deploying submarines off Brest, France to prevent the German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst from leaving port. L27 was among the submarines assigned to the patrol. Thumwood was still aboard L27 as of 1 April 1941, by which time he had completed 11 war patrols aboard her, and soon afterwards she switched to training duties in home waters.
It is unclear when Thumwood left her, but he qualified for his pension whilst with the submarine depot ship Cyclops on 7 August 1943, and was promoted to Pensioned Petty Officer on 26 October 1944, before being released from service on 5 November 1945. Thumwood latterly resided in Portsmouth, Hampshire, where he died on 2 March 1978.
