Beschreibung:

Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte The unique Murmansk 1919 operations D.S.O., Shackleton 1914-16 Antarctic Expedition O.B.E., Q-Ship operations D.S.C. group of twelve awarded to Commander J. R. Stenhouse, Royal Naval Reserve: according to Shackleton ‘he accomplished successfully one of the most difficult journeys on record, in an ocean area notoriously stormy and treacherous’ - just one chapter in a truly remarkable career spanning ‘square-riggers’ in the early 1900s to his death in action in September 1941 Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1917; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut. J. R. Stenhouse, R.N.R.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Polar Medal 1904, silver, 1 clasp, Antarctic 1914-16 (J. R. Stenhouse, Master, “Aurora”); Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R., silver, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1922; France, Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, with star riband fitment, generally extremely fine (12) £20000-25000 Footnote D.S.O. London Gazette 3 February 1920: ‘For distinguished service in connection with the military operations in Murmansk, North Russia.’ O.B.E. London Gazette 30 March 1920: ‘For services in connection with the War ... Master of the Aurora in Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition.’ D.S.C. London Gazette 17 November 1917: ‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’ The original recommendation states: ‘Lieutenant J. R Stenhouse, R.N.R., whose great keenness, vigilance and good seamanship render him an exceptionally valuable officer. But for his promptness in sighting the submarine we might not have been in time to ram her.’ Mention in despatches London Gazette 31 August 1917. The original recommendation states: ‘He displayed excellent spirit and perfect discipline on the occasion of an action with an enemy submarine on 2 July 1917.’ Joseph Russell Stenhouse, the scion of a Scottish ship building family, was born in Dumbarton in November 1887, and first went to sea in 1903 - his father and grandfather were well-known for the clippers they built under the name Birrell, Stenhouse & Company, and young Joseph became one of the last men to gain his Master’s Certificate in a square-rigger. In fact, as one obituarist put it, ‘Sailing ships were in his blood.’ Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition 1914-16 In August 1914, Stenhouse joined Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition, initially as Chief Officer of the Aurora, under Lieutenant A.L.A. Mackintosh, R.N.R., but when the ship reached a suitable landing place near Hut Point in January 1915, Mackintosh went ashore with his Ross Sea party and Stenhouse took overall command. Shackleton had ordered Stenhouse to winter the Aurora north of Glacier Tongue, but since the ice was in a constant state of movement and no shelter could be found from the tearing winds and blizzards, it was not until March 1915 that a suitable anchorage could be found. By that stage large quantities of coal had been used up in fighting against the ice packs and the chosen anchorage could only be described by the Second Officer ‘as good a place as there is at present offering’. Despite every effort to secure stable moorings it was not uncommon for the anchors and supporting wire hawsers to be wrenched up by drifting ice and on 6 May 1915, during a severe southerly gale, the Aurora was finally cast adrift. The Second Officer records the event thus: ‘At 9.35 p.m. or thereabouts I had just been turned in when the after moorings began to strain and the decks to groan and then I knew the ice had again started to go out of North Bay C. Evans. This was a very dangerous thing as the ice was so thick. I did not turn out immediately but it got so bad that Hooke woke me to come out and I was thinking it was about time I was