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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 308

(x) The 'Gallipoli Evacuation 1916' D.S.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant H. J. Carnduff, Royal Navy who also added a 'mention' for his service during the evacuation of Suvla Bay

A talented rugby player, he was selected for the Royal Navy's team in a number of national games after the war, before tragically drowning under unusual circumstances whilst aboard Valiant

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1915; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. H. J. Carnduff. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lieut. H. J. Carnduff. R.N.), very fine (4)

D.S.C. London Gazette 14 March 1916, the original citation states:

'For meritorious service in H.M.S. Swiftsure in operations in the Dardanelles. Lieutenant Carnduff performed good service during the evacuation of Sulva and Helles, being specially selected for the evacuation from Helles in view of his good service during the evacuation of Sulva '

M.I.D. London Gazette 14 March 1916.

Herbert Julian Carnduff was born on 13 July 1892, the son of Sir Herbert Carnduff, C.I.E, a High Court judge in India. Educated at Danesbury Prep School, Bengeo, Hertford he entered the Royal Navy as a cadet on 15 January 1905, passing out as Midshipman on 15 September 1909. He served on a number of shore bases and vessels prior to the Great War; elevated to Lieutenant he was appointed to Swiftsure on 2 February 1914.

During the Great War, Swiftsure escorted Indian troop convoys from Bombay to Aden from September-November 1914, when the destruction of the German light cruiser S.M.S. Emden, which had been raiding in the Indian Ocean, made this escort duty unnecessary. She was then transferred to the Suez Canal Patrol on 1 December to help defend the Canal, although she remained East Indies Station flagship while at Suez. From 27 January-4 February 1915 the ship helped to defend the Canal near Kantara during the First Suez Offensive by Ottoman forces.

Swiftsure was relieved as East Indies Station flagship by the armoured cruiser Euryalus later in February 1915 and transferred to the Dardanelles for service in the Dardanelles Campaign. She joined the Dardanelles Squadron on 28 February 1915 and took part in the attack on Fort Dardanos on 2 March. She and Triumph were detached from the Dardanelles on 5 March for operations against forts at Smyrna, returning to the Dardanelles on 9 March. She participated in the main attack on the Narrows forts on 18 March and supported the main landings at West Beach at Cape Helles on 25 April and subsequent landings, including the attack on Achi Baba on 4 June. On 18 September, a German submarine unsuccessfully attacked her while she was on a voyage from Mudros to Suvla Bay. She took part in the bombardment of Dedeagatch on 18 January 1916. Swiftsure left the Dardanelles in February 1916.

Carnduff left Swiftsure on 13 January 1916, joining Ribble for a two-month appointment followed by Mosquito for the next four months ending 13 July. A number of shore-based appointments followed after which he was posted to command the patrol boat P59 from 19 February 1917 until 7 September followed by command of P45. The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, considered Carnduff 'much to blame' in a grounding of P45 and Carnduff was cautioned to be more careful in future.

He was next appointed to command the destroyer Lucifer on 28 January 1918 serving aboard her until the end of the war. Carnduff married Nina Iris Grahame Chambers in 1918, sister of Pansy Chambers, a Great War poet. Nina was credited with launching the fashion trend of adorning a lady's arm with a fancy-coloured butterfly tattoo in 1919; quite risqué at the time!

Appointed to Valiant on 1 September 1921, Carnduff drowned at Plymouth 'under mysterious circumstances' on 13 April 1922. He had gone ashore to play rugby, and was seen in Plymouth at 11.20pm, 'sober and normal'. His body was found the next day off Bull Point. It was thought that he might have fallen into the water while trying to find a boat that could take him back to the battleship.

Carnduff's brother, Captain K.M. Carnduff, was killed in action on 12 January 1916 whilst serving with the 2nd Field Squadron, Royal Engineers; sold together with an extensive archive of copied research.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£800 to £1,200

Starting price
£600