An Impressive and Rare Second World War Submariners Distinguished Service Medal and Second Award Bar Group of Six, the DSM Being Awarded for Service on HMS Torbay in the Period December 1941 to March 1942 when the Skipper, Commander Miers, was Awarded the Victoria Cross, and the Second Award Bar Being Awarded for Service in HMS Trenchant in the Far East, Distinguished Service medal GVIR, 1st type, with second award bar, impressed naming, ‘JX.155038 F.F, GAVIN A.B.’, 1939-45 Star medal, Atlantic Star medal, Africa Star medal, Burma Star medal, War medal 1939-45 with mention in despatches oakleaf, last 5 unnamed as issued, contact marks and wear to the first medal.53 first bars to the D.S.M were awarded during the Second World War. istinguished Service medal, London Gazette 7th July 1942 – For gallant service in successful patrols while serving in H.M. Submarine Torbay (Miers V.C. is also included in this Gazette) – Able Seaman Felix Francis Gavin, P/JX.155038. Recommendation – ‘For his continued good services as trainer of the 4-inch gun in H.M.S. Torbay during three war patrols since previously being recommended for a mention in despatches. In this patrol, six enemy vessels have been sunk largely owing to the excellence of the training which has greatly facilitated the spotting by the G.C.O. He has moreover, shown courage and endurance of a high order on five occasions of working with boats on the casing in rough weather off the enemy coast, these being subsequent to the cases cited in the previous recommendation for this rating. He shows a complete disregard for his personal safety, and it is typical of him that he has recently volunteered for special service of an arduous and dangerous nature as soon as the opportunity to do so arose.’ar to the Distinguished Service medal, London Gazette 24th April 1945 – For outstanding courage, skill and undaunted devotion to duty whilst serving in H.M. Submarines in the Far East – Acting Temporary Leading Seaman Felix Francis GAVIN, D.S.M., P/JX I55O38 (Stirling). Recommendation – Leading Seaman Gavin is the Gunlayer of the 4-inch gun in H.M.S. Trenchant. At all times he sets an example of courage, efficiency and offensive spirit to his Guns’ Crew. Largely due to his steadiness in action, the 4-inch gun has been very efficient. Actions include: On 9 August 1944, the sinking of a Japanese M.L. and Auxiliary Vessel off Sablat, Sumatra. On 10 November 1944, the sinking of a Motor Junk, when two enemy Submarine Chasers were fast approaching. On 21 December 1944, the sinking of two Landing Craft while an enemy aircraft was approaching. On 25 December 1944, the sinking, with H.M.S. Terrapin, of an enemy Anti-Submarine Trawler. In addition, Leading Seaman Gavin is an excellent Lookout. He sighted an enemy convoy in the Malacca Straits on 9 November 1944, which enabled it to be intercepted and attacked.’ention in Despatches, London Gazette 7th April 1942 – For courage skill and coolness in successful Submarine patrols. Able Seaman Felix Francis Gavin, P/JX 155038.elix Francis Gavin entered the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman in September 1939 volunteering for submarines in early 1941. He Joined HMS Torbay in June 1941 as the Trainer on the 4-inch gun. His first patrol in Torbay, the submarine’s third operational outing in the Mediterranean theatre of war, was a typically successful one, her tally of enemy vessels amounting to one Italian submarine – the Jantina – one freighter, the Citta di Tripoli, her second tanker, the Strombo, and several local troop and supply transports, including caiques. In October, Torbay dropped Captain John Haselden behind enemy lines on the coast of Libya and also carried out a shore bombardment of Apollonia for good measure, before ending her sixth patrol. Haselden’s mission was to survey the neighbourhood in respect of a much bigger special mission – namely ‘Operation Flipper’, the ill-fated raid on Rommel’s H.Q. Here, then, Torbay’s next operation, for she departed Alexandria on the 10th with Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Keyes, M.C., and 25 of his Commandos, whilst her consort Talisman departed with Colonel Bob Laycock and another 25 raiders. Torbay successfully got Keyes and his men ashore on the beach at ‘The Dog’s Nose’ on the night of 14th-15th, with the assistance of four S.B.S. personnel in folbots, where Keyes linked up with the aforementioned Captain Haselden. Talisman was less fortunate, heavy seas permitting only Laycock and seven of his men to get ashore. Keyes went on to be awarded a posthumous V.C.n 9 December 1941, Torbay departed on her eighth war patrol, charged with operating off the west coast of Greece and the approaches to Navarino Bay, where she sank several Greek sailing vessels with gunfire and disembarked an S.B.S. folbot team – the latter were discovered by the enemy and fortunate to get back to Torbay. Second and third attempts to get the S.B.S. team into Navarino harbour also ended in failure. But during her next war patrol, Torbay successfully landed a team of eight men and stores on a beach on the south coast of Crete.t was on Torbay’s next patrol the Miers went on to win his Victoria Cross. Sailing from Alexandria on 20th February 1942 Torbay was patrolling in the area around the west coast of Greece. On the 26th February, 1st and 2nd of March the vessel was spotted by the enemy and forced to endure depth-charge attacks. Miers then mover to patrolling the area around Corfu and on 3rd March he spotted a large enemy convoy entering Corfu harbour.Miers followed the convoy at slow speed until dusk, when he surfaced and entered the southern channel. He had to dive again to avoid a small motor-ship but then surfaced and followed it in. At 10 p.m. Torbay was trimmed down, with only her conning tower showing above water and her hull turned stern on to the brilliant moon which had just risen, while recharging batteries about five miles east of the main anchorage. A signal was received recalling Torbay from patrol. Miers remarked that he was ‘relieved to find that this signal did not conflict with the present operation’. At 1 a.m., Miers had to dive to avoid a patrolling trawler, and then took Torbay slowly across the harbour towards the anchorage. By 2.35 a.m. Miers found himself actually in the roads, having been carried across by a strong westerly set. He could see no sign of ships, and decided to wait until daylight. Dawn showed that the convoy had apparently sailed again. There were two 5,000-ton transports and a destroyer still in the anchorage. Firing as Torbay swung round, Miers shot one torpedo at each, missing the destroyer but hitting the transports. He and Torbay then endured another forty depth-charges while making their escape to the open sea, after being in closely patrolled enemy waters for seventeen hours. A remarkable and unprecedented Investiture took place at Buckingham Palace on 28th July, the King presented Miers with the V.C., his engineer officer, Lieutenant (E.) Hugh Kidd D.S.C., with a D.S.O., Lieutenants Paul Chapman and D.S. Verschoyle-Campbell with Bars to their D.S.C s, and twenty-four ratings, of Torbay, including Gavin, with D.S.Ms or Bars to their D.S.Ms.’avin then joined H.M.S. Trenchant in November 1943 carrying out 7 war patrols in the Far East between July 1944 and July 1945 for which he was awarded a bar to his D.S.M. Felix Gavin continued in the submarine serve post war coming ashore in September 1952. Sold with a folder of copied research.