DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL.G.VI.R.
1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence Medal; War Medal.
To:
A.B. ALFRED W. SPEAKE C/JX 138652.
With original (slightly tatty) Admiralty Citation letter (25th May 1945) which states:
Sir, I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to inform you that they have learned with great pleasure that, on the advice of the First Sea Lord, that The King had been graciously pleased to award you the Distinguished Service Medal for courage, zeal and energy in a successful action fought against an enemy submarine by H.M.S. NYASALAND, while serving as escourt to S.S. RIMUTAKA in which the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were embarked" This Award was published in the London Gazette Supplement of 22nd May 1945. I am Sir, Your Obedient Servant.
Able Seaman Alfred William Speake, from Harlesden, London, was the ASDIC (Sonar) operator in R.N. Destroyer HMS Nyasaland when at 11:15 pm he successfully located the German submarine U-772 which was, when off the port bow, just about prefectly positioned to attack SS RIMUTAKA. It was in this vessel that HRH Prince Henry & HRH Princess Alice the Duke & Duchess of Gloucester were travelling en-route to Australia to take up the Governor Generalship. Their ship had left Liverpool on 16th December and was travelling in the company of several capital ships which also included the cruiser HMS EURYALUS. The long transit journey of the two members of the Royal Family was arranged in some secrecy and was known as "Operation Aintree". The loss of this most important target ship and its Royal passengers would have been a tremendous morale blow to the United Kingdom.
[SS RIMUTAKA]
This famous action on 17th December 1944 commenced at 11:38pm and lead during two attacks 20 minutes apart to the total destruction of the U-Boat via the deployment of two ‘Hedgehog’ depth charge volleys in the Bay of Biscay, off Cork, Ireland.
[THE HEDGEHOG]
This was the last use of the anti-submarine weapon "Hedgehog" in WWII against a German U-Boat.
[GERMAN SUBMARINE U-772]
The U-772 submarine was lost with all hands on 17 December 1944 in the Celtic Sea south of Cork, Ireland, in position 51.16N, 08.05W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Nyasaland. It's entire crew of 48 were lost.
[KPT EWALD RADEMACHER]
The U-Boat captain, Ewald Rademacher aged 27 was Born 1st December 1917 , Died 17th December 1944.
He was from Rheine, Steinfurt, Germany. He had a very short and unremarkable career with not a single sinking to his credit.
As soon as Speake located the submarine, the ship's captain Lt Cdr John Scott ordered the watertight doors closed and then called for Robert Frith the Captain of the Gun Crew to fire the Hedgehog anti-submarine devise. The depth charge cluster type of bombs were set to explode at different depths all around the Frigate, which was restricted to 2 knots while in action.
It was fired successfully and the U-Boat was sunk with all hands.
During the action HMS Nyasaland also sustained damage to its underside due to the force of the explosion and the lack of sea depth at the time of deployment. However the Frigate then made for Glasgow where it was repaired.
The Hedgehog device which threw a pattern of depth charges all around and close to the firing vessel was discontinued due to collateral damage to the firing vessels and personnel.
Gun Captain Robert Frith and the ASDIC (Sonar) Operator William Speake were both awarded the D.S.M.for their parts in this action.
(Robert Frith's medal group was recently sold in the USA.)
The ship's captain, Lt. Comdr Scott, received a Bar to his D.S.C, Sub-Lt Frank A. Baldock, RNVR received the D.S.C. with seamen R.Ferguson & P. Booth being mentioned in despatches.
Both Speake & Frith later served on numerous Russian Convoys to Murmansk and Archangel and are thus entitled to the Arctic Star.
[HMS NYASALAND]
The ship was made in America and was transfered to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 31 July 1944. She served in the Royal Navy as HMS Nyasaland (K587) on patrol and escort duty. On 17 December 1944, she sank the German submarine U-772 with depth charges in the North Atlantic Ocean south of Cork, Ireland, 51°16′N 008°05′W. On 4 February 1945, she shared credit with the British frigates Loch Scavaig, Papua, and Loch Shin for sinking the German submarine U-1014 in a depth-charge attack in the North Channel off Malin Head, Ireland, at 55°17′N 006°45′W. On 2 March 1945, she rescued 42 survivors of the British merchant ship SS King Edgar, which the German submarine U-1302 had sunk in St. George's Channel at 52°05′N 005°42′W.
A truly excellent & highly desirable DSM to a famous U-Boat action. All medals are practically Mint State with the DSM retaining its original ribbon & pin mount and still being housed in its rarely seen original blue velvet & silk, leather covered box of issue. With copy London Gazette, original admiralty citation letter & associated newspaper cutting covering the other five awards to this action.
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