A highly unusual DSM to a ships steward who having also seen earlier service in HMS PLOVER during the 
3rd China War (The Boxer Rebellion) was also present and decorated at the Battle of Jutland. Although HMS AJAX was in the thick of the action at Jutland, because of it's position in the fleet it wasn't able to successfully fire on the enemy. Several shells were fired by the Ajax but without known results. However, the ship was hit several times by German shells and hot flying shrapnel seriously wounded several sailors. There were 'officially' no casualties in the ship as all the wounded bravely stayed at their posts having been bandaged up by other crew members and the medical teams. It is certain that Steward ARTHUR JAMES LITTON won his DSM for valiantly and bravely assisting in the recovery and care of casualties on deck under very heavy enemy shell fire during the Battle of Jutland. For a steward to receive such high recognition, his actions must have been extraordinary in the extreme. For these outstanding actions he initially received a Mention in Dispatches. His M.I.D. is recorded in his RNAS papers. As a basic non-combatant steward, (R.N. stewards don't just serve the tea in the ward room) Litton clearly just got 'stuck in' during the battle and performed extremely valiant actions while assisting his hurt shipmates during the Battle of Jutland. Stewards' gallantry medals are rare but almost invariably always relate to this type of spontaneous bravery in action.Arthur James Litton was born in 1876 and hailed from Exeter. He joined the Royal Navy at the very young age of 11 in 1887. After a long and varied service in the R.N and R.N.A.S. he relinquished his temporary RAF commission (Lieutenant) on 3rd November 1920. 
He died suddenly in 1938 aged only 62. He's also entitled to a GV (NAVY) LSGC which was never claimed or issued (papers confirm 'not issued'). An excellent and unusual RN gallantry group to a man who later went on to serve in a similar capacity in The Royal Naval Air Service & R.A.F. Mr Litton was quite clearly a typically humble hero as it's obvious that he never wore his medals as almost 100 years after issue they are still in totally Mint State condition. A WONDERFUL GROUP WORTHY OF THE FINEST COLLECTION. (Complete with RNAS papers and a copy of his very extensive obit' in the Exeter newspaper) SOLDPART EXCHANGES VERY WELCOME.