Description
Distinguished Service Cross, dated 1942, 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, 1939-45 War Medal, Lieut later Pilot Brian West Windle, HMS Dulverton, Royal Navy, for the Malta Convoy on 22nd March 1942.
DSC is officially dated 1942 and has been contemporarily hand engraved with his name reading: “Mid B.W. Windle, R.N.”
Also included is a sterling silver hallmarked identity bracelet, dated to 1939 production, which is engraved to read: “Sub. Lieut. Brian West Windle D.S.C. RN C of E”
The engraved details on his bracelet line up with circa 1943, just after his promotion to Sub Lieut and the award of the DSC shortly before that.
His stirring recommendation for the award for his rescue of the survivors from the Southwold when it was sunk reads:
“This young Officer showed great coolness and initiative under aerial bombardment off Malta when the Southwold was sunk.
He collected a volunteer crew and took over Southwold’s Whaler which had been damaged and was leaking badly, this boat picked up a number of men from carley floats which had drifted close to the rocks.
The Whaler had to be abandoned as unseaworthy, so Midshipman Windle took charge of the Motorboat, eventually taking it into the Grand Harbour under its own power with survivors.”
Later in the war he moved over to the Fleet Air Arm and trained to be a Pilot, joining 744 Squadron in June 1945.
During his time as a Pilot he was serving with 766 Squadron during 1949, HMS Fulmar, RN Air Station in Lossiemouth when he went out on a flight in Fairey Firefly MB556, when he crashed in the sea and was killed, his observer Surgeon Paul Clements having survived.
Brian West Windle 1924-1949, was born on 9th January 1924, the only son of Colonel Charles Ernest Windle (1898-1976), Indian Army, and Evelyn Hill (1899-1974).
As a young man he entered into the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, where he studied from 1st September 1937.
He was appointed as a Midshipman on 1st May 1941.
Acting Lieutenant, 1st Jan 1943
Sub Lieutenant, 1st March 1943.
Lieutenant, 1st Nov 1944.
He saw the following appointments and postings courtesy of unithistories.com:
No Appointment, June 1941 – Oct 1941
HMS Ajax (Cruiser), Oct 1941 – Feb 1942, Note joined Ajax when they joined Force K at Malta.
HMS Dulverton (Destroyer), 23rd Feb 1942 – May 1942, where he earned the DSC at Malta
HMS Queen Elizabeth (Battleship), 22nd May 1942 – Feb 1943
Following completion of temporary repairs in an Alexandria drydock in June 1942, she steamed through the Suez Canal and around Africa to the Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia, in the United States. From September 1942 until June 1943, she was comprehensively repaired.
HMS Sheffield (Cruiser) aka the “Shiny Sheff”, 1st March 1943 – Dec 1943
In February 1943, Sheffield moved to operate in the Bay of Biscay and, in July and August, she supported the landings at Salerno (Operation Avalanche). Returning yet again to the Arctic, she took part in the sinking of the battleship Scharnhorst off the north coast of Norway, in late December 1943.
No Appointment, Feb 1944 – April 1945
Pilot, 744 Squadron Fleet Air Arm (HMS Shrike, RN Air Station, Maydown, Northern Ireland), 17th June 1945 – July 1945
No Appointment, Oct 1945
HMS Merganser (Royal Naval Air Station Rattray), April 1946
Pilot, 766 Squadron Fleet Air Arm (Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth), 11th May 1948 – 9th August 1949 (When killed in a plane crash).
