About the product

DSC Pair Plaque SS Haslingden Master Sunk

Distinguished Service Cross, GV, engraved on back, WW1 War and Victory Medal Pair, Bronze Memorial Plaque, Captain Henry Johns D.S.C., Merchant Navy, Went down with his ship, S.S. Haslingden when sunk by a German U-Boat

Out of stock

Origin: United Kingdom
Extremely Fine

Description

Distinguished Service Cross, GV, engraved on back, WW1 War and Victory Medal Pair, Bronze Memorial Plaque, Captain Henry Johns D.S.C., Merchant Navy, Went down with his ship, S.S. Haslingden, when sunk by a German U-Boat.

 

D.S.C. engraved on the back “Henry Johns Feb 16th 1918”
Mercantile War Medal Pair impressed: “HENRY JOHNS”

 

With 2 copy photographs, one in Master’s uniform, full file of comprehensive research including intelligence report for the sinking.

 

Captain Henry Johns, was a mariner since an early age, who spent his whole life at sea, he became a Mate by 19 and Master by 23, at the start of the war he was Captain of S.S. Whitefield, until he survived being sunk by a German Submarine on 1st September 1915.
Not long afterwards he was back at sea on SS Tantallon, before becoming the Master of S.S. Haslingden. With the ship he earned his Distinguished Service Cross for War Services, announced in the London Gazette 16th November 1917.

 

A true Mariner, he was aged 60 by 1918 when he was placed in command of the Haslingden, when it was struck by a torpedo fired from German Submarine U-Boat UB-21 on 12th May 1918, leading to the sinking and death of most of the crew.

 

The intelligence report made by Chief Engineer William Pearson of the ship:

 

“Whilst proceeding from Humber to Tyne, and about 15 to 80 miles South of the Tyne as far as he knew, Gunner Tucker reported seeing the track of a Torpedo on the Port quarter close, and which almost immediately hit the ship amidships in the engine room, wrecking a lot of Bridge Upper Work, Marconi House and blowing the funnel out of the ship.

 

Master, 2nd Officer, M/Wheel and Marconi man were killed at this time. Ship almost immediately sunk