Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry

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The remarkable Great War D.S.C. group of three awarded to Captain Robert Hughes, Mercantile Marine, Master of the S.S. Woodfield when attacked and sunk by U-38 off the coast of Morocco on 3 November 1915; following a 2 hour pursuit under constant shell-fire, during which eight men were killed and fourteen wounded, including Captain Hughes in the right leg and shoulder, the survivors abandoned ship in four small rafts, all of which reached the Moroccan shore, whereupon all were captured and interned for ‘the duration of the war’ but eventually escaped and made their way to Gibraltar

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1918, in its Garrard & Co. Ltd. case of issue; British War and Mercantile Marine War Medals (Robert Hughes) nearly extremely fine (3) £1,800-£2,200

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D.S.C. London Gazette 17 January 1919: ‘Captain Robert Hughes, Mercantile Marine. For carrying on trade.’

The following letter, dated London, 17 December 1918, was sent by the Admiralty, Whitehall, to Messrs. Woods Tylor & Brown, 44 Leadenhall Street, London E.C.3., owners of the Woodfield:

‘Gentlemen,
I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to inform you that they have under consideration a report of the sinking of your S.S. “WOODFIELD” (Captain Robert Hughes) by an enemy submarine on the 3rd November, 1915.
At 7.45 A.M. on that date two shots were fired at the ship from a Northerly direction, and fell about 100 yards ahead of the ship. A submarine was then sighted 3-4 miles off flying signal “Abandon ship immediately”. The course was altered to bring the submarine astern, ensign hoisted, and fire returned, although the shots from a 3 pounder gun fell 1-1.5 miles short. Submarine and ship continued action for two hours firing respectively about 50 and 30 rounds, and from then onwards nearly every shell found its mark. One burst in the soldiers’ quarters killing four men; another near the bridge fatally wounding the Carpenter and wounding the Master in the right leg and shoulder. At 9.45 A.M. when eight men had been killed and fourteen wounded, including the Gunners, the Master decided to stop and get some of the boats away, and ceased fire. The Chief Officer was directed to get everyone away except the senior Gunner (Phillips). The Master then ordered Phillips to come aft with him to man the gun, but found that he (Phillips) was too seriously wounded to do so.
The submarine now ceased firing, submerged and about twenty minutes later torpedoed the ship amidships. The Master, Senior Gunner and a soldier named Wand who had his arm broken but had stayed on board with his chum who was fatally wounded, and had just died, were the only persons on board at this time. These three put two rafts over the side and all managed to get on one. It was however too small for three, so the Master although badly wounded in the leg and shoulder jumped overboard and swam about sixty yards to the other. The ship was boarded by one of the submarine’s crew for the ship’s papers, and two more shots were fired into her and she sank at 10.30 A.M. All survivors reached shore in the ship’s boats.
Everyone on board behaved excellently, with the exception of the Arab Firemen who left the stokehold when they heard the first shots. The Master put up a gallant fight for two hours, although his gun was outranged and only ceased fire in order to get his boats away as he himself and twenty-one others had been killed or wounded. He then remained on board with the Senior Gunner, with the idea of keeping his gun in action to the last. His conduct during the whole action was most courageous. The behaviour of the two Gunners, who were both wounded also appears to have been most praiseworthy.
I am to inform you that the King has been pleased to approve of the award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain Hughes in recognition of his gallant behaviour. The First Officer (Thomas Jenkins), First Engineer (Kenneth John Henderson), and the two Gunners (Acting Lance Corporal J. W. Phillips, R.M.L.I. ON.7349 (P.O.) and Private G. W. Thorne, R.M.L.I. ON.3049/P.O. will be “commended” in the London Gazette.’

The story of the fight between, a British merchant steamer and a German submarine was graphically told at Plymouth on the arrival of Captain Robert Hughes, of Criccieth, North Wales; Chief Engineer Kenneth Henderson, and 35 members of the crew of the London steamer Woodfield in the London Daily News of 7 February 1916:

‘The Woodfield, which is a steamer of 3584 tons, had an uneventful voyage until the vessel was 40 miles to the eastward of Gibraltar. The weather was fine and clear when, shortly before daybreak on November 3, a German submarine was sighted. The enemy signalled for the Woodfield to stop, but far from giving in without an effort to escape, Captain Hughes increased speed and endeavoured to get away from the enemy craft. A long chase commenced. The Woodfield got the submarine under her stern, and headed away with all speed. A gun which was mounted on her poop was manned by members of the crew. The Germans fired at her. The first shot fell short, and then, getting closer, the submarine fired again, and this time the shell flew over the steamer.
Trouble at this stage commenced with the Arab firemen of the Woodfield, who gave way to panic, and refused to stay at the furnace. Mr. Henderson himself went into the deserted stokehold, and, with other members of his staff, maintained the fires.
Meanwhile there were exciting incidents on deck. The Germans with their third shot found the range, and, discreetly keeping outside the range of the Woodfield's only gun, bombarded the ship. One shell penetrated the side of the vessel, went through the bunkers, and exploded against a bulkhead in the stokehold. It threw up a cloud of coal dust which nearly smothered the chief engineer and his plucky assistants, but fortunately caused them no injury on the bridge.
Captain Hughes was twice hit by shell; once in the shoulder, and again in the right leg, whilst he had a wonderful escape from a shell which killed the ship's carpenter. The two were standing together, Captain Hughes with his hand on the shoulder of the carpenter, when a shell tore away a portion of his coat and carried away a portion of the carpenter's skull. The mate was standing on another portion of the deck clinging to the meat safe, when a shell carried it bodily overboard, happily without injuring him.
At last, after a running fight, which had lasted three hours, and when eight men had been killed and fourteen wounded, Captain Hughes considered that escape was hopeless. There were no signs of assistance from any quarter, so he very reluctantly gave the order to stop the engines. The boats were lowered. Four boats were got away, all the wounded being moved. The captain, who was the last to leave, with two other men, got on a small life raft, but, finding that this would not support all three, he very pluckily, despite the wounds from which he was suffering, dropped off and swam to one of the boats. Hitherto he had in the excitement not taken much account of his...