An outstanding Second War submariner's D.S.M. and Second Award Bar awarded to Leading...

An outstanding Second War submariner’s D.S.M. and Second Award Bar awarded to Leading Telegraphist V. G. Backman, Royal Navy, for his ‘distinguished service, outstanding courage, and devotion to duty’ in successful patrols in H.M. Submarines Porpoise and Tally-Ho Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar (JX.129189 V. G. Backman. L.Tel. R.N.) minor edge nick, otherwise about extremely fine £2,400-£2,800 --- Only 147 Second Award Bars were awarded to the Distinguished Service Medal during the Second World War. D.S.M. London Gazette 29 December 1942: ‘For distinguished services in successful patrols in H.M. Submarines.’ D.S.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 20 February 1945: ‘For outstanding courage, skill, and undaunted devotion to duty in successful patrols in H.M .Submarine Tally-Ho.’ Vernon George Backman was born in Neath, Glamorgan, on 20 March 1911 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 8 February 1927. Appointed a Telegraphist, he transferred to the submarine branch in July 1932, and was promoted Leading Telegraphist in H.M. Submarine Proteus on 2 November 1937. ‘Porpoise Carrier Service’ - D.S.M. Backman joined H.M. Submarine Porpoise on 17 May 1939, and served in her during the Second World War from the outbreak of hostilities until 12 February 1943. After participating in hazardous mine-laying operations off Norway, he was awarded the first of his D.S.M.s for assorted war patrols in the Mediterranean between November 1941 and October 1942, latterly under the command of Lieutenant Leslie Bennington, D.S.C., R.N. - who would win a D.S.O. and a Bar to his D.S.C. in the same period. Much of this service was spent on the Malta run, namely hazardous but essential supply trips with fuel, munitions and general supplies for the besieged island. David Thomas’s Submarine Victory takes up the story: ‘The spring of 1941 was a period of incessant air raids upon Malta, and it was not until Hitler launched his foolish Russian campaign in mid-summer that the German raids ended, although the Regia Aeronautica carried on the aerial battle. One other method of supplying Malta existed - submarines. At Alexandria the minelayers of the 1st Flotilla and the large 'P' Class boats had given sterling service, but they were now called upon to act as submerged cargo carriers, a service which became known as the Magic Carpet Service to Malta. The first submarine to take on this duty was Porpoise, and her contribution was the greatest of all those boats which participated. She ended the Magic Carpet Service with her own special flag bearing the initials P.C.S. denoting Porpoise Carrier Service. The islanders looked forward to the arrival of convoys and our cargo-carrying submarines with such avidity that their arrival was cause for cheers and waves of welcome. When such interest is taken in naval matters by landlubbers in times of stress and anxiety an odd story or two intrudes now and then. Legend has it that on one occasion Porpoise arrived with her torpedo tubes stuffed full with sausages. And for all we know, legend may be truth! Indeed, these submarines were crammed to the nth degree by sailors knowing they had only to suffer the intensely cramped conditions for a few days. Every effort was made by the sailors to stuff into every nook and cranny as much as was humanly possible consistent with the safety of the boat - and even this factor may have had a blind eye turned upon it in the interests of succouring Malta. In addition to Porpoise the four large submarines Cachalot, Parthian, Regent and Rorqual were adapted for this service. The supplies of petrol they carried filled a proportion of their fresh-water tanks, fuel tanks and even main ballast tanks. One section of their batteries was even removed to provide more space for cargo. Nor were these cargo-carrying runs purely operations of mercy. They were patrols - offensive in nature - usually with tubes loaded with twenty-one-inch torpedoes and not sausages. The gallant Porpoise suffered the experience of more than eighty depth-charges in four days on one of these missions. She made in all nine of these trips.’ That mission occurred in mid-August 1942, the Admiralty describing the enemy’s relentless assault as ‘one of the heaviest depth-charge attacks ever made on a British submarine’: in fact Porpoise endured the detonation of no less than 87 depth-charges. The assault commenced after Porpoise had torpedoed the Italian merchantman Lerici about 120 nautical miles off Libya, two escorting enemy destroyers and two torpedo boats delivering a protracted 60 depth-charge attack. Notwithstanding the ferocity of the enemy’s response, Porpoise renewed her attack on enemy shipping off Tobruk, as a result of which she attracted the wrath of yet another enemy destroyer: ‘The destroyer passed overhead and dropped a depth-charge which exploded very close to the submarine. Porpoise was badly shaken, some lights were extinguished and large quantities of corking were dislodged from the deck head, and shortly afterwards fumes and smoke were observed coming from No. 1 Section of the Main Battery. No. 1 Battery was isolated to prevent the spreading of fumes through the submarine. After the first depth-charge attack the destroyer continued in a northerly direction for about three minutes. She then turned back for another run. She then passed astern and dropped four depth-charges which were unpleasantly close and damaged No. 2 and No. 3 Sections of the Battery. Further attacks then followed in quick succession and on each occasion the enemy appeared to be in firm contact. The enemy made a total of 12 attack runs but depth-charges were only dropped during the best runs. Altered course to 210 degrees. The enemy was not able to make contact as easy as before but when she did the attacks were as carefully conducted as before … Altogether the enemy dropped 27 depth-charges. All were very close’ (Captain Bennington’s report refers). On discovering the extent of the damage caused to Porpoise when he was able to surface that evening, Bennington signalled for assistance and the crippled submarine was escorted into Port Said by two destroyers and a fighter escort. Tally Ho - Bar to D.S.M. Transferring to H.M. Submarine Tally Ho on 13 February 1943, where he was soon joined by his old skipper Bennington, Backman served in her until January 1945, initially on war patrols off Norway, Gibraltar and the South of France but afterwards in the Far East. It was for gallant deeds in this latter theatre of war that he was awarded his second D.S.M., while Bennington added a Bar to his D.S.O. and a Second Bar to his D.S.C. in the same period. Submarine Victory again takes up the story: ‘Submarine operations got into full swing in the new year of 1944. Boats were being sent to patrol the shallow waters of the Malacca Straits. All waters are dangerous for submarines in wartime, as we have read; the northern waters of Norway, with their long daylight hours; the Arctic ones with their ice hazards; the shallows off the coast of Europe; the shallows and clarity of the Mediterranean. Now, in the East, submarines were subjected to the peculiar hazards of these oriental waters. Clear, shallow seas are dangerous in themselves. But the Malacca Straits and similar Eastern waters were not always reliably charted. This is no reflection on the magnificent work of the Admiralty's Hydrographic Department. Accurate charts demand frequent surveys to locate shifting sandbanks and similar peculiarities. Commanders and navigators were constantly perturbed by depths which failed to correspond with those shown on the charts. And the knowledge that t...