Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry

A Second War D.S.M. group of eight awarded to Chief Petty Officer H. O. Barber, Royal Navy, for his services during six war patrols in the Mediterranean Sea in H.M. Submarine Sibyl, 1942-43

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (J.112515 H. O. Barber. P.O.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (J.112515 H. O. Barber. A/ P.O. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (J 112515 H. O. Barber. P.O. H.M.S. Vernon.) mounted as worn, light contact marks therefore very fine (8) £1,200-£1,500

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D.S.M. London Gazette 29 June 1943:
‘For bravery and skill in successful patrols in H.M. Submarines’

Hubert Oswald Barber was born in Littlehampton, Sussex on 17 April 1908 and entered the Royal Navy on 29 November 1924. In the inter-war period he saw service in H.M. Ships Dauntless, Coventry, Revenge and Malaya. In the latter ship he was advanced to Petty Officer on 1 October 1938 and qualified for the award of the N.G.S.M. with Palestine 1936-39 clasp. Remaining in Malaya after the resumption of hostilities, he saw service with her in the Mediterranean in 1940 operating against the Italian Fleet and escorting convoys. Barber transferred to the Submarine Service in October 1940. He was awarded his L.S. & G.C. medal on 2 April 1941 and joined H.M. Submarine P.217 (H.M.S. Sibyl) on 28 June 1942.

H.M.S. Sibyl was built by Cammell Laird Shipyard and commissioned on 16 August 1942 with a complement of 48 and armed with seven torpedo tubes, one 3 inch deck gun and one 20mm anti-aircraft gun. After trials and an uneventful 1st patrol off Norway, she was ordered to Gibraltar via the Bay of Biscay. Under the command of Lieutenant E. J. D. Turner, she proceeded to have a distinguished career in the Mediterranean, sinking numerous enemy ships, including the Italian merchant Pegli, the French (in German service) merchant St. Nazaire, the German auxiliary minesweeper M 7022/Hummer, five Greek sailing vessels and an unknown sailing vessel as well as also unsuccessfully attacking many other Italian and German vessels.
In addition, Sibyl was engaged in a number of special operations. The first of which, off Cannes on 8 November 1942, was recalled by Lieutenant E. J. D. Turner in an interview in May 1944:
‘It was one of those very secret jobs. All I had been told was to keep a midnight rendezvous at a point off the French Riviera to pick up certain members of General Giraud’s staff and take them to Algiers. As we approached the shore, however, we were signalled to leave and travel to another rendezvous. We arrived at midnight on a pitch dark night with no moon, and we were told to wait for two hours. The time was almost up when a small boat pulled out from the shore, where we could see trains, motor-car head lamps and even cyclists moving along the road. We had crept to within 300 yards of land. My Lieutenant asked the people in the boat for the pre-arranged password, but I heard a piping voice say they knew no password. What I though was a small boy turned out to be beautiful Frenchwoman. When we were well away to seaward I welcomed the unexpected guest to the wardroom mess. She proved an excellent messmate with a good sense of humour, and she soon settled down to submarine life. When she left the submarine at Algiers four days later she thanked me very graciously for our hospitality and added, ‘I left Algiers with my head bowed and feeling very low but now I have returned to help carry the torch to victory’. She was a brave woman and has done magnificent work for the Allied cause.’

In June 1943 the Sibyl was chosen for a secret operation off Corsica at the time of the German occupation. Two French agents were dropped and five agents were taken off, Turner’s recollections were again illuminating:
‘We took the chief of the Corsican secret organisation which was preparing for an hour to strike with the Allies and meanwhile carrying on a blood feud against the Italian troops. When he came on board the shore batteries opened up but their leader had to be taken to North Africa and later returned to Corsica by parachute. He was less than 5ft in height, cultured and immaculately dressed - but when he took off his shirt to wash, his chest and back were a mass of ancient knife and bayonet wounds.’

And finally in March 1944, on her 17th and last Mediterranean patrol, Sibyl departed Malta and was ordered to carry out two special operations in the Peloppariosian Islands off Cephalonia, Greece (operation 'Clerk' and operation ‘Zeppelin’). On 23 March she landed at Loortha Bay, two M.I.9 agents, Captain E. J. A. Lunn and Sergeant J. Gilmour from S.B.S. (deception operation ‘Clerk’). Because of the strong surf, they could not return to the submarine. After making contacts with the local inhabitants and members of resistance organisations, they were finally re-embarked on 22 April near Trikasteron and brought to Monopoli. On 26 March Sybil landed at Ortholita Bay, Captain Kennard and Sergeant Preece from S.B.S. for special beach reconnaissance (operation Zeppelin). They were recovered at 2050 hours.

Petty Officer Barber was awarded the D.S.M. in 1943 for six Mediterranean patrols in the Sybil; Seedie’s List of Submarine Awards records that on this same occasion her commanding officer, Lieutenant E. J. D. Turner was awarded the D.S.O., along with the D.S.C. to her Warrant Engineer, two more D.S.M.s to two more crew members and three M.I.D.s.

Barber returned to Blyth with the Sybil in September 1944 having been aboard for all 17 of her war patrols (15 in the Mediterranean) up to that date. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in November 1944 and served in shore establishments for the remainder of the war.

Sold with copied research including war patrol reports, photographs of Sibyl and her crew (with Barber identified) and Submarine Service Card.