Orders, Decorations and Medals

An important Great War Q-ship operations D.S.M. pair awarded to Chief Steward A. C. Townshend, who was decorated for his part in all five actions fought by Gordon Campbell, V.C.

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (Ch. Stwd. A. C. Townshend, Atlantic Ocean, 8 Aug. 1917); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (Alfred C. Townshend), very fine or better (2) £2200-2500

D.S.M. London Gazette 2 November 1917:

‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’

Alfred C. Townshend was among those awarded the D.S.M. following the Dunraven’s final action on 8 August 1917, due to the fact he had not earlier been rewarded, even though present at all five actions fought by his legendary Q-ship captain, Gordon Campbell, V.C., D.S.O., and even though he would have been offered ‘the option of leaving or remaining after each action’ (ADM. 137/1352 refers). In short, therefore, Townshend’s Q-ship career would have encompassed service in Farnborough (a.k.a. Q.5), Pargust and Dunraven, witnessed the destruction of at least three U-boats and the award of five V.Cs, 7 D.S.Os, 13 D.S.Cs, 7 C.G.Ms, 45 D.S.Ms and numerous “mentions”. Furthermore, the tally of awards for the action of 8 August 1917, which included two V.Cs, made Dunraven the most decorated ship for a single action in the last century.

Campbell’s first success was the sinking of the U-68 by the Farnborough on 13 January 1916, followed by another enemy submarine damaged in an action fought a month later, but his more famous encounters occurred in the following year, after he had taken the decision to allow his command(s) to be torpedoed, in order to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. As the following summaries illustrate, this remarkbaly gallant tactic soon reaped rewards:

Action of the Q.5 on 17 February 1917

Off the west coast of Ireland, at 9.45 a.m., Campbell, following proscribed Q-ship tactics, turned into the track of an enemy torpedo so as to allow it to hit Q.5 aft by the engine-room bulkhead. The “panic party” made a convincing departure in boats as the ship began to settle by the stern. Campbell and the guns’ crews, meanwhile, lay prone in their hiding places on the upper deck as the barely submerged U-boat, U-83 commanded by Kapitain Hoppe, closed to within 20 yards. At 10.05 the submarine broke surface 300 yards off the port bow, but in a position where none of Q.5’s guns could bear. Gradually, however, the submarine passed down the port side with the intention of securing the ship’s papers from the “crew” in the boats. As U-83 motored abeam of Q.5, Campbell could see that she was fully surfaced, with the conning tower open and Hoppe on the bridge. At 10.10 he gave the order to open fire. The guns’ crews got off 45 rounds at point blank range, nearly all of which hit. U-83 sank with the loss of all hands but one officer and a seaman. Q.5, in sinking condition, was taken in tow by the destroyer Narwhal and the sloop Buttercup and was eventually beached.

Action of the Pargust on 7 June 1917

When well out into the Atlantic, the Pargust was torpedoed at such close range by Kapitain-Leutnant Rose’s UC-29 that Campbell could not have avoided being hit even if he had wished it. The “panic party”, complete with a stuffed parrot in a cage, took to the boats in the usual way and rowed along Pargust‘s starboard side hoping the U-boat, which was only showing her periscope, would follow. She did, and at 8.36 after surfacing, Campbell opened fire. Nearly 40 shells were fired and as the U-boat tried to get under way she blew up and sank. Pargust was towed into Queenstown next day and later paid off at Plymouth.

Action of the Dunraven on 8 August 1917

One of the most famous Q-ship actions of the war, when in an heroic three-hour gun and torpedo action, the Dunraven was repeatedly hit by shells, refusing to return fire until the submarine came into range. With the poop heavily on fire as the latter slowly approached Dunraven, Campbell had to make an agonising decision not to evacuate the gun’s crew, thereby exposing their intentions to the enemy, in the full knowledge that the magazine would certainly explode. As the UC-71 passed Dunraven’s stern, a matter of seconds before it would be in range of the guns, the inevitable happened. A terrific explosion occurred, the stern of the ship was blown out and the 4-inch gun, complete with crew, was blown into the air - all were wounded but luckily none were killed, although one man later succumbed to his wounds. The enemy was very wary and, having scored a hit with a torpedo, broke off the engagement when action was taken by the Dunraven. Despite being taken in tow, and valiant action by the crew to save her, Dunraven sank at 01.30 on 9 August 1917, the officers and crew being taken off by H.M.S. Christopher. This was to be Captain Campbell's last Q-ship action, for the Admiralty ordered him ashore to an appointment at Holyhead. As for his crew, Campbell himself said of them, “Not a man failed, not a man could have done more.”