A RARE WW2 D.S.M. GROUP AWARDED TO A COMMANDO FROGMAN OF THE LANDING CRAFT OBSTACLE CLEARANCE UNIT, THE ‘LOCU BOYS’ D.S.M. FOR THE LANDINGS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE AND D-DAY AS A L.C.O.C.U. SECTION LEADER; HE SURVEYED THE BEACHES AND DESTROYED UNDERWATER OBSTACLES AND MINES IN THE BAIE DE CAVALLAIRE, HAVING PERFORMED SIMILAR SERVICES IN THE NORMANDY LANDINGS, AND ASSISTED IN THE RESCUE OF WOUNDED AMERICAN SOLDIERS WHOSE LANDING CRAFT HAD BEEN MINED AND SUNK

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, G.VI.R. ‘P.O., H. C. GORE. R/JX.209374’ OFFICIALLY ENGRAVED NAMING; 1939-45 STAR; FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS 1939-45, MOUNTED AS WORN.

Petty Officer Henry Charles Gore was a frogman in a Landing-Craft Obstruction Clearance Unit No 1, one of 120 such men engaged on D-Day, two of whom were killed and ten wounded; six of them were awarded the D.S.M. Just two L.C.O.C.U. units subsequently participated in the landings in the South of France, making Gore’s award of the D.S.M. most unusual. Being a Petty Officer, Gore would have been senior rating in his unit, which consisted 1 Officer, 1 Petty Officer and 16 other rating. His recommendation specifically lists him as Section Leader, ‘A’ Section, Unit 1. Details on the L.C.O.C.U. Frogmen, including a Pathe News film, can be viewed here:

https://www.commandoveterans.org/book/export/html/10860

D.S.M. London Gazette 6 November 1945:

‘For bravery, skill and great devotion to duty in the reconnaissance and destruction of unknown obstacles and mines, and in the rescue of survivors whose craft had been destroyed in a minefield, during the landing in the Baie de Cavallaire in the South of France, June to August, 1944,, and for similar good services in the landings in Normandy.’

The recommendations for this batch of awards are in Admiralty Honours and Awards file H&A 940/45 in the National Archives under reference ADM1/30497 which reads:

‘The Honours and Awards Committee has considered the good services of certain ratings in the destruction of underwater obstacles and mines during the invasion of the South of France and submits that the King may be asked to approve the Awards set forth below. During the landings in the Baie de Cavallaire in the South of France these ratings successfully carried out under fire, the initial reconnaissance of unknown obstacles and mines and achieved their destruction. They also did good work in helping to save the lives of wounded soldiers of the United States Army when the craft in which they were embarked struck mines and sank.’……………

SEE PDF FOR FULL WRITE UP

Seedies roll lists a total of only 10 D.S.M.s, 3 D.S.C.s, and one D.S.C. and Bar to L.C.O.C. Units during the Second War, mostly for the landings in Normandy and the South of France. For two other examples of D.S.M.s awarded to frogmen in L.C.O.C. Units see Dix Noonan Webb May 2017 (Lot 52, £16, 200) and July 2019 (Lot 81, £9.750). These latter specifically for D-Day, Gore’s for both landings:

Condition EF. Mounted on card for display. Sold with a research, including the above recommendations, extracts from books and other research both paper and digital.

A rare and quite outstanding Royal Navy Commando Frogman’s group.