Watch List notes:

*A Rare Great War 'Q-Ships' D.S.M. and Bar 'M.i.D.' Group of Three to Chief Petty Officer William John Adams, Royal Navy, for services in Q-8 or S.S. Vala in action against enemy submarines, one of which would later sink Q-8 with the loss of all hands, including the recipient, comprising: Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (189087 W. J. Adams, P.O.1 Cl. Special Service. 22. Oct. 1916) with second award bar, reverse impressed (3rd January 1917); Naval General Service Medal, 1915-62, single clasp, Persia Gulf 1909-1914 (189087. W. J. Adams, P.O. 1Cl., H.M.S. Fox.); 1914-15 Star (189087. W. J. Adams. P.O. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (189087 W. J. Adams. C.P.O. R.N.), with MiD bronze oak leaves; Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (189087 W. J. Adams, P.O. 1 Cl., H.M.S. Fox:); Group swing mounted on bar with reverse brooch pin, light marks, otherwise good very fine (6). S.S.M.: London Gazette, 1 January 1917; Bar to D.S.M.: London Gazette, 23 March 1917; M.i.D.: London Gazette, 27 July 1917. William John Adams, of Littleham, Exmouth, Devon, was born on 9 June 1879 and had previously worked as a Butcher's Assistant before joining the Royal Navy on 13 June 1896. He served in WW1 as part of the crew of Q-8, the former British collier S.S. Vala of 1016 tons, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander A. A. Mellin, R.N. With an armament of four 12-pounder guns, Vala came across and engaged a German submarine on 22 October 1916, which was later credited as 'probably' destroyed. In addition, on 16 January 1917 she had a further encounter with an enemy U-boat, this time credited as 'possibly' destroyed. For these 'Q-Ship' actions Petty Officer Adams received the D.S.M. and Bar, and was promoted to Chief Petty Officer. Included in his copied paperwork, describing his recommendation for D.S.M. & Bar is a short excerpt of handwritten notes, which appears to relate to the above and show that the recipient was firing the deck gun which sunk the enemy submarine: "In action. Sunday 20th May. G.L.S.I. Did not see submarine until the order action was given and gun brought to bear on the object as soon as object appeared in the telescope submarine fired and I fired...hit just by her gun fore side of conning tower. I also fired as soon as gun was loaded but the object was not very plain because of the explosion of shell and my shot went just short but ricchot (?) hit. Object then periscope laying across to starb(oard). 3rd shot also hit fore side of conning tower, submarine listing to starb(oard). 4th fired submarine hull just visible, hit with good result." (W. J. Adams. C.P.O. G.L.II No.189087). Later, under the command of Cdr. Leopold Bernays, the Vala was tragically lost with all hands later in 1917 when, having last been heard of at Queenstown on 20 August, Harold Auten was sent out in the sloop Heather to search for remaining survivors or signs of the ship's destruction. As ordered, he carried out an extensive search but returned empty-handed, having found neither survivors nor wreckage of the Vala. The S.S. Vala was officially paid off as from 25 August, 1917, but it was only after the war that it was revealed that Vala had in fact been destroyed by Commander Egon Von Warner 'sUB-54 on 20-21st August off the west coast of France. Later reports state that the vessel had been hit by two torpedoes, and that roughly 28 to 34 men had abandoned ship into small boats in rough seas. Despite this, the boats and men were never found. Ex Spink, 18 July 1995, lot 307, where trio in smaller style impressed naming (also called 'later style' naming or 'style no. 3' by Williamson) was incorrectly catalogued as renamed. Duplicates of the D.S.M. (this lacking a named reverse bar) and N.G.S. are known to the market, reputedly issued to his brother. Offered with useful copied service papers and research. (£2000-3000)