Watch List notes:

The Great War 'Double Submarine Action' D.S.M. Group of 4 awarded to Seaman William Bond, Royal Naval Reserve. Having already played a part in the sinking of U-14 on 5 June 1915, he was later awarded the D.S.M. for distinguished service aboard H.M. Trawler Lemberg during an action against the German submarine U-28 on the Mediterranean Station near Malta. Having personally taken charge of the ship's gun some weeks before, it was largely due to his good shooting that an enemy U-boat was kept away despite 4 separate attacks. The same enemy U-Boat had already torpedoed and sunk the S.S. West Wales on the same day of 21 January, 1918, comprising: Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (A.6068. W. Bond, Sea. R.N.R. Lemberg. 1918.); 1914-15 Star (A, 6068, W. Bond, Smn., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (6068 A. W. Bond. Smn. R.N.R.); Group loose, toned, very fine or better. With an associated pair: British War and Victory Medals (179574 Gnr. J. E. Birkinshaw. R.A.); and Silver War Badge (B319948); very fine (7). D.S.M.: London Gazette: 11 December 1918 – 'for services on the Mediterranean Station between the 1st January and 30th June, 1918' (Malta).' Seaman William Bond was born on 6 September 1892, the son of William and Mary Bond of 21 Rhyl Street, Fleetwood, Lancashire. He enlisted for service with the Royal Naval Reserve on 23 September 1914 at Fleetwood. He served in 1914-15 with various boats and armed trawlers, including the ships Defiance, Columbine, and Zaria. With the last, the armed trawler Zaria (or Limewold), he was later awarded prize money for jointly sinking the German submarine U-14 on 5 June 1915 (London Gazette 21 December 1920), although further detail is hard to locate. He continued aboard the Egmont from 14 December 1915, before coming aboard H.M.T. Lemberg on 1 April 1917. During this period, his ship engaged a German U-Boat, U-28, and at which time he was in charge of the ship's gun, owing to the sickness of the usual gunnery officer. The official citation for his D.S.M., as included with lot, reads as follows: 'On 21st January, 1918, H.M.T. "Lemberg" was in action with a hostile submarine whilst standing by S.S. "West Wales" after the latter had been torpedoed. The submarine attacked "H.M.T. Lemberg" on four occasions between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at extreme range. Bond was in charge of the gun in "H.M.T. Lemberg" throughout the action and his good shooting was to a large extent responsible for keeping the submarine at a distance.' He later joined H.M.S. Research in December 1918, before his eventual discharge in April 1919, upon which he appears to have joined, or perhaps re-joined, the merchant navy. This lot offered with original 'The Gift of the Colonies of Trinidad, Grenada and St Lucia' Chocolate Tin, and several original photographs and pieces of official documentation. In one picture, dated 1933, he is pictured meeting H.R.H. Prince George the Duke of Kent, on the occasion of Fleetwood being made a Borough.