Gordon Campbell

[paul guthrie]

Robert Massie - a native of Lexington, Kentucky by the way - a fine historian, can really tell a story. His most recent book is Castles of Steel, the UK V Germany naval war. Don't care how many times you have read of these battles, he has things - and lots - you didn't know & writes wonderfully.

He mentions this man when writing a terrific bit about Q ships, says instead of a 2d VC he got a bar! How can this be true? EVERYBODY know Chavasse is the only man to win 2 in WW1! Has Massie erred?

Even if so I can't tell you strongly enough what a fine read this is! I would say so even if he was a Texan!

[CROONAERT]

instead of a 2d VC he got a bar! How can this be true? EVERYBODY know Chavasse is the only man to win 2 in WW1! Has Massie erred?

He did get a Bar, but not to the VC. It was actually a second Bar to his DSO that he received, even though a Bar to the VC would have been justified.

Dave.

[Terry]

Gosh, only a second bar to his DSO? That must be a rather select group in itself, although there were a number of men who earned a THIRD bar.

A very gallant sailor.

[Michael Lowrey]

Gosh, only a second bar to his DSO? That must be a rather select group in itself, although there were a number of men who earned a THIRD bar.

A very gallant sailor.

Well, Q-ship work was extremely dangerous duty; far more Q-ships were sunk by German submarine than German submarines sunk by Q-ships. Campbell certainly deserved all the awards he got.

I should also note that Q-ships, like the German surface raiders, are exactly the sort of dashing events that makes for great story telling. What is often overlooked is that Q-ships only accounted for 11 of the 178 German submarines lost while on patrol during the war, none after June 1917, and had only a very minor role in containing the U-boat threat.

Best wishes,

Michael