PERCY CULLUM DSC

[KIRKY]

I have been speaking to the grandson of above and family story is that while on HMS Sprightly on 6th April 1915 he single handed captured a German U-boat by paddling over to the U-boat and opening the top hatch and shooting the Captain.

There is a newspaer article when he passed away which states this but his relatives wonder if it has been embelished.

Anyone got any further information?

Tony

Edited 18 July , 2017 by KIRKY

[horatio2]

London Gazette includes his DSC award under "for miscellaneous services". On the face of it the 'story' seems a bIt unlikely.

Edited 18 July , 2017 by horatio2

[Bartimeus]

Leading Seaman Percy John Joseph Cullen of HMS Challenger was promoted Acting Gunner (Warrant Officer) for meritorious service in the Doala operations (Cameroon) in 1915.

 

His appointment to HMS Sprightly dates to 24th November 1916.

 

Awards to four officers of HMS Sprightly for an anti-submarine action were announced in the London Gazette of 12th May 1917. The captain, Lieut. G.A. Jones RNR, got the DSO and three other officers (including Cullum) the DSC.

 

The joint recommendation (by the C-in-C Grand Fleet) states:

 

"Engaged in action and sunk by gunfire an enemy submarine on the 6 April 1917. Their Lordships appreciation expressed to Lieut. Jones, officers and men for the way in which they carried out their duties."

 

So on the face of it the story sounds like an embellishment, but there's bound to be an account of the action somewhere that would nail it one way or the other. The Doala story sounds like it might be equally interesting. It would have been very rare for a Leading seaman to have been promoted to Warrant rank for service in action. There was the 'Mate Scheme' introduced shortly before the Great War to grant accelerated promotion to suitable candidates from the lower deck, but this is something a little different.

 

Bart

 

 

 

 

Edited 18 July , 2017 by Bartimeus

[KIRKY]

Thanks guys for your help.

Tony

[John Smith]

Hello, I just came across this old thread whilst undertaking some research. 

I wonder if this is your man?

Joseph Percy John Cullum D.S.C. Born Devonport, Devon 17TH JANUARY 1883. Died Taunton, Somerset 25th SEPTEMBER 1971

Buried at St Mary's Cemetery, Taunton

[domwalsh]

The names are in a different order (and I notice the name alternates between Cullen and Cullum), but it surely has to be the same man. You'd imagine the gravestone would be right

[John Smith]

I found a listing for him on the IWM's 'Lives of the first world war' site but even there it shows his name as Percy John Joseph Cullum, whereas the gravestone says Joseph Percy John Cullum. The DOB and Rank both match and it also acknowledges the D.S.C.

I think the gravestone would be correct for the name and an error on the IWM site. Or maybe we are dealing with two different men ( Cullen / Cullum ) and the story has become intertwined, as what doesn't seem to fit the story is that earlier in the thread its mentions: "Leading Seaman Percy John Joseph Cullen of HMS Challenger was promoted Acting Gunner (Warrant Officer) for meritorious service in the Doala operations (Cameroon) in 1915."  But only a year later he's an officer on HMS Sprightly where he received the DSC. That seems a huge and almost impossible jump in rank from Leading Seaman to Lieutenant Commander.

Perhaps he was having a secret affair with the First Sea Lord's daughter!

[KizmeRD]

According to his ADM ledger sheet he started the war as a Leading Seaman.

Promoted to Acting Gunner (W.O.) for meritorious service at Douala, and had his rank confirmed 27 May 1916. He may well have been part of the detachment from HMS CHALLENGER that was landed ashore with a field gun.

He subsequently became a Commissioned Gunner 26 May 1925, and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1933, finally ending up a Lt.Cdr. In 1942.

His ship (SPRIGHTLY) may well have fired on a U-boat in 1917 (6.4.17) causing it to crash dive (believing it to have been sunk) - but there’s no confirmed sinking of any U-boat around that date.

MB

Edit. Mr Lewis (Challenger’s appointed Gunner) died in Cameroons of Meningitis, following Dysentery, March 1915 - having been sick since January. So it would seem that Cullum had to step-up into his shoes, and evidently did such a good job in his temporary role, that it earned him a proper promotion.

 

Edited 7 July , 2023 by KizmeRD

[domwalsh]

All very intriguing 

[John Smith]

Hi KizmeRD,

Thank you for that excellent explanation. That seems to make a lot more sense that his promotions were spread-out over years. The IWM Site (as I read it) seemed to indicate he was a Lt.Cdr on the 18th of May 1916 - which just seemed impossible.