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The Scharnhorst
The Scharnhorst
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Fred Wilkes Medals
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HMS Saumerez
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The Scharnhorst
Many men left the South Hams during the Second World War and one who made a huge impression when they did so was Frederick William John Wilkes.
A man whose personal bravery was only matched by his humility, Fred represented everything that was good about the British Isles.
He played a vital part in a battle which neutralised one of the main threats to the Royal Navy and made the North Atlantic safer for the convoys which were making their way through treacherous seas to the ports of Archangel and Murmansk. The convoys were supporting the Russians, fighting on the Eastern front. They were, put simply, incredibly dangerous to be a part of.
Seventy nine convoys travelled between British and Russian ports between 1941 and 1945. 85 merchant vessels and 16 Naval vessels from their escorts were sunk. Four million tonnes of shipping were lost, together with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of equipment and thousands of men died.
Fred made a massive difference to the Battle of North Cape and was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal - only the Victoria Cross is more prestigious. It was well earned – as he kept his cool and did his duty as his fellow sailors fell about him in some of he harshest conditions imaginable.
Born in Cowes on Trafalgar Day - October 21 – 1908, Fred might not have seemed a remarkable boy, but he was destined to be so.
Perhaps the association with the celebration of Britain’s proudest navel victory spurred him to join the navy. Whatever the reason, he seems to have been ready to serve when he did.
He was educated in Dartmouth, after his family moved to Crowthers Hill – and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class at the age of 15 in July 1924. In February 1925 he had shown sufficient proficiency in seamanship to became a 1st Class boy. He was rated Ordinary seaman in April 1926 and his ‘Man’s Time’ began on his 18th Birthday, October 21 1926.
He was now a fully fledged sailor and began to build his experience – he served on several ships and was regularly ‘advanced’ or promoted to more senior positions. He became a Petty Officer Torpedo Gunners Mate in November 1939.
In December 1943 he was in HMS Saumarez, an S-class destroyer which was only five months old.
At the time, convoys heading to Russia were being threatened by the large and very successful German Battle-cruiser Scharnhorst. It had sunk numerous vessels in the preceding years and was very much feared.
So much so that Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, who was Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, felt that it was sure to attack the latest convoy to leave the UK and felt that it was time to engage it in battle, neutralising a major threat to the allies.
Putting to sea in his Flagship, the battleship Duke of York on December 23 with a group of vessels which included Saumarez, he intended to intercept the German ship, which was shadowing the latest convoy to head north.
Through several engagements, in which both sides suffered damage – but most significantly the Scharnhorst lost its radar, it ended up as a straight fire-fight on the night of December 26. The sailors on Scharnhorst were being attacked on several sides and were fighting for their lives.
They struck Saumerez several times above the water line – killing eleven men and injuring many. The torpedo tubes, where Fred Wilkes was in charge, were badly damaged, and he lost several of his team.
Despite the chaos, Fred kept the torpedoes firing through the noise, blood and confusion.
The Scharnhorst was sunk. When Admiral Fraser let the Admiralty know the ship had been sunk, he received the reply ‘Grand, Well Done’.
Fred Wilkes’ bravery was recognised when he was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal – the citation stated:
‘When his ship, HMS Saumarez was being heavily engaged by the Scharnhorst, sprayed by splinters and members of his torpedo tube’s crew were killed or wounded, Petty Officer Wilkes, Torpedo Gunner’s Mate, by his leadership, coolness and splendid example, ensured the firing of the torpedoes.’
The medal was pinned to his uniform by none other than the King himself, George VI.
Fred wasn’t finished there – he was mentioned in Despatches (a great honour) for doing exactly the same thing, firing torpedoes under heavy fire as men fell about him in one of the last sea battles in the Pacific in May 1945.
He returned to Dartmouth when he left the Navy in 1948. He had married Nancy Fisher in St Saviours Church in 1934, and he settled in Above Town. They had one child, Pauline. Fred became an electrician at the Britannia Royal Naval College until he retired. Fred died in 1987, at the age of 78.
When his remaining family brought his medals to be displayed at Dartmouth Museum, a strange thing was found: apart from the CGM, none of them were mounted.
For a medal to be presented at a formal parade, by a senior officer, they have to be mounted, ready to be pinned to the chest of the proud serviceman. Fred had avoided all formal parades where his medals might be pinned to his chest – apart from the one attended by the King, perhaps understandably.
It speaks of someone with great humility and a determination to keep out of the limelight. A man who bravely did his duty in a time of war, for no other reason than he wanted to do his bit. This is the kind of hero Dartmouth can be justly proud of.
First published October 2011 By the Dart