The rare Zeebrugge Raid D.S.C. group of four awarded to Acting Sub-Lieutenant L. R. Blake,...

The rare Zeebrugge Raid D.S.C. group of four awarded to Acting Sub-Lieutenant L. R. Blake, Royal Naval Reserve, in command of Coastal Motor Boat No. 7 on 22-23 April 1918 Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked London 1917 and privately inscribed ‘Zeebrugge 22nd 23rd April 1918.’; 1914-15 Star (Mid. L. R. Blake, R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (S. Lt. L. R. Blake, R.N.R.) mounted as worn, light contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (4) £5,000-£7,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Just 27 D.S.C.’s and 2 Second Award Bars given for the Zeebrugge ‘St George’s Day Raid’. D.S.C. London Gazette 23 July 1918: ‘In recognition of distinguished services during the operations against Zeebrugge and Ostend on the night of the 22nd-23rd April 1918:- Act. Sub. Lieut. (Act.) Leslie Robert Blake, R.N.R. In command of a Coastal Motor Boat. Led an attack on enemy vessels moored inside the mole at Zeebrugge with skill and coolness under heavy fire from the shore defences. His boat, though damaged, was successfully brought back into harbour.’ The following narrative is taken from The Blocking of Zeebrugge by Captain A. F. B. Carpenter, V.C., R.N.: ‘Before Vindictive’s arrival at the Mole two coastal motor boats had left the force for the purpose of attacking German vessels inside the Mole. They soon lost sight of one another in the fog and became separated. CMB 7, Sub-Lieut. L. R. Blake, R.N.R., first sighted the Mole about 150 yards away and steamed close round the lighthouse at high speed. Having located the defence booms of barges and nets he followed down the line of the latter until close in shore and then stopped for the purpose of selecting a target. Observing an enemy destroyer alongside the Mole he steamed straight towards her at high speed and fired his torpedo at her. He then stopped to observe the result. The torpedo was seen to explode near the forebridge of the destroyer, but the conditions of visibility rendered it impossible to ascertain the definite result. During this time he was being heavily fired at by machine guns on the Mole and by the shore batteries to the eastward of the canal. Small enemy vessels suddenly appeared and engaged him, and he was further fired at from a dredger which had a machine gun. CMB 7 had other duties to fulfil in connection with smoke screening. Whilst proceeding at high speed for that purpose she collided with an unlighted buoy, which made a large hole in her bows. Speed was increased to lift the bows clear of the water. It soon became apparent that the damage that she had sustained precluded all further chance of being usefully employed, so course was set for home. An engine defect off Ostend necessitated stopping; this, in turn, brought them into imminent danger of sinking. Eventually one of our destroyers took her in tow and brought her safely to Dover.’ CMB 7 was later one of Agar’s boats at Kronstadt but broke down before Agar’s famous VC action. Blake was subsequently in command of CMB 51 in the Caspian Sea from August 1918.