A rare Great War Athens 1916 operations D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Private J. Cook,...

A rare Great War Athens 1916 operations D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Private J. Cook, Royal Marine Light Infantry

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (CH. 18384. Pte. J. Cook, R.M.L.I. H.M.S. Exmouth. Athens. 1. Dec. 1916.); 1914-15 Star (CH. 18384 Pte. J. Cook, R.M.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (CH 18384 Pte. J. Cook. R.M.L.I.); Defence Medal; Imperial Service Medal, E.II.R. (James Cook, D.S.M.); France, Croix de Guerre 1914-1916, with bronze palm, the first with slightly bent suspension bar, contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise generally very fine
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Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2003.

D.S.M. London Gazette 23 March 1917. The recommendation states:

‘H.M.S. Exmouth. Conflict between Allied Seamen and Greek Troops at the Zappeion, Athens, 1 December 1916. Got several men together and led them in a charge at the time of the Greek sorties from the magazine’ (ADM 137/546/167).

French Croix de Guerre London Gazette 23 March 1917: ‘For services at Athens, 1 December 1916.’

From the commencement of the Salonika operations the attitude of the Greek Government towards the Allies had been very ambiguous, and when that nation’s pro-Allied prime minister fell from power in the course of 1916, the possibility of the King and Queen not contesting a threatened German invasion dramatically increased. In response, in August of the same year, a Franco-British naval force assembled off Salamis Bay, while the diplomats sought to avert possible confrontation, a cause that had a promising start when the Greeks agreed to hand over certain naval ships, but which ultimately failed when they refused to co-operate with a similar request for assorted arms and ordnance. Blumberg’s history of the Royal Marines in the Great War takes up the story:

‘In consequence, 3000 seamen and marines of the Allies were landed at Piraeus at 3 a.m. on 1 December. The British contingent, under the command of Major C. D’O. Harmar, R.M.L.I., consisted of two seamen companies, under Lieutenants Priestly and Palliser, R.N., and a company of R.M.L.I., under Captain J. M. Palmer and Lieutenant M. H. Spicer, R.M.L.I., approximately 300 officers and men with two machine guns. The contingent included a small company of Italian seamen.’

The object of the operations was to occupy certain key installations and military establishments in Athens, in addition to advantageous positions in the surrounding hills. The approach march to Athens was made by three parallel roads, the British contingent forming the right flank company and proceeding along the old coast road, through old Phalerum, and thence direct to Zappeion, one kilometre east of the Acropolis. Here they occupied a cartridge factory and a magazine, without opposition, but later, in the afternoon, violence erupted among the gathered populace and an engagement was fought with far superior numbers of Greek troops who had arrived at the scene. Private Cook, a member of Captain J. M. Palmer’s detachment, was one of those left to stand guard outside the magazine. Blumberg continues:

‘Meanwhile at the magazine, Captain Palmer and the remnants of the two companies remained under the wall, sheltered by a slight depression from the Greek fire. After about 20 minutes, a party of Greeks, who had been inside the building, dashed out of the gate and down the slope. Captain Palmer and a few men headed by Private Cook pursued them for a short distance, and then taking advantage of the cessation of fire managed to reach the gate and to get inside the magazine. A hole was eventually dug under the wall, through which the rest of the men crawled; it was here that Private Short by his gallant conduct gained the D.S.M. and the coveted Medaille Militare. After two men had been shot while attempting to climb the wall, Private Short volunteered to try, and succeeded in getting over, and was mainly instrumental in digging the hole, which doubtless saved the lives of a number of men. A heavy fire was kept up on the two gateways by the Greeks, but they made no attempt to assault the position. At 4 p.m., firing ceased, and some Greek officers approached under a flag of truce, and offered to make arrangements for the Allies to return to Piraeus with their arms, which offer was refused by Captain Palmer; a truce, however, was agreed to and the Greeks collected the wounded and sent them to hospital ... At the magazine there was no further firing, and at 4 a.m. the next morning, a French officer arrived and informed Captain Palmer that he was to march back to Piraeus.

Allied casualties amounted to 60 officers and men killed and 167 wounded, including 10 killed and 12 wounded in the Royal Marine Company. And in recognition of their gallantry, the Marines won a D.S.O., a D.S.C. and six D.S.Ms, the latter recipients including Private Cook.

James Cook, who was born in Birmingham in December 1895 and enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in September 1914, was demobbed in December 1919.

Sold with further career details, including conduct sheet entries, among them refusing to obey an N.C.O. and being caught smoking in the heads when on duty.