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A Great War ‘lifesaving’ D.S.M. group of five awarded to Stoker Petty Officer F. J. Watts, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his services on board the Torpedo Boat Destroyer H.M.S. Mounsey at the heroic rescue of 600 men from the stricken Auxiliary Cruiser H.M.S. Otranto in the North Channel, 6 October 1918 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (298137. F. J. Watts, Sto. P.O. “Mounsey” North Channel. 6, Oct. 1918.); 1914-15 Star (298137. F. J. Watts. S.P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (298137 F. J. Watts. S.P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (298137. F. J. Watts, Sto. P.O. H.M.S. Blake); together with a metal and enamel S.S. Otranto lapel badge, contact wear to first and fifth therefore good fine, the remainder generally very fine (5) £800-£1,200 Footnote D.S.M. London Gazette 17 March 1919 Frederick John Watts was born in 1883 at Bristol, Somerset. He entered the Royal Navy as Stoker 2nd Class in August 1901 aged 16 years. Advanced to Stoker in July 1902 and to Stoker 1st Class in July 1906, he embarked aboard his first ship the pre-dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Russell in January 1908 before leaving her and joining H.M.S. Cumberland in August 1908, serving in her until September 1911. He was advanced Leading Stoker in February 1912 and served in HMS Defence from March 1912, H.M.S. Caesar from October 1913 and the Majestic-class pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Prince George from July 1914, remaining with her from the outbreak of hostilities until March 1916 and being promoted in the interim to Stoker Petty Officer in May 1915. ‘Prince George’ was attached to the Channel Fleet during the early stages of the war. In early 1915, she was dispatched to the Mediterranean for service in the Dardanelles Campaign where she participated in bombardments of Turkish forts and supported the Allied operations at Gallipoli, including the evacuation from the peninsula late in 1915. Watts joined the M-class destroyer H.M.S. Mounsey on 18 July 1916 and his Naval Long Service and Good Conduct medal was sent to the Captain Destroyers afloat, First Destroyer Flotilla, on 25 August 1917. H.M.S. Mounsey would later be an active witness at one of the war’s greatest convoy disasters. The loss of the Otranto On 16 October 1918, carrying troops from America in poor visibility and rough seas, the converted former armed merchant cruiser collided with the S.S. Kashmir off the north coast of Islay. As the damaged vessels drifted apart, water poured into the huge hole in Otranto’s port side and, losing her steering and in a sinking condition, she drifted towards the rocky coast of Islay. First to respond to the stricken vessel’s S.O.S. calls was the Torpedo Boat Destroyer H.M.S. Mounsey commanded by Lieutenant F. W. Craven. Dwarfed by the Otranto’s rearing and plunging 12,000 ton frame, the Mounsey, one tenth the size, gallantly closed to take off survivors. Four times she crashed alongside the Otranto. Each time hundreds of crew and American servicemen of the latter jumped in an attempt to reach the destroyer’s decks. On the second occasion the Mounsey was damaged with a large amount of water entering the engine room (where Watts would have been). In what must have been terrible circumstances, many men met their death in the waters between the two vessels and many others received serious injuries on hitting the Mounsey’s deck. The Otranto eventually drifted ashore and became a total wreck. The loss of life was heavy; 431 persons were lost (351 American soldiers and 80 crew) but the Mounsey set sail for Belfast, perilously overladen, with an astonishing 596 survivors. For his courage and seamanship, the Mounsey’s captain, Lieutenant F. W. Craven was awarded the British D.S.O. and American D.S.M. Two officers of the Mounsey were awarded the D.S.C. and three men (including Watts) received the D.S.M. For the remainder of the war, and until April 1919, Watts continued to serve on the Mounsey while his depot ship was variously Blake, He