herakles
21-03-2008, 10:01
There are none.
During WW2, RAN personnel many awards were made to members of the RAN:
GC 4
CB 3
CMG 1
KCVO 1
CBE 8
Bar to DSO 3
DSO 18
OBE 31
MBE 42
2nd Bar to DSC 2
Bar to DSC 10
DSC 149
DFC 1
Albert Medal 1
CGM 1
Bar to GM 3
GM 9
Bar to DSM 2
DSM 157
BEM(Mil) 35
MID 601
Commendations 12
The strongest case for one was to Lieutenant Commander Rankin of HMAS YARRA. I have explained the story of Yarra in another thread: http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=844
There are remarkable parallels with another heroic action, that of HMS Jervis Bay. This story is covered here: http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=677&highlight=jervis
Jervis Bay's captain, Commander Fogarty Fegen, did receive the VC, albeit posthumously. He has an interesting link with the RAN by the way. Commander Fogarty Fegen was an Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Naval College from 1928 to 1929. He was posted from the Royal Navy to the RAN, and arrived in the College on 20 January 1928. He was listed in the College Yearbook for that year as "Edward S F Fegen"; and so the use of his third name "Fogarty" is presumed to be his preferred one. He was much admired at the College: not only was he a fine Rugby coach, but his wife and he put on splendid afternoon teas for the teenage and ever-hungry cadets. He left the College in August 1929.
This is Fegen's citation:
For valour in challenging hopeless odds and giving his life to save the
many ships it was his duty to protect. On the 5th November, 1940, in heavy
seas Captain Fegen, in his Majesty's Armed Merchant Cruiser Jervis Bay, was
escorting thirty-one Merchantmen. Sighting a powerful German warship, he at
once drew clear of the Convoy, made straight for the Enemy and brought his
ship between the raider and her prey, so that they might scatter to escape.
Crippled, in flames, unable to reply for nearly an hour the Jervis Bay held
the German's fire. So she went down; but of the Merchantmen, all but four
or five were saved.
There is a memorial to Fegen at HMAS Creswell.
So why did Rankin not get a VC?
Consider the similarities in the actions.
* Both captains made the correct decision in terms of their ship's role--to defend their convoy by slowing the enemy enough to allow the convoy to escape.
* Both captains paid the ultimate price in terms of their personal safety--they were killed in action.
The fact that Fegen's convoy was more successful in escape than Rankin's was due to fortune rather than any action of the RN officer. His battle took place in the afternoon to dusk and the Canadian ships had the oncoming night to aid their escape. Rankin's action was in the early morning with the convoy ships having no cover of darkness.
In terms of valour in the face of the enemy--the criteria for which the Victoria Cross is awarded--there appears little difference in the actions. Fegen's had read--"For valour in challenging hopeless odds and giving his life to save the many ships it was his duty to protect". How true it is that this could be Rankin's epitaph as well.
The naming of a fine submarine after Rankin--coincidentally in the same week of the year that JERVIS BAY was lost--is perhaps only the beginning of redemption and recognition long overdue.
Australia was the first Commonwealth realm to create its own VC, on 15 January 1991. Although it is a separate award, its appearance is identical to its British counterpart.
During WW2, RAN personnel many awards were made to members of the RAN:
GC 4
CB 3
CMG 1
KCVO 1
CBE 8
Bar to DSO 3
DSO 18
OBE 31
MBE 42
2nd Bar to DSC 2
Bar to DSC 10
DSC 149
DFC 1
Albert Medal 1
CGM 1
Bar to GM 3
GM 9
Bar to DSM 2
DSM 157
BEM(Mil) 35
MID 601
Commendations 12
The strongest case for one was to Lieutenant Commander Rankin of HMAS YARRA. I have explained the story of Yarra in another thread: http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=844
There are remarkable parallels with another heroic action, that of HMS Jervis Bay. This story is covered here: http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=677&highlight=jervis
Jervis Bay's captain, Commander Fogarty Fegen, did receive the VC, albeit posthumously. He has an interesting link with the RAN by the way. Commander Fogarty Fegen was an Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Naval College from 1928 to 1929. He was posted from the Royal Navy to the RAN, and arrived in the College on 20 January 1928. He was listed in the College Yearbook for that year as "Edward S F Fegen"; and so the use of his third name "Fogarty" is presumed to be his preferred one. He was much admired at the College: not only was he a fine Rugby coach, but his wife and he put on splendid afternoon teas for the teenage and ever-hungry cadets. He left the College in August 1929.
This is Fegen's citation:
For valour in challenging hopeless odds and giving his life to save the
many ships it was his duty to protect. On the 5th November, 1940, in heavy
seas Captain Fegen, in his Majesty's Armed Merchant Cruiser Jervis Bay, was
escorting thirty-one Merchantmen. Sighting a powerful German warship, he at
once drew clear of the Convoy, made straight for the Enemy and brought his
ship between the raider and her prey, so that they might scatter to escape.
Crippled, in flames, unable to reply for nearly an hour the Jervis Bay held
the German's fire. So she went down; but of the Merchantmen, all but four
or five were saved.
There is a memorial to Fegen at HMAS Creswell.
So why did Rankin not get a VC?
Consider the similarities in the actions.
* Both captains made the correct decision in terms of their ship's role--to defend their convoy by slowing the enemy enough to allow the convoy to escape.
* Both captains paid the ultimate price in terms of their personal safety--they were killed in action.
The fact that Fegen's convoy was more successful in escape than Rankin's was due to fortune rather than any action of the RN officer. His battle took place in the afternoon to dusk and the Canadian ships had the oncoming night to aid their escape. Rankin's action was in the early morning with the convoy ships having no cover of darkness.
In terms of valour in the face of the enemy--the criteria for which the Victoria Cross is awarded--there appears little difference in the actions. Fegen's had read--"For valour in challenging hopeless odds and giving his life to save the many ships it was his duty to protect". How true it is that this could be Rankin's epitaph as well.
The naming of a fine submarine after Rankin--coincidentally in the same week of the year that JERVIS BAY was lost--is perhaps only the beginning of redemption and recognition long overdue.
Australia was the first Commonwealth realm to create its own VC, on 15 January 1991. Although it is a separate award, its appearance is identical to its British counterpart.