Distinguished Service Cross and congratulatory letters : Acting Temporary Lieutenant J F Duthie, Royal Naval Reserve

Distinguished Service Cross (Geo VI), engraved reverse with year of award, together with two official letters advising of awarding of DSC and one regretting that the King will not be able to award the medal personally.

Acting Temporary Lieutenant John Fraser Duthie of the Royal Naval Reserve was an Aberdeen trawler skipper prior to the war and appointed Temporary Skipper of TS [Tank Ship] 1075 on 1 August 1941, although his service may have begun earlier.

Duthie was awarded this Distinguished Service Cross in December 1945 for his actions while serving on Landing Craft Tank 622 in the English Channel during wind-up operations following the end of the Second World War. Previously he had been Mentioned in Despatches for his 'rescue work and fire fighting' while coming to the aid of a burning merchant vessel. The ship had been set alight when the American liberty ship 'Charles Henderson' blew up while discharging bombs in the Port of Bari, Italy, on 9 April 1945.

According to a newspaper article Duthie 'who has been awarded the DSC, took part in some of the toughest beach landings of the war - in Sicily and Italy and on the Salerno and Anzio beachheads'. Though his service seems remarkable little more is known of Duthie, the details of his service or what became of him.

The medal was found among items at a National Trust of Australia (Victoria) premises and donated to the Memorial as it was deemed a more suitable venue for it. It is thought that Duthie may have migrated to Australia and settled in Victoria, however attempts to verify his movements have so far proved unsuccessful.