DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS and Naval Identification card to Sub Lieutenant John Carmel Bagnall

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS and Naval Identification card to Sub Lieutenant John Carmel Bagnall Direct from the family. John Carmel Bagnall was born in Manchester in 1922. He served as Sub Lieutenant commanding a Landing Craft with Combined Operations. Naval Identification Card issued 17th November 1943 at Messina. The following is an account of Bagnall's service in his own words. 1942 - Leading Seaman on HMS Penn (Destroyer) 1/C Magazine Supply to X Gun. Convoy to Malta, under continuous attack. About 200 meters from Malta "Ohio" Oil - Tanker was bombed and left prop rudderless. Penn and Ledbury (Destroyer) secured alongside either side of Ohio and powered her to Malta. Penn on Starboard, Ledbury on Port. October - Commissioned Sub Lt. Joined LCT under Bernard Johnson Early 1943 Joined LCF4 at Southampton under Norman Wooderson's command. March - to Falmouth for degaussing April To Malta via Gibraltar, Oran, Algiers, Djedjelli, Sousse, Sfaz, Tripoli - Where rendezvous before arriving in Malta. Then to Avola (Sicily / East Coast). Then three months guardship duties round S.E coast of Sicily. Early September 4th / 5th To Messina (North East Sicily) for landings at Reggio ( Italy), back to Messina (base for Lic) for a briefing for landings at Vib Valencia (7th). 25% casualties including Wooderson who remained in command. Back to Messina to land casualties, back to Malta for repairs (2 months) November - Back to Messina. Then to Bari Harbour was full of supply ships which were bombed on 30th December while LCF 4 was on guardship duties. 1944 - Back to Messina. January 22nd - To Anzio ( Via Naples for supplies) Landing. March - Back to Messina where N. Wooderson went into Hospital with T.B April - Went into a hospital with Pleurisy for ten days then to Taormina and also Sicily for three weeks convalesce. May - In command of LCF4 to Malta for replacement of Pom - Poms with Beaufours. Ne C/O ( N. Rutherford) appointed. June / July Back to Messina. Then Naples for Invasion of Elba, then back to Messina. August - To South of France for the invasion of S. Tropez September - Given command of LCF16 for St Stefano Landing and Livorno ( Leg - Horn). Guardship, support for convoys etc. Back to Messina. Took command of LCF4. September / October To vis en route to proposed landing at the split. Landing aborted because only one LC rendezvoused at Via and that was bombed. When that happened, the LC1 Broached - to on to LCF4 and holed it, so it was rendered inoperable. Waited for 1 - 2 weeks before Tug ( C/O Pardoe - Matthews) reached Vis and towed LCF4 back to Taranto, via Barletta - Brindisi ( Pardoe - Matthews Base), for repairs three weeks leave. Visited Rome. May 1945 - Surrender of Axis. June / July - LCF4 paid off. Laid up in Augusta (Sicily). Drafted to LST on Passage to U.K ( Plymouth) Leave to Greenock for customs check. October - Posted to LCT Mk8 Edinburgh ( Leith) (C/O was Gefforey Western RN. April 1946 Demobbed DSC announced in London gazette on 14th June 1945. Cross in case of issue, engraved 1945 on reverse. Condition = EF