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Lieutenant Basil Charles Godfrey Place VC, DSC, RN Honoured With

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Lieutenant Basil Charles Godfrey Place VC, DSC, RN Honoured With Lieutenant Basil Charles Godfrey Place Lieutenant Basil Charles Godfrey Place VC, DSC, VC, DSC, RN Honoured with Blue Plaque RN Naval career & citation for the award of the at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, VC. Somerset. This was followed by the unveiling of the plaque by the President of the Submariners Association and Mr Charles Place (son). Lieutenant Basil Charles Godfrey Place VC, DSC, RN Blue Commemorative Plaque mounted at the Fleet Air Arm Museum Charles Place meets Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Yeovilton. Mrs Annie Maw and Rear Admiral Brian Perowne CB, DL. As part of the Submariners Association initiative Basil Charles Godfrey Place was born in Little the eighth Blue Plaque commemorating a WWII Malvern in Worcestershire on 19th July 1921. He Submariner and VC holder was placed at the Fleet was the son of Godfrey Place, DSO, MC. He Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, Somerset on joined the Royal Navy at the age of fourteen and Saturday 10th March 2018. spent the first year of the war as a Midshipman in the Cruiser HMS Newcastle before volunteering Approximately 50 guests, which included the for submarines. He was appointed to the 1st Lord Lieutenant of Somerset Mrs. Annie Maw, Submarine Flotilla based at HMS St. Angelo, accompanied by Rear Admiral Brian Perowne Malta ‘for Submarines’ on 11th August 1941. CB, DL, the High Sheriff of Somerset, Mr. Three weeks late on 1st September 1941 Place was Richard Hickmett Esq; the Deputy Mayor & appointed as ‘Liaison Officer’ to the Polish Mayoress of Yeovil, Councillor David & Mrs Submarine Sokol. The duration of his Yvonne Recardo; Admiral of the Fleet Sir appointment is unknown; however, he was Benjamin Bathurst GCB DL; Commodore Nick awarded the Polish Cross of Valour for this Tindal, Commanding Officer of RNAS Yeovilton; appointment. He next served in HM Submarine members of the staff of the FAA Museum and the Urge & Una before being appointed to Unbeaten Place family, joined veteran and serving as the Navigator’ now based with the 10th submariners including the President of the Submarine Flotilla at Malta. He was awarded the Submariners Association, Rear Admiral Niall Distinguished Service Cross for his part in the Kilgour CB; the Bath, Dorset and Exeter Branch sinking of the Italian submarine Gugliemotti off members with Standards for the ceremony. The Sicily in March 1942. event was also enhanced by a contingent of Marine and Sea Cadets from TS MANTLE VC, Yeovilton Marine and SCC who formed the honour guard. The commemoration service was led by Reverend Edward Wills the Chaplaincy Team Leader RNAS Yeovilton. The President Rear Admiral Niall Kilgour CB provided detailed information on Tirpitz Meanwhile X6, commanded by Lt Donald TS Mantle VC Marine & Sea Cadets from RNAS Yeovilton who Cameron, had been sighted on the surface and the formed the honour guard alarm raised. Having lost her periscope and gyro He returned home on 13th August 1942 and was compass, the submarine rammed Tirpitz and appointed firstly to HMS Dolphin before being released her charges before Cameron scuttled her. appointed to HMS Varbel, 12th Submarine Flotilla at Port Bannantyn, Scotland ‘for special service’ X7 once again struggled to escape from the with X-Craft. Following training he was protective nets. Then, in Place’s words, “by some appointed in Command of X4 on 11th December extraordinary lucky chance” she surfaced in the 1942. During the planning and training for nets and a full speed struck Tirpitz on the port Operation Source, which was the X-Craft attack side, sliding under her keel before releasing the on German Capital Warships in the Norwegian first charge. Place then drove his submarine fjords, he was appointed to ‘Submarine X7 in astern, releasing the second charge 150 to 200 feet Command. aft of the first. X7 then became entangled in the nets for the third time. Place, with masterly Operation Source – Operation Source understatement, described her predicament thus: commenced on 11th September 1943 when six “Without a compass I had no exact idea where we midget submarines, each weighing only 35 tons were: X6’s charges were due to explode in an and with a crew of four, were towed from Loch hour, it was extremely annoying to run into Cairnbawn for 1,000 miles to a position off another net.” Shortly afterwards, there was a Altenfjord in Northern Norway. Each X-Craft tremendous explosion. “This evidently shook us carried two detachable charges weighing two tons. out of the net, and on surfacing it was tiresome to X9 was lost on passage with all hands and X8 had find Tirpitz still afloat,” said Place. to be scuttled. The four remaining submarines detached on the evening of 20th September and X7 was under heavy fire so Place dived again and entered Kaafjord on 22 September. X10 had to then considered his options. There was only abandon the attack because of a defect while X5 enough air left to surface one more time so he approached within 500 yards of her target before decided that there was no alternative but to being sunk by gunfire. surrender. He surfaced next to a battle practice target 500 yards from Tirpitz and stepped out of Tirpitz had been a constant threat to the British the submarine waving a white sweater. Tragically, merchant and naval vessels and was anchored water entered the submarine via the open hatch, behind a double row of anti-torpedo netting some which then sank. One officer managed to escape 50 miles away from the open sea. X7 passed three hours later using Davis Equipment but the through the boom defence gap at the entrance of other officer and Engine Room Artificer perished. the fjord and then dived to avoid a motor launch and became entangled in the nets. After an hour of struggling, she managed to free herself and dived to 75ft to pass underneath Tirpitz’s nets, but again became entangled in the nets. their small craft past the close anti- submarine and torpedo nets surrounding the Tirpitz, and from a position inside these nets, carried out a cool and determined attack. Whilst they were still inside the nets a fierce enemy counter attack by guns and depth charges developed which made their withdrawal impossible. Lieutenants Place and Cameron therefore Place joined Cameron and the crew of X6 onboard scuttled their craft to prevent them falling Tirpitz where the Germans initially thought they into the hands of the enemy. Before doing were Norwegian saboteurs. The six survivors so they took every measure to ensure the were subjected to intense interrogation before safety of their crews, the majority of being taken to Marlag-O prison camp, where they whom, together with themselves, were spent the rest of the war. Cameron and Place were subsequently taken prisoner. awarded the VC in February 1944 and received their medals from the King on 22nd June 1945. In the course of the operation these very The full citation for Place Victoria Cross (and that small craft pressed home their attack to of his colleague Donald Cameron of X7) was the full, in doing so accepting all the published in a supplement to the London Gazette dangers inherent in such vessels and of 18th February 1994 and read: facing every possible hazard which ingenuity could devise for the protection in ADMIRALTY - Whitehall 22nd February, harbour of vitally important Capital Ships. 1944.- The King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the The courage, endurance and utter Victoria Cross for valour to: Lieutenant contempt for danger in the immediate face Basil Charles Godfrey Place, DSC, Royal of the enemy shown by Lieutenants Place and Cameron during this determined and Navy & Lieutenant Donald Cameron, successful attack were supreme. R.N.R. Lieutenants Place and Cameron were the Commanding Officers of two of His Majesty’s Midget Submarines X7 and X6 which on 22nd September 1943 carried out a most daring and successful attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz, moored in the protected anchorage of Kaafjord, North Norway. To reach the anchorage necessitated the penetration of an enemy minefield and a passage of fifty miles up the fjord, known to be vigilantly patrolled by the enemy and to be guarded by nets, gun defences and listening posts, this after a passage of at Lieutenant Basil Charles Godfrey Place VC, DSC, RN as a POW. least a thousand miles from base. Painted by the artist John Worsley on a bed sheet. Currently part of the Greenwich Maritime Museum Collection. Having successfully eluded all these After the war, Place resumed his Naval Career but hazards and entered the fleet anchorage, never held another submarine appointment. In Lieutenants Place and Cameron, with a 1950, he transferred to the Fleet Air Arm, training complete disregard for danger, worked as a pilot and gained his “Wings” in 1952. Later the Naval Collect. This was followed by Rear that year he saw action in the Korean War flying Admiral Niall Kilgour CB presenting the Manager the Sea Fury’s of 801 Squadron from the deck of of the FAA Museum, Mr Marc Farrance with a framed picture of Place VC, X-Craft and his the Aircraft Carrier HMS Glory. Career History. Thereafter, Place’s appointments alternated He also presented a framed picture to Mr. Charles between General Service ships and Fleet Air Arm Place with a copy of Place VC citation, pictures of staff jobs. He commanded the destroyers HMS Place as a POW, the Plaque and an X-Craft. Tumult and HMS Corunna, the New Entry Training Establishment HMS Ganges at Shotley, Charles Place also presented to the Museum his the Aircraft Carrier HMS Albion and the frigate father’s miniature medals which were an extremely generous gesture.
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