Victoria Cross: J. W. Linton

JOHN WALLACE LINTON, DSO DSC

Commander, Royal Navy; commanding HMS Turbulent

Born: 15 October 1905, Malpas, near Newport, Monmouthshire

Citation: From the outbreak of war until H.M.S. Turbulent's last patrol [in March, 1943] Commander Linton was constantly in command of submarines, and during that time inflicted great damage on the Enemy. He sank one Cruiser, one Destroyer, one U-boat, twenty-eight Supply Ships, some 100,000 tons in all, and destroyed three trains by gun-fire. In his last year he spent two hundred and fifty-four days at sea, submerged for nearly half the time, and his ship was hunted thirteen times and had two hundred and fifty depth charges, aimed at her.
His many and brilliant successes were due to his constant activity and skill, and the daring which never failed him when there was an Enemy to be attacked.
On one occasion, for instance, in H.M.S. Turbulent, he sighted a convoy of two Merchantmen and two Destroyers in mist and moonlight. He worked round ahead of the convoy and dived to attack it as it passed through the moon's rays. On bringing his sights to bear he found himself right ahead of a Destroyer. Yet he held his course till the Destroyer was almost on top of him, and, when his sights came on the convoy, he fired. His great courage and determination were rewarded. He sank one Merchantman and one Destroyer outright, and set the other Merchantman on fire so that she blew up.

(London Gazette Issue 36028 dated 25 May 1943, published 21 May 1943.)




Note: The same issue of the Gazette reported that three officers from HMS Turbulent had been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and that eleven members of the crew had been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (including one Bar), "for bravery and devotion to duty in successful patrols in H.M.S. Turbulent."