Lieut-Commander PATRICK NOEL HUMPHREYS

The following details are given in the London Gazette of 12th November, 1937:-"For gallant and distinguished services rendered when H.M.S. Hunter was mined off Almeria on the coast of Spain on 13th May, 1937." The mining caused an explosion underneath the Stoker Petty Officers' and Torpedomen's Mess Decks, blowing away the ladder To reach the ratings on these decks this officer and four others under his command jumped down 8 ft. into 3 ft. of oil fuel. The ship appeared to be about to founder, and in an operation lasting from five to ten minutes, in imminent danger themselves of falling through these shattered mess decks, they dragged living and dead from under wreckage and out of the oil fuel, and passed them up on deck. Some of the rescued had swallowed oil fuel, others were severely burned, and all would undoubtedly have perished had they not been so quickly extricated