Distinguished Service Cross awarded to Captain Theobald John Claud Purcell-Buret (1879-1974) for the following action. Buret was master of the Royal Mail Steam Packet vessel ‘Parana’ on a voyage from Newport to Montevideo when the ship was attacked without warning on 10 September 1917. The ‘Parana’ was armed with a QF 3” gun. Buret reported: ‘We almost ran the submarine down: as he was first sighted almost under the navigation bridge distant 100 feet. Almost immediately he fired a torpedo which missed our stern by ten feet. On our own gun opening fire he dived and came to the surface about 3½ miles astern. When our gun again fired he increased his distance to about five miles and commenced shelling us in a most determined manner. The fire lasting about 50 minutes. I soon received a message that help was coming, which the submarine must have read too, for he redoubled the speed of his fire, using two guns. By this time I had fired 70 rounds and was only firing as he decreased his range which he did as soon as I ceased firing: and his aim improved with decreased range. His shooting seemed to me to be very good, most of his shots falling within 100 feet of the ship and many much closer. He did not cease firing until the warships was (sic) past our beam when he seemed to steam on the surface at great speed for a short time then submerge. From time of sighting submarine until he finally submerged one hour ten minutes. He fired about ten rounds of shrapnel. There were no casualties on board. One shot went through the after well deck’ (NMM PUR/11).

Captain Purcell-Buret was born in 1879 and entered the merchant service as an apprentice in 1894. He served at sea for 48 years being in command for 26 years. He rose to the rank of Commodore with the Royal Mail Line (1939) and was a Younger Brother of Trinity House. During World War II from 1940-42, he commanded the ‘Andes’ as a troopship. On his retirement in 1942, he was awarded the CBE. He died 15 April 1974.

The medal is in the form of a plain silver cross pattee, convexed. In the centre of the obverse side is the Royal Cypher. It is suspended from a blue ribbon with a central white stripe. The medal is mounted on a bar with six others: the British War medal 1914-18 (MED1404), Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (MED1405), Victory Medal 1914-18 (MED1406), 1939-45 Star (MED1407), Atlantic Star (MED1408) and the War Medal 1939-45 (MED1409).