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ARTIFACT:
This is from the Putnam Green collection.
What we have here is a most unique and interesting, and somewhat mysterious, piece of WWII History.
A WWII USN Submarine Officer Dolphins Badge in 14K Gold, Inscribed to Lord Mountbatten!
An exquisitely made example of the Submariner's Dolphins, it shows the usual WWI era submarine underway in the center and a set of heraldic
dolphins on either side resting their heads on the bow planes.
The Dolphins Badge is marked 14K on the Tiffany style locking catch, and CALDWELL (the esteemed Jeweler & Manufacturer of most societal medals in the first half of the 20th century) 14K at bottom center on the reverse.
Engraved on the reverse of the Submariner Badge it is beautifully hand engraved, reading:
CAPTAIN LOUIS MOUNTBATTEN, RN.
QUALIFIED TO COMMAND SUBMARINES
BY ORDER OF
REAR ADMIRAL T. WITHERS., U.S.N.
COMSUBSCOFOR
The presenter, Rear Admiral Thomas Withers Jr. served with the U.S. Navy from 1906 through 1946, and was overall commander
of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force at the outbreak of World War II, though his advocacy for the
notoriously faulty Mark 14 torpedo would see him reassigned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard: as this incident
dominates most accountings of his career/life.
It is unclear when he was Commander, Submarine Scouting Force (ComSubScoFor), or if he held that title at the same time as overall submarine command for the Pacific.
The recipient, Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma was a German prince by birth, and began his
career with the Royal Navy in 1916, attaining the rank of Captain in 1937. Among other duties during World War II
he would act as the Chief of the Combined Operations Headquarters where he was responsible for the Bruneval Raid
to capture important components of the German Wuerzburg Radar for study, the Saint Nazaire Raid that knocked
out the Normandie dry dock to deny the Kriegsmarine a critical Atlantic repair asset, and the far less successful Dieppe
Raid,
Later he was the Supreme Allied Commander for the Southeast Asia Command (SEAC), where he oversaw the recapture of
Burma and accepted the Japanese surrender of Singapore.
In post war life, he would serve as Viceroy and later Governor-General of India, overseeing the transition of India to an independent Commonwealth nation, as well as the partition of India and Pakistan, as well as Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet, NATO Commander Allied Forces Mediterranean, and First Sea Lord of the Admiralty.
Retiring at the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, he also served as Governor and Lord-Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight.
Mountbatten would later be assassinated by the Irish Republican Army in 1979; a 50-pound radio controlled
bomb was concealed on his personal boat and detonated with him and several members of his family on board in an incident that created great friction between the IRA and the Irish-American community, who generally thought well of Mountbatten for his wartime service.
It isn't known when Mountbatten and Withers crossed paths or why the badge was given; Mountbatten's career was entirely on surface ships and receiving the Submarine Warfare Badge requires extensive practical submarine experience, so presumably it was meant more as a gesture of friendship or political token between two seafaring men rather than an indicator of accomplishment.
But there could still be more to the story, yet undiscovered!
VINTAGE:
World War II.
SIZE:
Approximately: 13/16" in height x 2-7/8" in width.
MATERIALS / CONSTRUCTION:
14K Gold. (Marks on back of the badge and catch.)
ATTACHMENT:
Horizontal pin with Tiffany-style catch.
MARKINGS:
CALDWELL 14K
ITEM NOTES:
This is from a US NAVY USN Insignia collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. VADDEM24 LEDIEX01/17/25
CONDITION:
9 (Excellent - Near Mint): The badge shows slight wear only, and overall, it is in excellent condition.
GUARANTEE: As with all my artifacts, this piece is guaranteed to be original, as described.
