Royal Navy, Second World War. Captain Edward Desmond Bewley McCarthy's (DSO) dress uniform, likely worn during his command of HMS Ajax (22^nd April 1940 – 27^th November 1941). Dress uniform comprising a pair of gilt bullion epaulettes, a regulation bicorn cocked hat, two dress belts, and an earlier single cloth lace Commander's rank shoulder board, retailed by Gieves, in original fitted tin with name inscription.

Sold together with McCarthy's Proclamation for crossing the Arctic Circle, dated October 3rd 1943, pre-printed document with manuscript insertions, with autograph signature of the Commanding Officer, framed and glazed, 22.5cm x 33cm (awarded during HMS Anson's involvement in Home Fleet deployment cover)

Provenance: Purchased by the vendor from Charles Miller in 2010, originally together with other items such as a midshipman log completed by McCarthy's son.

Admiral Sir Edward Desmond Bewley McCarthy, KCB, DSO & Bar (15 November 1893 – 8 June 1966). Service includes command of HMS Ajax from 1940 and HMS Anson from 1943, before becoming Assistant Chief of Naval Staff in 1944. Post-war, he became Commander-in-Chief of the South Atlantic Station before retiring in 1950.

During his command of HMS Ajax, the vessel was involved in a single-handed engagement dubbed the Battle of Cape Passero, which centred around a British merchant convoy operation that left Alexandria for a supply operation to Malta on 8^th October 1940. Although the outward journey was completed without serious incident, the Mediterranean Fleet was spotted by an Italian aircraft on the return journey and the Italian Navy made moves to intercept them in the Ionian Sea. On the night of 11^th/12^th October, the first Italian torpedo boat flotilla attacked H.M.S. Ajax.

This attack failed, and the Ajax successfully sank two of the Italian ships, the Airone and Ariel, with a third escaping. Shortly following this battle, the Italian 11^th destroyer flotilla arrived on the scene but was surprised by radar-directed gunfire from HMS Ajax. One Italian vessel was badly damaged, later being sunk, and another was lightly damaged. Captain McCarthy received a DSO for his actions in this engagement.