Newspaper photo

"Shields Gunner’s D.S.M".

Seaman Gunner William Crawford Black Dougal, R.N.R. of 37 Railway Terrace, North Shields, has been awarded the D.S.M. in the New year Honours List

Dougal, who is a native of Eyemouth, Scotland, and 23 years of age, came to North Shields with his parents when he was nine. Before the war he was serving as a deck hand on board one of Messrs. R. Irving and Sons trawlers. He was called up for naval patrol service in January, 1942, and has been engaged in that work since.

In April 1942, he was married at Lowestoft to Miss Cannick of that town. His wife, who lives in North Shields, was not aware that her husband had received the award until she saw the announcement in The Evening News.

Dougal’s father, Mr. James Dougal, a former skipper of one of Messrs. R. Hastie and Sons’ trawlers, is serving in the Royal Navy abroad.”