VC Action: Harold Auten (VC, DSC) (22 August 1891 - 3 October 1964) was 26 years old, and a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve during the First World War when he was awarded the VC.

In 1910 Auten joined the Royal Naval Reserve and was made a sub-lieutenant (US: LtJG) in 1914 just before the war broke out. Auten was one of the first six commanders chosen in the summer of 1915 for the "Q-ship" project, a plan to decoy German submarines with specially-outfitted and armed merchant ships. These were decoy ships, armed vessels but disguised as innocent merchant ships with the aim to fool U-boats into surfacing. Once the U-boat had surfaced, the guns were opened and the U-boat fired upon. Auten served on Zylpha, a former collier, from early in 1915. In April 1917, he took over the command of Q.16, also called Heather after her Commanding Officer had been killed in action against a U-boat. While he was serving in this ship, he won the Distinguished Service Cross.

Auten was awarded his V.C. for an action in the English Channel off Prawle Point, South Devon. He was commanding the HMS Stock Force, a 361-ton, 29-foot beam, former coastal collier that, despite her small size, had been outfitted with two 4-inch guns, two 12-pounders, one 3-pounder, and two 14-inch torpedo tubes. On July 30, 1918, at approximately 4:45 p.m. the ship was hit by a torpedo, ripping a 40-foot gash in the starboard side of her hull. The ship was severely damaged but in no immediate danger of sinking as Auten had improved her buoyancy by loading the former coal holds and decking with stocks of light-density lumber. A decoy "panic party" was lowered in a lifeboat to give the impression the crew was abandoning ship while the gunners remained hidden, waiting for the sub to surface. Unfortunately when the sub did surface, it was dead ahead and half-mile off, which did not allow Auten to bring all Stock Force's guns to bear at once. He had to wait until the sub slowly came within range off the port beam, with Stock Force taking on water all the while. Finally, when the sub was 300 yards off, Auten opened fire, scoring an estimated 20 direct hits. The sub disappeared, its conning tower shot away, leaving a large debris field. Auten then made for land, hoping to beach the crippled Stock Force, but the ship had to be abandoned about 9:15 and sank about 9:25. Ironically, post-war examination of German naval records reveal that no U-boat was lost on July 30. The decoy had, in fact, itself been decoyed. Admiral Sir William Hall, Director of Naval Intelligence, stressed in his report that "this, of course, in no way detracts from the extreme gallantry of the action."

After the war Auten published his memoirs, "Q Boat Adventures", which was made into a film. While serving as technical adviser for the production he was bitten by the film bug and made his way into the business, eventually becoming executive vice-president with the Rank Organization's New York office. During the Second World War he held the rank of Commander in the RNR and served as senior staff organising convoys across the Atlantic from New York. He passed away at the age of 73 in the Monroe County (PA) Hospital.

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