Joseph Watt

Chief Skipper Joseph Watt, VC, was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He earned the decoration for his actions on May 15, 1917, during the Strait of Otranto battle in World War I, while commanding the Royal Naval Reserve drifter Gowan Lea.

When confronted by an Austrian light cruiser and ordered to surrender, Watt defiantly ordered full speed ahead and engaged the enemy ship. Despite his vessel's gun being disabled after a single shot and enduring heavy fire, Watt and his crew continued their resistance. Once the cruiser passed, he navigated his damaged vessel to assist another heavily damaged drifter, the Floandi, rescuing survivors and tending to the wounded.

Following the engagement, Watt was promoted to Chief Skipper but remained famously modest and uncomfortable with the publicity surrounding his actions, reportedly keeping his Victoria Cross in a drawer filled with junk on his boat. In addition to the Victoria Cross, his meritorious actions were recognized by allied nations, earning him the French Croix de Guerre and the Italian Silver Medal for Military Valour.