John Payne (not John Ashley) was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his actions during the siege and fall of Antwerp.
Nearly 100 years later, on 30 March 2011, his medals came up for sale through auction house DNW. This is the description from the catalogue, with an extract from their Footnote:
Lot 240
A rare Great War Antwerp 1914 operations D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer J. Payne, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant deeds in the Machine Gun Section Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division
Footnote
D.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1915:
‘For the operations round Antwerp 3-9 October 1914.’
John Payne was . . . attached to the Machine Gun Section of Anson Battalion, R.N.D. from 19 September until 26 October 1914 - in which period he won his D.S.M. for gallant deeds in the Antwerp operations, as per his original “mention” in Major-General Paris’ despatch dated 31 October 1914: an indication of the chaotic nature of the R.N.D’s retreat may be gleaned from the resultant casualties of 29 killed, 167 wounded and 3428 missing, including men from the Royal Marine Brigade.
Estimate: £1,000 - £1,200 Sold for £4,000