Campaign Groups and Pairs

Pair: Chief Engine Room Artificer F. A. B. Haynes, Royal Navy, who during the Second World War served with the destroyer H.M.S. Wrestler and was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his involvement in the Malta Convoy Operation Harpoon British War Medal 1914-20 (M.26933 F. A. B. Haynes. B. Art. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage head (M.26933 F.A.B. Haynes. E.R.A. 2. H.M.S. Garry.) light contact marks, very fine (2) £100-£140 --- D.S.M. London Gazette 22 September 1942: ‘For bravery and resolution ... while escorting an important Convoy to Malta’ Frederick Arthur Boulton Haynes was born at Usk, Monmouth in June 1901. He enlisted into the Royal Navy in July 1917 and was posted to the mechanics' training establishment H.M.S. Indus as a Boy Artificer Second Class, remaining there until August 1920, and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in July 1934 while serving with the naval trawler H.M.T. Garry. Haynes served on the crew of the destroyer H.M.S. Wrestler throughout the Second World War, having attained the rate of Chief Engine Room Artificer. In July 1940, Wrestler was present at the attack on Mers-el-Kébir, where she rescued crews from the French battleship Strasbourg, which had been sunk by the Royal Navy. On 18 October 1940 she assisted in sinking the Italian submarine Durbo, east of Gibraltar. From July 1941 to April 1942 Wrestler was stationed at Freetown and was then transferred to the Malta Convoys as part of Force H and ‘Operation Harpoon’, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. The ship later served as one of the naval escorts for ‘Operation Torch’. On 2 May 1942 she assisted in the sinking of the German submarine U-74 and then on 15 November 1942 single-handedly sunk the U-98. In 1943 Wrestler took part in ‘Operation Husky’ off Sicily until July that year, when she returned to Atlantic and Arctic convoy duties. On 6 June 1944, whilst participating in ‘Operation Neptune’, she was mined off Juno Beach, declared a total loss and later sold off as scrap.