A Second World War Salerno landings D.S.M., B.E.M. group of eight awarded to Master at Arms W. G. H. Haines, Royal Navy: decorated for his services in the infantry landing and H.Q. ship H.M.S. Hilary during “Operation Avalanche”, he added the B.E.M. to his accolades for services on the books of the shore establishment Lanka in Ceylon in January 1946 - probably for wreck clearance duties in Burma


Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Mr. A. As. W. G. H. Haines, D/MX. 52073); British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 1st issue (M.A. William G. H. Haines, D.S.M., D/MX. 52073); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (MX. 52073 W. G. H. Haines, M.A.A., H.M.S. Drake), with original card forwarding box for the 1939-45 campaign awards, generally good very fine (8) £1000-1200

D.S.M. London Gazette 23 May 1944.

B.E.M. London Gazette 1 January 1946.

William George Holyland Haines was born at Blaby, Leicestershire, in October 1904, and entered the Royal Navy in the early 1920s.

Awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal while serving at the shore establishment Drake as a Master-at-Arms in February 1942, he subsequently joined H.M.S. Hilary, an ex-Booth Steamship Co. liner which had been requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted for use as a landing and H.Q. ship.

Equipped with six landing craft, and fitted out with accommodation for nearly 380 troops, she was present in “Operation Husky”, the Sicily landings, in July 1943, when she acted as H.Q. ship of Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Vian, and landed elements of the 1st Canadian Division and Royal Marine Commandos. At Salerno in “Operation Avalanche” in October 1943, for which Haines was awarded his D.S.M., Hilary acted as Commodore Geoffrey Oliver’s H.Q. ship.

Whether Haines was still serving in her at the time of the Normandy landings remains unknown, but on that occasion she led Assault Convoy J. 11 and landed troops off Juno. Remaining off the beachhead as H.Q. ship to Naval Force J, she was damaged by a bomb on 13 June 1944.

Haines received his D.S.M. at a Buckingham Palace investiture held in October 1944.

His subsequent award of the B.E.M. was for services while borne on the books of the shore establishment Lanka in Ceylon, but may in fact have been for services in clearing wrecks after the capture of Akyab, Burma, in early 1945; sold with a file of research.