Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War D.E.M.S. gunner’s D.S.M. awarded to Temporary Acting Petty Officer F. C. Haskett, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry during the landings at Bougie, Algiers, in November 1942

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (J. 52329 F. C. Haskett, T./A./P.O.), in its case of issue, nearly extremely fine
£700-900

D.S.M. London Gazette 20 April 1943:

‘For bravery in Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships during the hazardous passage to North Africa.’

Frank Caseley Haskett was born in St. Martins, Guernsey in May 1899 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class at the training establishment H.M.S. Impregnable in April 1916. Advanced to Ordinary Seaman, he joined the battleship Ramillies in June 1917, shortly after she had entered service in the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet, and he remained similarly employed until September 1921, in which period Ramillies bombarded Turkish shore targets from the Sea of Marmora during the disturbances of 1920.

Coming ashore as an Able Seaman in May 1929, Haskett enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve, and was awarded the R.F.R. L.S. & G.C. Medal in December 1936. Recalled on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, and having attended a gunnery course at Excellent, he was selected for services in Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (D.E.M.S.) in November 1941.

And his subsequent award of the D.S.M. was in respect of his gallantry in the Glen Line freighter S.S. Glenfinlas, aboard which ship he fought his gun ‘with outstanding courage and skill at Bougie during the operations which led to the landing of Allied Armies in North Africa in November 1942’ (accompanying Admiralty letter refers).

More specifically, Glenfinlas was a component of Operation “Perpetual”, the Allied Eastern Task Force charged with landing at Bougie on 11 November: during the course of this operation, the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica launched a series of devastating raids, swarms of Ju. 88s, He. 111s and Italian torpedo bombers inflicting heavy loss and damage on our shipping - on the first day of the landings, the gunners of one merchantman alone expended 3204 rounds of Oerlikon, 216 rounds of Bofors and a further 715 rounds of .303 ammunition. And among the damaged merchantmen was Glenfinlas.

Haskett, who received his award at a Buckingham Palace investiture held in November 1943, remained actively employed as a D.E.M.S. gunner until the end of hostilities, gaining advancement to Temporary Acting Petty Officer. He was demobilised in September 1945.

Sold with a large quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Certificate of Service and Gunnery History Sheet; Admiralty letter of notification for his D.S.M. and Buckingham Palace investiture ticket; his Order of Release from Naval Service, and a fine array of career photographs (approximately 50 images), including several of the recipient in uniform.