Orders, Decorations and Medals

Family group:

A good Second World War landing craft operations D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Acting Leading Seaman H. E. L. Hawes, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (A.B. H. E. L. Hawes, C/JX. 377638); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine

Three: Able Seaman H. Hawes, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (J. 14123 A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J. 14123 A.B., R.N.), very fine

Three: Able Seaman W. Hawes, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (J. 27381 Boy 1, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J. 27381 A.B., R.N), these polished, nearly very fine (13) £1000-1200

D.S.M. London Gazette 24 January 1944:

‘For gallantry, leadership and undaunted devotion to duty under heavy and continuous fire from the enemy during landings on the Italian mainland.’

The original recommendation states:

‘For outstanding determination and devotion to duty. His was the craft that held the “Messina Ferry Service” record for number of trips, although not a regular Coxswain.’

The covering remarks of his Rear-Admiral further state:

‘I recommend this A.B. for a decoration. He was quite outstanding and for nearly 4 weeks he kept up this record, making as many as 12 trips a day across the Straits. The example he set enabled the 8th Army to relieve the 5th Army at Salerno.’

Henry Edward Leslie Hawes was born in Plumstead, Kent in March 1924 and entered the Royal Navy in November 1942. Decorated for his services in the 143rd Landing Craft (Mechanised) Flotilla in operations “Baytown” and “Ferdy” - the landings in Italy in September 1943 - he was demobilised in the rate of Acting Leading Seaman in August 1946. “Baytown”, which commenced on 3 September 1943, involved the ferrying of 13 Corps to the Italian mainland, and “Ferdy”, carried out a few days later, the landing of Allied troops 25 miles behind enemy lines - this latter operation was opposed, subsequent recommendations including a posthumous V.C. to Lieutenant K. O. Griffiths, R.N.V.R., who, though mortally wounded, insisted being held upright in a Nielson Stretcher so that he could navigate his landing craft to safety. In the event, he was posthumously mentioned in despatches; sold with full copied Flotilla and C.O. reports concerning both actions.

Henry Hawes was born in Plumstead, Kent in October 1895 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in September 1911. An Able Seaman aboard the cruiser H.M.S. Forward by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he came ashore to appointments in Pembroke I in January 1915, and the Shorness torpedo school Actaeon that May, following which he served in the cruisers Latona and Europa in the period August 1915 to March 1916, and the battleship Albion from March to May 1916, when he came ashore again to Pembroke I. Returning to sea in the battleship Agamemnon in June 1916, he remained similarly employed until removing to the destroyer Scourge in August 1917, and it was aboard another destroyer, the Sikh, that he ended the War. Hawes was invalided from the service in June 1919.

William Hawes was born in May 1898 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in September 1913. A Boy 1st Class aboard the cruiser H.M.S. Grafton by the outbreak of hostilities in the following year, he removed to the cruiser Natal in January 1915, and was still similarly employed when she mysteriously blew up in the Cromarty Firth on 30 December 1915 - the exact number of resultant casualties is still a matter of debate, but most probably amounted to some 400 officers and men. Lucky indeed to be among the survivors, Marshall joined the cruiser Royal Arthur in January 1916, in which capacity he remained employed until coming ashore to appointments in Pembroke I & II in July 1916. Back at sea in the cruiser Euryalus by July 1917, he transferred to the Northbrook that October and, finally, in July 1918, until the War’s end, was employed at the Aden shore establishment Dufferin. Hawes was invalided from the service in March 1926.