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Auction: 23113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 373

Three: Stoker 1st Class W. J. Hayes, Royal Navy, who served on H.M.S. Mystic at the Battle of Jutland and was discharged due to deafness

1914-15 Star (K.5153, W. J. Hayes. Sto.1. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (K-5153 W. J. Hayes. Sto.1 R.N.), very fine (3)

William James Hayes was born at St. Pancras, London on 25 May 1890 and joined the Royal Navy on 3 January 1910. He was previously a bust maker living in London. He initially served on the cruiser Donegal and later the destroyer Martin, before joining Mystic.

Mystic was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class was an improvement on the previous L class, capable of higher speed. The vessel, originally named Myrtle but renamed before being launched in 1915, joined the Grand Fleet as part of the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla. The ship was assigned as part of a destroyer screen to protect the British battleships as they sought to destroy the German High Seas Fleet. During the Battle of Jutland, she saw action against German light cruisers and, as the evening fell, attacked the German battle line, but recorded no hits.

Hayes was invalided from the service on 4 December 1916 suffering from deafness, receiving a prize bounty for Jutland. He became a storekeeper with the Post Office Engineering Department in Maidstone and died in Canterbury on 12 December 1954; sold together with his original parchment Certificate of Service and a personal reference from the Engineer Lieutenant Commander of Mystic.


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Sold for
£65

Starting price
£40