GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 1215
A rare Second World War Coastal Forces D.S.M. awarded to Stoker 1st Class E. Baynes, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry ashore during the fall of Tobruk in June 1942 - a crew member of M.T.B. 309, he undoubtedly saw much action at sea in the same period and was likely present in “Operation Agreement”, the disastrous attack on the same town that September
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL,
G.VI.R. (KX. 127770 E. Baynes, Sto. 1), in its case of issue, extremely fine D.S.M. London Gazette 10 November 1942:
£1200-1500
‘For bravery and devotion to duty while serving in H.M. South African Ships Bever and Parktown and in H.M. Motor Launches and Motor Torpedo Boats in action against the enemy in the Mediterranean.’ The original recommendation states:
‘On the day on which Tobruk fell, Stoker Baynes drove the petrol lorry three times through shelling and bombing to the petrol installation and thus enabled the
M.T.Bs to be refuelled before the main attack commenced.’
Ernest Baynes was decorated for the above cited deeds on 20 June 1942, while serving in M.T.B. 309, under Lieutenant Denis Jermain, D.S.C., R.N., the C.O. of the 15th M.T.B. Flotilla.
A glimpse of naval matters at Tobruk on that date maybe found in War at Sea - South African Maritime Operations during World War II, by C. J. Harris:
‘On the afternoon of 20 June, with Rommel’s Afrika Corps hammering at the defences of the town, shellfire greatly increased and at 1800 hours all ships were ordered to embark personnel for evacuation. At 2000 hours, while they were busy with that, enemy tanks entered the town and H.M.S.A.S. Bever cast off after receiving a hit from a tank which killed one man. Meanwhile, enemy motorised troops had arrived at the end of the jetty and opened fire with machine-guns. H.M.S.A.S. Parktown was also hit and, with one Army N. C.O. killed, she too cast off. Both ships left harbour through a smokescreen laid by an M.T.B. [most probably 309], which partly protected them from the heavy barrage of shells and bombs.’
M.T.B. 309 made it back to Alexandria, but Parktown was sunk by E-Boats on the following day.
As stated, there can be little doubt that Baynes saw considerable action in M.T.B. 309 during this period, the following extract from his C.O’s obituary in the Daily Telegraph stating:
‘As senior officer of the 15th M.T.B. Flotilla he was based at Tobruk, from where he conducted night patrols on the enemy's flank and landed agents. During the fall of Tobruk he gave covering fire by engaging enemy tanks while other small craft escaped.
On reaching Alexandria Jermain found that the fleet had sailed, and the staff gave him and his
M.T.Bs the task of guarding the interned French fleet of battleships and cruisers in case it showed signs of hostility.
As the siege mentality lifted, Jermain was given increasingly imaginative tasks, such as blocking harbours, landing more agents (few of whom returned) and using Royal Marines to board enemy convoys.
Jermain thought most of the schemes hare-brained, but they appealed to his youthful enthusiasm.
The maddest of these enterprises was Operation Agreement, a combined forces raid on Tobruk which was rehearsed in full public view in Alexandria and was betrayed by the transmission of a signal in low-grade cipher from Winston Churchill.
At the last minute an inexperienced senior officer was put in command, over Jermain, and the operation was a disaster; many men were lost, as were four boats of Jermain's flotilla ... ’
See
M.T.Bs at War - Mediterranean - Short M.T.B. Flotilla Operations 1939-45, by L. C. Reynolds and H. F. Cooper, for full details of M. T.B. 309’s many operations and actions.
Sold with original Naval Message form announcing his award of the D.S.M., together with Naval Gratuity document for related payment of £20 to the recipient, dated at Hull, Yorkshire, on 7 February 1949.
www.dnw.co.uk
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