Here we have a fathers WW1 BWM with sons Victory, Defence & War, 1937 Coronation Medal, Imperial Service Medal along with Royal Navy GV LSGC
Father: British War Medal correctly named T4/215009 Dvr EJ Hayes ASC
Edward John Hayes was born 1874 in Cuckfield, Sussex. He was a butcher by trade. He married Louisa Alice Cottle in 1901. In 1911, we find the family living at 4 Western Court Beach, Littlehampton.
He enlisted aged 40 into the 428th Co ASC in December 1915. His address at this time is given as 16 Hungerford Road, Lower Weston, Bath. He arrived in France in March 1917. He transferred to 42 Salvage Division RE in March 1918. He became a Z class reservist in May 1919.
He is entitled to a pair.
We find him in 1939 living at 44 Avondale Road, Bath and he is working as garden labourer.
Son: Edward Thomas Hayes was born in 1901 in Littlehampton, Sussex and was working as a Hospital orderly when he enlisted into the RMLI in April 1918.
Victory Medal correctly named PLY 20146 Pte ET Hayes RMLI
RN LSGC correctly named Ply 20416 ET Hayes MNE RM
Imperial Service Medal correctly named Ernest Thomas Hayes
WWII medals and Coronation medal, unnamed as issued
His service number was PLY 20146.
Most likely training until the end of WWI, he was sent Russia aboard HMS Benbow in October 1919 and returned in 1921.
In 1919, Captain Charles Douglas Carpendale took command of the ship, a position he held until 1921. During this period, from April 1919 to June 1920, the ship took part in anti-communist operations in the Black Sea. Benbow and other elements of the Mediterranean Fleet supported the White Russians in the Russian Civil War. In late January 1920, Benbow was sent from Constantinople to Novorossiysk. There, the ship relieved Iron Duke, and shortly thereafter rescued a group of 150 Russian soldiers and their British adviser, who had been attacked by bandits. On 1 February, Rear Admiral Michael Culme-Seymour hoisted his flag aboard Benbow. Shortly thereafter, men from the ship were sent to inspect White positions in the Kerch Peninsula. Benbow was ordered to return to Constantinople in June, where the Mediterranean Fleet was concentrating to begin supporting Greek forces during the Greco-Turkish War; she arrived there on 19 June. On 5 July, Benbow and several other vessels left Constantinople to land a force at Gemlik to secure the harbor in order to hand it over to Greek forces that would arrive later. Benbow‘s men returned to the ship on 16 July after a Greek battalion reached the town.
In February 1921, Benbow, the battleship King George V, and several destroyers conducted training exercises in the Sea of Marmara. In 1922, the ship underwent a refit at Malta.
After his return, he had a very short stint at Plymouth Division and aboard HMS Empress of India then he joined the 8th Battalion Royal Marine Light Infantry. This battalion was brought together in June 1920, sailing to Cork in HMS Valiant and HMS Warspite before being taken by destroyer to protect coastguard and signal stations around the coast. They were sent to Ireland in June 1920 with 800 other ranks plus Officers to assist in the Anglo Irish Problems. These troops saw some vicious fighting with 9 Marines killed in the first month.
Ernest followed the Battalion over in July 1921 and remained in Ireland until February 1922.
