THE 1914 STAR AND BAR TRIOS TO THE HAINES BROTHERS, ALBERT AND MARK, BOTH OF WHOM WERE KILLED IN ACTION WHILST SERVING WITH THE REGULAR BATTALIONS OF THE WILTSHIRE REGIMENT DURING WW1, ALBERT WITH THE 1ST BATTALION AND MARK WITH THE 2ND BATTALION

THE 1914 STAR AND BAR TRIOS TO THE HAINES BROTHERS, ALBERT AND MARK, BOTH OF WHOM WERE KILLED IN ACTION WHILST SERVING WITH THE REGULAR BATTALIONS OF THE WILTSHIRE REGIMENT DURING WW1, ALBERT WITH THE 1ST BATTALION AND MARK WITH THE 2ND BATTALION, AND BOTH LANDING IN FRANCE IN 1914.

SERGEANT A.W. HAINES, 1ST BATTALION WILTSHIRE REGIMENT. Three: 1914 Star and bar (6404 Corporal, 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment) British War and Victory Medals (6404 Sergeant, Wiltshire Regiment). Copy bar on Star, otherwise Extremely Fine.

PRIVATE M. HAINES, 2ND BATTALION WILTSHIRE REGIMENT. Three: 1914 Star and bar (8552 Private, 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment) British War and Victory Medals (8552 Private, Wiltshire Regiment). Copy bar on Star, otherwise Extremely Fine.

With photocopied Medal Index Card, copy extract from 1891 Census, photocopy of relevant extract from battalion War Diary, 1st Wiltshires, 1915, and Commonwealth War Graves details for 6404 Private A.W. Haines. The 1891 Census records Albert William Haines, then 5 years of age, residing at 31 Bath Lane, Keevil, West Wiltshire. Haines first saw active service in France as a Corporal, entering that theatre of operations on 14/8/1914 (the 1st Wiltshires landed as a unit at Rouen on 14/8/1914). He was killed in action on 15/8/1915, the battalion War Diary recording “15th August, La Brique. Relieved 6th Dorsets in trenches, relief completed 12.15 a.m. Casualties, Sergeant Haines, C Company, killed on road during relief, rapid fire having been opened suddenly by enemy from right.”

With photocopied Medal Index Card, photocopy of extract from battalion War Diary, 2nd Wiltshires, May 1915 and Commonwealth War Graves details for 8552 Private Mark Haines (he had not yet been born at the time of the 1891 Census, and so does not appear on the Census Return for the Haines family). Private Haines first saw active service in France, entering that theater of operations on 7/10/1914 (the 2nd Wiltshires landed as a unit at Zeebrugge on 7/10/1914). Private Haines was killed in action on 16/5/1915, the battalion War Diary recording that, on 16th May the 2nd Wiltshires took part in a divisional strength attack “Attack of our division took place about midnight, 20th (on the left) and 22nd Brigade (on the right) attacked P4 at 3.15 a.m. All day long the enemy shelled Rue de l’Epinette, but the battalion suffered no casualties. At 1 p.m. B Company was ordered to proceed to M3 with a party of bombers. The party under Captain Manners-Davis cleared the German trenches from near M3 to L2, with very little opposition. It was unable to proceed further as at 4HO point it was found the trenches were not continuous and the K3, K4 and K5 were strongly held by the enemy. On being relieved by the 7th London Regiment B Company returned towards E3.”

Both Albert William and Mark Haines were the sons of Jabez James Haines and Alice Haines, of Lower Park Farm Cottage, Devizes, Wiltshire. Mark was 21 years old at the time of his death and is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery. Albert William was 29 years of age at the time of his death and is buried in La Brique Cemetery No 1.