Operation Pedestal and Operation Tunnel Interest : - A Second World War Group of Five Medals, awarded to JX 168434 Able Seaman William Hustler Royal Navy, comprising 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Italy Star and War Medal, swing mounted as worn, together with cased National Service Medal, a Battle for Malta 60th Anniversary Medal, a boxed Eastern Service Commemorative Medal and boxed Malta George Cross 50th Anniversary Commemorative Medal, also, his Certificate of Service, Identity Card, photographs, Honorary Citizen of Valletta certificate, HMS Charybdis cap tally, HMS Charybdis commemorative stamp and envelope, cased HMS Charybdis lapel pin, HMS Charybdis plaque, HMS Kandahar plaque and a book Two Honourable Years - A Sailor's Story of H.M. Cruiser Charybdis 1941-43 by Craig Leith

Footnote : - The vendor’s father, William (Bill) Hustler volunteered for the Royal Navy and joined on 2nd November 1939, initially serving at HMS Drake, the main naval barracks in Devonport. In 1940 he joined HMS Kandahar in Aden. In 1941 Kandahar joined Force K to intercept an Italian convoy off Tripoli and hit a newly laid Italian mine, killing seventy-three crew members, Bill was fortunate enough to survive. HMS Kandahar was later scuttled by a torpedo from HMS Jaguar when it became impossible to carry out any salvage because of the heavy mining in the area.

Bill joined HMS Charybdis as an AA2 anti-aircraft gunner and in 1942 he took part in the Malta Convoy known as Operation Pedestal. This was seen as a major turning point in the war. In 2002, to commemorate 60 years since Operation Pedestal, he was made an Honorary Citizen of Valletta (the first time the honour was bestowed) to recognize his bravery and fortitude.

In 1943 he took part in Operation Tunnel in the English Channel where HMS Charybdis was torpedoed twice by the German torpedo boats T23 and T27. Again, he survived and, after hours in the water, was rescued by HMS Wensleydale. Unfortunately, over four hundred members of the crew lost their lives. Many of the sailors’ bodies were washed up on the shores of Guernsey and were buried there by the German forces who occupied Guernsey at that time. Every year there is a memorial service to honour these men and Bill attended every year as a Standard Bearer until his death in 2008. He has contributed to many books whose authors requested his account of Operation Tunnel and featured in a leaflet which accompanied the issue of commemorative stamps honouring the Charybdis.