HMS Wren (D88/I88) was an Admiralty modified W class destroyer, launched in 1919, with a prestigious name of the Royal Navy going back as far as 1653. This is one of the boat badges that were held in dockyard stores for when She was at anchor and would have been attached to Her designated ‘taxi tender’. The fact that She sadly sank makes this a very rare badge.

Career : In September 1939 HMS Wren was transferred to the 16th Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth for convoy defence and anti-submarine patrols in the English Channel and Southwest Approaches. Following the German invasion of Norway in April 1940 she transferred to Scapa Flow to carry out convoy escort duties to Norway. She provided gunfire support to the British landings at Bjerkvik but returned to convoy duties and did not take part in the evacuation of the British expeditionary force. On 27 July 1940 HMS Wren, alongside HMS Montrose, was providing anti-aircraft protection for mine sweeping operations off Aldeburgh, Suffolk. She came under heavy and sustained dive bombing attack by 15 Junkers Ju 87 aircraft and was damaged by several near misses which holed her below the waterline. Collapsed bulkheads caused heavy flooding which led her to sink quickly. HMS Wren's survivors were rescued by the minesweepers.