HMS Gurkha L-Class Destroyer

[ladyv72]

Hi Everyone. My fiance's grandfather was aboard HMS Gurkha which unfortunately sank during WW2. His grandfather survived but sadly he lost his best mate who had kept him talking before the ship went down. My fiance rememered as a small boy being given an old shoe box with his grandfathers medals, ribbons and photographs of the ship in it, but when his gran died, the shoebox was thrown out with everything in it. He was gutted as you can imagine. We are getting married in March next year and as a present to him, am hoping to get the medals re-issued (I have found someone who can trace these for me) and I have sourced an original photograph of the ship. However, in order for me to proceed with the medals, I need to give the guy his grandfathers rank / serial number. He was from Yorkshire with his surname being Horsley-Wright and he was a sonar operator on-board. Forgive me for perhaps using wrong terms but its all I can get from him without giving the game away! Can anyone help me as to how I get this information? I've been looking on various websites but I can't get any further than general information about the ship. It would be great to give him something back as I know it would be something special for him to keep. Hope anyone can guide me in the right direction. Vicky

[John Brown]

Lady

You may not be aware but there were two destroyers called HMS Gurkha in WW2. The first, a Tribal class, was sunk on 8th April 1940. The second was an L Class which was torpedoed and then scuttled on 17th Jan 1942. Do you know which of these two ships you wish to research? Assuming the picture you have is of the correct ship, a Tribal class will have two funnels and an L class only one if that helps.

For info on the gentlemans service no. and rank, you could try:

Directorate of Naval Pay and Pensions
NPP (ACS) 1E Centurion Building
Grange Road
Gosport
Hants
PO13 9XA

Tel: 023 9270 2174

They may also actually be able to help with info on the medals awarded.

Good Luck!!

[tim lewin]

Assuming it was the Tribal Ghurka, I have a copy of Brice's excellent book "The Tribals" which I could extract details of her short life from...my own personal interest is in Ashanti as you prob know from previous posts!
tim

[Batstiger]

At present I am trying to get a picture of Gurkha "2" which was built as an "L" class destroyer HMS Larne but named HMS Gurkha to replace the "Triball" of that name which was bombed and sunk in 1940. Has anyone out there got a picture of "Gurkha 2"?

[stontamar]

Hi Vicky

Before you go to some expense please be aware that medals issued for service during the 2nd World War were not named and all campaign medals for this conflict are relatively easy to acquire although certain ones can be relatively more expensive. It is highly improbable that the discarded medals will be replaced from offical sources so you will need to buy on the collectors market and you are better doing this yourself rather than through a third party.

The basic issue 1939-45 Star and War Medal can be purchased for a few pounds each, other stars such as the Atlantic, Burma and Pacific Stars bring quite a bit more but still in tens of pounds rather than hundreds. Be aware of fakes for some of the more costly items. A look at for example e-bay will give you some idea of cost.

However before embarking on a spending spree I would suggest you confirm medal entitlement with the Ministry of Defence Medal Office, AFPAA (JPAC), Building 250, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1HW (telephone: 0800 085 3600).

It may also be possible to obtain a copy of his service record but this is usually only available to the man's next of kin, for example surviving widow. Howwever you could attempt to obtain the record through surviving children and certainly you have more chance of this being successful compared to an attempt by an non related individual. Try the Data Protection Cell (Navy), Victory View, Building 1/152, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, PO1 3PX. Tel: 02392 727381/723114/720014/727470/727531.

If you have the mans name and date of birth and you believe he was a rating you should be able to start the process rolling without having access to the mans specific rate and service number. I cannot however given any assurances that the Navy will release the information due to Data Protection Act issues but it is certainly worth a try.

Obtain the service record details will also help to verify which HMS GURKHA the man served on.

Hope this helps.

Regards stontamar
stontamar@googlemail.com

[Batstiger]

I am re-kindling this post as it is the post that first introduced me to this forum and to you good people who put up with me way back in October 2007.
The lady was inquiring about HMS Gurkha which was sunk very early in the war, I think she was the first British naval ship to be bombed out of existance.
My first question was. Has anyone got a picture of Gurkha (2)?
When the "L" class destroyer HMS Larne was launched she was renamed HMS Gurkha and try as I may I have never been able to get a picture of her.
Surely, now that our membership has increased someone somewhere will be able to supply one?
Three pictures of Gurkha (1)

Bob.

[tonclass]

Me too, Bob. Absolutely nothing on Larne/Gurkha. I wonder if Terry has one ?
Rik

[John Brown]

Re: HMS Gurkha (ex; Larne)

Can't be of much help but there is a picture here:

http://www.hmscavalier.org.uk/G63/



John

[Batstiger]

Thanks John.
I'm pretty sure I displayed this picture once and I was informed by one of the many experts that this particular picture is one of the other "L" class destroyers. Who am I to argue?

Bob.

[astraltrader]

Rik and Bob - sorry for the delay in replying, I have only just seen this thread.
Unfortunately I only appear to have the one picture logged as Larne/Gurkha which I include here - but if what Bob was told is true then it would seem that I am looking for one of the Gurkha 2 as well!
Bob - Can you remember which of the "L" class destroyers this picture is meant to be?

[tonclass]

It's LAFOREY in 1941, Terry.
Rik

[tonclass]

Here's a larger pic

[Batstiger]

Now I come to think of it, it was Rik who put me right before on SP.

[tonclass]

Always happy to oblidge (again !!), Bob :)

[CYLLA]

Rik.
your last pic ,would that be a ammunition lighter along ?


cylla

[tonclass]

Can't say for certain m8. It does look like one though.
Rik

[astraltrader]

Rik and Bob - After much searching through my computer and many thousands of stored images - I did uncover this, but it is hardly of prime quality. As soon as I do find a better picture I will of course put it on this thread...

[John Brown]

Rik

Please could you let us know what makes you so sure the picture is of HMS Laforey? I am not saying you are wrong but in our quest for a pic of Gurkha 2 I contacted the Cavalier site to see what they had to say. Their reply was that they believe it to be the Gurkha but are prepared to be proved wrong if there is supporting evidence!

Regards...John

[Batstiger]

Over to you Rik, the ball is in your court.

Don't let me down!

Bob.

[astraltrader]

Bob - That picture of the Gurkha was of the right ship? I know it is not up to much - but it must be preferable to nothing at all!

[Batstiger]

Thanks Rom, I have sounded one or two places out for a picture so If I do get one I shall post it for all to have.

Bob.

[astraltrader]

Bob - pardon me - but am I missing something here?! I have been called many things in my life but never Rom! Secondly I thought that...........oh never mind!:eek:

[Batstiger]

Sorry Terry, nearly 72 and getting more senile every day.

Bob.

[astraltrader]

No problem Bob. I was just checking it wasn`t me!

[Batstiger]

Hi folks,

I'm not exactly pleading poverty but I am not very flush at the moment.
I received this from the Gurkha museum this morning just in case anybody is interested.

Bob.

[tonclass]

The LAFOREY photo came from a very reliable source. It's part of a collection of warship photo's from the guy who produced the 'Heritage' website about Plymouth.
Rik

[astraltrader]

I know the chap you are referring to Ton. To be fair he is not particularly knowledgeable about warships - he is more of a local historian with a great knowledge about Plymouth who has built up a huge collection of photographs - some of which happen to be warships. In his lists of RN warships [A-Z] which he sells on CD there are many mistakes with identities of ships.

[herakles]

Perhaps he should be invited to become a member here Terry.

[John Brown]

So nothing really concrete on that photo yet then!

Bob...what if you pay £12 and it turns out to be the same photo:confused:

Regards...John

[david]

LAFOREY was fitted with six 4.7in DP

GURKHA II was fitted with eight 4in AA


The picture of www.hmscavalier show a fleet destroyer with 4.7

go to

http://www.warshipsww2.eu/lode.php?language=E&period=&idtrida=92

:):):)

[Batstiger]

This thread gets more interesting every day!
I'll see if I can get a sample picture from the Gurkha museum.

Bob.

[Batstiger]

It looks as though we are out of luck again chaps!

Bob.

[tonclass]

Terry, your pic of GURKHA shows she has 8 x 4" guns. My LAFOREY pic shows 6 x 4.7" 'ers. If Davids gun info is correct then she can't be GURKHA.
Rik

[tonclass]

Here's another LAFOREY pic.

[John Brown]

I would agree that if the gun info is correct then the ship in Terry's first picture and that on the Cavalier website cannot be Gurkha 2.

So, apart from Terrys slightly fuzzy pic, we e back to square one.


Regards...John

[Batstiger]

To bring us up to date this is the only known picture that we have of HMS Gurkha (2) ex-Larne supplied by David and Terry.

Bob.

[tjstoneman]

A fairly indistinct IWM photo in the French periodical MARINES No 10 (Juin 1997) shows (according to the caption) GURKHA (ex-LARNE) in company with LEGION - it's too indistinct to make out much, but one of the pair (probably GURKHA, although the configuration is the same as LANCE) is dark grey with a light-coloured funnel, the other (LEGION or LIVELY) has dark hull and light superstructure - both are certainly AA variants of the 'L' class.
A better picture of GURKHA in her death throes appears in John English Afridi to Nizam (Kendal: World Ship Society, 2001). It comes from the John Maber collection, and shows the fore part of the ship, dark grey up to the iron deck level and light grey above.

[John Brown]

Again bringing us up to date:

The cavalier site now appear to have accepted that the picture they originally showed is not Gurkha 2. The have removed it and placed it the same photo as Terry posted and that is attached here. They have also included another photo which could be Gurkha 2 but it is not very clear.

http://www.hmscavalier.org.uk/G63/

John

[tjstoneman]

The second picture on the CAVALIER site is the one in MARINES which I mentioned above. The nearer ship is either GURKHA (G63) or LANCE (G87) - only these two ships had the HF/DF office halfway up the foremast (LIVELY and LEGION had it on the after superstructure). The pennant number looks more like '63' than '87' - but until a clearer version is available, it's anyone's guess!

[tjstoneman]

A photo on the Flower Class website (http://theflowerclasscorvetteforums.yuku.com/topic/924/t/New-Image-HMS-Spiraea.html) shows, in the far distance, a ship which may be GURKHA - but it's very indistinct. The left-hand of the two destroyers above the corvette's stern is a single-funnelled ship, with a dark object halfway up the tripod mast, and what appears to be two gun mounts on the after shelterdeck, separated by a small deckhouse. That narrows the configuration down to LANCE or GURKHA - and I've seen a photo of GURKHA with a light-coloured funnel like this one.

[stontamar]

For clarification GURKHA (Ex LARNE) F63/G63 was one of four 'L' Class destroyers (LANCE, LARNE (GURKHA), LEGION and LIVELY) that carried a main armament of eight 4 inch quick firing MkXVI in twin HA/LA mountings.

All the others ships in the class were fitted with a main armament of six 4.7 inch Mk XI 50 deg twin W.P. mounting Mk XX and a single 4 inch Mk VH.A. III mounting. The 4 inch was removed from LIGHTNING and LAFOREY.

The Tribals, including GURKHA (F30), carried a main armament of four twin 4.7 inch LA/HA 40 Deg mountings XIX.

Regards

stontamar

[stontamar]

Here is a better quality picture of GURKHA (G63).



stontamar

[tonclass]

Please, can you scan this any larger, or is it a saved pic from another website and can't be resized ? This is the clearest pic so far Ston.

[stontamar]

Hi - sorry but I am not sure where it originated from, it is one of a great many photos that I have on disk which I have collected over the years.

stontamar

[Batstiger]

Well done Ston! Same picture but a vast improvement.

Bob.

[John Brown]

The Cavalier site seem to have cleaned the picture up a little more:

http://www.hmscavalier.org.uk/G63/

John

[Batstiger]

I jumped the gun a bit John, I tidied the latest picture up and sent it to them.

Bob.

[John Brown]

Right

OK Bob. The difference was clearly noticable.

With the help both you and I have given them we should get an invite to the annual diner :)

Regard...John

[splashg32]

The four inch was i believe also removed from lookout later on and replaced with torpedos.

[alanbenn]

Bob, I know this thread is a little old. It certainly passed me by.

Anyhow, I have resized the photo of Gurkha hopefully without too much loss of clarity using my zoom programme.


Alan

[tim lewin]

just checked my trusty 1943-4 Janes; she is by this time listed a a war loss, 19 Feb 1942 (ex-Larne 1940) but no picture, a good one of her sister Lightning tho...
Depressing to look thru this section, so many losses
tim