WW2 Minesweepers [Archive] - World Naval Ships Forums

IanT

01-11-2007, 22:36

I've tried to attach a zip file of some photos the problem is the file's too big so I shall split it and post it in stages. Some feature my Dad and his pals during their time on Malta. So please be content with some for now.
My Dad died this August aged 84. Some other photos show the Italian fleet at the time of their surrender and there is a photo of a minesweeper but I don't know which one. My Dad was on the Circe during the occasion she got her stern blown off by a trapped mine. Another ship was the Eskimo that I think he mentioned.
He would never speak too much about his time in the Navy except to say it was probably the best time of his life.
His name was Ken Thompson (Lofty or Blondy) and was a signal man. He is in the centre of the HMS Royal Arthur class picture. He's the tall one with the cocked hat and the 'John Wayne' smile.
Are the pictures of interest to anyone and does anyone have stories of those times? I would be most delighted to hear them.
Thank you.

littlelav27

30-07-2009, 16:19

hi do you know if the minesweepers worked together with the minelayers as lm looking for my grandfather and he was on hms adventure from 1940 1943 thanks

harry.gibbon

30-07-2009, 16:27

Welcome to the forum IanT; may I query the s/m SO2 in your strip of pictures which I believe to be HM S/M Rorqual??

Little h

Rob Hoole

30-07-2009, 16:42

Ian,

The colour photo shows the Fish Class ASW Trawler Grilse (T368). Displacement 127 tons, 103 h.p. engine. Ordered on 17 Apr 1942 and launched on 6 Apr 1943 at Beverley by Cook, Welton and Gemmell. Engined by Amos & Smith. Completed as an A/S trawler. Sold by the Admiralty in June 1946 and renamed Cardiff Castle. Acquired by Consolidated Fisheries of Grimsby with registered no. SA 60.

Mr Woo

31-07-2009, 13:03

The following is an article written by my father many years ago.

MINESWEEPING
By LIEUTENANT C. F. D***E, R.N.V.R.
Having been an original member of the Supplementary Reserve, R.N.V.R., I was one of the early arrivals at H.M.S. King Alfred in the latter part of 1939. An uncompleted underground car park had been taken over as part of the training establishment, and we inhaled a lot of cement dust for which our early morning runs along the sea-front at Hove failed to compensate. Most people developed sore throats, and a throat-spraying parade was started.
This was the time of the first magnetic mines, when ships were being sunk in scores, and the East Coast and Thames Estuary were almost closed at times, the antidote to the mines was still being developed. The result was that many more sweepers were required quickly, and we were rushed through King Alfred in weeks, rather than months. I soon found myself on a short mine-sweeping course at H.M. S. Vernon, and was then told to report to H.M. S. Ombia. The ship was reported to be at Southend, but after a fruitless journey there I discovered her at Grimsby — where my arrival in the black-out, with snow 6 in. deep, was discouraging, especially when I was told to join H.MS. Garry at midnight.
A Great War, trawler-type sweeper, which had been in the training squadron between the wars, she was at anchor in the Humber estuary, and the last liberty boat steamed round the various ships in quite a heavy sea, making life very unpleasant for the few matelots who had over-indulged ashore. The officer on board was in his bunk, piled-up with blankets, great-coats and oilskins. I reported smartly, thinking he was the Lt.-Cdr. in command. He, on the other hand, thought I had come aboard to take over, since the C.O. was in hospital. When this little misunderstanding had been cleared up, I found that he was three weeks my senior, and — much to my relief — had all the responsibility.
For a few weeks we were Oropesa sweeping to the Outer Dowsing Light Vessel, and southwards down the swept channel, sometimes working with the fine Fleet Sweepers, Hussar, Skipjack and Dunoon around the Sheringham Shoal area. There were many masts visible of wrecks of mined vessels, sunk mostly by magnetic mines. One large, Italian liner stood stern-up in the mist, looking like an iceberg.
Suddenly, a signal came for me to take command of H.M.S. Liffey, sister-ship to Garry, which had been boiler-cleaning at Grimsby. Previously to this, when anchored in the Humber Estuary, we had been amused by the behaviour of a monkey-like figure in the uniform of a Petty Officer, in one of the liberty boats. He had obviously had more than sufficient of the local brew, and had been advised to get aboard the liberty boat to cool off. It turned out later than this little chap had been a trawler skipper with a fine record of service in mine-sweepers in World War 1. However, having taken to the bottle, and it was said on one occasion tried to trawl in the docks, he had lost his ticket, and eventually could hardly get a berth as a deck-hand.
As I approached my first command, I was naturally enough anxious — still more so when the officer on board, seeing me approaching along the dockside, dashed down the gangway, handed over the keys, got me to sign for the confidential books, and promptly left to catch his train with five minutes in hand. In those days, with the shortage of officers, I was the only one on board and, having got my gear into my cabin, I sent for the Petty Officer who had just joined the ship.
There seemed to be some hesitation —until, at last, I was told he was ill in his bunk. Eventually, to my horror, I discovered I had got the monkey-like figure seen previously. I think he did his best to keep off the drink by not going ashore, but his brain was addled, and in the end I had to apply for a relief for him. Before that, however, we had been sent to mark the spot when the Outer Dowsing L.V. had been bombed and damaged, and had been towed into harbour. We were anchored there for a week in heavy seas and blizzards, flying a large black flag and sounding our siren in poor visibility as the convoys, all darkened of course, altered course around us in the swept channel. I found that none of the charts had been brought up to date, and spent most of this uncomfortable week searching through A.F.O.s and C.A.F.O.s, entering mined areas and wrecks on the charts.
Eventually, the Flotilla was ordered to proceed to Port Edgar in the Firth of Forth, to take over four newer sweepers which had been in use for training. These ships were of the trawler type, taken over on the stocks by the Admiralty in 1938 and were fine ships of their type. In the older vessels, our food was brought on deck from the galley to the wardroom, in the after end of the ship, and generally arrived with a sugaring of snow.
After a week or so in Syringa, I took her with the Flotilla to Hartlepool, whence we swept the searched channel down as far as Flamborough Head, off that magnificent Yorkshire coast. Still being the only officer on board, on proceeding south towards Hartlepool, I had to get some sleep and, for short periods, I had to leave my P.O. on the bridge. However, after my first cat-nap, I returned to the bridge, checked our course, and found we were heading north — presumably following the stern lights of a northbound convoy. It was obvious I had to get a relief for the P.O., who was living on his Great War reputation; at Hartlepool I was issued with a replacement and another officer joined me on board.
On one occasion, after sweeping to Flamborough Head, we lay for the night at anchor in the bay near North Sea Landing. Before dark, I went ashore in the cutter for a quick look-round, and a kind fisherman offered me the contents of one of his lobster pots if we pulled it up on our way back to the ship. This was observed by the other ships of the Flotilla and, as night fell, boats could be seen pulling-in pots by the score. This was one of the more pleasant occasions; but fog, gales, anxiety about the job (wearing life-jackets day and night), and above all, lack of sleep, made each such occasion into something really special for us.
On rejoining Syringa after leave, I found the Flotilla had been ordered to Portsmouth, and we proceeded south through “E-Boat Alley”. On altering course for the Channel, we could see the smoke of Dunkirk, and passed wrecks of the many ships sunk during that operation, including a famous “paddler”. During this historic period, while sweeping from Nab Tower out into the Channel, we encountered many ships of all sizes, escaping from France, packed with all sorts of people. One was a dredger, full of men, including gendarmes and even bicycles. The latter requested charts to get into port; we were ordered to escort them in and hand them over to the examination vessel. We also saw the impressive, though old, French battleship Bretagne, and the fine destroyer Leopard, which had escaped from France and was crossing to Portsmouth.
Things were getting hot for mine¬sweepers during the day, and there were many attacks by aircraft — during which my cabin was shot-up while I was ashore sick. We then transferred to anti-invasion patrol, patrolling at night in stages up to a position off Dungeness, with many uncomfortable nights of great activity —not to mention gales and heavy weather, during which we lost one of our boats, swung-out, of course, at the time. During the daytime, we kept underway near the protection of shore batteries in case we were attacked; but we were frequently at action stations as dog-fights developed above us.
There were occasional rumours that the German invasion had started, subsequently being repulsed — or called-off. We were on patrol the night this was supposed to have happened, but, though there was plenty of activity between the E-Boats and our own Motor Gun Boats, we saw nothing else. However, on the night before I was to leave the ship to take a gunnery course, a signal was handed to me while we were secured alongside in Portsmouth harbour. It read: “Put into operation Plan…..”. This was the secret plan to operate when the invasion had started, and needless to say it caused considerable consternation.
The first part of the plan was to proceed to sea and anchor off Spithead to await further orders. There we spent an anxious night — and a sleepless one, swotting-up instructions and signals, as every ship with guns was to put to sea and repel invaders. It was not a happy prospect, and overhead there were gun-fire and dog¬fights. However, with the dawn, there came another signal — to return to harbour. Another false alarm! Next day, I reported to Whale Island — and so ended my first year of War.

astraltrader

31-07-2009, 19:10

An interesting post! I hope that means we can expect further chapters written by your father?

Mr Woo

01-08-2009, 12:30

An interesting post! I hope that means we can expect further chapters written by your father?

Unfortunately no. My father passed away 5 years ago, he would never talk much about his time with the RN. After his death we found a lot he had written including the article on minesweeping.

In the 1930's he crewed for his boss on a motor yacht and used to keep a log of their annual cruises which were published in Yachting Monthly. I don't have the magazines only poor quality carbon copies of the pages he would send in for publication. I am in the process of transcribing them to my PC, they are of too poor a quality to scan and my typing skills are not what they used to be so it could be a long job.

astraltrader

01-08-2009, 21:39

Fair enough - this is just to let you know that the account was appreciated and that anything else you are able to transcribe of this nature will always be appreciated.

Rushy

19-09-2009, 04:40

I am trying to find any information on Sweepers/Layers involved in operation "Dracula" at Rangoon in the late part of WW11,

Cheers

Rushy

Rob Hoole

19-09-2009, 09:25

Hello Rushy,

Pages 319-327 of 'The Coast is Clear - The Story of the BYMS', published privately by Eric Minett in 2005, contains a fair bit of detail about the minesweepers' efforts in Operation DRACULA and its immediate aftermath. Here is the crux of the sweeping operation (pages 321-324):

The fleets (Algerines and Bathursts), the BYMS and the solitary MMS (which must have felt very lonely) began at once the operation to clear the river of mines (mostly Allied ones) so that the build-up could proceed, for as yet transports could berth only downriver. Unloading was therefore a very slow business (just as well therefore, perhaps, that there had been very little resistance with everything aboard having to be ferried ashore). Access to Rangoon's harbour facilities was the big priority so that vessels could discharge their cargoes alongside. Thus, Commander Edwards found himself immediately presented with a strict time directive - he had only three days to clear the river up to Rangoon. That could be construed pressure enough, but to carry it out in a river that was not only very muddy, but also, as expected, devoid of navigational aids such as buoys, in which the depth of water was rarely as recorded in the grossly out-of-date Admiralty charts, and where there was an additional hazard from very swift tidal movement, was asking a lot. It would prove to be, by common consensus among the BYMSs involved, the biggest and most fifficult sweept the flotilla was involved in.

There were other difficulties for Commander Edwards. Instructions for sweeping British ground mines not only recommended different techniques to those used for enemy mines, but also advocated use of LA gear, or LAA / loop sweeps, 'whenever possible' in less than 10 fathoms, or where the swept path was only 90 yards. But in the Rangoon River, which had an average depth of only 4-5 fathoms (and a minimum of only 3) such use was not 'possible' for the simple reason that no such gear had been made available at the East Indies Station. It appears that 7 LAA sets had, in fact, been allocated to Colombo, but whilst the sets had been sent the necessary buoyant cables had not! This entailed, in Edwards' own words,

evolving an entirely new sweep formation with the following requirements:

(a) Greatest possible safety for sweepers. 7 fathoms is the least water in which BYMS or MMS should operate when using modified L sweep.
(b) Pulse cycle must be timed so that the sweep will not leave holidays [gaps] at ten knots over the ground. This was necessary as the length of the sweep up to D'Silva Shoal is 20 miles and the necessity to only sweep two hours each side of high water.
(c) The sweep must detonate both enemy and British mines.
(d) As the tide (6 knots at springs) makes the use of danbuoys impracticable, the sweep must cover the fairway in one lap, i.e. cover a front four cables wide.
(e) As the time allowed for clearing the river was three days only, a spare ship must be so placed that she can immediately cover water left unswept by a breakdown. The risk of more than one ship breaking down at a time was accepted.

What emerged from the deliberations of Edwards and technical staff back at the DG Range in Calcutta was, in the absence of the loop sweeps, a modified Single-L sweep with a third electrode. It was decided that for the best effect in the conditions the current to be used should be 1500 amps in the tail and 300 amps in third electrode, and the Electrical Officers of the flotilla then "worked day and night" to produce modifications to the electrical equipment on the sweepers (and subsequently, during the operation itself, ensuring it all kept working). As soon as Fox convoy arrived on the 2nd, 2204, with Lieut. D. Penfold, RN, Survey Officer, also on board (crowded wardroom!) and accompanied by 2232 and 2060, each carrying four channel buoys, sailed upriver as far as D'Silva Shoal, carrying out a hurried survey and buoying of the channel to be swept. On the way back, an Oropesa sweep was carried out over the same area, but no moored mines or obstructions were found. Thus, the scene was set for the sweep proper to begin for ground mines. The new sweep technique was about to be put to the test...

There then follows a diagram of the formation, station-keeping and turning manoeuvre used for the Rangoon sweep.

...The next day, two hours before high water, the sweep proper began, using the modified Single-L sweep. The diagram above shows the sweeping formation Edwards employed in the operation, and demonstrates that he was absolutely right in maintaining, as he did in his report, that "in practice it worked well but is a sweep that could only be used by a well-worked up flotilla, as station-keeping, which has to be absolutely accurate, [was] difficult." A glance at this diagram shows just how tight, in terms of station-keeping, timing and turning, it was. Distance between each "rank" of vessels was 1,000 yards, and with a "tail" 570 yards long, that meant staying 430 yards behind, but never exactly behind, the marker at the end of the tail(s) of the rank in front of them. On its own in front was the lead ship (2204); in the second rank two BYMSs 200 yards apart; 2 more in the third rank flanking the two in front; four in the fourth rank, 650 yards separating the two on the extremeties; and the spare ship at the rear, proceeding slightly off-centre to allow the lead ship to pass on the return leg. The area swept was aproximately 4 1/2 cables (about 900 yards) wide. The diagram shows how tight the turns were, and if one takes into account that a change of direction of som 98 deg was involved when rounding Elephant Point, the station-keeping was exemplary. In the time available there could be no possibility of attempting to sweep a significantly wider channel, even if depth of water had allowed. The most mines were found near Elephant Point, and all of the mines found on subsequent sweeps were in this area.

There then follows a plan showing anchorage positions of Dracula convoys 2.5.45 and the approaches to Rangoon.

...Thirteen mines, all Allied magnetics, were detonated that first day:

Mine No.1 at 0752 by MMS 198
2. 0755 by BYMS 2162
3. 0815 by MMS 198
4. 0815 by BYMS 2007
5. 0816 by BYMS 2004
6. 0817 by BYMS 2232
[No entry appears for No.7]
8. 0825 by BYMS 2162
9. 0840 by BYMS 2007
10. 0857 by BYMS 2181
11. 0907 by BYMS 2148
12. 1015 by BYMS 2007
13. 1048 by BYMS 2181

On May 4th 2 mines were bagged:

14. 1042 by BYMS 2060
15. 1055 by BYMS 2162

On May 5th, as the area around Elephant Point appeared to carry the greatest mine threat, it was decided to widen the channel at this point, in the process of which 3 more mines were put up that same day:

16. 0818 by BYMS 2181
17. 1146 by BYMS 2007
18. 1158 by BYMS 2007

...and a further 5 in the same area on May 6th, early in the mornin, before the convoy came in:

19. 0751 by BYMS 2007
20. 0814 by BYMS 2007
21. 0828 by BYMS 2162
22. 0830 by BYMS 2162
23. 0831 by BYMS 2162

By the end of the sweep, 9 of the BYMSs involved could sport a few more chevrons on their funnels - 2007 had seven more. 2232 spent much of her time echo-sounding raher than sweeping, but continued to sport more chevrons than the others after the operation, thanks past successes. 2204's funnel was graced with only one new chevron but it did have those for two of the vessels sunk at Ramree - and, of course, a symbol for one aeroplane shot down. The final score was:

2007: 7
2060: 1
2162: 6
2181: 3
2204: 1
2232: 1
2236: 1
2148: 1
MMS 198: 2

2008 also swept part of the time but put up none. All 23 of the mines were Allied magnetics.

The book also contains several first-hand accounts by crew members of the sweepers and descriptions of entering Rangoon and the events thereafter.

Best wishes,

Rob
www.mcdoa.org.uk (http://www.mcdoa.org.uk)

tomsam

19-09-2009, 09:42

Hi all,I have included a link to " Harry Tates Navy" Where Alf Forshaw relates his time in BYMS 2008 ( British Yard Minesweeper ).It was as stated a "Very Special Service " indeed.
Les
http://www.harry-tates.org.uk/veteranstales6.htm (http://www.harry-tates.org.uk/veteranstales6.htm)

Rob Hoole

19-09-2009, 10:42

Hello Rushy,

Here are the missing graphics from the excerpt from 'The Coast is Clear' reproduced above.

Best wishes,

Rob
www.mcdoa.org.uk (http://www.mcdoa.org.uk)

Rushy

19-09-2009, 23:07

Thank you for your replies gentlemen (and officers, lol) from what I can recall my father may have served on MMS at this time and it is has me a good lead.

Cheers

Rushy

Batstiger

06-10-2009, 14:44

I don't know if you have come across this before only this seems to be the ideal place to post it.

BYMS-1 Class Motor Minesweeper:

Laid down 25 June 1942 as BYMS-72 by Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, NY
Launched 7 April 1943
Completed and transferred to Great Britain 14 May 1943 and renamed HMS J-872
Renamed HMS BYMS-2072
Struck by a German Hs293 glider bomb off Beirut, Lebanon 11 November 1943 with four killed and six wounded. Attacked by two "flak" ships and suffered two more killed, three evading capture, and the remainder ending up at
Marlag POW camp, Westertimke, Germany. She was then towed by the Germans to harbor at Kalymnos, Greece where she settled on the bottom. Reclassified by the Germans as GD-07, but never served with
the Kriegsmarine
Struck from the Naval Register 16 May 1944.
Specifications:

Displacement 270 t.
Length 136'
Beam 24' 6"
Draft 8'
Speed 15 kts.
Complement 32
Armament: One 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, two 20mm mounts and two depth charge projectors
Propulsion: Two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts.

tony cummings

21-10-2009, 16:41

dear ian
do you have any names of any of the crew on the photo with the six
mates pictured together? the young one at the bottom left is a ringer for my dad who was on the sweepers at malta although i dont know which one he was on.his name was Bernard cummings BARNEY from Lancaster and i think he was a stoker.
ps i know its a long shot fingers crossed!thanks tony cummings

astraltrader

22-10-2009, 00:59

It is worth pointing out that the first post in this thread was the only one ever submitted by Ian and that bearing in mind it dates from 2007 it is unlikely that he will ever answer your question.

Hunterdean

27-10-2009, 09:41

Tried reducing the size in MS-Picture Manager and re-zipping?

The physical picture size reduces as does the Mb/Kb that it takes in bytes.:)

McBain

03-11-2009, 16:51

Hi all,

I decided to look into the history of my late Grandfather's WWII Service and came across this brilliant site. My Grandfather sadly passed away aged 72 in 1996.

I was wondering if I could post the details of his service and the ships that are on his card. The only details I have will be below, any information to assist me in builidng a bigger picture, (i.e. Details on ships, assignments and what is the 19th CCF?) would be greatly appreciated.

Name - William John McBain
Official Number - MX118525
Position - Wireman
Medals - Atlantic Star, Italy Star, 1939-45 Star, France/Germany Clasp

History -

17/12/42 - 19/3/43 HMS Pembroke
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Pembroke
HMS Pembroke - Naval base at Chatham

20/3/43 - 24/3/43 HMS Europa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Europa
HMS Europa - RNPS administrative base at Lowestoft

25/3/43 - 7/7/43 HMS Miranda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Miranda
HMS Miranda - Minesweeping base at Great Yarmouth.

Lent to HMS Invercauld between 29/5/43 - 9/6/43

Lent to HMS King Emporer between 27/6/43 - 29/6/43
http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/6991.html

Lent to HMS Promise between 30/6/43 - 7/7/43
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_class_naval_trawler

8/7/43 - 19/8/43 - HMS Europa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Europa
HMS Europa - RNPS administrative base at Lowestoft

20/8/43-28/1/44 - HMS Exmouth
http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_exmouth.htm

Lent to MMS286 between 16/9/43-30/9/43

Lent to MMS272 between 1/10/43-14/10/43

Lent to MMS230 between 16/10/43-26/10/43

Lent to MMS272 between 29/10/43-9/11/43

29/1/44-12/4/45 MMS284

13/4/45-13/10/45 HMS Europa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Europa
HMS Europa - RNPS administrative base at Lowestoft

14/10/45-8/3/46 MMS50
Shield and the Shark - Novel by Thoma E. Lightburn ISBN 9781843863502

Lent to 19th CCF 20/12/45-23/12/45

9/3/46-27/4/46 HMS Pembroke

Thanks in advance

CJ

jbryce1437

05-11-2009, 21:47

Hello McBain, just had a quick look at your post and I believe you have a link to the wrong HMS Exmouth. The HMS Exmouth he would have served in was a training ship launched in 1905. She was requisitioned as a depot ship during the war, after the sinking of the E class Destroyer of that name, which was sunk by a U boat in 1940. She was later returned to being a training ship named Worcester and was broken up in 1978.

Rob Hoole

06-11-2009, 09:32

Hello McBain,

Here's the answer to one of your questions:

HM Trawler INVERCAULD - Built as 262 GRT trawler SAPLER (Port Reg. H.580) by Cochrane at Selby and launched 1917. Requisitioned by the Admiralty in December and converted into a minesweeper armed with 1 x 12 pounder. Stationed at Falmouth under the Command of Lt Nelson Cooper DSC, RNR and conducted post-war mine clearance. Returned to owners in 1919. Acquired by Dryburgh of Edinburgh and renamed INVERCAULD. Requisitioned December 1940 and converted into minesweeper (Pendant No. FY 1938) armed with 1 x 6 pounder. Returned to owners in November 1945 (Port Reg. GN.47). Search naval-history.net (http://www.naval-history.net/) for further information (e.g. member of Minesweeping Group 144 at Belfast under the Command of Temporary Skipper J W Carter RNR in January 1941).

Best wishes,

Rob Hoole
www.mcdoa.org.uk (http://www.mcdoa.org.uk)

Rob Hoole

06-11-2009, 10:39

MMS 286 - 119 ft 'Short Boat' Motor Minesweeper (nicknamed 'Mickey Mouse') built by Frank Curtis of Looe, Par and Totnes and completed April 1943. Assigned to 135th Minesweeping Flotilla (MSF) based Scapa Flow 1943, 116th MSF (Scapa Flow, NW Europe) 1944-45, 102nd MSF (Sheerness) 1946-51 and 51st MSF (Port Edgar, South Queensferry) 1951. Transferred Hong Kong 1952-58.

MMS 272 - 119 ft 'Short Boat' Motor Minesweeper built by J. W. Upham of Brixham and completed April 1943. Assigned to 135th MSF (Scapa Flow) 1943, 135th MSF (Portsmouth) from 1944, 101st MSF (Sheerness) from 1946, 301st MSF (Port Edgar, South Queensferry) 1951 then reserve at Chatham 1952-53. Sold Gibraltar .

MMS 230 - 119 ft 'Short Boat' Motor Minesweeper built by G. Forbes of Peterhead and completed December 1942. Assigned to 135th MSF (Scapa Flow) 1943, 135th MSF (Portsmouth) 1944-45 then believed scrapped.

MMS 272 - See above.

MMS 284 - 119 ft 'Short Boat' Motor Minesweeper built by Frank Curtis of Looe, Par and Totnes and completed March 1943. Assigned to 135th MSF (Scapa Flow) 1943, 135th MSF (Portsmouth) 1944-46 then believed scrapped.

My only understanding of the abbreviation CCF (apart from Combined Cadet Forces) is Captain Coastal Forces. Otherwise it is probably some sort of Flotilla.

Best wishes,

Rob Hoole
www.mcdoa.org.uk (http://www.mcdoa.org.uk)

CPaddock

18-11-2009, 11:46

Hi folks! I was just wondering if anyone here knew the names of any British minesweepers operating in the area of Gibraltar in the 1942-43 period.

I'm trying to complete the war service record of my grandfather (a Newfoundlander who joined the Royal Navy in 1939). I know he served aboard the armed merchant cruiser HMS Patroclus (and was aboard her when she was torpedoed by U99 in November 1940), then served on HMS King George V during the Bismarck action, and was then transferred to a minesweeper out of Gibraltar. I've never been able to find out which one, and if someone could supply me with a few names, that would help a great deal.

jbryce1437

18-11-2009, 13:25

Hello CPaddock and welcome to the Forum. You should be able to obtain a copy of your grandfathers Naval Record, which will detail all of the ships that he served on. You can find information on how to obtain a copy here:
http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3131

Jim

stewart mcloughlin

19-11-2009, 00:50

Hi and welcome.
HMS Abdiel was working from Gibraltar from '43. Full details of her service at:-

http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-07ML-Abdiel.htm

She laid mines (of course) and acted as a troop ship for the invasion of Italy but on the day of the invasion was sunk by a German mine in Taranto Harbour. 150+ lost, many from the 6th Parachute Battalion including a Doctor from our village.
Stewart

Nick Schuman

02-04-2010, 21:34