HMS Penylan

[Penylan]

Hello there, having spent quite a few hours searching for information on the PENYLAN, I have finally decided to appeal to those of you out there who might read this. Apparantly she was sunk in December 1942 in English waters and I am curious as to the circumstances, ie. where she had been and what had she been doing ? etc, etc. An Uncle was lost (CARL HUNTER), leaving a young wife & baby daughter. Tragic, particularly as comrades who survived turned up at the family home in Birkenhead looking for him - apparently they assumed he too had survived as they had seen him in the water ! As I said, any info you might have to share would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Batstiger]

Have you tried here?

http://www.uboat.net/forums/read.php?22,65838,65838

Bob.

[Penylan]

Thank you Bastiger. I have gone through to that link and posted something there - fingers crossed ! Your suggestion is much appreciated.

[Batstiger]

Sorry I posted this on the Theseus thread.

Bob.

[Penylan]

A BIG 'Thank You' to you Bob ! I have just seen the photograph of HMS Penylan you posted. It brought a bit of a lump to my throat to be honest, but I am VERY grateful. I can't wait to show my Mother tomorrow. Only a few weeks and it will be the 65th anniversary of when this girl went down (December '42). R.I.P. to all those lost, eh ? Keep up the good work. Regards

[stontamar]

HMS PENYLAN was a Type III Hunt Class escort destroyer first commisioned in September 1942. After work up and defect repairs she joined the First Destroyer Flotilla (Portsmouth Command) in November 1942 and was torpedoed by the German S-Boot (E-Boat) S115 (Lt Klocke) at 06:30 hours on 3 December 1942 five miles south of Start Point whilst escorting Convoy PW257 (Portsmouth to the Bristol Channel convoy route).

There were 38 crew members lost including Stoker 1st Class Carlye Hunter D/KX 110855 who was posted missing presumed killed. Five officers and 112 ratings were rescued.

S115 was operating with the 5th S-Boot Flotilla, comprising S81, S82, S115 and S116, and that night, whilst attacking PW257, the flotilla also sank the small motor vessel GATINAIS (383 gross tons) five miles from Start Point.

Further information is held by The National Archive at Kew under ADM 1/14230 (HM SHIPS - DAMAGE AND LOSS (31): Loss of HMS PENYLAN by enemey acton: award to Surgeon Lieut N S DAW RN). A digital copy of this document can be ordered from The National Archive, their Gold Service which costs £8.50 for 10 images. ensures the images will be sent to you within 24 hours - open the link below and click on the 'Request This' button.

(http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=6012780&CATLN=6&Highlight=&FullDetails=True

Hope this helps.

Regards

stontamar
carnock@davemallinson.fsnet.co.uk

[Penylan]

Thank you for the fascinating information regarding the Penylan's short lived career in the Navy; September '42 to December '42 ! Today's the anniversary of her sinking (65 years to the day), so SAY A LITTLE PRAYER. RIP. Thanks once again to all of you out there who have helped with this personal project of mine.

[Grumpy]

Hi, i am a new member researching my family tree which has led me to this forum.
my (uncle) still to be confirmed, but using my father as reference, my uncle robert stearn is buried in tehran cemetery death 1942 aged 22 and he is listed as being on hms penylan. my knowledge of ships is limited but i guess? that he was, from information sick on board and left behind???

[stontamar]

Hi Grumpy

This is an interesting link in this tread. There is indeed an entry in the Commonwealth War Grave Commission Roll of Honour for AB Robert Stearn D/JX183938, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Stearn, of Cambridge, England who died age 22 on 9 December 1942 and is buried in the Tehran War Cemetery. His ship is given as HMS PENYLAN.

However HMS PENYLAN never left UK waters and indeed her active war career lasted for only 24 days before the German S-Boot S115 torpedoed her on 3 December 1942. She most certainly did not operate in the Gulf!

So why is there a link to HMS PENLYAN recorded in the CWGC database entry for this casualty?

It appears that AB Stearn was drafted to HMS EUPHRATES, the Naval Base located at Basra in Iraq, which had been commissioned on 1 September 1941. Either that is where he died of illness on 9 December 1942 and his grave was one of those consolidated to the Tehran War Cemetery or for some reason he was on detachment in Iran when he died.

Tehran War Cemetery (please see attached picture) was only built in 1962 and is situated within the British Embassy residential compound at Gulhek, which is approximately 13 kilometres from Tehran. All of the 412 burials that date from the First World War have been concentrated from other sites in the Gulf Region and it is possible that this was also the case with those killed in the Second World War. In any case as the cemetery was only built in 1962 all the graves must have been moved from elsewhere and indeed other Royal Navy personnel serving at HMS EUPHRATES are also buried in the Tehran War Cemetery.

This is interesting as the CWGC entry for Basra states:-

'During the Second World War, Basra was the scene of fighting from 2 - 7 May 1941 when Iraqi forces were driven from the town, which then became a base for Commonwealth forces. Basra War Cemetery was used once again and after the war, further graves were brought in from other burials grounds in Iraq and Iran. There are now 365 Second World War burials in the cemetery.'

However having conducted a quick search of the Basra records I can find no entries for RN personnel serving at HMS EUPHRATES having been buried in this cemetery, I do not know the reason for this anomaly!

Of course his service papers would need to be investigated through the MOD (Navy) but if it is the case that he was serving at HMS EUPHRATES rather than on HMS PENYLAN the entry in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Roll of Honour is erroneous, not a unique situation, and should be rectified.

The reason why the British were in Basra during the war is another subject – please see http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/si/dec02/middleEast.asp for a brief appreciation of the subject.

Hope this helps.

stontamar

[Grumpy]

Thank you Stontamar, I have replied to this through personal email, but for interest to this thread, Hms Euphrates does look like a good bet.
Story is that AB Robert Stearn was buried in the oil fields of Iraq death caused by infection from whitlow on his finger?
Mistakes happen but I hope that I did not cause any offence or any confusion to relatives or friends of HMS Penylan. when possible I will make more enquiries to this grave and its Roll of Honour and if I can have it rectified I will.
Grumpy

[briser_fae_the_broch]

Hi there. I have info on the Penylan that I would be happy to share - if anyone wants the file I created send me your email in a pm.

My father died in 2002 and I inherited a ships wheel which upon investigation from the makers, was classified as from the Penylan - this got me to investigate the ship and has led to interesting contact with various people, relatives of lost souls and also a living survivor.

It also led to a startling discovery about a link with my wife's family that neither of us previously knew!

Brian.