HMS Byrsa

[Sav]

My father Keith Savage was a signaller, a Portsmouth rating, in the RN during WW2. He saw service at Anzio and the invasion of the Sth of France while aboard the french cruiser Emile Bertin.
A summary Keith’s postings WW2
HMS Royal Arthur Shore base Skegness April 1943, Butlin's Holiday Camp.
HMS Scotia April 1943- Sept 1943
HMS Mercury - Fleetwork
HMS Dundonald II Troon Scotland Combined Operations signal training school Oct 1943.
HMS Asbury New Norfolk USA Nov 1943. (Emile Bertin- Free French Cruiser)
Saker Liaison
HMS Hannibal Algiers Dec 1943- Sept 1944 (Emile Bertin)
HMS St Angelo Malta Sept 1944- Dec 1944 (HMS Loyal-destroyer G15 – mined Oct 12th 1944)
HMS Byrsa Naples Dec 1944- July 1945
HMS Mercury July 1945- Oct 1945
HMS Boscawen Nov 1945- April 1946 (HMS Beaumaris-minesweeper J07)
HMS Lochinvar May 1946.
HMS Mercury May 1946- Jun 1946
HMS Victory Jun 1946-Aug1946 (Depot Portsmouth)
Demobbed Aug 1946
I'm interested in finding out about HMS Byrsa, HMS Fabius and Saker liaison, which I think was at Naples. I'd be very grateful for any information.
Regards
Ken

[John Brown]

SAV

I can tell you that Saker was, during ww2, a shore based accommodation facility for Royal Naval personnel. It was located outside New York and was used to house crews that were commissioning ships provided by the US under the lend lease agreement. It was also used by RN crews that were to man British ships being repaired/refitted in US yards.

My father did a stint in Saker as he was in the crew that commissioned a destroyer repair ship called HMS Assistance. He says it was one of the best times of his life as New York was within easy reach and there were none of the wartime deprevations suffered by people in Britain.

HMS Saker became the collective title for all RN personnel serving in the USA.

Hope you find this useful....John

[stontamar]

Hi Ken

HMS BYRSA - Castellamare/ Naples Port Naval Party (NP) 864 from Dec 1943. Accounts closed and transferred to HMS ST ANGELO (Malta) 31 Dec 1945 and paid off at Naples 1 Apr 1946. C-in-C Med's flag hoisted 9 Jul 1944 and from Oct 1945 FO Naples.

HMS FABIUS - Base Taranto 1 Jan 1944 - 31 Dec 1945. Accounts to HMS ST ANGELO and paid off 1 Apr 1046.

Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy - Lt Cdr B Warlow RN

Regards

stontamar