HMS Blencathra

[Mike King]

Am interested in finding out more about HMS Blencathra - Hunt Class Destroyer. My dad served on this ship roughly from 1942 - 1945 as a doctor (Surgeon Lieutenant) and then later on HMS Dolphin (Submarines)
I want to find out more about the areas this ship worked in e.g Med, Atlantic, North Sea - what it was doing, who served on it, what successes it had - I believe it was responsible for sinking U boats and even possibly capturing one near the end of the war - certainly taking off u boat survivors.
My father enjoyed his time aboard but said he had very little to do in terms of medicine - just pulling teeth, curing hangovers and keeping people awake on watch!
As he was a very good rifle shot - was given the job of making sure any bodies on flotsam and jetsom in the water were dead - they didn't have time to stop to check the wreckage.
Any information will be gratefully received.

[Batstiger]

Blencathra was a type two Hunt class destroyer built at Cammell Laird's
6.8.1940 and scrapped at Barrow in 1957.
Here are a couple of pics of her and a drawing of a type two.

Bob.

[stewart mcloughlin]

Check out:-

http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4639.html

Ship details and records the two U-boat sinkings

Stewart McLoughlin

[DJBlackburn]

Blencathra was actually a Type I Hunt, not a Type II (the linked site is in error). All 23 of the Type I ships suffered from an unnoticed fault in their design, making them very unstable. By the time the error was discovered, there was little recourse but to reduce topweight and add permanent ballast.

One way to reduce topweight was to forego X turret, a twin 4-in. HA mounting. In its place, the Type's quad pompom mounting was relocated, from its planned position abaft the funnel to the vacated X position. This feature was repeated in the class, and is a quick way to distinguish the Type Is from the next batch, Type II.

FYI,

DJB

[jbryce1437]

This pic is of HMS Blencathra in 1944

[Mike King]

A very belated thanks to all those who replied to my request for information with regard to HMS Blencathra - thank you! I am sorry I did not reply sooner.
I have established quite a lot of information of the progress of the ship when it was in the Mediterranean including it's successes in it's involvement of the sinking of two U Boats in partnership with others Destroyers etc. Interestingly I received the records of the wireless operators log for a few months during that time - the wonders of ebay!
I am now moving on to the ship's action whilst supporting the D Day actions and am seeking further information - I wonder if anyone has suggestions as to how to obtain this information? I guess it will be through the ships logs?

[John Brown]

Mike

You will find a service history for HMS Blencathra with some info on her involvement in the Normany landings here...

http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DE-Blencathra.htm

Hope this helps.


Regards...John

[Jeremy]

A very belated post I appreciate and quite tangental.
My Dad served as a signalman on HMS Bicester and spent a lot of time in company with Blencathra.

I will check to see what he can remember but always do note that he says......'Blencathra was a sod to send in morse on a 10 inch lamp'.