Assault Faulknor

[Robin 76]

Hi All,

I am trying to found some information about Assault Faulknor, held in April 1945 during WWII and, I hope with some details concerning the French frigate K370 - La Decouverte.

Thanks in advance


Robin

[Gypsyvannergirl]

"The River Class Frigate La Decouverte (K370 ex HMS Windrush) operated with the Free French Navy from February 1944. The ship was launched in June 1943 at Leith.

La Decouverte is currently beached near Cherbourg having been condemned in 1961 and renamed Q-301. It is currently used as a fire training ship and the inside is considered to have been badly damaged by fire. Her current status is unknown, but she is likely to be scrapped after her use as a fire ship ends."

I know this isn't what you wanted but I wanted you to know that people are looking up the information you have asked for - the Internet sometimes is a maze - but I thought at least this little piece of information (which I'm sure you already know) will at least let you know that we are searching for information to help you.

My husband has more of an interest in World War II vessels, but he is currently at work right now so I will ask him when he comes home and see what he has to say.

Peace.
Gypsyvannergirl

[Gypsyvannergirl]

Can you provide any further details - even small details can make something of a difference.

The information available on the Internet is sketchy, all I could find was the following on a website about HMS Windrush.

"One of the very few WWII ships to survive to the present day,
H.M.S. Windrush was built in 1943 in Scotland. The frigate spent her first few months in service escorting convoys across the Atlantic.

In the early months of 1944 she and five of her sisters were transferred to the Free French Navy and she was renamed Découverte and under this name she served out the rest of the war.

On D-day she was off the coast of Normandy escorting smaller ships heading towards Juno Beach. She anchored to give covering fire and later in the day returned to Great Yarmouth on the east coast of England, which was one of the principle ports for the Free French Navy.

She also took part in the liberation of Cherbourg and was the first French ship to enter the port of Brest, where she helped empty the ammunition dumps.

After the war she stayed on active service with the French until 1959 when she was dumped in the French naval cemetery at L'anderennec."

There is no mention of Assault Faulknor - but if she was going under the name Decouverte, then she was probably on a mission for the Free French Navy, perhaps helping remove troops from Normandy or Cherbourg. My husband is going to go to the library today and see if he can find out anything else. He likes this sort of challenge.

Gypsyvannergirl

[Robin 76]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your reply.

I already have some informations concerning HMS Windrush / FNFL La Découverte:
- November 18th, 1942: beginning of contruction (Henry ROBB Shipyard, Leith),
- June 18th, 1943: Launching,
- October 11th, 1943: under French Flag,
- October 12, 1943: Renamed "La Découverte",
- October 30, 1943: Final transfert to FNFL,
- November 4, 1943: Start Transfert from Leith to Tobermory,
- November 6 to 23, 1943: Training under Admiral STEPHESON "hard rules",
- End of November 1943: move to Greenock for Boilers final adjustments and join 1st Frigate Division, B3 Group, Clyde area,
- December 23, 1943 to January 7, 1944: Convoy MKS34 / SL 143 Escort,
- January 7 to February 12: Unavailable due to boilers problem,
- February 21, 1944: Getting under way for Convoy KMS 43 / OS 69 escort,
- February 28, 1944: Rescue of an Pilot falled on the sea, under vary bad weather conditions,
- March 05,1944: Control of a portuguese fishing boat,
- March 06, 1944: Stop in Casablanca harbour, with some difficulties with old french authorities from "Vichy",
- March 09 to 13, 1944: Stop in Gibraltar harbour with FNFL Corvets (Roselys, Renoncule, Lobélia and Aconit). Some problems with the crew of Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi.
- March 13 to 23, 1944: Convoy MKS 42 / SL 151 escort between Gibraltar and England.
- April 04 to 24, 1944: Training near Glascow for D-Day Operations, with 1st Frigate Division (L'Aventure, L'Escarmouche and HMS Burdock),
- April 25, 1944: Arrival to Plymouth,
- May 03 to 04, 1944: Participate to Fabius I Exercice,
- May 04 to June 05, 1944: Escort of convoy and anti-submarine patrols,
- June 05, 1944: Stand-by near Yarmouth, waiting for D-Day,
- June 05, 13h51: Reception of orders for D-Day, at the head of a convoy, Group 11, G Force, with Motor Launch 347, 7 LCM, 30 LCT, 4 LCT France with rockets ramps, 5 LCI, 1 LST with a Rhino ferry. All are the Assault Ex$chelon for the 3rd Canadian Division,
14h00: Getting under way with more than 100 LCT,
18h00: Organisation of the convoy on St Catherine's Point and start to the south with an escort of frigates, M.L. and Corvets,
- June 06, 1944 AM: landing operations,
- June 06, 1944 PM: return to the Solent with 15- LCT Flotilla,
- June 08 to July 26: convoy escort between England and Normandy,
- July 29: First Stop of a French Ship in Cherbourg with the French Admiral Thierry d'Argenlieu,
- August 10, 1944: Operation Author (Delivery of fuel to 6th Armoured Div, 12th Group, 8th US Army) with Hothal, Middlessex and LST 421, 57, 344 on Plestin les Grèves beach,
- September 1944: Convoy escorts,
- September 18, 1944: Stop in London Harbour for boilers cleaning operation,
- October 6 to December 7, 1944: Convoy escorts,
- December 7: Stop, for one week, in Brest harbour,
- December 28, 1944, Arrival to Portsmouth,
- 1st Quarter, 1945: Patrols between Portsmouth and Le Havre,
- April 1st, 1945: Participate with 1st Div of French Frigates, to Operation Faulknor to reduce Lorient and St Nazaire area,
- April 12, 1945: Return to Plymouth,
- April 13 to 17, 1945: Participation to the Operation Venerable for the reopening of Bordeaux hrabour,
- April 23 to May 12, 1945: Participation to the Operation Jupiter near Ile d'Oléron,
- May 12 to June 8, 1945: Convoy escorts,
- June 8, 1945: End of the war for The Decouverte.
It's not complete, mainly concerning D-Day, Operation Faulknor, Operation Venerable and Operation Jupiter.
I try to continue to found additionnal informations and pictures concerning La Découverte and the Captain, Jean RECHER.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Robin