HMS Halsted

[superzuki]

Has anybody got any decent photos of the halsted? My father was on this ship when she was torpedoed on the 11th june 44 and i know he would be interested to see any pictures of this vessel just for nostalgia! Thanks.

[tonclass]

2 pix of the 'Captain' class frigate HMS HALSTED.

The first was taken in Bermuda & the second shows her torpedo damage.

Rgds

Rik

[superzuki]

Thanks Rik, Dad was only telling me last night what the extent of damage to the ship was and your picture shows exactly what he described! Just grateful he was aft when it happened!!!

Mick

[The Sailor]

See if this page is any help Mick.

http://navalhistory.flixco.info/H/278849x53053/8330/a0.htm

[superzuki]

Thanks for the response, My father did not think this kind of information was available and has never really spoken of his experience until recently hence the thread!

Kind regards
Mick

[stontamar]

Hi superzuki

HMS HALSTED, Commanding officer Lt. Cdr. J. WESTMACOTT R.N. (February 1944), was commissioned in Boston, USA on 3 November 1943 and conducted workup out of Bermuda during December 1943 and January 1944.

On arrival in the UK she was initially incorporated in to the 11th Escort Group and for a very short time operated in the Atlantic from Belfast. The 11th EG was very quickly disbanded and HALSTED and the other DE’s were sent to the Nore Command on temporary loan. There they operated as escorts to East Coast convoys or on anti e-boat patrols in the North Sea.

Before D Day HMS HALSTED was stationed at Sheerness and during the D day landings she operated, with Force L under the command of Rear Admiral Parry, as escort to troop convoys allocated to the Eastern Sector of Gold Beach

HMS HALSTED sailed from the Thames estuary on 6 June 1944 as part of the escort to a convoy of landing craft and arrived off the beaches without incident. She returned to Southend on the 7 June in preparation to sail with further troop transports on the 10 June.

On the night of the 11 June the convoy was in mid channel when attacked by a units of the German 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla (JAGUAR & MOWE) operating out of Le Havre and possibly operating in conjunction with the 9th S-Boot Flotilla (S130, 144, 146, 150 and 167), operating out of Cherbourg. The enemy vessels were first picked up on radar at 0140 hrs in the vicinity of 58B and 58C buoys and contacted by HMS HALSTED. The first attack was driven off but at approximately 0200 hrs they regrouped and attacked a second time on the port side of the convoy.

HMS HALSTED was hit forward of the bridge, as can be seen in the photograph previously posted, but her forward bulkhead remained intact and she stayed afloat. HMS FERNIE came alongside to assistance and the ship was taken in tow back to Portsmouth having lost one officer and 32 ratings with a similar number injured. There she was declared a constructive total loss and stripped for spares finally been broken up in Holland in 1947.

For further information The National Archives at Kew holds the following files:

ADM 267/135 Damage Reports and Files – HMS HALSTED

ADM 1/29642 - Awards to 2 officers and men of HMSs Fernie and Halsted for services when HMS Halsted torpedoed June 11/12 by German destroyers JAGUAR and MOWE.

JAGUAR and MOWE were classed as Torpedo Boats and at the time of the loss of HMS HALSTED they were operating out of Le Havre where they were both bombed and sunk on 15 June 1944.

ADM 1/29865 - Awards to 20 officers and men of HMSs Melbreak, Forester, Halsted, Rowley, Onslaught, Offa and Oribi for services in protection of shipping and supplies to Normandy during Operation OVERLORD 1944

I also understand that information is held under ADM 199/2070 Wartime damage to ships; reports 1943-44.

Your father may have known some of those that were killed and for that reason I have listed their names below. The names are reproduced from CASUALTY LISTS of the ROYAL NAVY and DOMINION NAVIES 1922-present researched and compiled by Don Kindell (c) 2007 and edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

BAKER, Thomas J, Stoker 1c, P/KX 156018, MPK
BAXTER, David W, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 520187, MPK
BENTLEY, Jesse, Leading Seaman, P/JX 130064, DOW
BERKELEY, Roland W J, Writer, P/MX 619890, MPK
BERKELEY, Roland W J, Writer, P/MX 619890, MPK
COBBY, Leslie E, Able Seaman, P/JX 216989, MPK
COOPER, Alfred H, Act/Stoker 1c, P/KX 165230, MPK
CULL, John R, Supply Assistant, P/MX 704278, killed
CURRIE, George N, Able Seaman, RNVR, P/ESD/X 1809, MPK
FARRER, Edward, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 571549, MPK
FREEMAN, Thomas McI, Ordinary Seaman, RNVR, P/CD/X 2923, killed
GIVENS, William L, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 518700, MPK
GUEST, Peter E, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 624515, MPK
HAMBLING, Frank, Stoker 1c, P/KX 99618, killed
HANDFORD, Hugh J, Lieutenant, killed
HESLOP, Harry, Able Seaman, P/JX 246773, MPK
HUMBY, Arthur E, Able Seaman, P/JX 261544, MPK
INGHAM, Thomas, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 519724, killed
JACK, James, Able Seaman, P/JX 261042, MPK
JACKSON, William, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 520192, MPK
JONES, George T, Act/Stoker 1c, P/KX 155850, MPK
JONES, Isaac R, Stoker 1c, RFR, P/K 56445, killed
LAWTON, John W, Able Seaman, P/JX 327561, DOW
LUND, George, Supply Petty Officer, P/MX 57951, MPK
MCCORMACK, Patrick, Stoker 1c, P/KX 78958, MPK
MCLENAGHAN, Charles E, Stoker 1c, P/KX 92169, killed
PIKE, Ernest, Able Seaman, P/JX 297505, MPK
PUMPHREY, Jack, Stoker 1c, P/KX 101495, MPK
SCAMMELS, Frederick H G, Able Seaman, P/SSX 30905, MPK
SQUIBB, Ronald S, Stoker 1c, P/KX 108255, MPK
STANLEY, William G, Able Seaman, P/JX 194236, MPK
STRONG, Daniel J, Cook (S), P/MX 106536, killed
WALDING, Albert V C, Able Seaman, C/JX 318796, MPK
WILLIAMS, Joseph J, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 566471, MPK

Finally for info; you will observe that none of ships shown in the photographs in the link provided by The Sailor show HMS HALSTED although they are of the same Class.

Regards

stontamar

[superzuki]

Thanks Stontamar,
Just spoken to dad and some of the names are known to him particularly Daniel Strong the cook who he remembers most vividly and can still describe his appearance to me! My father was a stoker and it is the names of his peers that are rekindling memories for him although as he is in his eighties there is an element of fog about them!
Again thank you to all contributers to this thread I know my father is amazed this information is still available and I am stunned he has kept this experience to himself until now, perhaps he just was happy to not be on the list of names you posted!!!

Kind Regards
Mick

[stontamar]

Hi superzuki - would be interest to learn what happened to your father after the ship was brought into Portsmouth.

Also as he was a stoker, and you mentioned he was aft when the torpedo struck what was his quarter at the time the attack developed?

I would have thought that the ship must have been at Action Stations, or at the very least Action Stations Relaxed, and presumably as he appears not to have been on duty watch in the boiler/turbine room(s) he must have been closed up at his Action Station quarters.

Regards

stontamar

[superzuki]

Hi Stontamar,
Yes the ship was at action stations and my fathers duty was after damage control/ammunition supply at the time of the attack. He described the ship as stopping dead in the water and jumping up as the torpedo hit and that the explosion was possibly the ships own ammunition going up as well. The trip back to Portsmouth seems to be a bit vague to him now which I suspect is probably to do with the shock of the incident and he doesn't remember being towed by the Fernie but he does remember being marched up Queen street to the naval barracks in Portsmouth where he was fed, rekitted and given a travel warrent and two weeks survivors leave.
After his leave he was sent to liverpool and then onto Quebec to join a vessel he describes as LST (3)3501 to continue his service.
My father was 19 when this happened and I can't imagine what he and many others felt when they endured this kind of trauma so I don't like to push him for too much human information but he has described some very distressing scenes.

Regards
Mick

[stontamar]

Hi superzuki

That's excellent and may I thank you and your father for adding the extra information. It is personal accounts such as the one provided that adds life to impersonal accounts of actions and events.

Regards

stontamar

[tonclass]

Some small pics of HMCS LST(3) 3501 Labuan.

[tim lewin]

this is a new story for me but here is a small pic of Fernie, it was in my father's colection but with no reference.
tim

[Sv1000sz]

My grandfather also survived the torpedoing of the Halsted. I visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Bayeaux, Normandy recently and was surprised to see the graves of two members of the crew who were killed during the action. My grandfather also served on HMS Chiddingfold and took part in the Vaagso raid earlier in the war.

Thanks for the interesting information.

[immcleod]

Hello Everyone!
Very interested in this ship I believe the Damage reports suggest that all the officers were wounded which include the Commanding officer and first lieutenant I found in the Navy lists only one listing of her officers and the others only list 3 officers which include Westmacott though with a different spelling!
Can the survivors remember what happened? Best regards Ian

[alanbenn]

Has anybody got any decent photos of the halsted? My father was on this ship when she was torpedoed on the 11th june 44 and i know he would be interested to see any pictures of this vessel just for nostalgia! Thanks.



Although this post is going way, way back to the early days of the forum, I have recently acquired 2 original 10" x 8" builders photo's of this ship.

One starboard view and one port view, taken as the ship was on trials at Bethlehem Hingham yard, Mass.

Both are very rare as you'd have guessed with the lack of photo's of this ship. The photo's are dated 10th November 1943 and show her ready with RN livery and pennant number.

The photo shown is massively reduced in size to fit the forum, the original is over 6mb so if anyone wants the high res copy please send a PM.

Your comments would be most appreciated.

Regards
Alan

[astraltrader]

An exceptional photo Alan.

[Would love to see starboard side if you can email me a copy!] ;)

[stuart james hobbins]

ok im the granson of richard walter weekes,and this is not the true account of what happened,yes the ship was hit ,but came back into portsmouth under its own steam the captain had ordered to abandon ship ,my grandad had walked behind the blast shield as the ship was hit and saw a fellow crew member unfortunately die in the blast,most of the crew abandoned ship but a few remained one of which my grandad,they stabalized the ship, the rest of the ship was allowed to reboard two days later,my grandad went to buckinghampalace with his daughter(my mum) and awarded the mbe,i can provide pictures to prove this ,i can only imagine the true account has not been told till now maybe because the captain had ordered to abandonship or the official secrets..oh im in portsmouth not romania as it states above