HMS CAIRO - Murmansk

[Olwyn Hart]

Hi

I am trying to trace how my father James Fox Grainger got back from Murmansk on the Arcitic Convoys, after being on HNoMS Shika with convoy PQ9 in February 1942.

My brother seems to remember dad mentioning coming back on H.M.S. Cairo, probably as a passenger. Can anyone suggest how can I find this out? I have discovered that H.M.S.Cairo was in Murmansk, I do not have any dates.

ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU

OLWYN HART

[stontamar]

HNoMS SHIKA was part of the escort for PQ 9/10 arriving in Murmansk 10 February 1942. HMS CAIRO carried a trade delegation to Murmansk arriving at Kola Inlet on 15 February 1942. She departed Kola for passage to Scapa Flow on 18 February and then sailed on to Greenock arriving there on 25 February 1942. This was HMS CAIRO’s only trip to Russia and presumably this is the voyage your father mentioned to your brother.

If you have your father’s original service certificate this should record his embarkation back to the UK?

Additionally HMS CAIRO’s ship’s log for February 1942 is available at The National Archive under ADM 53/115468. This may make reference to embarkation of RN personnel returning to the UK but if this is the case there is little possibility of any names been given.

Regards

stontamar

[Olwyn Hart]

Hi Stontamar
Thanks, I'll give it a whirl anyway. Dad's record shows only on board HNoMS Shika 1 Jan 1942 - 23Feb1942, then HMS Europa FROM 24th Feb 1942. No actual embarkation dates are shown, he must have got back somehow!

Regards Olwyn

[stontamar]

Hi Olwyn

No he did not leave HNoMS SHIKA on 23 Feb1942 then appear at HMS Europa (Patrol Service Central Depot at Lowestoft) the next day. The referene to the 24 Feb 1942 is the date when his administration and pay accounts were transferred to HMS EUROPA lthough he was as we believe, on passage back to the UK.

His service certificate, if you have it, should show which accounting unit SHIKA was tendered to, SHIKA would not have been a self accounting unit.

Regards

stontamar

[Olwyn Hart]

Hi again Stontamar and thanks for that.

Fortitude is the name that appears before (Shika) for these dates on Dad's certificate of service, is the FORTITUDE THEREFORE the accounting unit and will these records be at Kew also?

Perhaps I will get somewhere now!

[Olwyn Hart]

Hello everyone

Yes, I am still on the trail and am REALLY sorry if anyone thinks I am a pest, but please bear with me. I greatly appreciate the help received so far, I have learned lots, SO THANK YOU! I am aware that I can't expect people to do things for me, but I keep hitting a few stumbling blocks.
The return dates of the Cairo from Murmansk coincide, I went to Kew and copied the ships log, no passenger lists though, so as the dates coincide I must make an assumption that this is how he got back. The Convoy files at Kew are amazing, so interesting. I felt very privileged to access the information I have. I am trying to to discover 'WHEN' my father JAMES FOX GRAINGER JX 210821 was 'WHERE' . Not so simple as it sounds. I have typed up dad's Certificate of Service for easy legibility.
HMS EUROPA 29JULY1940 - 21 JAN 1946
HMX LYNX (ARLEY) 13 AUG 1940 - 3 SEPT 1940
HMS EUROPA 4 SEP 1940 - 6 SEPT 1940
HMS CAROLINE (SHIKA) 7 SEP 1940 - 30 JUNE 1940
HMS FERRETT (SHIKA) 1 JULY 1941 - 31 OCT 1941
HMS BACCHANTE (SHIKA) 1 NOV 41 - 31 DEC 1941
HMS FORTITUDE (SHIKA) 1 JAN 1942 - 23 FEB 1942 * GOT THIS PQ9
HMS EUROPA 24 FEB - 2 JULY 1942
HMS BEAVER 3 JULY 10 JULY 1942
HMS EUROPA 11 JULY 26 JULY 1942
EUROPA 27 JULY 15 OCT 1942
LUCIFER; TRP 16 OCT 18 OCT 1942
LUCIFER; LITTLE GYPSY 19 OCT 42 - 21 JAN 1946

Things that puzzle me;
I am aware that HMS Europa was a Naval Base, but I feel that Dad must have been sent out from the base to serve on a ship, how do I find that out?
The same applies to bases, HMS CAROLINE, FERRET, BACCANTE, FORTITUDE, I AM NOW AWARE THANKS TO YOU GUYS THAT THESE WERE VICTUALARS OR ADMINISTRATORS, these dates cover 7 SEP 1940-23 FEB 1942 IN ALL CASES THE 'SHIKA' is the minesweeper dad served on but I can't seem to find any info on where he went. I have searched all convoys and have drawn a blank. Dad spoke of going on several convoys, also that when the ship was docking in Iceland, he misjudged the distance from ship to shore and fell in, must have been cold!

I have asked the 'navy specialist' at Kew, to be told I am attempting the impossible, especially as my Dad was on 'a small minesweeper'. But the records must be somewhere surely. And I did wonder where we would have been without these 'small minesweepers'!
Can anyone point me in a direction please?

Thank you in anticipation.

Kind Regards Olwyn

[Olwyn Hart]

Hello

I searched HMS Cairo ships log at Kew, which just happened to be chaos the day I went. Although of great interest, no reference was made to picking up crew from other ships at that time. However, further research showed that the 'CAIRO' took over crews of The Boscka' and the 'Hav', sadly my copying was not perfect and I may have missed some words from the centre pages, so I will have to rectify this. Does anyone know how I find out what ships where in Murmansk in February 1942?

Thank you all, you wonderful people, once again.

Olwyn