HMS Malaya

[charliebob]

My father served in the sick bay of H.M.S.Malaya from 1937 until 1941,
finally leaving her in april 1941 for home from Brooklyn Navy Yard where she
went after being torpedoed. she was the first British ship to be repaired in
the U.S after the new lend-lease arrangement. I am very interested in the
Malaya and would be please to hear from anyone who knew my dad at that time.

[Captain Kirk]

My relative William Hurst Walker got killed when his ship was hit in the 'Battle Of Jutland' . If anyone has any information on either my Great Uncle William Hirst Walker,or his Ship the HMS Malaysia? ~Please note,it is possible its incorrectly spelt,as I've heard it being called the Malaya....(It sounds like that,not spelt like that though!). ~ I'd be very grateful,as I have 'nothing' at all about him,or the ship that he served,apart from the fact that he was killed on the ship,in the Battle of Jutland!'.

Hoping that someone out there might know something,or someone else that does, So that the information can be passed to my dad.
Regards,
Terry.

[Captain Kirk]

Hi, I'm trying to find out any information about the above named ship,and the Battle of Jutland,or anything about my Great Uncle 'William Hirst Walker' who was killed on the Malaysia, (OR the Malaya?),in that battle.:confused:

[Collind]

The ship was HMS Malaya, a Fast Battleship, launched in Febuary 1916, so we very new at the battle of Jutland. Early in the battle it engaged with other ships four German Battleships, the Derfflinger, Konig, Grosser Kurfurst and Markgraf. The Malaya was hit by seven 12" shells, it recieved two holes below the water line and a 6" battery was wrecked, 63 men were killed and 68 injured. Later in the battle HMS Malaya sank, with all hands, the German Destroyer (Torpedo Boat) S-35, it fired a total of 215 15" shells in the battle. The Malaya went for repair after the battle and returned to the fleet on 24th June 1916. HMS Malaya survived WW1 and then went on the survived WW2 and was sold for scrap in 1948.

[tim lewin]

Derflinger was later taken with the remainder of the Grand Fleet to Scapa Flow where she was scuttled, by the time WW2 came she had been raised by pumping air into her upturned hull. She was a favourite curiosity visit for crews sailing at Scapa, I have a picture of my father climbing over her enourmous A-brackets and screws while out whaler sailing from Ashanti in 1942, I will post these box brownie snaps when I find them..
tim

[John Brown]

Kirk

I have to disagree with Collind. HMS Malaya was launched in March 1915 although not completed until Feb 1916. She was one of 5 Queen Elizabeth class battleships which were the worlds first oil burning capital ships. Originally, only four ships were planned but the Malaysian government offered to pay for a 5th unit as a gift to Britain and this was named after the country. A sixth ship, to be called Agincourt, was later authorised but cancelled when two ships already under constuction in British yards for Turkey were taken over by the Royal Navy. Often a good place to find basic information on somebody who died in service is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site. I have looked however, and can find no mention of your great uncle. There could be a number of reasons for this but possibly it is because some of the information you have is incorrect. I would suggest you check the info you have and then try the website yourself. Failing that, you could always apply for his service records although there would be a charge.

Hope this helps.

I have just looked on the CWGC site again and found a William Hurst Walker who died aged 23 on 07/06/1916 (a few days after Jutland) but was in HMS Victory. His service number was Bristol Z/4460 and he is honoured in Leicester (Gilroes) Cemetry. I have also found a casualty list for Malaya at Jutland and sure enough, your uncle is listed. It shows that some men were transfered to Victory, a shore establishment, after the battle and died of their wounds sometime later. It would appear that your great uncle may have been one of these men. Web site is listed below. Good hunting!!!
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/jutland/hms_malaya_casualty_list_1916.htm

[John Clark]

In 1944 I, together with the rest of the crew, went to Garloch Head where H.M.S. Malaya was berthed. She only had a skeleton crew aboard. Over the next weeks, we went through the usual commissioning procedure. When this and the gunnery practice had been completed, we sailed for Scapa Flow and there the side cannons were removed.

Later we sailed for Portsmouth and from there we sailed to shell Cezembre, a fortified island off of St Malo.
Richard Dimbleby, a well-known radio commentator, was on board and recorded the Captains message to the crew. This was later broadcast by the B.B.C. and was all good propaganda, "Malaya, the Grand Old Lady of the First World War going into battle again..." etc.

We lay well out of the range of the islands guns. Meanwhile our anti-aircraft gun crew were practising firing at a target towed by a plane. After many hits on the island, we made sail back to Portsmouth where we later heard that the Cezembre had surrendered.

From there we sailed for the Clyde and then to the head of Loch Striven for the purpose of providing target practice for the spherical Bouncing Bombs. We were anchored across the loch, our Portside facing to the mouth of the loch. We had a full complement of crew, including the Marines, who patrolled the sides of the loch to clear any civilians from watching the bombing practice.

The plane was a modified single-wing I believe to be called "The Walrus". It carried a rotating bomb beneath it. The ships crew all had to go to the Starboard side during the bombing practice. When the planes were not engaged in this, we would often see two-man submarines around us. These were attached to the Cyclops, the submarine mother-ship at the mouth of the Loch.

One day when practice bombing, a plane came in low over the water, and when it tried to release its payload, the bomb did not dis-engage properly. It hung on to one side and as the plane tried to climb over the ship, the bomb fell off and went through the Admirals pantry!

Soon after that the Malaya was de-commissioned and we left her at Greenoch. I was sad to think of her being a total wreck later.

John Clark
Telegraphist

[Batstiger]

Nice story John, thank you for sharing it with us.

Cheers, Bob.

[astraltrader]

Yes thank you John. Malaya was a fine old ship.

[Commodore Armiger]

This link shows a Mosquito launching a spherical bouncing bomb against what may well be HMS Malaya. The target is certainly a WW1-built battleship.

http://www.1001crash.com/index-page-bomb-lg-2-numpage-3.html

The test plane may conceivably have been called "Walrus", but certainly was not a Supermarine Walrus, which was a biplane amphibian, far too frail and slow for bouncing bombs. While Malaya was in/near the Clyde one or more Walruses may have been stationed in the vicinity for air-sea rescue purposes.

[Krieg1981]

Great story! Malaya was a fine looking ship from a class of fine looking ships. Does anyone have any shots of her after the war, laid up?:)

[Bonnie]

My Dad was on this ship October 1944 to May 1945. It would be so good if anyone knew him. He was called Pearson Black.
Debbie

[Batstiger]

Welcome to the forum Debbie.
That's a nice shot of the Malaya I haven't seen that one before is it from your fathers collection?

Regards,Bob

[Taffsparks]

Interesting story John, my Father also served on the Malaya during its time as part of Force H in the Med, excellent phots as well.
Tks Andy.

[Batstiger]

I've tidied your picture up a bit Debbie, hope you don't mind.

Bob.

[tim lewin]

I beleive Malaya was one of the battleships used early on in the war to cover convoys from Halifax in which some on the US volunteers enlisted prior to coming to the UK; will look it up so stand by for corrections (up/down 200!)
tim

[Bonnie]

Thankyou for tidying up the picture, Bob. That is the only photo of the ship that I have.
Debbie

[Don Boyer]

In the picture of Malaya from Bonnie that was cleaned up by Bob, can anyone tell me what the long rectangular structures are on the top of Malaya's armoured fire control director above "B" Turret?? They are so large and obtrusive, they can't be some kind of test radar unit can they?

sincerely,
Don

[tjstoneman]

Don,

The long rectangular structures are the transmit and receive aerials for Type GS.274 RDF (the RN didn't call it "radar" until later) - a surface ranging set for main armament fire control. The set had various different aerial configurations, and can be seen on most RN cruisers and battleships of this period. See http://middle-watch.com/WWII_Radar.htm, for examples of RN wartime RDF

Tim

[Don Boyer]

Tim: Thanks for the response. I had a hard time believing it could be a radar fit, as was so large. I assume they figured out fairly quickly how to reduce the size and the like. Strangely, as much as I wander about among ship photographs, I don't remember seeing a fit like that!

Sincerely,