Damage to HMS Caldwell after an Atlantic storm, 18th December 1942.

Naval Historians, Crew & Family Noticeboard

Lend Lease destroyers, Message Board for naval enthusiasts, crew & descendents of Lend lease Destroyers. This website is not part of any governmental body or official websites of Lend lease Destroyers.

Photographs and information on historical events about the aforementioned destroyers requested for this new website. If you have any information you would like to send us including photographs of crew members serving on any of these destroyers and also photographs of the ship please USE OUR MESSAGE FORM 

MESSAGES

***...  I have been told that some of the destroyers were not broken up, but scuttled off the North end of Scotland after having been decommissioned at Scapa Flow.  Does anyone have any information on this?.  Contact here 

HMS CALDWELL

There are three towns named Caldwell in the UK (Yorkshire, Renfrewshire and Derbyshire).  Does anyone know which town the HMS Caldwell was actually named for?  Contact Here 

HMS BELMONT

JAMES WILLIAM DAVIDSON..  My father, P.O. James William Davidson was killed on HMS Belmont on 22nd March 1941, when she was in collision with another vessel, she then proceeded to Liverpool to undergo repair.  The crew collected for and presented my mother with a silver salver in memory of her husband.  The skipper at that time was Commander FitzGerald, who was succeeded by Lt Commander Harding.  It may be one or two others left the ship at this time; and this has led to the survivors story.  My mother has never spoken about my father or his death other than to say that later they were all killed.  Commander FitzGerald corresponded with my mother for some time after the war and visited on at least one occasion.  My father was Torpedo Gunners Mate so W.O. Cook (see message below) would have been his supervisor.  After her husbands death my mother went to Scotland to be with his parents and I believe she would have contacted the Cook family after the sinking.  She is still alive at 94; but I am sorry to say all these matters are beyond her memory now.  I still have the salver which is a memorial to the whole crew to which they themselves subscribed.  Mother was left a widow with three children under ten, and in 1944 she attended by invitation a Christmas party for Naval Wives held in Portsmouth.  There were about two hundred guests including the C in C.  She was pressured into buying a single threepenny raffle ticket, the first prize a fully decorated Christmas Tree including foodhamper and presents.  I don't know how they fixed it but fix it they did as hers was the winning ticket and the tree was delivered to our house the next day.  Contact here 

REPLY TO ABOVE MESSAGE.. Having noted your comments re HMS Belmont, I tried to email you, but my message bounced back.

My Grandma, who is now 93, has never forgotten her first love, Chief Petty Officer Norman Weston.  She's very keen to learn a little of what happened to Norman, but I have as yet had little success unearthing anything bar the basic facts.  I know when the Belmont was sunk, where and by whom, but I can find very little else.  I have read on the HMS Firedrake site that all that was heard was a huge explosion, and then nothing was to be found of the Belmont.  I'm presuming U 82 must have struck the magazine with her torpedo? Is anything more known?

Could anyone direct me to an account of HMS Belmont's sinking? I'm intrigued to know why, tragically, it went down with all hands.

HENRY COOK..  Good Day, my elderly mother whose brother was lost on HMS Belmont believes there were three survivors. Indeed she is convinced that her brothers wife wrote to one of these survivors in Scotland and had a reply. Her brother was Warrant Officer Henry Cook ( known as Harry ) a torpedo instructor. I am doing just a little research to satisfy her wishes and am finding there were no recorded survivors. Are there any prints/pictures of this ship either in her USS SATTERLEE guise or as HMS BELMONT.        (email not supplied)

REPLY TO ABOVE MESSAGE...  My father served on HMS Belmont and I have lots of information including photographs of both ship and u boat.  I would be grateful if he/she made contact as I may be able to throw light on how the three survivors myth arose.  Contact Here 

HMS CHELSEA

My grandfather served onboard from 1933-1940 as USS CROWNINSHIELD (DD-134).  From the information I have collected, the ship was transferred to the Royal Navy on Sep 9, 1940 and renamed as HMS CHELSEA the same day. Then transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in November 1942 until December 1943.  On the 16th of July, 1944 HMS CHELSEA was transferred to the Russian Navy as DERSKNI from 1944 to 1949.  The ship was then returned to England on June 23, 1949, then finally scrapped at Bo'Ness, Scotland on July 12, 1949. If you have any photos of the as HMS CHELSEA or any information while the ship served under the British Navy or if the ship had modifications to the outside, the would be greatful.  Richard A. Marr rmarr@navsta.psasd.navy.mil

HMS LEEDS

HAROLD MARSH..  My 78 year old Dad - Harold Marsh served on Leeds during the war. Only this morning he was talking about some characters on board. It is sad that so many great memories are never recorded. It would be great to get him contact with some of his old mates. Is there a crew list available? I think he joined her in 1944. paul.sunnygrove@ntlworld.com 

HMS LANCASTER.. 

Lt HJ DAVIES.. My grandfather served as an engineering officer on HMS Lancaster between April 1944 and November 1944. I would like to find out any information regarding the ships activities at this time. Contact me at DANIELRICHARDS@aol.com 

HMS STANLEY

HUBERT JOWITT..  I am looking to find anyone who survived the sinking of HMS Stanley in 1941.  In particular anyone that might remember Leading Seaman Hubert Jowitt.  He was from Yorkshire and was married to my mother Edith Jowitt (formerly Bedford)..  Contact Here 

GEORGE EDWARD CARMICHAEL.  I am looking for information on my grandfather George Edward Carmichael whowas killed when HMS Stanley was sunk in 1941 , I believe he was a stoker but I know little else about him , I would appreciate any imformation on him and the ship and to here from anybody who knew him. Andy Carmichael. CarmicA1@BP.com

HMS GEORGETWON..

ALF COLLINS...  My dad served on HMS Georgetown and spent a lot of time going in and out of Halifax Nova Scotia - He joined this ship after serving on HMS Eagle. I am interested in trying to trace some of his old shipmates and would appreciate any leads you could give me on where I could find some history of the ship and its wartime exploits that could lead me to some of his old crew members who may be still alive.( Dad's 86 now- Alf Collins) and he does have some old photographs taken on board HMS Georgetown.  johnlcollins1@btopenworld.com

The Raid on St Nazaire 28th March 1942 by David Rowlands.

In early 1942 Britains very survival was threatened by the success of German U-Boat raids on shipping in the Atlantic. their mighty battleship Tirpitz posed even a greater threat. Operation Chariot a sea -borne commando attack was launched on a huge Normandie dock in the heavily defended St Naziare harbour. Destruction of the dock would deprive the Germans of the only repair site on the Atlantic coast big enough for the 50,000 ton Tirpitz. Accompanied by 18 small craft of Coastal Forces. HMS Campbletown boldly steamed up three Loire estuary under intense German fire, and struck the caisson of the dry dock at 0134 hrs. The Commandos rapidly disembarked from the bows and set about destroying the dock installations, Of the 622 who set out from Falmouth 169 died, 200 became prisoners and only 242 returned home. Five Victoria Crosses, four DSOs, seventeen DSCs and eleven MCs were awarded in the daring and brilliantly successful raid.

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