Date of Arrival

Place

Date of Departure

Orders, Remarks etc

The West India Dock was a dreary place in the winter of 1940‑1941. The ship was cold and cheerless; the docksides were pitch dark, illuminated only by firebombs which fell nightly. A small party huddled onboard to deal with these, while the rest of the duty watch did firewatch on the roof of the Port of London Authority Building, headquarters of the Flag Officer London.

Divisions onboard in wartime were an infrequent occurrence and the news that the Hydrographer would be inspecting the ship's company during our sojourn in West India Dock sent everyone jumbling through their kit lockers in search of their No 1’s. On the great day Jimmy Maguire arrived onboard, after a night in the West End, only minutes before Admiral Edgell, who later appeared not a little startled when the engineer officer, after saluting, moved to place his arm around the Hydrographer's waist as he addressed him: 'Meet the Stokers, Sir, they're lovely people.'

Extract from ‘No Day Too Long’, G S Ritchie
 

21.2.41

From F O i/c London: FRANKLIN expects to complete ready to sail from London 6/3

27.2.41

From F O i/c London: Some damage has been caused to plating port side of FRANKLIN. Repairs are being carried out forthwith and will probably be completed by 6/3

4.3.41

Able Seaman Frank Herbert Thorne C/JX31764 died.

6.3.41

From FRANKLIN: Repairs to damaged hull not yet satisfactory

7.3.41

Sheerness

?

13.3.41

Humber

?

15.3.41

From C in C Nore: Krooman reports at 0950 she is towing Essex Lance to Yarmouth. If committed to this course tow is to proceed to Yarmouth and FRANKLIN is to escort to within sight of port and then proceed to Humber

20.3.41

Rosyth

22.3.41

22.3.41

Dundee

16.4.41

24/3 From FRANKLIN: Ref damage caused by tug Zirda, permanent repairs would entail ship being in dockyard hands for 16 days.

24/3 From N O i/c Dundee: ERO considers permanent job which will entail docking should be made before ship goes to sea

26/3 Fron N O i/c Dundee: Anticipate dock will be free at Dundee about 12/4 and suggest FRANKLIN remain here and dock then

4/4 Taken in hand for repairs and dry docked today for 14 days

11/4 From N O i/c Dundee: FRANKLIN undocked today, she will complete 12/4. Request permission for her to carry out brief survey of Tay Bar where shoaling is thought to have taken place before leaving the port for Scapa.

?

Inverness

5.5.41

5.5.41

Scapa

13.5.41

 
Off Lowestoft in the searched channel one evening we were at action stations when an enemy aircraft came in purposefully astern. Jimmy opened his Holman barrage exploding right in the path of the Heinkel which, veering to port, dropped its bombs harmlessly. These shook the ship, and set the adrenalin running, but no damage was done.

Extract from ‘No Day Too Long’, G S Ritchie
 

13.5.41

ADM199/1175

REPORT OF ENEMY AIR ATTACK 

Time & Date: 2313 on 13^th May 1941

Position: 55˚08.5’N, 01˚17.0’W
Course: 170˚  Speed: 14knots

Weather: Cloudy, Vis 7, sea calm, cloud st-cu 8/10, cloud base 1,000 ft 

One enemy aircraft was sighted on the port bow at 2311 after tracer bullets had been observed some miles ahead. Aircraft passed rapidly astern without being engaged. Aircraft was next observed at 2313 at a height of about 200 feet, distance one mile on a bearing of green 170˚ coming in to attack. Helm was put hard a’starboard to get 12 pounder to bear and fire was opened as soon as this gun did bear. At a range of about 600 yards close range armament opened up and Holman Projector was fired. 12 pounder shell exploded under aircraft and Holman shell above her. Close range weapons including 0.5”, Hotchkiss and Lewis guns appeared to obtain some hits.

Aircraft banked to port when about 150 yards from the ship and dropped a stick of four bombs, the second of which fell in the track of the ship, about 30 yards from the stern. Average distance of misses was about 80 yards. No illuminants were used by the aircraft or the ship. Aircraft believed to be a Ju88. The next day a leak was apparent in the port side Diesel Oil fuel tank.

It is considered aircraft believed FRANKLIN to be a straggler from convoy and was completely surprised when heavy fire was opened on her. Ship was at Action Stations at the time of the attack. 

H Price  Lieutenant Commander in Command

14.5.41

Humber

?

31.5.41

Humber

1.6.41

3.6.41

REPORT OF ATTACK BY ENEMY AIRCRAFT 

3.6.41

Humber

15.6.41

3/6 From F O Humber: FRANKLIN reports minor internal damage from near miss of two heavy bombs pm 3/6

4/6 From F O Humber: FRANKLIN has been examined afloat and will require docking. Estimated date of completion 13/6

20.6.41

Humber

?

27.6.41

Humber

30.6.41

3.7.41

Humber

9.7.41

For Loch Ewe

11.7.41

Rosyth

12.7.41

 
Between her surveying tasks, or when moving from one to the next, FRANKLIN was often called upon to act as a convoy escort. In July 1941 this was nearly her end when leading a convoy (EC44) north along a buoyed route in thick fog. Her convoy met a southbound one head on, and she herself was first overrun by her own convoy commodore's ship which scraped up her port side, and immediately afterwards had her starboard side savaged by one of the opposing convoy. She was the only ship in either convoy damaged in this encounter, and only Price's unperturbed handling of her avoided her loss.

Source: EXTRACTS from: Charts and Surveys in Peace and War – The History of the RN Hydrographic Service 1919 – 1970 by Rear Admiral R O Morris CB

On one occasion FRANKLIN was sent to the West Coast of Scotland to survey the irregular and rocky seabed of Kilbrannan Sound which was to be used as a sheltered submarine exercise area. Fitted as the ship was with asdic and depth charges, as well as our six pounder gun, we acted as a convoy escort when moving from one area of operations to another. This was before the days of radar and station keeping in a darkened convoy was a nerve‑racking business. On passage northwards on our way to the West Coast we were stationed ahead of a convoy which had formed into four columns north of Flamborough Head. Here the searched channel was marked only by single mid‑channel buoys every five miles or more, convoys keeping to the starboard side of the channel. 

Northwards from Bell Rock we found ourselves in thick fog whilst expecting to pass a southbound convoy during the night. Shortly before midnight I was on my way along the boatdeck, together with two seamen, to relieve the watch on the bridge. The ship had slowed down, whilst sirens wailed all about us in the fog. Suddenly the ship shuddered and heeled over to port and a terrible noise of grinding ensued as the tanker Donax crashed along our starboard side. It was the Commodore's ship coming from astern, and as we dashed hither and thither to avoid our heavy boats' davits, which were falling like forest trees in a hurricane, we heard the Commodore, far above, shouting from his flying bridge as he passed ‑'Keep calm, men! Keep calm.' Nor was respite to be found on the other side of the boatdeck as a ship of the southbound convoy ground her way aft along our port side. The two convoys had met head on in a gridiron situation but little FRANKLIN was the only vessel to sustain severe damage. As dawn broke the fog lifted and the first rays of the sun lit the windows of the white cottages of my home village five miles to the west! We were in Aberdeen for a month for repairs to the hull and davits during which time I often visited Collieston. Our house was empty and chill. My parents were far away: my father at his post as General Manager of the beleaguered Port of London, my mother, as Commandant of the Women's Legion, organising mobile canteens for the hard‑pressed stevedores in the London Docks. I was taken in at the Manse where many a shipwrecked mariner had been given succour in the past. The good wives of Collieston put together a bedspread of knitted squares as a parting gift which I used through all my years at sea.

Extract from ‘No Day Too Long’, G S Ritchie

13.7.41

Aberdeen

22.8.41

Ex EC44 with considerable upper deck damage from two collisions (one with SS Donax?).

14/7 from F O i/c Aberdeen: Repairs to damage sustained by FRANKLIN have been undertaken by Hall, Russell and Co Ltd Aberdeen. Estimated time required 3 weeks.

14/7 From FRANKLIN: Repairs necessary to ship after having been struck glancing blows on either side by two large vessels in thick fog, are being taken in hand.

18/8 Completes 23/8

?

Aultbea

29.8.41

?

Greenock

8.9.41

For ?? Loch Fyne

?

Clyde (Ardrossan)

11.10.41

5/10 Taken in hand by the Ardrossan Dockyard Company for boiler cleaning 3/10, completes 11/10

?

Greenock

23.11.41

24.11.41

Aultbea

29.11.41

30.11.41

Rosyth

31.11.41

2.12.41

Nore

10.12.41

5/12 From A S Chatham: FRANKLIN taken in hand for boiler cleaning 5/12, date of completion 9/12

10.12.41

Harwich

22.4.42