HMS Halcyon 1940 Minesweeper

Date of Arrival	Place	Date of Departure	Remarks, Orders etc
			HALCYON (with Hussar) transferred from the 5^th MSF to the 4^th MSF of ‘Smokey Joes’ based in Grimsby.
	Tyne	19.2.40	For Humber 1^st Minesweeping Flotilla
19.2.40	Humber	9.4.40	27/2 HALCYON taken in hand by J S Doig & Co Grimsby for condenser defect. Probable date for completion 5/3 9.3.40: Completion of repairs to HALCYON’s condenser delayed until approx 18/3 owing to difficulty in supply of necessary materials. 9/4: For Dover
			Source: http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/nca/nca-01/nca-01-09-aggression-09-07.html Halcyon's identity assumed by German vessel 'Karl Peters' An order for reconnaissance forces, dated 24 March 1940, entitled "Behaviour during entrance into the harbour," reads in part: "The disguise as British craft must be kept up as long as possible. All challenges in Morse by Norwegian ships will be answered in English. In answer to questions a text with something like the following content will be chosen: Calling at Bergen for a short visit; no hostile intent. Challenges to be answered with names of British warships: Koeln - H.M.S. Cairo; Koenigsberg - H.M.S. Calcutta; Bromso - H.M.S. Faulkner; Karl Peters - H.M.S. HALCYON; Leopard - British destroyer; Wolf - British destroyer; E-boats - British motor torpedo boats. Arrangements are to be made enabling British war flags to be illuminated. Continual readiness for making smoke." CC115)
10.4.40	Dover	?	18/4 HALCYON taken in hand for boiler cleaning
13.5.40	Harwich	14.5.40
15.5.40	Harwich	17.5.40
	Sheerness	26.5.40	26/5 HALCYON is to be sailed for Dover forthwith anchoring on arrival in the Downs. 6^th Minesweeping Flotilla

A Halcyon signals off Dunkirk
(IWM ADM1179)

Source: Orde HMS Halcyon at Dunkirk
26.5.40	2015	Arrived Dover in company with HMS Skipjack
27.5.40	1244	Anchored in the Downs
	1530	Weighed and proceeded with the destroyer Impulsive, the Skipjack and the Trinity House vessel Patricia to sweep a new channel (Afterward known as route X) and to lay U, V and W buoys
	2225	Anchored off Goodwin Knoll
28.5.40	0600	Weighed and returned to Dover
	0750	Cdr Hinton took over command of the ship from Lt Cdr Cox
	1447	Slipped and returned to Dunkirk. In the Downs, the minesweepers Sutton, Skipjack, Fitzroy and Salamander joined company
	2115	Arrived off La Panne. Sent Sub Lt Worthington RNVR in charge of the motor boat and 2 whalers to embark troops
29.5.40		Swell made boat work difficult
	0525	Weighed and proceeded with 192 troops on board. Shortly after, a big and unaccountable explosion occurred just off the bow
	1240	Arrived Dover. Disembarked 192 troops.
	1600	Sailed for Dunkirk
	2000	In the vicinity of Dunkirk, enemy aircraft were engaged, and a deliberate attack on a hospital ship (the Isle of Guernsey) was observed. "One wounded man from this ship was picked up out of the water" (Probably an airman whom the Isle of Guernsey had been attempting to pick up.)
		On arrival at Dunkirk, out-going destroyers informed HALCYON to keep clear until dark
30.5.40	0035	Sharpshooter joined company and both ships anchored just to the eastward of the burning wreck of the Crested Eagle (?the SS Clan Macalister)
	0330	Weighed and proceeded with 232 troops, leaving the M/B for the destroyers to use
		Off Dunkirk another unexplained explosion occurred
	0820	Arrived Dover. Disembarked 232 troops
	1556	Sailed for Dunkirk, in company with Skipjack and Salamander
	2100	Anchored off Bray. Embarked 422 troops assisted by a large private motor boat (the Amblere) the exhausted Naval crew of which were relieved by Sub Lieutenants Vann and Worthington and ratings. After this motorboat had broken down, the Skipjack's motorboat was borrowed, used for towing whalers, and then handed over to the destroyers.
31.5.40	0325	Weighed and proceeded
	0830	Arrived Dover. Disembarked 422 troops
	1820	Sailed for Dunkirk. The passage up Dunkirk roads was more difficult than usual owing to the number of new wrecks in the channel, the complete darkness and the large amount of traffic. A magnetic mine was seen dropping off 12E buoy, about ½ cable from the ship
1.6.40	0050	Anchored off La Panne. An intense bombardment was in progress
	0330	Sent in whalers for troops, who also swam and paddled off in rubber boats. During this operation 30 fighters machine-gunned the ship, the boats and the beach. Lieut N Thurston RN was mortally wounded, the whalers were riddled and one rating seriously wounded. One of our fighters crashed in the sea near the ship and the pilot was rescued.
		Private S V Jones 3654379 A Company, 1^st Battalion The South Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales Volunteers) DUNKIRK – Eye witness account I wandered around the beach for a while and then much later decided to have another go at wading out as far as possible, perhaps a passing small boat would pick me up. By this time my shoulders were aching madly, and I realised it was the weight of all the Bren gun magazines I was carrying, all fully loaded, plus the others tucked in behind my gas mask. Later in the day I saw three chaps pulling a canvas collapsible boat across the sand towards the water, so I went across to them in the hope of being able to join them. Inside the boat they had a wounded companion. Another chap reached them at the same time as I and we were told, ’Only room for one’. The other chap must have taken pity on me seeing the state of me, and said, ‘You go then mate!’ We managed to reach the waters edge pushed the boat into the sea, and then clambered in to it. The two chaps took a paddle each and began to paddle, but not in rhythm. The first wave flowed over us into the boat, almost causing us to sink. I took my steel helmet off and began to bale out the water, and shouting IN-OUT! So we finally got the boat heading smoothly to a naval ship immediately in front. It turned out to be a minesweeper, HMS HALCYON. Tied up alongside, I bent down to retrieve my equipment which I had taken off in case the boat had capsized and thrown me into the sea. ‘Leave that’ called out an officer of the ship ‘It’s you we want’. With hindsight I should have picked the equipment up and brought it aboard as about an hour later whilst we still lay off the beach I was asked to round the ship and collect all the ammunition people were carrying. On boarding the ship I had been pushed into the foc’sle under the forward gun, and given a large bowl of soup and a quarter portion of a loaf. It was like Manna from heaven. As I sat there relishing the hot soup, immediately above my head came an enormous explosion, and a rat tat tat, as empty cartridge cases fell upon the deck. I jumped out of my skin thinking we had been bombed and were being machine gunned. As I rushed out on deck a sailor told me it was the forward gun firing on hostile planes, Stuka dive bombers which were attacking all and sundry beneath them. Soldiers picked up from the beach were ringing the deck of the ship and letting fly at the planes with any weapon they had. I could have done with all those Bren gun magazines I had carried for miles only to leave them in the canvas boat. Now that I was aboard the ship I thought that it was high time that we pulled up anchor and made our way back to England. We continued however for several hours picking up troops, and even going down to Dunkirk to lay off shore as small craft came out to us. The scene and the entire area was a sight of pure living hell. The ship eventually slipped away during the late afternoon (1340) and we disembarked at Dover Harbour (1^st June). IWM 11629 03/28/1
	-	Orders were received to go alongside Dunkirk pier. This was done during a heavy dive bombing attack. While embarking French troops, about 40 planes dive-bombed the mole and the ship without causing damage.
	0840	Sailed for Dover. Shells from shore batteries west of Dunkirk missed astern.
	1000	Off W buoy, attacked by dive bombers. Four heavy bombs fell between the HALCYON and the P/V Prague. The latter reported she was making water aft; while HALCYON was closing her, about 30 darts were dropped, falling close on either side of the HALCYON. Having escorted the Prague for a few miles, HALCYON went on ahead as she had 17 serious casualties on board and there were other ships in the vicinity.
	1340	Arrived Dover. Disembarked 508 troops.
	-	Delay in ammunitioning ship. Reverted to 2½ hours notice
2.6.40	2025	Sailed for Dunkirk Able Seaman Francis Vincent (age 34, D/JX 137430 killed).
3.6.40	0125	Secured alongside east pier Dunkirk. Embarked 416 French troops, the mole and the ship being straddled by gunfire from La Panne. A few troops on the pier were wounded. Lt Nigel Vere Brook Thurston (age 25) killed.
	0150	Sailed for Folkestone
	0650	Arrived Folkestone. Disembarked 416 troops.
	0900	Proceeded
	0955	Arrived Dover
	1800	Sailed for Dunkirk
	2358	Secured alongside Avant-port
4.6.40	0020	Sailed with 501 French troops
	-	Dense fog off N Goodwin L.V.
	0650	Arrived Dover. Disembarked 501 troops.
5.6.40	-	Air attacked; damaged and some compartments flooded. Request HALCYON to be sailed to Devonport for docking and repairs
Total troops transported 2,271

		The following awards were made:
		DSO Cdr E P Hinton MVO
		Bar to DSC Lt Cdr J M S Cox
		DSC S/Lt J F Worthington
		DSM Sto.P.O. J H Salmon
		DSM A.B. C E Jarnet

Date of Arrival	Place	Date of Departure	Remarks, Orders etc
7.6.40	Plymouth	15.6.40	11/6: Anticipate HALCYON will be ready for sea pm 15/6
16.6.40	Dover	16.6.40
Source: ADM 199/184 Minesweeping Operations in Harwich area Awards From: The Senior Officer Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla Date: 8^th August 1940 To: The Flag Officer in Charge, Harwich Subject: Operations of Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla The following report of the movements of the Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla since their arrival at Harwich on 17^th June are submitted.
17.6.40	Harwich	20.6.40
20.6.40	At sea		Sweeping Gap E. Patrol after dark.
21.6.40	At sea		Sweeping Gap E. Patrol after dark.
22.6.40	At sea		Sweeping Gap E. Anchored at Midnight.
23.6.40	At sea		Fog. Anchored off Aldburgh.
24.6.40	At sea		Returned to Harwich.
25.6.40	Harwich	29.6.40	Harbour
30.6.40	At sea		To sea with HUSSAR sweeping Gap E. Night patrol.
1.7.40	At sea		Sweeping Gap E. Anchored for night.
2.7.40	At sea		Sweeping Gap E. Anchored for night.
3.7.40	At sea		Sweeping Gap E. Anchored for night.
4.7.40	At sea		Sweeping Gap E. Anchored for night.
5.7.40	Harwich	8.7.40	Harbour alongside SPEEDWELL
9.7.40	At sea		To sea with HUSSAR sweeping Gap E.
10.7.40	At sea		Bombed 0455 and again at 1315. Night patrol.
11.7.40	At sea		Gap E. Saw convoy bombed 1411. Returned to Harwich.
12.7.40	Harwich	13.7.40	Harbour
14.7.40	At sea		To sea. Night patrol.
15.7.40	At sea		Gap E. Engaged aircraft 0705, no bombs. Returned to Harwich.
16.7.40	Harwich	18.7.40	Harbour
19.7.40	At sea		To sea for Gap E with trawlers sweeping. Night patrol.
20.7.40