|
|
HMS Speedwell
|
Date of Arrival |
Place |
Date of Departure |
Orders, Remarks etc |
|
2.1.44 |
Kola Inlet |
7.1.44 |
Source:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ron6a/navy/hms%20cumberland-speedwell-musketeer-ww2-wwII.htm
Cyril Green:
The
temperature is now back to its old level, just below freezing. All
ice on the sea has completely disappeared, though plenty still
remains on the ship's upper works.
We, SPEEDWELL, Gleaner and Halcyon sailed for
Archangel
to pick up empties at 1400 7th January. Arrived and anchored for the
night at Dvina Bar. SPEEDWELL, being a lame duck. We again had
engine trouble and became a straggler but staggered on to our
destination as usual.
|
|
? |
Dvina Bar |
9.1.44 |
Cyril Green:
9/1 Sailed
from Dvina Bar with empties bound for Kola Inlet. Additional escort
of Russians (2 destroyers and several minesweepers) have now joined
us.
The White Sea isn't frozen yet but after anchoring off Dvina Bar the sea
looked very queer. We had a heavy ground swell and a thick coating
of slush covered the sea making the illusion that the ship was
moving ‘O’er hills and dales, or the hills and dales (snow covered)
were moving under the ship!
|
|
11.1.44 |
Kola Inlet |
17.1.44 |
|
|
25.1.44 |
Cyril Green:
We have the
Flotilla’s Cinema Unit on board and 13 films, Bob George, Sub Lt,
Hockey and I are the voluntary operators of it. We are giving 3
shows a day while in harbour. So far have shown 3 different films.
Hussar & Halcyon are busy at present bringing more empties from
Archangel,
Gleaner & SPEEDWELL with Russian minesweepers standing by to act as
local escort to incoming convoy and take White sea portion.
|
|
26.1.44 |
Cyril Green:
Sailed in
great hurry to join incoming convoy which was attacked during night.
3 ships sunk and one escort damaged and still being shadowed by
enemy A/C and submarines.
|
|
27.1.44 |
Cyril Green:
Joined
convoy 3am. Convoy split at 1800. Gleaner, SPEEDWELL and 4 Russian
minesweepers escorts of
White sea portion. The next incoming convoy due to arrive about Monday or
Tuesday has been detected by enemy A/C, so are expecting trouble
too.
Our Christmas mail will be waiting for us on the oiler. The last
we got was on January 2nd, so all on board are eager to get back
to base. I in particular am very eager to get more news from Rose
and home.
We are having a great deal of trouble with our boilers and so is
the Gleaner but I think that this trip we'll both manage to get
back without breaking down. Our boiler tubes are bursting two or
more each day but they are being patched up and we're staggering
on, though if our mail was not waiting for us I think that we'd
stop and try to patch ‘em up properly.
|
|
28.1.44 |
Cyril Green:
Have done
two more trips to the
White Sea
and back to fetch empties the next incoming convoy got caught in
rough weather. All ships damaged and had to turn back and put into
Iceland for repairs etc. and so giving two of us (Gleaner &
SPEEDWELL) a few more days in harbour
|
|
? |
Dvina Bar |
29.1.44 |
|
|
30.1.44 |
Kola Inlet |
3.2.44 |
Cyril Green:
31/1
Arrived in Polyarnoe p.m . Expected a large amount of mail but
received only a Christmas card posted 17th December, the same date
as the mail I received January 2nd. But all turned out O K - our
mail was sent to the oiler for us to collect when oiling and we,
not having received the signal to oil, came straight into
Polyarnoe.
Received all that mail the next morning 1st February - 10 letters
from Rose - a very happy day today.
|
|
2.2.44 |
Cyril Green:
The second
half of convoy arrived today. It had a prolonged tussle with U
Boats. Escorts of previous convoy went out to help them last
night.
Destroyer
leader Hardy was sunk by one U Boat while attacking another one
(33 men missing).
Our forces sank 4 U Boats and damaged 6 others. We lost no
merchant ships and Hardy the only escort lost, though two others
slightly damaged (Virago and Obdurate).
Received another 6 letters from Rose today. ‘It never rains but
it pours’.
We found out tonight that we're going home with the next convoy,
sailing on Thursday February 3rd - fully a month before our time.
Two other Fleet minesweepers going too. Halcyon and Hussar,
leaving only 2 up here, Gleaner and the unfortunate Seagull. We
relieved her 6 weeks ago, since when she’s been swinging round at
a buoy at Scapa with no leave and this her third trip up here this
session. Fortunately the next convoy is the last this season, so
she should only be here a month or 6 weeks.
Received 2 more of Rose’s letters today - 18 altogether in two
days - what a bumper red letter day! All of ‘em interesting and
just the thing I want to keep my pecker up. But the greatest news
of all was that we're going home!! I’ll be so very glad to see
home and my little girl again.
|
|
3.2.44 |
At sea |
10.2.44 |
Halcyon, Hussar and
SPEEDWELL left Russia on 3 Feb 1944 as part of the Ocean escort for
RA56 (39 ships) which was not attacked.
Gleaner and Seagull
provided local eastern escort from 3rd to 5th
Feb. In this convoy the C‑in‑C sailed many ships in ballast who had
been waiting at Murmansk since unloading after outward passages. He
allotted to this convoy the escorts of two recently arrived convoys
plus three extra destroyers. The enemy made preparations to
intercept RA56, but the powerful escort and a succession of
fierce gales and semi continuous snow helped to protect it. The high
winds drove the convoy quickly past the usual U‑boat ambush party
off Bear Island; shadowing aircraft were not followed by strike
aircraft. Fast progress was made and the convoy reached Loch Ewe by
11th February. The three minesweepers left the convoy on 10th
February and proceeded to Scapa.
Cyril Green:
We sailed
for home as expected, with what I should think is the biggest
convoy with the strongest escort of any convoy to or from
Russia, 40 merchant ships with 26 escorts (l9 of them 1st line
destroyers).
The trip was uneventful much to our surprise. We expected a hard
tussle the whole way.
We were shadowed by enemy A/C the whole hours of daylight each day
except the last two and arrived at Scapa Flow in the very early
hours of Friday 11th February
I awoke that morning to find 6 letters from Rose waiting for me.
It didn’t take me long to turn out then.
|
|
11.2.44 |
Cyril Green:
Still in
Scapa - where we are going from here and when is weighing heavily
on everyone’s mind. Everyone keeps asking me - when, etc. but I
can't tell ‘em. All I hear - so far, are the many buzzes that are
going around (the latest is that we're going to Falmouth) what
I’ve gathered so far is that we have finished with Scapa Flow as
our base (the whole Flotilla of us) and are going to do sweeping
off an isolated coast (hence the Falmouth buzz).
The Captain thinks will be able to squeeze in a boiler clean
leave with maybe a few days extra to patch up the after boiler
room.
I've just heard that we are sailing tomorrow night (destination
still a secret) so it won't be long before we have all the dope.
|
|
14.12.44 |
Cyril Green:
Everything
comes to him who waits! Today the captain told us all the glad
tidings. We, together with Halcyon and Hussar are going down to
Rosyth. SPEEDWELL is going to have a boiler clean and at the same
time, Admiralty Inspectors are examining the ship. Half the ships
company are going on about 5 days leave tomorrow (Hurray!) with
the prospect of either a few extra days or coming back to the ship
and letting the other half have some leave - and who knows still
more leave later.
|
|
15.2.44 |
Rosyth |
22.2.44 |
SPEEDWELL rectified
defects between the 16th and 21st. |
|
? |
Rosyth |
27.2.44 |
|
|
28.2.44 |
Scapa |
7.3.44 |
|
|
8.3.44 |
Port ZA |
? |
|
|
16.3.44 |
Aultbea |
17.3.44 |
|
|
24.3.44 |
Inverness |
? |
|
|
? |
Invergordon |
2.4.44 |
|
|
Photos: Henry Brown, Sickberth Attendant HMS Speedwell
The 'Royal' First Minesweeping Flotilla & Operation
'Barge Pole' in readiness for D Day
|
|
? |
Rosyth |
12.4.44 |
|
|
13.4.44 |
Tyne |
14.4.44 |
|
 
"Speedwell well and truly stuck on middle ground in the Stour at
Ipswich. The skipper faced a court martial but got off with 'help'
from friends."
Patrick Beeson
Photo
on left: Henry Brown, Sickberth Attendant HMS Speedwell
|
|
24.4.44 |
Harwich |
1.5.44 |
|
|
6.5.44 |
Harwich |
13.5.44 |
|
|
14.5.44 |
Portsmouth |
9.6.44 |
CLICK
HERE FOR AN ACCOUNT OF THE HALCYON'S ON D DAY |
|
5.6.44 |
Source
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2748855
Telegraphist Leslie Corney (24), HMS SPEEDWELL
Sailed at
1300 for France – many guesses as to where we’ll land. Our job is to
sweep a channel through the enemy minefield to let everything else
go in. We go in first – not a pleasant prospect. Told that at one
spot a 16 inch shore gun can be brought to bear on us – unless the
R.A.F. can knock it out. The weather during the afternoon very
choppy. We all expect things being called off. Wind and sea eased
off in the early evening and the weather seemed quite good. Began to
sweep about 2000 and swept all night. Things very quiet except for
colossal numbers of aircraft going over - ours fortunately! No
trouble from shore gun – thanks to R.A.F.!
|
|
6.6.44 |
Leslie Corney
Slept
anywhere we could. I spent part of the night on the deck wrapped in
a duffel coat – the remainder on the lockers – much more
comfortable! Found ourselves off
Ouistreham this morning just cruising around. An amazing number of
ships and a terrific bombardment going on by us. Began widening the
channel. Mines exploded in our sweeps occasionally from 1000 to
1330. Destroyer hit a mine nearby about 0700. Broke her back and see
part of her. Water shallow. Ordered to return to Portsmouth at
night. Off Portsmouth on the Wednesday morning 7th and turned round
without going in and went back towards France to sweep. Swept all
afternoon and then ordered back to Portsmouth again. Weather lovely
all day. Ships going in all directions.
|
|
8.6.44 |
Leslie Corney
Terrific
explosion just after I’d come on the Middle watch – at about 0015.
The Buntings said there was a huge red glow. Evidently some ship hit
a mine or been tin fished. The latter probably as it was underwater
explosion. Really did arrive back at Portsmouth this morning. Going
to oil now – and then what? Hospital ship St. Julien down by the
bows - must have been the explosion we heard last night. Got all
night in our hammocks. Thank heaven! First sleep of more than five
hours since Saturday!
|
|
9.6.44 |
Leslie Corney
Sailed on
a searching sweep from Portsmouth to the beachhead on the French
Coast. No mines. Dirty weather. Anchored on defence line off
beachhead all night. Plenty of activity – None too near us.
|
|
10.6.44 |
Leslie Corney
Sweeping
all day. Lovely weather. Lots of wreckage on the water, oil and a
body. From Destroyer? Anchored on defence line again. Usual
activity.
|
|
11.6.44 |
Leslie Corney
Sweeping
again for acoustic a magnetic mines. Dull day but calm. Was on deck
in the ‘dogs’ for an hour and saw a couple of bodies pass still in
lifebelts. In minefield so we couldn’t stop to do anything.
|
|
12.6.44 |
Leslie Corney
More
sweeping and a few mines – more bodies and odds and ends. Usual
night activity off and over the beachhead.
|
|
20.6.44 |
Portsmouth |
? |
25/6 SPEEDWELL exploded
two mines and numerous were cut about this time by the Flotilla. |
|
24.6.44 |
Harwich |
25.6.44 |
|
|
25.6.44 |
SPEEDWELL exploded two
mines whilst sweeping and numerous others were cut about this time
by the flotilla. |
|
26.6.44 |
Rosyth |
? |
|
|
27.6.44 |
Leith |
1.10.44 |
10/7 Taken in hand for
refit, completes 11/9 ex trials |
|
2.10.44 |
Harwich |
17.10.44 |
5/10 From SPEEDWELL:
Have defects, post engine out of action |
|
21.10.44 |
Dover |
3.11.44 |
|
|
7.11.44 |
Harwich |
18.11.44 |
11/11 SPEEDWELL taken
in hand for boiler cleaning at Ipswich, ready for sea 16/11 |
|
For the remainder of
the war, HMS SPEEDWELL continued to carry out minesweeping duties
between Harwich and the Continent, latterly clearing the route to
Hamburg and in the Heligoland Bight |
|
20.11.44 |
Harwich |
28.11.44 |
|
|
5.12.44 |
Sweeping off Ostend |
|
7.12.44 |
Harwich |
14.12.44 |
|
|
21.12.44 |
Source: ADM 199/153
(Extracts)
Date: 26th
December 1944
From: The Commanding Officer, HMS Gleaner
To: Commander in Chief, The Nore
Subject: Minesweeping Reports No. 2 and 4
REPORT
No. 2
Thursday 21st
December 1944
Searching
sweep of channel from NF3 to 53F buoys.
SPEEDWELL,
Halcyon, Speedy, Seagull with dan layer Foday.
Wind
variable. Sea and swell 10. Weather misty.
Moored mine
swept up, not sunk. Lost in poor visibility.
SPEEDWELL
parted port sweep on what is believed to be the wreck marked PA in
position 51°21’N, 2° 13’E. This puts the wreck approximately one
mile to westward of charted position.
REPORT
No. 4
SPEEDWELL
swept up one moored mine believed German, believed GR. Apparently
new, black paint. 51° 21’ 42” North. 2° 12’ 42” East. Charted
depth 14 fathoms. 21st December 1944 1342A, no evidence
to suggest that mine was dragged before being cut.
H A King,
Lt Commander RNVR
Senior
Officer (borne in SPEEDWELL during this operation)
______
HMS
Shearwater on patrol during night of 18th/19th
December reported that E-boats had been encountered and had
possibly laid mines in the vicinity of 51° 21’ 30” N, 02° 10’ 40”
E.
A search of
QZS 596 was therefore ordered and this was carried out by 1st
Minesweeping Flotilla on 21st December, one moored mine
being cut as in Minesweeping Reports 2 and 4.
A danger
area was then declared and this area was subsequently cleared by
the 18th MSF, five moored mines being swept, all to the
eastward of the original one.
Admiral of
the Fleet
The Nore
|
|
23.12.44 |
Harwich |
4.1.45 |
|
|
