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Destroyer histories. Royal naval Town
class
destroyers, 5th group. Destroyer website dedicated to the history of
HMS Belmont, HMS Beverley, HMS Bradford, HMS Broadwater, HMS Broadway, HMS
Burnham, HMS Burwell, HMS Buxton, HMS Cameron, HMS Chesterfield, HMS
Churchill, HMS Clare, HMS Ramsey, HMS Reading, HMS Ripley, HMS Rockingham,
HMS St Croix, HMS St Francis, HMS Sherwood and HMS Stanley from their launch to
their participation in major wars also
notice board for families of ex-crew of Town Class
destroyers. |
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Thanks to Ian Crouch for the photographs below of HMS
Burnham. HMS Burnham H82 was the ex USS Aulick
DD258. she was commissioned into the Royal Navy at Halifax on the 8th
October 1940 before sailing for Devonport and arriving 16th October 1940.
went to Scapa Flow for a work out and some refit work. Her first role was
part of the escort of the new Carrier HMS Formidable from Belfast to the
Clyde (Scotland). Suffered damage due to bad weather while escorting the
convoy SL56. repair work was carried out in Belfast between the 17th
December 1940 until 30th January 1941. On completion of repairs
HMS Burnham joined the 12th Escort Group operating in home waters.
on the 3rd March 1941 involved in a collision with HMS Malcolm which had
her back in repairs at Liverpool until the 27th April 1941. after repairs
HMS Burnham rejoined the 12th escort Group which was operating out of
Iceland. Moving on to St Johns as part of the Newfoundland Escort Group in
May 1941. In September HMS Burnham was once again
involved in a collision with HMS Chesterfield, repairs took about 1 month
and carried out in Boston. after repairs she returned to Newfoundland
until March 1942 when she went to Charles, South Carolina for refit taking
6 weeks, after which HMS Burnham went to Bermuda for one month duty.
Returning again to New Foundland until recalled back to Home Waters for
refit on the River Thames between November and December 1942. On Completion
she spent most of 1943 on Convoy duty with the Canadian C3 Escort
Group. After this service HMS Burnham once again went into refit to
be used as a Air target Ship serving in this role form March 1944 until
November 1944. Finally being paid off and went into reserve at
Milford Haven where she remained until being disposed off to R S
Hayes on the 2nd December 1948 |
Ian Crouch's Grandfather, Arthur Fox onboard Burnham (USS Aulick ) on
handover. Burnham was one of the Town Class of 50 lend lease destroyers. |
HMS Burnham & RCN Saskatchewan alongside in either St. Johns or
Halifax. RCN Saskatchewan is ex HMS Fortune, which was my Grandfather's previous ship to Burnham. |
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Crew of HMS Burnham taken at St.Johns Nova Scotia in 1940. |
Crew of HMS Burnham taken at St.Johns Nova Scotia in 1940. |
| HMS Bradford. H72 was the
ex USS McLanaham DD264. Commissioned into the RN on the 8th October 1940.
and refitted at Devenport between 29th October until the 12th November,
1940. She was in bad shape on arrival and this was exposed during
work up. further work was carried out at Sheerness which took until
September/October 1941 when she joined the 43rd escort group operating on
convoy duty between home waters to |
| HMS Broadwater H81 was the ex
USS Mason DD191. Commissioned into the RN in Halifax. and refitted at
Devenport and also Cardiff. refit was completed on the 31st January
1941. After work up she joined the 11th Escort group and
participated in the escorting of convoy WS6. Boiler defects made her
return to Greenock for a 2 week repair. She again rejoined her
escort group and escorted the convoys WS7, HG56, and OB306.
HMS Broadwater had a number defects which took three refits to repair at
Greenock, Southampton and Portsmouth. all work completed and she returned
to service on the 20th of June 1941. On the 28th June 1941 HMS
Broadwater joined the convoy OB339 enroute to join the Newfoundland escort
group. she continued ion this route with convoy SC48 until she was
torpedoed by U-101 and sunk on the 19th October 1941. (57.01N
19.08W) |
| HMS Cameron was the ex USS
Welles DD257. Commissioned into the RN in Halifax. on the 9th September
1940. HMS Cameron arrived late into Belfast probably due to engine
problems. She was sent to Portsmouth with work starting 20th November
1940. but during a air raid the night of 5th December she was
bombed causing a major fire and explosion, blowing the ship of its
blocks while on No. 8 dock. The United States Navy considered her to
be the worst damaged destroyer so she was surveyed for the effect of the
bombing and fire on the machinery of the ship afloat. throughout two years
of the war she was used for various trials and damage control tests.. she
was finally discarded on the 5th October 1943. finally leaving Portsmouth
in November 1944 being towed by the tug Owl to Falmouth where she was scrapped
by T W Ward and scrapped on the 1st December 1943. HMS Cameron never
actually entered operational service. |
| HMS Ramsey G60 was the ex
USS Meade DD274. Commissioned into the RN in Halifax. on the 26th November
1940. HMS Ramsey arrived Devonport for refit on the 17th
December 1940. starting trials on the 29th January 1941. and joining
the 5th Escort group and based at Liverpool. on the 9th March 1941
HMS Ramsey suffered engine breakdown. which took nearly a month for
repairs. on the 11th June 1941 when HMS Ramsey transferred to Newfoundland
and in August 1941 she joined the 22nd escort group where she remained for
about 12 months before going into refit at Boston for 3 months. other
troubles caused more repairs at Halifax and also Charleston. HMS
Ramsay took part on escort HX200 to Liverpool for further repairs and
further repairs at Belfast and on the Clyde. all these repairs took form
7th August until the 22nd October 1942. After repairs he joined B6
Escort Group after this escort duty she was paid off for a refit at |
Specifications
for HMS Belmont, HMS Bradford, HMS Broadwater, HMS Cameron, HMS Ramsey,
HMS Reading,, HMS St Croix, HMS St Francis and HMS Sherwood.
Displacement:
1,190 tons Speed: 35kts (25kts for Bradford) Complement:
146
Armament:
Three 4 inch guns, one 3 inch anti-aircraft gun, two 0.5 inch
anti-aircraft guns, six 21 inch torpedo tubes.
Specifications
for HMS Beverley, HMS Broadway, HMS Burnham, HMS Burwell, HMS Buxton, HMS
Chesterfield, HMS Churchill, HMS Clare, HMS Ripley, HMS Rockingham and HMS
Stanley.
Displacement:
1,190 tons Speed: 35kts (25kts for Clare & Stanley) Complement:
146
Armament:
One 4 inch anti-aircraft gun, one 3 inch anti-aircraft gun, four
(Rockingham had fice) 20mm anti-aircraft guns and three 21 inch torpedo
tubes. |
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