BANGOR-Class
Minesweeper fitted with Reciprocating
propulsion machinery ordered on 6th
July 1939 from Blyth
Shipbuilders.
Laid down on 15th March 1940 this
minesweeper was launched on 31st
October 1940 and after delay
build was completed on 11th September
1941. She was the 1st RN ship to carry
this name, which like others of the
Class built in UK was that of a
coastal town. She was adopted by the
civil community of
Dover,
Kent
after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in March
1942.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1942 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942
- NORTH SEA 1942
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a
Hart’s head caboosed
Argent. armed
Gold.
S
u m m a r y o
f W a r S
e r v i c e
(Note:
Further research is required to
improve this record.)
(for
more ship information,
go to Naval
History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
1 9 4 1
September
Contractors
Trials
9th
Commissioned for service.
October
Worked-up for operational service.
November Deployed
for minesweeping trial in Forth area.
December Joined
9th Minesweeping
Flotilla for mine sweeping
and convoy escort duties in
the English
Channel based at Portsmouth, Poole and
Portland..
(Note:
Pending further investigation it is
assumed that the Battle Honour
ATLANTIC
may have
been for mine clearance under
attacks during this month)
1
9 4 2
Deployed in Home Waters
(Note: The
Flotilla comprised HM Minesweepers
BANGOR, BLACKPOOL
BRIDLINGTON,
BRIDPORT, RHYL joined during the year
by
SIDMOUTH and
TENBY.
In 1942 all of these ships took part
in Operation JUBILEE, the attack on
Dieppe
in August.
However
although all were awarded the Battle
Honour DIEPPE, this was
not
awarded to PETERHEAD and it is there
presumed she was not deployed
for mine
clearance ahead of the assault force.
The
Flotilla also was deployed in the
North Sea
in October for the clearance of
British
mines from the East Coast Barrier to
enable safe passage for destroyers
to and from
Harwich (Operation QO).
The
award of the Battle
Honour
NORTH SEA may be for this operation.
1
9 4 3
January Nominated
for conversion for Air Sea Rescue
duties.
to South
Coast
minesweeping and convoy defence on continuation
April Left
Flotilla and taken hand for conversion
May Under
conversion and minesweeping gear
removed together with depth charge
to
August throwers.
August Deployed
for Air Sea Rescue duties
to
December (Note:
Port of deployment to be investigated.
As
this service was provided by the Royal
Air Force and since the ship was
designed
for use in deep waters, the ship may
have been deployed in the
Atlantic
Ocean or Bay of Biscay during the
extensive anti-submarine
operations
in that area.)
1
9 4 4
January Air
Sea Rescue deployment in
continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated
for service as a Senior Officer, Danlayer
and transferred to Force U of
Western
Task Force. Took part with
Flotilla in preparatory exercises with
14th
Minesweeping
Flotilla.
(Note: This
Flotilla comprised HM Fleet
Minesweepers ROMNEY (SO), POOLE,
RYE, WHITEHAVEN, all British-Built
BANGOR Class and KENORA,
GUYSBOROUGH
and VEGREVILLE with HM Minesweeper
GEORGIA
HM Trawlers SIR
GALAHAD and SIR LANCELOT for use as
Danlayers.
(Operation
NEPTUNE).
Nominated
for this duty during clearance of
Channel 2 to UTAH Beachhead in
advance of
US Assault ships in Force U.
(For details of naval activities prior
to and during landings see OPERATION
NEPTUNE
by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO).
June Passage
with Flotilla and Danlayers.to
commence Danlay for Channel 2.
(Note:
Operation was delayed by 24 hours. See
references.)
5th Deployed
for Dan lay in Channel 2.
6th After
undetected arrival off UTAH beach with
ships of Flotilla commenced further
clearance
operations in area between Channels 3
and 4.
7th Deployed
for minesweeping off assault area.
8th During
minesweeping operations off Brest ship
was wrecked and ship's company were
rescued
from sinking ship.
(Note: The
precise circumstances of this loss are
not recorded in the references but
the ship is
recorded as being wrecked and later
salved. See WARSHIPS OF
WORLD WAR II by HT
Lenton
and JJ College. It is not
recorded in many
other
standard references relating to
losses, possibly because the
hulk was
salvaged. See Post War Notes
P
o s t W a r N
o t e s
HMS
PETERHEAD was salvaged, presumably
after the end of war in Europe. After
survey she was
declared
a Constructive Total Loss and placed
on the Disposal List. Sold to BISCO in
1947 and taken in tow
to Pembroke Dock for demolition by
G Hayes where the ship arrived
in May 1948. This summary
is to be revised when more information
becomes available.
LOSS
of HMS PETERHEAD
thanks
to John Nicholson (25 Jul 2010)
John emailed "Your
record refers to the "sinking" HMS
PETERHEAD on the 8th June 1944.
Speaking to someone who served on her,
he told me she survived the war, but
was damaged at Cherbourg and that this
was mentioned in in the book "They Led
the Way" by Jack Williams. He then
goes on to say she was sold to the
Netherlands Navy at the end of the
war, but ran aground and was returned
to the Royal Navy for scrapping. There
is also a report by her Commander
David Croom-Johnson about her being
damaged at Cherbourg."
There a number of
other internet accounts including
"mined off Normandy on 8 June 1944
and declared a CTL" (Uboat.net) and
"mined off Utah
Beach on 8 June 1944
... and declared a total loss"
(Wikipedia). Lt Cdr Mason in his
history of HMS ROMNEY states
"Carried out minesweeping operation
off Brest with Flotilla on 8 June
1944". During this operation HMS
PETERHEAD, a sister
ship converted for use as a
Danlayer, was lost after hitting a
mine.)
From Don Kindell (19
Dec 2010) - "In FLEET SWEEPERS AT
WAR by Jack Williams - the 14th
Minesweeping Flotilla S.O. (LCDR
David Croome-Johnson, RNVR) reported
on the activity of the danlayers in
Swept Channel Number 2 to Utah
Beach on 8 June, but made no mention
of damage. Neither is there any
mention of damage in John de S.
Winser's D-DAY SHIPS. The official
history said she was lost off Utah
Beach on 6 June. In April 1946,
PETERHEAD was in Reserve: Category
C; not in Dutch list for this
issue. Still in NAVY LIST July
1946 with Reserve Complement. In
short, no definitive answers."
Update
(17 Mar 2013)
PETERHEAD
did survive the war. She was with the
7th & 5th Submarine Flotillas
until August 1945 when
she went in to the Reserve Fleet. This
is recorded at the National Archives
Ref. ADM 187 ( Pink Sheets ), which
show the stations and movements of
allied and naval ships.
Unfortunately the records for
1946 to 1949 are missing so that is
where the trail ended!
Update
(28 August 2014)
with thanks to David W Melville
My father was Surgeon
Lt F S Melville, and I
have the pay-off note from Lt Commander
Croom-Johnson dated 9th July (he had
served as his medic from May 1942.) This
would suggest that the sinking - or write
off - happened on the 8th and the ships
company were dismissed (signed off) on the
9th