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Career information

Operation Claymore
Caslon in HMS Somali was the Naval Commander for Operation Claymore, the Commando Raid on the Lofoten Islands 1 - 6 March 1941 (en.wikipedia.org).

Destroyer HMS Somali (F 33)

24 Oct 1940
HMS Somali (Capt. C. Caslon, RN) HMS Punjabi (Cdr. J.T. Lean, DSO, RN) and HMS Matabele (Cdr. R.St.V. Sherbrooke, DSO, RN) sink the German weather ship WBS 5 / Adolf Vinnen (391 BRT) some 25 miles north-west of Stadlandet, Norway.

This sinking is often credited to the British submarine HMS Seawolf but this is not correct.

Battleship HMS Nelson (28)

10 Dec 1944
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, RN) left the Philadelphia Navy Yard for post repair trials. During her trials she was escorted by USS Wainwright (T/Cdr. W.W. Strohbehn, USN). On completion of the trials HMS Nelson anchored in Delaware Bay while USS Wainwright set course for Norfolk. (1)

11 Dec 1944
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, RN) conducted post repair trials off Philadelphia. On completion she returned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. (1)

14 Jan 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) proceeded from the Philadelphia Navy Yard to Delaware Bay where she anchored. (2)

15 Jan 1945
Around 0915Q/15, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) departed Delaware Bay for New York where she arrived around 1215Q/16. She was escorted by USS Tillman (T/Lt.Cdr. P.A. Dimberg, USN). (2)

28 Jan 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1530A/28, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) arrived at Portsmouth where she was then taken in hand to complete her refit with work not possible in the USA. (3)

7 Apr 1945
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) entered 'C Lock' at the Portsmouth Dockyard. Most likely 'C Lock' was not pumped out and the ship was thus not docked. [No docking is listed in the docking register of the Portsmouth Dockyard.] (4)

14 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) left 'C Lock' at the Portsmouth Dockyard. [So possibly she was undocked.] She then anchored in Spithead. (4)

26 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted D/G trials off Portsmouth. (4)

27 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted compass adjustment trials off Portsmouth. (4)

29 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0800B/29, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) departed Spithead for Malta. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Vidette (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.S. Wooley, RNVR), HMS Watchman (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Clarke, DSC, RNVR) and the frigates HMS Hargood (Cdr. J. Pringle, RN) and HMS Waldegrave (Lt. T. Hay, RN). These escorts were relieved around 1920B/29 to the south of Start Point by the destroyers HMS Cavendish (Cdr. R.H. Maurice, DSO, RN) and HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN) coming from Falmouth and the destroyer ORP Garland (Kpt.mar. (Lt.Cdr.) K.J. Hess) and frigate HMS Narborough (Lt.Cdr. W.R. Muttram, DSC, RN) coming from Plymouth. The escorts from Plymouth were to part company on HMS Nelson passing 45°N and then return to Plymouth where they arrived on 1 May. The original escort from Portsmouth returned there early on April 30th.

HMS Nelson, HMS Cavendish and HMS Caprice arrived at Gibraltar around 2000B/2. (5)

2 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 2145B/2, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) departed Gibraltar for Malta. (6)

5 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1430B/5, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) arrived at Malta from Gibraltar. At Malta she is to undergo a work-up programme on completion of which she is to join the Eastern Fleet. (6)

15 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Malta. (6)

18 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. (6)

22 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. (6)

23 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. These included an underway refuelling exercises during which HMS Milne (Capt. M. Richmond, DSO, OBE, RN) was fuelled. (6)

24 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. (6)

25 May 1945
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. There included an RIX (range and inclination) exercise during which HMS Meteor (Lt.Cdr. R.D.H.S. Pankhurst, RN) acted as target. (6)

28 May 1945
From 28 to 31 May 1945, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. Exercises were carried out with In the evening, HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) and HMS Meteor (Lt.Cdr. R.D.H.S. Pankhurst, RN). (6)

1 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. She returned to harbour shortly after midnight the following day. (7)

21 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) departed Alexandria for gunnery exercises in the Gulf of Kanayis. On completion of these exercises she anchored in the Gulf for the night. (7)

22 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) conducted gunnery exercises in the Gulf of Kanayis. On completion of these exercises she set course for Port Said. (7)

23 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1730C/23, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) arrived at Port Said. (7)

24 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) transited the Suez Canal southbound and then anchored off Suez.

9 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1030FG/9, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) departed Colombo for Trincomalee. (8)

10 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1015FG/10, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) arrived at Trincomalee from Colombo. (8)

16 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral H.C.T. Walker, CB, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Trincomalee. (8)

17 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral H.C.T. Walker, CB, RN) conducted exercises off Trincomalee. During these exercises the minesweeper HMS Plucky (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G. Wallis, RNVR) was fuelled by the battleship. (8)

8 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral H.C.T. Walker, CB, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Trincomalee. (9)

17 Aug 1945

Operations Jurist and Beecham.

In the morning a big portion of the Eastern Fleet departed Trincomalee for ' Operation Jurist ' which was were the intended landings at Penang and ' Operation Beecham '. were intended landings at Sabang. Borth operations were part of the planned, larger, ' Operation Zipper ' which was the occupation of Malaya including Singapore. (Note, some of the Forces listed below had departed Ceylon earlier then 17 August).

The Fleet was organised into six Forces;
Force 11 was made up of the battleship HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral H.C.T. Walker, CB, RN), light cruiser HMS Nigeria (Capt. H.A. King, DSO, RN), HMS Ceylon (Capt. K.L. Harkness, DSC, RN), escort carriers HMS Attacker (Capt. G.F. Renwick, RN), HMS Hunter (Capt. A.D. Torlesse, RN), HMS Stalker (Capt. L.C. Sinker, DSC, RN), HMS Shah (Capt. W.J. Yendell, RN), destroyers HMS Tartar (Capt. B. Jones, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Petard (Lt.Cdr. R.L. Caple, DSC, RN) and HMS Volage (Cdr. R.T. Paul, CBE, RN) and the landing ships HMS Princess Beatrix (A/Cdr. J. Stretch, RD, RNR) and HMS Queen Emma (A/Cdr. T.L. Alkin, RN).

Force 12 was made up of the destroyers HMS Verulam (Lt.Cdr. D.H.R. Bromley, DSC, RN), HMS Vigilant (Lt.Cdr. L.W.L. Argles, DSC, RN) and 8 BYMS type minesweepers from the 166th Minesweeping Flotilla; HMS BYMS 2060 (T/Lt. R. Conde, RNVR), HMS BYMS 2162 (A/Skr.Lt. W. Sutherland, RNR), HMS BYMS 2168 (T/Lt. R.O. Tyrer, RNVR), HMS BYMS 2181 (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H.C. Butcher, RNVR), HMS BYMS 2203 (T/Lt. D.A. Turner, RNVR), HMS BYMS 2204 (T/Lt. R.A. Latrielle, RNVR), HMS BYMS 2232 (T/Lt. J. Mason, DSC, RNVR) and HMS BYMS 2236 (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.C. Cooper, RNVR).

Force 13 was made up of the destroyer HMS Penn (Lt.Cdr. A.H. Diack, DSC, RN) and the tank landing ship HMS LST 383 (A/Lt.Cdr. H.B. Cadogan, RNR). The LST was loaded with motor transport.

Force 14 was made up of the escort destroyer HMS Calpe (A/Lt.Cdr. N.F.R. Gill, RNR) and the chartered tanker (RFA) Empire Salvage (British (tanker) 10746 GRT, built 1940)

Force 68 was made up of the heavy cruiser HMS London (Capt. S.L. Bateson, RN, flying the Broad Pendant of Commodore A.L. Poland, CB, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) and the destroyers HMS Raider (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Cartwright, DSC, RN) and HMS Rocket (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Acworth, OBE, RN).

Force 157 was made up of the sloop HMIS Godavari (A/Cdr. H.M.S. Choudry, RIN), repair ship HMS Mull of Galloway (cdr. E.C. Hicks, RD, RNR), depot ship HMIS Barracuda (T/A/Cdr. L.G. Bingham, RINR), chartered gasoline tanker Cromwell (British, 1124 GRT, built 1943), 26 motor launches (ML's) of the 34th Flotilla; ML 194 (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L.F.W. Morley, RNVR), ML 187 (T/Lt. H.L. Langley, RNVR), ML 189 (T/Lt. W.J. Court, RNVR), ML 193 (T/Lt. J.T.C. Hastings, RNVR), ML 214 (T/Lt. B.H. Taylor, RNVR), ML 230 (T/Lt. J.K. Cook, RNVR), ML 245 (T/Lt. J Winthorpe-Young, RNVR), ML 907 (T/Lt. H W Perring, RNVR), ML 923 (T/Lt. S.E. Fowler, RNVR), 38th Flotilla; ML 851 (?), ML 850 (?), ML 897 (?), ML 898 (?), ML 899 (?), ML 900 (?), ML 4001 (?), ML 4002 (?), 56th Flotilla; ML 412 (T/Lt. J. Kent, RNVR, with T/A/Lt.Cdr. A.J. Howard, RINVR on board), ML 390 (T/S.Lt. J.H. Birtwhistle, RINVR), ML 413 (T/Lt. L.C.A. Green, RINVR [???]), ML 416 (T/Lt. A.J. Adam, RINVR), ML 417 (T/Lt. R.H. Kilbey, RINVR), ML 419 (T/Lt. L.C.A. Green, RINVR [???]), ML 843 (?), ML 844 (?), ML 872 (?) and 9 harbour defence motor launches (HDML's) from the 110th Flotilla; HMDL 1105 (T/Lt. H.J. Stanley, KRNVR), HDML 1080 (T/S.Lt. C. Turnbull, RNVR), HDML 1082 (T.S.Lt. R.S. Franck, SANF(V)), HDML 1086 (T/S.Lt. R.A.J. Webb, RNVR), HDML 1098 (), HDML 1106 (Lt. F.H. Barnes, KRNVR), HDML 1107 (T/S.Lt. F.J. Marks, RNVR), HDML 1108 (T/S.Lt. K.S. Ingram, RNVR) and HDML 1150 (T/Lt. R.R. Harvey, SANF(V)).

It was while these forces were on passage eastward that delays in negotiations with the Japanese, and in the arrival of the Japanese Emperor's orders to case hostilities in South East Asia became apparent. The day set for the landings had, therefore, to be postponed and on 20th August all forces concentrated at Trinkat Champlong on the north east coast of Great Nicobar Island. This bay provided shelter from wind and swell, and ML's, HDML'S and the BYMS minesweepers were able to refuel at the anchorage while larger units remained at sea in the immediate vicinity.

By this time it had also become apparent that no landings in this theatre would be permitted by the Allied High Command until the final instrument of surrender had been signed at Tokyo. According, all plans had to be adjusted.

Any operations to the southward of the One Fathom Bank in the Malacca Straits were dependent on establishing a safe channel through the minefield in the area, so all available fleet minesweepers were sailed from Ceylon on 15 August to proceed eastward. These consisted of 4 fleet minesweepers and 2 danlayers of the 6th M/S Flotilla; HMS Friendship (Cdr. D.L. Johnston, RN), HMS Lennox (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.H. Walton, RNR), HMS Lightfoot (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A.S. Drysdale, RNVR), HMS Persian (Lt.Cdr. J.L. Woollcombe, RN), HMS Imersay (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.H.A. Winfield, RNR) and HMS Lingay (T/Lt. P.W. Jequier, RNVR) as well as 7 fleet minesweepers of the 37th M/S Flotilla; – HMIS Orissa (T/Lt. C.S. Ahmad, RINR, with A/Cdr. G. Bailey, RIN on board), HMIS Rajputana (A/Lt.Cdr. A. Chakraverti, RIN), HMIS Kathiawar (T/Lt. R.J. Ward, RINR), HMIS Oudh (T/Lt. K.Y. Eccles, RINVR), HMIS Khyber (T/Lt. W.D.F. Clayton, RINR), HMIS Baluchistan (T/Lt. N.N. Pettitt, RINR) and HMIS Kumaon (T/Lt. U.J.S. Chopra, RINR).

On 17th August, the fleet minesweepers HMS Pelorus (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Bourgat, RN, with A/Capt.(Retd.) R.H.V. Sivewright, DSC, RN) and HMS Gozo (Lt.Cdr. T.T. Euman, RN) departed Colombo to overtake the 6th M/S Flotilla. They were joined by the fleet minesweeper HMIS Bengal (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.L. Scurr, RINVR) and the RFA tanker Cherryleaf (5896 GRT, built 1917) from Trincomalee. HMS Gozo however returned to Trincomalee on 23 August with condenser trouble.

The above fleet minesweepers and attendant oiler were subsequently formed into Force 155.

In view of the delays already referred to above, the fleet minesweepers were ordered to proceed to the lee of Simalur Island, the most northerly of the chain of islands off the west coast of Sumatra, where they anchored in Lugu Sibabu PM on 22 August.

On 25 August the RFA tanker Orangeleaf (5927 GRT, built 1917) departed Colombo to join Force 155. On the 26th the fleet minesweepers HMS Melita (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.R. May, RNR), HMIS Rohilkhand (?) and HMIS Carnatic (T/Lt. A.E.B. Park, RINR) also sailed from Colombo to augment Force 155 and were joined by HMS Gozo from Trincomalee which had made repairs there but now HMIS Carnatic had to return with defects.

A meeting of was held at Rangoon on 26 August 1945, in which representatives of the Supreme Allied commander, South East Asia and plenipotentiaries from the Japanese Southern Area Command.

As a result of this meeting all ships left their concentration points at Great Nicobar Island and Simalur on 27th August.

Vice Admiral Walker, CB with Force 11 and Commodore Poland with Force 68 anchored off Penang and Sabang respectively AM on 28 August. The remainder of the forces arrived off the Malayan shore on 29th August. Bad weather forced the small ships to anchor in the lee of Langkawi Island.

Also on 27 August 1945 more fleet minesweepers had departed Ceylon to join Force 155. These were HMS Recruit (A/Cdr. A.E. Doran, DSC, RN), HMS Chameleon (T/A/Lt.Cdr. D.P. Richardson, RNVR), HMS Pincher (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.B. Blake, RNVR), HMS Plucky (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G. Wallis, RNVR), HMS Rifleman (Lt. C.L. Carroll, DSC, RNR), HMIS Punjab(Lt. A.V. Baker, RIN) and HMS Deccan (?) and HMIS Bihar (T/Lt. J. Vendrell, RINR).

Senior Japanese officers at Penang came on board HMS Nelson on 28 August and signed an agreement that no attack would be made on the Fleet. Further meetings were held on the 29th, 30th and 31st. The Japanese proved cooperative and provided the necessary information relative to their minefields, including those at Singapore and other areas.

All arrangements were completed for the occupation of Penang and preparations made to land as soon as the instrument of surrender was signed at Tokyo. On 30th August, BYMS minesweepers began to sweep the northern approach channel to the harbour.

At Sabang, guarantees and information similar to that obtained at Penang were supplied by the Japanese during meetings on board HMS London. Arrangements were also made for all Japanese forces and Sumatran coolies to evacuate Pulu-Wei and proceeded to Kota Raja on the Sumatran mainland.

On 27 August, the Commander in Chief, East Indies, Admiral Sir A.J. Power, KCB, CVO, departed Colombo in HMS Cleopatra (Capt. B.I. Robertshaw, CBE, RN) arriving at Sabang on 29th August, and subsequently proceeding to Penang.

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