Frederick Basil Currie, RN
| Born | 23 Aug 1908 | Mowbray, Cape Town, South Africa | |
| Died | Dec 1940 | (32) |
| Ranks
Decorations |
Warship Commands listed for Frederick Basil Currie, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Regulus (i) (N 88) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | 31 Jul 1940 | 6 Dec 1940 |
Career information
Frederick Basil Currie born 23 Aug 1908 in Mowbray, Cape Town, South Africa baptized 13 Oct 1908 in St Pauls Church, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa died 6 Dec 1940.
Frederick Basil Currie went to Dartmouth Naval College from the age of 14 and became a naval officer. In 1940, during the 2nd World War, the submarine on which he was stationed was lost at sea and never traced. He never married.
Events related to this officer
Submarine HMS Regulus (i) (N 88)
30 Aug 1940
Around 2000C/30, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) departed Alexandria for her 5th war patrol (1st in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol off Benghazi, Libya.
For the daily and attack positions of HMS Regulus during this patrol see the map below.
(1)
17 Sep 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 2324A/17, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) sighted an enemy destroyer bearing 015° at a range which was thought to be about one mile. HMS Regulus dived and the destroyer commenced to drop depth charges.
The destroyer was the Italian Turbine (Capitano di Fregata R. Caruel). She had sailed from Benghazi at 2027B/18 bound for Tripoli. At 0030B/18 [note the 1 hour time zone difference], in Italian Grid 5371 [about 40 miles west of Benghazi], she sighted a submarine proceeding on the surface on course 270° at 12 knots. She tried to ram it but as she had closed to 100 metres, the submarine dived [Regulus reported the position as 32°02'N, 18°54'E or about 60 miles west of Benghazi]. Turbine immediately dropped a pattern of five depth charges [Regulus reported six, causing minor damage], three 50-kg set 25 metres, two 100-kg set at 50 and 75 metres. Turbine then returned for a second run, this time dropping nine depth charges [Regulus heard five, perhaps some failed to detonate]. C.F. Caruel claimed the submarine probably sunk and, at 0100B/18, Turbine resumed her passage to Tripoli where she arrived at 1613B/18. (2)
25 Sep 1940
At 2145B/25, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) fired four torpedoes at an unidentified ship. All missed. At 2150B/25 another two torpedoes were fired which also missed. Position was to the North of El Alamein, Egypt.
It was fortunate the torpedoes missed since the unidentified ship was the light cruiser HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN) returning from operations off Cyprus. (3)
26 Sep 1940
Around 0900C/26, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) ended her 5th war patrol (1st in the Mediterranean) at Alexandria. (3)
11 Oct 1940
Around 1730B/11, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) departed Alexandria for her 6th war patrol (2nd in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol in the central Mediterranean. Later she shifted patrol to the Gulf of Sirte.
For the daily positions of HMS Regulus during this patrol see the map below. No positions are known to us from 30 October 1940 onwards, therefore this map is incomplete.
(4)
2 Nov 1940
Around 0830B/2, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) ended her 6th war patrol (2nd in the Mediterranean) at Alexandria. (5)
18 Nov 1940
Around 0905B/18, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) departed Alexandria for her 7th war patrol (3rd in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol off the Gulf of Taranto.
23 Nov 1940
HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) was ordered to patrol in the lower Adriatic and Straits of Otranto.
30 Nov 1940
At 0613B/30, the Italian transport Veloce (5437 GRT, built 1911) in convoy reported an explosion a few miles off Otranto (it was not clear if she was torpedoed or mined although the Italians seemed to believe she was mined). She was in convoy with the Albano (2358 GRT, built 1918) and Ninuccia (4583 GRT, built 1910). They were escorted by the armed merchant cruiser Città di Tunisi (5419 GRT, built 1930) and were en-route to Brindisi. The vessel was abandoned in heavy weather, Città di Tunisi attempted to tow her but the cable broke. She was finally beached and the tugs Ursus (354 GRT, built 1918) and Ercole (480 GRT, built 1928) were sent to her assistance to free her and she was eventually towed to harbour. The whole crew of 39 was saved. It is not impossible that she was the victim of a torpedo attack from HMS Regulus but we have no positive proof as the submarine did not return from her patrol.
Sources
- ADM 173/16479
- ADM 173/16480 + Platon Alexiades
- ADM 173/16480
- ADM 173/16481
- ADM 53/112703 + ADM 199/2568
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
You can help improve officers Frederick Basil Currie's page
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this officer.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve his page.