Allied Warships

HMS Helford (K 252)

Frigate of the River class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeFrigate
ClassRiver 
PennantK 252 
Built byHall, Russell & Co. Ltd. (Aberdeen, Scotland) : Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. (Scotstoun, Scotland) 
Ordered1 Jan 1942 
Laid down27 Jun 1942 
Launched6 Feb 1943 
Commissioned26 Jun 1943 
End service 
History

Scrapped 29 June 1956.

 

Commands listed for HMS Helford (K 252)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Cdr. Charles George Cuthbertson, DSC, RNR26 Jul 1943early 1946

You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.

Notable events involving Helford include:


3 Aug 1943
Around 1400B/3, the battleship HMS Ramillies (Cdr. G.V.M. Dolphin, RN) and the escort carriers HMS Stalker (Capt. H.S. Murray-Smith, RN), HMS Hunter (Capt. H.H. McWilliam, RN), HMS Battler (A/Capt. F.M.R. Stephenson, RN) and HMS Attacker (Capt. W.W.P. Shirley-Rollison, RN) departed Greenock for Gibraltar / Casablanca.

They were escorted by the destroyers HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN), HMS Inconstant (Lt.Cdr J.H. Eaden, DSC, RN), HMS Brilliant (Lt. J. Smallwood, RN) and the frigate HMS Plym (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A. Foxall, RNR).

Around 2130B/3, they were joined by the frigates HMS Helford (Cdr. C.G. Cuthbertson, DSC, RNR) and HMS Teviot (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN).

Heavy weather was encountered during the night of 4/5 August 1943 and around 1145B/5, HMS Hunter parted company to return to the Clyde with damage. She arrived at Liverpool around 0845B/7.

The remainder of the force hove too to avoid further damage. HMS Brilliant had lost touch with the force in the bad weather.

Around 0050B/7, the destroyers HMS Warwick (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSO, DSC, RD, RNR) and HMS Vimy (Lt.Cdr. J.N.K. Knight, RN) joined coming from Plymouth.

Around 2300B/8, the destroyer HMS Witherington (Lt.Cdr. R.B.S. Tennant, RN) joined coming from Gibraltar.

Around 0600B/9, HMS Ramillies parted company with the force to proceed to Casablanca. She took HMS Quality, HMS Inconstant and HMS Brilliant with her. They arrived at Casablanca around 1330B/9.

The remainder of the force arrived at Gibraltar around 2200B/9 except for HMS Warwick which continued on to Algiers where she arrived on 10 August. (1)

25 Aug 1943
Around 1230Z/25, the battleship HMS Ramillies (Capt. G.B. Middleton, CBE, RN) departed Freetown for Walvis Bay. On departure she first carried out gunnery exercises.

Around 1630Z/25, on completion of the exercises, she was joined by the destroyers HMS Roebuck (Cdr. J.T. Lean, DSO, RN), HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN) and the frigates HMS Helford (Cdr. C.G. Cuthbertson, DSC, RNR), HMS Plym (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A. Foxall, RNR) and HMS Teviot (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN).

Around 1730Z/25, the armed merchant cruiser HMS Cilicia (Capt.(Retd.) J.M. Scott, RN) also joined.

They arrived at Walvis Bay around 0830B/3. (2)

3 Sep 1943
Around 2300B/3, the battleship HMS Ramillies (Capt. G.B. Middleton, CBE, RN), armed merchant cruiser HMS Cilicia (Capt.(Retd.) J.M. Scott, RN) destroyers HMS Roebuck (Cdr. J.T. Lean, DSO, RN), HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN) and the frigates HMS Helford (Cdr. C.G. Cuthbertson, DSC, RNR), HMS Plym (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A. Foxall, RNR) and HMS Teviot (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN) departed Walvis Bay for Capetown.

They arrived off Capetown around 1200B/6. HMS Quality and HMS Helford did not enter harbour but proceeded to Simonstown instead where they arrived later the same day. (3)

9 Aug 1944

Combined convoys AB 43 / ABK 43.

They departed Aden on 9 August 1944.

Convoy AB 43.

This convoy was made up of the following (troop) transports;
City of Capetown (British, 8046 GRT, built 1937), Clan Cameron (British, 7243 GRT, built 1937), Clan Campbell (British, 9545 GRT, built 1943), Dunnottar Castle (British, 15007 GRT, built 1936), Glaucus (British, 7596 GRT, built 1921), Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (Dutch, 19429 GRT, built 1930), Mooltan (British, 20952 GRT, built 1923), Strathaird (British, 22281 GRT, built 1932), Strathnaver (British, 22283 GRT, built 1931) and Tegelberg (Dutch, 14150 GRT, built 1937).

The submarine depot ship HMS Wolfe (A/Capt. J.E. Slaughter, DSO, RN) was also part of the convoy.

On departure from Aden the convoy was escorted by the destroyers i>HMAS Norman (Cdr. H.J. Buchanan DSO, RAN), HMS Penn (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, DSO, DSC, RN) and the frigates HMS Halladale (Lt.Cdr. J.E. Woolfenden, RD, RNR), HMS Helford (Cdr. C.G. Cuthbertson, DSC, RNR) and HMS Trent (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.G. Rankin, DSC, RNR).

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Convoy ABK 43.

This convoy was made up of the following troop transports;
Highland Chieftain (British, 14135 GRT, built 1929), Indrapoera (Dutch, 10825 GRT, built 1925) and Moreton Bay (British, 14193 GRT, built 1921).

On departure from Aden the convoy was escorted by the frigates HMS Tay (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Sherwood, RNR) and HMS Kale (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Houchen, OBE, RD, RNR).

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The convoys proceeded in company until 12 August when convoy ABK 43 was detached (in approximate position 16°40'N, 61°53'E) to Karachi where it arrived on 14 August.

Convoy AB 43 arrived at Bombay also on 14 August.

25 Aug 1944
On 25 August 1944, the troopship Dunnottar Castle (British, 15007 GRT, built 1936) departed Colombo for Melbourne. She was escorted by the destroyer HMAS Quickmatch (Lt.Cdr. O.H. Becher, DSC, RAN) and the frigate HMS Helford (Cdr. C.G. Cuthbertson, DSC, RNR).

On the same day the submarine depot ship HMS Maidstone (Capt. L.M. Shadwell, RN) and the escort carrier HMS Atheling (A/Cdr. H.L. Oliver, RN) departed Trincomalee for Fremantle and Mauritius respectively. They were escorted by the light cruiser HMS Nigeria (Capt. H.A. King, DSO, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral A.D. Read, CB, RN) and the destroyer HMAS Norman (Cdr. H.J. Buchanan DSO, RAN) and HMAS Nizam (Cdr. C.H. Brooks, RAN).

HMAS Norman however soon returned to harbour after the destroyers HrMs Van Galen (Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN) and HMS Pathfinder (Lt.Cdr. T.F. Hallifax, RN), which had already been at sea, had joined.

These two groups made rendezvous around 1845FG(-6.5)/26. HMAS Quickmatch was then detached to return to Colombo.

At 0030FG/29, HMAS Nizam, HrMS Van Galen and HMS Pathfinder parted company. HMAS Nizam and HMS Pathfinder returned to Trincomalee while HrMs Van Galen proceeded to Colombo. They all arrived on 31 August 1944.

At 0045FG/29, HMS Atheling and HMS Helford parted company.

This left the Dunnottar Castle and HMS Maidstone proceeding towards Australia escorted by HMS Nigeria.

At 1330H/4, the Dunnottar Castle parted company to proceed to Melbourne.

HMS Maidstone and HMS Nigeria arrived at Fremantle around noon on the 5th.

23 Aug 1945
HMS Vengeance (Capt. D.M.L. Neame, DSO and Bar, RN) conducted flying exercises off Manus during which she was escorted by HMS Helford (Cdr. C.G. Cuthbertson, DSC, RNR). (4)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/117004 + ADM 53/117648 + ADM 53/118403 + ADM 53/118573 + ADM 199/2273
  2. ADM 53/117230 + ADM 53/117231 + ADM 53/118403 + ADM 53/118404
  3. ADM 53/117231 + ADM 53/118404
  4. ADM 53/122463

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


Return to the Allied Warships section