Allied Warships

HMS Solvra (FY 334)

ASW Whaler

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeASW Whaler
Class[No specific class] 
PennantFY 334 
Built bySmiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down 
Launched7 Sep 1937 
CommissionedApr 1942 
End service 
History

Completed in November 1937.
Whaler of South Georgia Co. Ltd. (Chr.Salvesen & Co., Middlesborough, U.K.), requisitioned by the Admiralty in January 1942.
Displacement: 433 tons.

Returned to owner in September 1946.

 

Commands listed for HMS Solvra (FY 334)

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
1T/Lt. John Charles Elder, RNVR23 Apr 194224 Jul 1944
2T/Lt. William Bertram Delaney, RNVR24 Jul 1944Dec 1944
3T/Lt. Maxwell Low, DSC, RNVRDec 1944mid/late45

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Notable events involving Solvra include:


30 Mar 1943

Convoy MC 6.

This convoy departed Aden on 30 March 1943 for Durban via Kilindini.

On departure from Aden the convoy was made up of the (troop) transports; Arundel Castle (British, 19118 GRT, built 1921), City of Paris (British, 10902 GRT, built 1922), Maloja (British, 20914 GRT, built 1923) and Orduna (British, 15507 GRT, built 1914).

On departure from Aden the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Ceres (Capt. C.C.A. Allen, RN).

Around 1930C/4, the Arundel Castle and shortly afterwards the Maloja parted company with the convoy to proceed ahead to Kilindini.

Around 1100C/5, the Orduna parted company with the convoy to proceed to Dar es Salaam escorted by the minesweeping whaler HMS Solvra ( T/Lt. J.C. Elder, RNVR). They arrived at Dar-es-Salaam on the 6th.

HMS Ceres and the City of Paris arrived at Kilindini around 1540C/5.

The convoy departed for Durban on 6 April 1943. Now made up of the Arundel Castle, Christiaan Huygens (Dutch, 16287 GRT, built 1927), City of Paris and Maloja. The convoy was now escorted by the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (Capt. D. Young-Jamieson, RN).

The convoy arrived at Durban on 13 April 1943.

12 Jan 1945
HMS Vigorous (Lt. J.C. Ogle, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Kilindini with HMS Honesty (T/Lt. M.J. Rowlands, RNVR), HMS Solvra (T/Lt. M. Low, DSC, RNVR), ML 834 and aircraft. (1)

13 Jan 1945
HMS Vigorous (Lt. J.C. Ogle, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Kilindini with HMS Solvra (T/Lt. M. Low, DSC, RNVR), ML 834 and aircraft. (1)

23 Jan 1945
HMS Vigorous (Lt. J.C. Ogle, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Kilindini with HMS Solvra (T/Lt. M. Low, DSC, RNVR) and another vessel [unable to read the name in the log of HMS Vigorous]. (1)

8 Feb 1945
HMS Vigorous (Lt. J.C. Ogle, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Kilindini with HMS Freesia (T/Lt. W.L. Hancock, SANF(V)) and HMS Solvra (T/Lt. M. Low, DSC, RNVR). (2)

10 Feb 1945
HMS Vigorous (Lt. J.C. Ogle, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Kilindini with HMS Lulworth (Cdr. R.C.S. Woolley, RD, RNR) and HMS Solvra (T/Lt. M. Low, DSC, RNVR). (2)

13 Feb 1945
HMS Vigorous (Lt. J.C. Ogle, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Kilindini with HMS Solvra (T/Lt. M. Low, DSC, RNVR) and another vessel [unable to read the name in the log of HMS Vigorous]. (2)

Sources

  1. ADM 173/20272
  2. ADM 173/20273

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


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