Allied Warships

HMS Scarab (T 59)

River gunboat of the Insect class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeRiver gunboat
ClassInsect 
PennantT 59 
Built byWood Skinner & Co. Ltd. (Newcastle, England U.K.) 
Ordered9 Feb 1915 
Laid down 
Launched7 Oct 1915 
Commissioned14 Nov 1915 
End service 
History

Sold for scrap in May 1948.

 

Commands listed for HMS Scarab (T 59)

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
1Lt.Cdr. Hugh Forbes Robertson-Aikman, RN26 Sep 193816 Apr 1940
2Lt.Cdr. John Andrew Agnew, RN30 Apr 194022 Oct 1940
3B P Shellard, RN22 Oct 1940late 1941
4Lt. Jack Broughton Cox, RNlate 1941early 1943
5T/Lt. Ewan Cameron, RNZNVRearly 194319 Apr 1944
6T/Lt. Edward Albert Hawkesworth, RNVR19 Apr 1944Jan 1945
7Lt. Douglas Macmillam Watson, RNVRJan 19455 Jul 1945
8A/Lt.Cdr. Barry John Anderson, RN6 Jul 1945Nov 1945

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Notable events involving Scarab include:


27 Oct 1941
HMS Durban (Capt. P.G.L. Cazalet, DSC, RN) departed Penang escorting the river gunboats HMS Seamew (Lt.Cdr. R.B. Cooper, RN) and HMS Scarab (Lt. J.B. Cox, RN) and two tugs and the auxiliary HMS Mata Hari.

On the 30th HMS Durban fuelled the river gunboats and the tugs coaled from the Mata Hari. They departed for Trincomalee later the same day except for the Mata Hari.

HMS Durban, HMS Seamew, HMS Scarab and the two tugs arrived at Trincomalee on 3 November.

On 4 November they departed Trincomalee for Colombo where they arrived on 6 November. (1)

3 Sep 1943

Operation Baytown.

Allied landing between Catona and Reggio Calabria.

The 5th Division, 13 Corps and the 1st Canadian Division were landed on three beaches between Catona and Reggio Calabria during the early hours of the morning. Troops and stores were ferried across the Straits of Messina in 22 LST's, 65 LCI(L)'s, 38 LCT's, 100 LCM's and 70 LCA's.

Support for the landing was provided by the light cruisers HMS Mauritius (Capt. W.W. Davis, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral C.H.J. Harcourt, CBE, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.C.P. Menzies, RN), monitors HMS Abercrombie (A/Capt. G.V.B. Faulkner, RN), HMS Roberts (A/Capt.(Retd.) R.E.C. Dunbar, RN), HMS Erebus (Cdr.(Retd.) H.W. D'Arcy-Evans, RN), destroyers HMS Quilliam (Capt. S.H. Carlill, DSO, RN), HMS Quail (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Jenks, RN), HMS Queenborough (Cdr. E.P. Hinton, DSO and Bar, MVO, RN), HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Leonard, RN), Loyal, HMS Loyal (Lt.Cdr. H.E.F. Tweedie, DSC, RN),ORP Piorun (Kmdr.por. (Cdr.) S.T. Dzienisiewicz), monitors HMS Abercrombie (A/Capt. G.V.B. Faulkner, RN), HMS Roberts (A/Capt.(Retd.) R.E.C. Dunbar, RN), HMS Erebus (Cdr.(Retd.) H.W. D'Arcy-Evans, RN) and the (river) gunboats HMS Aphis (Lt.Cdr. F.Y. Bethell, RN) and HMS Scarab (T/Lt. E. Cameron, RNZNVR).

A heavy barrage by 8th Army artillery sited on Sicily preceded the landing and the first assault wave touched down at 0430B/3 and found very little opposition. By 0730B/19 advance elements of the Canadian Division were on the outskirts of Reggio Calabria and the aerodrome was captured during the morning. The 8th Army reached Cannitello during the day.

The population was reported as friendly. 2500 Prisoners were taken the majority being Italians.

By 1400B/3, a second flight was well under way, all first flights loads having been cleared well ahead of the planned programme.

The naval port party had entered Reggio Calabria at 0945B/3. In the harbour the outer breakwater was found to be undamaged, with bollards intactand wholly clear of underwater obstructions. Other quays have suffered damage through bombing but should be quickly repairable.

During the day the C-in-C, Mediterranean, Admiral of the Fleet Sir A.B. Cunningham, GCB, DSO and 2 Bars, RN, inspected the landing beaches from the destroyer HMS Tartar (Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, DSC, RN).

During the night three of the destroyers, HMS Quilliam, HMS Quail and HMS Queenborough (Cdr. E.P. Hinton, DSO and Bar, MVO, RN), patrolled south-east of the Straits of Messina and coastal forces north of Messina and off the south Calabrian coast to guard against interference with enemy surface forces. The two cruisers and the remaining destroyers patrolled north of Cape Santa Groce (near Augusta) and east of 16°E. The monitors and gunboats anchored south of Taormina during the night.

HMS Quilliam, HMS Quail and HMS Queenborough (Cdr. E.P. Hinton, DSO and Bar, MVO, RN) had been ordered to leave patrol around 0600B/4 and then proceed to Malta arriving there around 1030B/4.

HMS Mauritius, HMS Orion, HMS Offa, HMS Loyal and ORP Piorun returned to Augusta around 0800B/4.

HMS Erebus, HMS Aphis and HMS Scarab remained off the landing beaches to give fire support if required.

[The movements of HMS Abercrombie and HMS Robets are not clear and will have to be further reseached. It appears though that thy had already returned to Augusta on 3 September.] (2)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/114183 + ADM 53/114184 + ADM 199/408 + ADM 199/411
  2. ADM 199/461

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


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