uboat.net

  Front page - Fighting the U-boats - Allied Warships

Follow us on Twitter
@uboatnet

Notable events involving Brimness include:

7 May 1940
After having arrived with convoy FN 163 off Methil, the (AA) destroyer HMS Valentine (Cdr. H.J. Buchanan, RAN) and the sloop HMS Weston (Lt.Cdr. S.C. Tuke, RN) proceeded to Rosyth. They obtained an A/S contact to the east-north-east of May Island and started a hunt. HMS Valentine dropped depth charges and reported oil rising to the surface. They were relieved the following day by the A/S trawlers HMS Brimness (Skr. A. Keable, RNR) and HMS Thornwick Bay (Lt.Cdr. E.D. Wallis, RNVR). (1)

2 Jun 1943
HrMs O 14 (Lt.Cdr. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) conducted A/S exercises in the Firth of Forth with HMS Brimness (Skr. A.E. Larner, RNR), HMS Kingston Onyx, HMS Polka (T/Lt. I.A. Thorpe, MBE, RNVR) and HMS Berkshire (Skr. G. Bruce, RNR). (2)

4 Jun 1943
HrMs O 14 (Lt.Cdr. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) conducted A/S exercises in the Firth of Forth with HMS Westminster (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Bowerman, DSC, RN), HMS Brimness (Skr. A.E. Larner, RNR), HMS Vega (Lt. C.G. Forsberg, RN) and HMS Wallace (Lt. D. Carson, RN). (2)

6 Jun 1943
HrMs O 14 (Lt.Cdr. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) conducted A/S exercises in the Firth of Forth with HMS Lady Beryl, HMS Brimness (Skr. A.E. Larner, RNR) and HMS Winchester (Lt. J.R. Gower, RN). (2)

18 Nov 1943
HMS Viking (Lt. R. Bannar-Martin, DSC, RN) departed Holy Loch for Lerwick. She was escorted by HMS Brimness (A/Skr.Lt. J.F. Banks, RNR). (3)

23 Nov 1943
HMS Venturer (Lt. J.S. Launders, DSC, RN) ended her 1st war patrol at Lerwick. She departed for Holy Loch later the same day. She was escorted by HMS Brimness (A/Skr.Lt. J.F. Banks, RNR). (4)

14 Feb 1944
HrMs Zeehond (Lt.Cdr. Baron D.T. Mackay, RNN) departed Rothesay for Lerwick. She made the passage north through the Minches together with HMS Venturer (Lt. J.S. Launders, DSC, RN) that was to proceed to Scapa Flow. They were escorted by HMS Brimness (T/Skr. W. Anderson, RNR). (5)

12 Dec 1944

Combined convoy OS 98 / KMS 72.

The first section of the convoy departed the Clyde on 12 December 1944.

This section was made up of the following merchant vessels; City of Agra (British, 6361 GRT, built 1936), Fort Anne (British, 7134 GRT, built 1943), Fort Grouard (British, 7132 GRT, built 1943), Maaskerk (Dutch, 4343 GRT, built 1929), Pandorian (British, 4159 GRT, built 1941), Ragnhild (Norwegian, 2833 GRT, built 1941), Sambrian (British, 7219 GRT, built 1943), Samteviot (British, 7219 GRT, built 1944), San Casto (Belgian, 2588 GRT, built 1938) and Tactician (British, 5996 GRT, built 1928). The convoy was escorted by the corvettes HMS Leeds Castle (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.T. Hodson, DSC and Bar, RNVR), HMS Pentstemon (T/Lt. D.C. Williams, RNVR) and HMS Rhododendron (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H. Vernon, RNR).

Around 0800A/13, the submarines HMS Torbay (Lt. C.P. Norman, DSO, RN) and HMS Scythian (T/Lt C.P. Thode, RNZNVR) joined the convoy.

Later that morning some merchant vessels joined the convoy coming from Belfast, these were the following; Harmattan (British, 4558 GRT, built 1930) and Nela (British, 7220 GRT, built 1916).

Around 1100A/15, to the south of Ireland, in approximate position 50°50'N 7°52'W, the following merchant vessels which made up the Liverpool and Milford Haven sections of the convoy joined the convoy; Amstelkerk (Dutch, 4457 GRT, built 1929), Baron Forbes (British, 3061 GRT, built 1915), Campus (British, 3667 GRT, built 1925), Commandant Dorise (French, 5529 GRT, built 1917), Consuelo (British, 4847 GRT, built 1937), Empire Clive (British, 7069 GRT, built 1941), Empire Mallory (British, 6327 GRT, built 1941), Empire Meteor (British, 7457 GRT, built 1940), Empire Planet (British, 4290 GRT, built 1923), Fort St. James (British, 7128 GRT, built 1942), Hartlepool (British, 5500 GRT, built 1932), Joshua Thomas (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Jurko Topic (Yugoslavian, 5202 GRT, built 1919), Leonidas (Greek, 4573 GRT, built 1929), Lornaston (British, 4934 GRT, built 1925), Monkleigh (British, 5203 GRT, built 1927), New Texas (British, 6568 GRT, built 1919), Newchang (British, 2482 GRT, built 1922), Norefjord (Norwegian, 3082 GRT, built 1920), Peebles (British, 4982 GRT, built 1936), Princes Maria-Pia (Belgian, 2588 GRT, built 1938), Samcrest (British, 7210 GRT, built 1944) and Souliotis (Greek, 4299 GRT, built 1917).

The cable laying vessel HMS St. Margarets (T/A/Cdr. E.W. Witney, RNR) also joined.

The Liverpool and Milford Haven sections had been escorted to the rendezvous position by the A/S trawlers HMS Brimness (A/Skr.Lt. C.W. Burman, RNR) (from Liverpool), HMS Thornwick Bay (T/A/Skr.Lt. G. Clixby, RNR) and HMS Van Dyk (T/A/Skr.Lt. W.G. Euston, RNR) (both from Milford Haven).

The convoy was dispersed A.M. on the 17th on reaching latitude 47°00'N.

The two submarines proceeded to Gibraltar escorted by HMS Leeds Castle.

HMS Pentstemon and HMS Rhododendron proceeded to join northbound convoy MKS 70.