Allied Warships

HMS Northern Isles (4.25)

ASW Trawler

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeASW Trawler
Class[No specific class] 
Pennant4.25 
Built byDeschimag (Bremerhaven, Germany) 
Ordered 
Laid down 
Launched 
Commissioned5 Sep 1939 
Lost19 Jan 1945 
History

Completed in December 1936.
Taken over by the Admiralty on 28 August 1939.
Displacement: 655 tons.
Armament: 1 4" gun.

Lent to the United States Navy in February 1942 to operate of the US East coast under USN control.
Returned to RN control in October 1942.

HMS Northern Isles (T/Lt. David LeFleming Dobson, RNVR) was beached and lost off Durban, south Africa on 19 January 1945.

 

Commands listed for HMS Northern Isles (4.25)

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. Derik Sidney Alfred Hewett, RNR5 Sep 193925 Nov 1939
2Lt. Joseph Frank Twite, RNR25 Nov 19396 Oct 1940
3Lt. Alexander Gordon Scott, RNR6 Oct 1940Feb 1942
4T/Lt. John Maurice Baldry, RNVRFeb 1942Jan 1944
5T/Lt. Arthur Robert James Tilston, DSC, SANF(V)Jan 19441 Aug 1944
6T/Lt. David LeFleming Dobson, RNVR1 Aug 1944

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Notable events involving Northern Isles include:


12 Dec 1942
HMS P 614 (Lt. H.W. Wilkinson, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Freetown together with HMS Hydrangea (A/Lt.Cdr. J.E. Woolfenden, RD, RNR), FFS Commandant Drogou, HMS Viviana (Skr. R. Trueman, RNR) and HMS Northern Isles (T/Lt. J.M. Baldry, RNVR). (1)

4 Aug 1943
HMS P 614 (Lt. H.W. Wilkinson, RN) shifted from Cape Town to Simonstown. She was escorted by HMS Northern Isles (T/Lt. J.M. Baldry, RNVR). (2)

21 Oct 1943

Convoy AKD 4.

This convoy departed Aden on 21 October 1943.

On departure from Aden the convoy was made up of the following ships;
Atlantian (British, 6549 GRT, built 1928), Baron Renfrew (British, 3635 GRT, built 1935), Bosworth (British, 6672 GRT, built 1919), Clan MacDonald (British, 9653 GRT, built 1939), Clan MacIver (British, 4500 GRT, built 1925), Imperial Valley (British, 4573 GRT, built 1924), Ioannis Fafalios (Greek, 6071 GRT, built 1918), Mount Helikon (Greek, 5525 GRT, built 1918), Nirvana (British, 6044 GRT, built 1914), Panaghiotis (Greek, 3575 GRT, built 1901), Romney (British, 5840 GRT, built 1929), Salween (British, 7063 GRT, built 1937), Streefkerk (Dutch, 6185 GRT, built 1921) and Sutherland (British, 5170 GRT, built 1940).

The submarine HMS Trespasser (Lt.Cdr. R.M. Favell, RN) also took passage in the convoy.

On departure from Aden the convoy was escorted by the sloop HMS Lulworth (Lt.Cdr. R.C.S. Woolley, RNR) and the corvettes HMS Freesia (T/Lt.Cdr. G.M. Berlyn, SANF(V)) and HMS Jasmine (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.A. Hoodless, RNR).

Around 2100D/24, south-south-west of Socotra, HMS Trespasser parted company to proceed independently to Colombo.

The Mount Helikon straggled from the convoy and did not rejoin. She proceeded to Kilindini / Mombasa independently.

On 31 October 1943, off Kilindini / Mombasa the three corvettes parted company with the convoy after a new escort had joined. This was made up of the A/S trawlers HMS Arctic Explorer (T/Lt. C. Pawley, RNVR), HMS Cape Warwick (T/Lt. K.J. Stern, RNVR), HMS Lady Elsa (T/Lt. A.M. Brown, RNVR) and HMS Northern Isles (T/Lt. J.M. Baldry, RNVR).

Also proceeding to Kilindini / Mombasa were the following merchant vessels Clan MacIver and Salween.

Joined from Kilindini / Mombasa was the following ship; Shirala (British, 7841 GRT, built 1925).

On 1 November 1943, the following ship joined the convoy coming from Dar-es-Salaam; Wyvern (Norwegian, 4007 GRT, built 1929).

On 6 November 1943, the following ships were detached to Beira; Atlantian, Bosworth and Streefkerk while the following ships joined coming from Beira; Alpherat (Dutch, 5759 GRT, built 1928), Fort Maisonneuve (British, 7128 GRT, built 1942) and Geronimo (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943).

On 8 November 1943, the following ships were detached to Lourenço Marques; Baron Renfrew, Imperial Valley, Panaghiotis, Romney and Wyvern.

The convoy arrived at Durban on 9 November 1943. (3)

Sources

  1. ADM 173/17529
  2. ADM 173/17964
  3. ADM 199/643

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


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