Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | MS Trawler |
Class | [No specific class] |
Pennant | T 37 |
Built by | Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd. (Selby, U.K.) |
Ordered | |
Laid down | |
Launched | 20 Nov 1930 |
Commissioned | 28 Nov 1936 |
End service | |
History | Completed in December 1930. Became a danlayer in 1945. |
Commands listed for HMS Sycamore (T 37)
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.
Commander | From | To | |
1 | Lt.Cdr. Albert Eric Sercombe, RN | 28 Nov 1936 | 9 Sep 1939 |
2 | Lt. (retired) Arthur Hugh Fothergill Norman, RN | 9 Sep 1939 | Dec 1940 |
3 | T/Skr. Hector Rawle Pook, RNR | Dec 1940 | 22 Mar 1941 |
4 | Skr. Frederick William Hodson, RNR | 22 Mar 1941 | 11 Jun 1941 |
5 | T/Skr. Edward Westhead, RNR | 11 Jun 1941 | Sep 1941 |
6 | Skr. George Reaich, RNR | Sep 1941 | early 1944 |
7 | T/Skr. Robert William Shenton, RNR | early 1944 | 18 Jan 1945 |
8 | A/Skr. William Alfred Jackson, RNR | 18 Jan 1945 | late 1945 |
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Notable events involving Sycamore include:
6 Jul 1943
Operation Camera.
The object of this operation was to pin down enemy forces in Norway before the Sicilian campaign commenced.
Four forces were deployed during this operation, these were; ' The Battlefleet ' to provide cover for the operation. It was made up of the battleships HMS Duke of York (Capt. G.E. Creasy, DSO, RN, flying the flag of A/Admiral B.A. Fraser, KCB, KBE, RN, C-in-C Home Fleet), USS South Dakota (Capt. L.D. McCormick, USN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral O.M. Hustvedt, USN), aircraft carrier HMS Furious (Capt. G.T. Philip, DSO, DSC, RN), light cruiser HMS Glasgow (Capt. E.M. Evans-Lombe, RN) and the destroyers HMS Milne (Capt. I.M.R. Campbell, DSO, RN), HMS Mahratta (Lt.Cdr. E.A.F. Drought, DSC, RN), HMS Meteor (Lt.Cdr. D.J.B. Jewitt, RN) and HMS Musketeer (Cdr. E.N.V. Currey, DSC, RN), USS Ellyson (T/Cdr. E.W. Longton, USN), USS Rodman (T/Cdr. J.F. Foley, USN), USS Emmons (T/Cdr. E.B. Billingsley, USN), USS Macomb (T/Cdr. J.C. South, USN) and USS Fitch (T/Cdr. K.C. Walpole, USN).
' Force Q ' was made up of the light cruiser HMS Belfast (Capt. F.R. Parham, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral R.L. Burnett, CB, DSO, OBE, RN, Senior Officer ' Force Q ' ), heavy cruisers HMS Kent (Capt. G.A.B. Hawkins, DSC, MVO, RN), HMS London (Capt. R.V. Symonds-Tayler, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Rear Admiral L.H.K. Hamilton, CB, DSO and Bar, RN) and the destroyers HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. C.E.L. Sclater, DSO and Bar, RN) and HMS Onslaught (Cdr. W.H. Selby, DSC, RN).
' Force R ', which was representing a convoy was made up of the destroyers HMS Opportune (Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, DSO and Bar, RN, Senior Officer ' Force R '), HMS Obedient (Lt.Cdr. H. Unwin, DSC and Bar, RN), trawlers HMS Bressay (T/Lt. J.E. Wilmot, RNVR), HMS Cape Barracouta (Skr.Lt.(Retd.) A. Flaws, DSC, RNR), HMS Cape Nyemetzki (T/Lt. A. Flaaten, RNR), HMS Hamlet (T/Lt. J.C. Boyd, RNVR), HMS Hawthorn (T/Lt. G.W. Fox, RNVR), HMS Larch (T/Skr. J.G. Mackay, RNR), HMS Macbeth (T/Lt. A. Parker, RNR), HMS Oak (A/Skr.Lt. P. Buchan, DSC, RNR), HMS Skye (T/Lt. W.G. Burt, RNR), HMS Sycamore (Skr. G. Reaich, RNR) and the Motor Launches HMML 276 (T/Lt. E.W. Lovelady, RNVR), HMML 286 (T/Lt. J.R.T. Ward, RNVR), HMML 345 (T/Lt. A. Priestley, RNVR), HMML 445 (T/Lt. B.W. Kelly, RNVR), HMML 452 (T/Lt. P.L.K. Wait, RNVR), HMML 466 (T/Lt.Cdr. D. Wilkie, RNVR).
' Force S ' which was made up of the heavy cruisers HMS Berwick (Capt. H.J. Egerton, RN, Senior Officer ' Force S '), HMS Norfolk (Capt. D.K. Bain, RN) and the destroyer HMS Scorpion (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN).
Around 1630A/6, ' Force S ' left Hvalfiord, Iceland for position 'A' (66°13'N, 12°05'W) and then to position 'B' (66°40'N, 10°01'W).
Around 0700B/7, ' Force R ' left Scapa Flow for position ' W ' (61°15'N, 01°25'W) and then to position ' X ' (61°40'N, 01°00'E).
Around 0900B/7, ' Force Q ' (besides HMS Obdurate) left Scapa Flow for position ' T ' (62°20'N, 05°30'W) where it was joined by HMS Obdurate coming from Skaalefiord, Faeroer, and then to position ' V ' (62°20'N, 01°00'E).
Around 1700B/7, ' The Battlefleet ' left Scapa Flow for position ' Y ' (62°52'N, 01°45'W) and then to position ' Z ' (61°20'N, 01°00'E).
In the afternoon of 8 July all forces commenced to withdraw having been sighted by enemy aircraft as had been the idea.
Martlets from HMS Furious shot down one BV 138 aircraft which was shadowing the ' Battlefleet ' and ' Force R '.
On 9 July, HMS Obdurate was detached from ' Force Q ' to return to Skaalefiord.
' Force Q ' and later the ' Battlefleet ' both returned to Scapa Flow arriving around 1300B/9 and 1600B/9 respectively.
' Force R ' arrived at Sullom Voe, sailing again P.M. for Scapa Flow.
' Force S ' returned to Hvalfiord where they arrived around 2330Z/9.
' Force R ' returned to Scapa Flow around 0700A/10. (1)
Sources
- ADM 199/632
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.