HDML 1005

HDML 1005

Hillyard, Littlehampton, West Sussex 17/2/41

London Gazette 13/3/45 – Wind up of the war in Europe

• MBE TLt Hugh Douglas Thornton RNVR

Known Crew

• TLt Kenneth J R Peacock RNVR Lt 27/12/40 Commanding Officer HDML 1005 1941 101st ML Flotilla based at Alexandria HMS Stag (Port Said) for MLs 4/7/42 HMS Bellwort (Corvette) 1944
• TLt B C Coleman RNVR TSLt HMS Stag for MLs 27/5/42 LS 8 Operation Stanley, 5 raiding voyages in the Mediterranean MID TLt 5/3/43 HMS Mosquito Commanding Officer HDML 1005 30/4/43- 12/44 Commanding Officer ML 842 For seven operations to Crete (Gazette Date – 5/9/44) MID Birthday Honours 1945 DSC Commanding Officer MTB 221 15/3/45 – 7/45. Born 1918 in Steyning, Sussex
• TLt Hugh Douglas Thornton RNVR TLt 28/10/41 HMS Edinburgh Castle (Freetown, Sierra Leone) HMS Fabius (Taranto) 1944 Commanding Officer HDML 1005 5/45 working behind enemy lines Wind up of the war in Europe MBE. Previously served with 8th Army and in an HDML at Freetown and in the Greek Islands. He was trained as a Hydrographer. Died 1995

Wartime Activities

• 3/41 In company with MLs 1007, 1015 and 1051, on passage Hamble – Appledore – Holyhead – Clyde (Holy Loch) for transport to Middle East.
• 5/41 Vessel loaded in Norwegian vessel SS Belpareil for transport to Suez. – SS Belpareil departed as part of Convoy OB-329
• 1/6/41 Officers and crews of the boats embarked in SS Orbita, on the Clyde.
• 5/6/41 Convoy dispersed and S.S. BelPareil steamed independently to Suez (via Freetown, Capetown, Mombasa, Aden, Massawa, and Port Sudan, as well as other ports.)
• 27/7/41 SS Orbita arrived Durban, crew transferred to the Dutch ship Nieuw Amsterdam
• 8/41 Vessel arrived, in transport, at Suez and unloaded.
• 27/8/41 Northbound transit of Suez Canal
• 22/9/41 In company with ML 1007 escorted SS Goolistan and SS Afghanistan from Port Said to Alexandria
• 30/9/41 HDML 1005 and HDML 1007 transferred to Haifa
• 19/12/41 HDML 1005 and HDML 1007, transferred to Alexandria to carry out anti submarine patrols in the wake of the Italian human torpedo attacks on the Mediterranean Fleet.
• 1/1/42 101st ML Flotilla – Based Alexandria, Egypt – ML 1004, ML 1005, ML 1007, ML 1032 delivered. ML 1046 and ML 1069 being freighted. ML 1079 and ML 1083 awaiting freighting.
• 17/3/42 At 23.03, U-83 fired a spread of three torpedoes at a steamer in convoy AT-34 near Tobruk and missed. At 23.17, one torpedo was fired that hit Crista and set her on fire. Two officers and five ratings were lost. The survivors abandoned ship and were picked up by the South African M/S whaler HMSAS Bokburg.
• The abandoned Crista was located by the British motor torpedo boat HMS MTB-266, which anchored her off Bardia where the fires were extinguished. She was taken in tow by HMS St. Monance (W 63) to Alexandria for repairs, escorted by the British armed trawler HMS Southern Isle and HDML-1005 and HDML1069, arriving on 28 March

Post War History

• 10/46 Sold at Malta