HDML 1007

Sussex Shipbuilding Company, Shoreham, Sussex 14/2/41

London Gazette 19/12/44 – For firefighting following an explosion in ML 387 at Beirut 15/3/44

  • MID A PO James Henry Harrison LT/JX242192

London Gazette 11/12/45 – Wind up of the war in Europe

  • BEM PO Fred Marshall C/JX129717

Known Crew

  • Lt D E P D Scott Commanding Officer ML 353? 1/45 Commanding Officer HDML 1007 1/45 Assistant Surveyor 3rd Class
  • TLt Geoffrey William Searle RNVR He joined London Division RNVR as a rating (LDX4564) 2/39. Served in HMS Forfar (AMC) 9/39 – 4/40 and HMS Letitia (AMC) and HMS Osprey 11/40 – 1/41. 101st ML Flotilla Based at Alexandria Commanding Officer HDML 1007 1/41 – 4/42 and 6/42 – 3/7/42 HMS Stag for MLs 4/7/42 ML 353 in command 4-42 – 6/42 ML 355 in command 4/7/42 – 10/43 ML 349 in command and Senior Officer 42nd ML Flotilla 10/43 – 27/12/43 For operations in the Aegean 9 – 11/43 DSC. ML 351 in command and Senior Officer 11th ML Flotilla 27/12/43 – 4/44. ML 490 in command and Senior Officer 14th ML Flotilla 10 /4/44 – 7/45. Post war he was Chairman of the Executive Committee and Director of Finance and Planning, British Petroleum Trading Ltd and was awarded a CBE for services to export in 1972. Died 3/7/2006 in Surrey. Wrote of his experiences in “AT SEA LEVEL” ISBN 1 85776 912 0
  • TLt Michael Vivian Foster Poore RNVR TLt 5/3/43 101st ML Flotilla Based at Alexandria, Egypt Commanding Officer HDML 1007 3/5/43 Commanding Officer ML 354 22/1/44 HMS Mosquito (Alexandria) For services in the clearance of the Aegean and the relief of Greece 1945 MID 194
  • TSLt M L Adams RNVR TSLt 9/4/42 Commanding Officer HDML 1007 14/6/44 Lt 9/10/44 HMS Papua (Frigate)
  • TSLt Eric Wakeling RNVR TSLt First Lieutenant HDML 1007 from build
  • TLt 15/11/41 101st ML Flotilla Based at Alexandria HMS Stag (Port Said) for MLs 22/2/42 HMS Vernon
  • PO Fred Marshall C/JX129717 HDML 1007 Wind up of the war in Europe BEM
  • APO James Henry Harrison LT/JX242192 101st ML Flotilla Based at Alexandria, Egypt HDML 1007 For firefighting following an explosion in ML 387 at Beirut 15/3/44 MID
  • L Sea G D Filmore (Original Coxswain and later PO) Regular RN
  • AB F Bates HDML 1007 (From Hull)
  • AB A Hawkins HDML 1007
  • AB T V Hughes HDML 1007 (From Rosshire)
  • AB Kent HDML 1007 (From Lancashire)
  • AB J L Penfold HDML 1007
  • AB M J Ward HDML 1007
  • AB W D Wood HDML 1007
  • MtrMch W J Woodland HDML 1007
  • Sto C F Ludlow HDML 1007 (From Essex)
  • Tel J Noone HDML 1007 (From Liverpool)

Wartime Activities

  • Whilst TSLt Geoffrey Searle was standing by the building boat, his wife, living in Hove contracted a form of blood poisoning and required a major blood transfusion. Blood was in short supply so the crew donated a pint each. His wife, Constance, recovered and launched the boat. The commanding officer bought a barrel of beer for the crew and yard workers.
  • 2/41 Hamble for Work Up
  • 3/41 In company with MLs 1005, 1015 and 1051, on passage Hamble – Appledore – Holyhead – Clyde (Holy Loch) for transport to Middle East.
    At Appledore, the tide was misjudged and ML 1007 sat on the mud at low tide. ASDIC dome not yet fitted, so no damage done. The boats were secured to buoys and locked and the crews departed for leave before joining a troopship to Egypt.
  • 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 HDML 1005 and HDML 1007 escorted SS Goolistan and SS Afghanistan from Port Said to Alexandria
  • 30/9/41 HDML 1005 and HDML 1007 transferred to Haifa
    One night, they were sent to rescue survivors from a torpedoed tanker and hunt the submarine responsible. No boats, or survivors in the water, were found and the hunt was unsuccessful. The tanker crew had remained aboard, extinguished the fires and beached the vessel in Beirut.
  • 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 at Alexandria, Egypt
  • ML 1004, ML 1005, ML 1007, ML 1032 are delivered. ML 1046 and ML 1069 are being freighted. ML 1079 and ML 1083 are awaiting freighting.
    21/6/42 Alexandria – Mersah Matruh to cover evacuation of Tobruk. Arriving at Mersah Matruh, two vessels sighted and identified as MTBs
    Told that the town was being abandoned, ML 1007 departed eastwards but the sound of machine gun fire, shortly after leaving, provoked a return. The gunfire was caused by the base staff attempting to sink buoys and the instructions were then reinforced and followed.
  • 15/3/44 ML 1007, ML1143 (Free French), ML1158 and ML1164 (Free French) engaged in fire fighting after an explosion in ML 387 at Beirut. Four men mentioned in despatches. ML 387 lost and her Commanding Officer awarded an Albert Medal for fire fighting, until the boat blew up

Post War History

  • 9/46 For disposal Yacht = Naar
  • 1947 Loaned to Greece
  • Greek Navy = Karya
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