HDML 1098
Nichol, Durban, South Africa 2/42
Known Crew
- LtCdr E L Bingham SANF(V) LtCdr 19/9/39 HMS Kongoni (Durban) HDML 1098 1942 (On commissioning) HMS Amzari (Vizigapatam)
- Lt G C M Brown SANF(V) Lt 1/11/42 Commanding Officer HDML 1098 14/6/43 HMS Assegai (Durban)
- TSLt S H Lane RNVR TSLt 21/11/43 HDML 1098 ML 464 9/4/45
Wartime Activities
- Unofficially named “Insizwa”
- 13/12/41 Commissioned
- 19/12/41 Sailed for Simonstown. Next day forced into East London by a gale and spent three days repairing storm damage.
Trials at Simonstown then returned to Durban and ordered to Ceylon.
110th ML Flotilla
HDMLs 1057, 1080, 1086, 1098 - 10/2/42 HDMLs 1086 and 1098 departed Durban for Kilindini, Kenya and tasked to escort two boom defence vessels to Addu Attol in the Maldives. Six days later, at Port Victoria in the Seychelles, HDML 1098 tasked to recover US personnel from Coetivy Island, 160 miles south of Mahe, before rejoining at Addu Attol.
Anti submarine patrols at Addu Attol
HDML 1098 tasked to bury casualties from HMS Cornwall and Dorsetshire, who had died there.
After twelve days, HDMLs 1086 and 1098, with a corvette, tasked to escort water carrier to Colombo. Distance to Colombo is 600 miles, but the required route to avoid contact with Japanese forces doubled that and HDML 1098 arrived in Colombo with 20 gallons left.
Patrolled Trincomelee and Colombo - 9/9/45 Operation Zipper – Invasion of Malaya diverted to Penang.
Post War History
- 1/47 For disposal at Hong Kong