MOVEMENTS.

15 June 1943, completed.
28 Aug 1943, New York, USA.
31 Aug 1943, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
3 Sep 1943, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
5 to 10 Sep 1943, St John’s Newfoundland, Canada.
17 to 20 Sep 1943, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
25 Sep to 27 Oct, 1943, Humber.
9 to 12 Nov 1943 Gibraltar.
26 to 30 Nov 1943, Bizerte, Tunisia.
20 Dec 1943, Bari, Italy, Adriatic.
29 Feb 1944, Bari, Italy, Adriatic.
1 March 1944, Bari, Italy, Adriatic.
11 May 1944, Bari, Italy, Adriatic.
11 May 1944, Brindisi, Italy, Adriatic.
11 to 14 May 1944, Taranto, Italy.
15 and 16 May 1944, Messina, Sicily.
12 June 1944, Messina, Sicily.
21 Aug 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
23 Aug 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
5 Nov 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
22 Nov 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
10 Dec 1944, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
6 Jan 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
5 March 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
10 and 11 May 1945, Trieste, Italy.
17 to 22 May 1945, Trieste, Italy.
24 May 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
29 May to 5 June 1945, Venice, Italy.
6 to 30 June 1945, Trieste, Italy.
30 June 1945, Venice, Italy.
2 and 3 Aug 1945, Ancona, Italy, Adriatic.
6 June 1947, returned to USA.

AWARDS FOR MINESWEEPING
DSC: Distinguished Service Cross. DSM: Distinguished Service Medal. MID: Mention in Dispatches.

John Wilson GOODBRAND, LT/KX131041, Chief Engineman, BYMS 2175, 15 May 45. MID awarded for gallantry, perseverance and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations under enemy fire in the Adriatic Aug - Dec 1944.

John Geddes MURRAY, LT/JX177021, BYMS 2175, 15 May 45 DSM awarded for gallantry, perseverance and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations under enemy fire in the Adriatic. Aug - Dec 1944.

14 Jun 45, awarded an MID.  Frederick PRIESTLEY, T/JX221507, CPO. BYMS 2175. 15 May 45. MID awarded for gallantry, perseverance and devotion to duty in minesweeping operations under enemy fire in the Adriatic.

BYMS 2175
British Yard Mine Sweeper

BRITISH YARD MINE SWEEPERS

BYMS’s were built in the United States and transferred the Royal Navy under the Lend-lease Programme. “British Yard Mine Sweepers” are so called because they were built to the same design as the US Navy’s “Yard Mine Sweepers”.  

Crews for the BYMS’s would sail to the United States, often on the Queen Mary, which could sail unescorted because of her greater speed, to collect their vessel. They would then have the formidable task of sailing their small vessel back across the Atlantic Ocean, often in winter. 

MINE SWEEPING FLOTILLA: 162nd MSF, Levant, (Eastern Mediterranean): 2033, 2053, 2075, 2174, 2175, 2212, 2240.

Built by: Henry C. Grebe and Co., Chicago, Illinois, United States (On Lake Michigan).
Laid down: 27 June 1942.
Launched: 9 January 1943.  
Handed over to Royal Navy: 15 June 1943.
Returned to USA: 6 June 1947.
Reassigned to Egypt in 1949 and re-named Tor.
Reassigned to Algeria in 1962 and re-named Djebel Aures. Wrecked on rocks on 5 May 1963, off Algiers.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Wooden hull. Length, 130 feet. Beam, 25 feet 6 inches. Depth, 12 feet I inch. Draft, 8 foot 10.5 inches. Displacement 207-215 tons.

Engine: Two 800 bhp General Motors diesel engines.

Speed: 14.6 knots. 10 knots while sweeping. (Eight knots with double Oropesa sweeps)

Range: 2,500 at ten knots.

Compliment: 3 officers and 27 men.

Armament: One 3-inch HA/LA gun and two Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.

BYMS’s were fitted with a drum on the stern with LL (double L) cables for sweeping magnetic mines, an acustic hammer on the bow for sweeping acustic mines and Oropesa floats for sweeping tethered mines.

All YMS and BYMS were built to the same design, the only variation was in the number of exhaust stacks. Minesweepers 1 to 134 had two sacks, 135 to 480 had one stack, 466 to 479 had no stacks. 

OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Not on Navy Lists.

OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Not on Navy Lists.

OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., J. Anderson, Dec 44.

If you, your father or your grandfather have any additional information about this ship, crew lists, stories, photographs, please send copies of them to be added to our records and this website.

Thank you.

Contact: johntenthousand@yahoo.co.uk

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