OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Not on Navy Lists.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Tempy. Lieut., R. E. Brooks, 3 Feb 44. (In Command)
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., T. Loasby, 3 Feb 44.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Tempy. Lieut.-Com., R. H. Marrion, Feb 45, (In Command)
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., T. Loasby, 3 Feb 44.
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., R. G. Edwards, 15 Jan 45.
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BYMS 2282 in November 1947 when sold to Poland and re-named, ORP Mors, T 33.
MOVEMENTS.
26 August 1943, completed.
26 to 28 Sep 1944, Falmouth.
28 and 29 Sep 1944, Portsmouth.
30 Sep to 1 Oct 1944, Southend.
2 Oct 1944, Humber.
13 June to 31 July 1945, Humber.
2 to 26 Aug 1945, Cuxhaven. Germany. Opening up the German ports to allow humanitarian aid to arrive for a desperate German people.
28 August 1947, returned to USA.
AWARDS FOR MINESWEEPING
DSC: Distinguished Service Cross. DSM: Distinguished Service Medal. MID: Mention in Dispatches.
David McLure Sturgeon GEMMELL, LT/KX109701, Chief Engineman, BYMS 2282. 4 Sep 45. DSM awarded for courage, resolution and skill in minesweeping operations clearing a channel from the Humber to Heligoland and thence along the North German Coast to Cuxhaven, Hamburg and Bremerhaven during May 1945.
BYMS 2282
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: 164th MSF, West Africa: 2043, 2137, 2142, 2150, 2225, 2246, 2264, 2282.
Built by: San Diego Marine Construction Co., San Diego, California. USA. West Coast.
Laid down: 15 August 1942.
Launched: 30 November 1942.
Handed over to Royal Navy: 26 August 1943.
Returned to USA: 28 August 1947. Sold to Poland and re-named, T 33, ORP Mors.
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.