Photographs by kind permission of Colin Brackley, from his Dad's collection, Edward Brackley who served on BYMS 2015
British Yard Minesweeper BYMS 2015.
Some of the crew in tropical kit – Edward Brackley is second from left in the top row, and his friend Stan Cole is next to him on the left.
BYMS 2015 with June 1944 written on the back by Edward Brackley.
BYMS 2015
British Yard Mine Sweeper 2015.
Nore Command, World War Two 1939 to 1945.
Edward Brackley and Stan Cole on ponies in India .(Edward on the left).
BYMS 2015. Flotilla 150 in 1942, 1943, 1944. (Flotilla 181 in 1945)
Built by: Dachel-Carter Shipbuilding Corp., Benton Harbour, Michigan (Lake Michigan) USA.
Laid down: 17 July 1941.
Launched: 25 March 1942.
Completed and transferred to Royal Navy: 21 July 1942.
Reclassified: HMS J-815 later HMS BYMS-2015.
Assigned to the Nore Command, Flotilla 150.
Took part in the D-day landings, Gold Beach.
MOVEMENTS.
21 July 42, Completed.
5 Nov 42, New York.
7th to 10th Nov 42, Halifax.
26 Nov 42, St John’s.
15 Jan 43, St John’s.
17 and 18 Jan 43, Halifax
2 Jan 43 to 18 Feb 43. Boston
21 Feb to 8 March 43, Halifax
13 March to 25 March 43 St John’s. Crossed Atlantic Ocean from Canada to the U.K.
2 April to 10 April 43 Londonderry
11 April 43, Milford Haven
1 July 43 Portsmouth
1 Oct 43 Portsmouth
13 March 44, Portsmouth.
June 6th, D-Day BYMS 2015 was sweeping off Gold Beach.
During the period from the 4 June 1944 (the day before D-day) to the end of July 1944 BYMS would have cleared pathways through the minefields to the Normandy Beachheads, cleared mines ahead of the Invasion Convoys, cleared mines from the ship assembly and disembarkation areas almost right up to the beaches, widened the cleared pathways and continuously swept for newly laid mines.
3 July 44 Portsmouth
17 July 44, Portsmouth
31 July 44, Portsmouth
25 Aug 44, Portsmouth.
31 Aug 44 Portsmouth.
8 Sep 44, Newhaven.
11 Sep 44, Portsmouth.
11 Sep 44, Dieppe. As the army advance overland taking the ports, the minesweepers cleared the mines from them.
25 Sep 44, Portsmouth.
4 Oct 44, Portsmouth.
15 Oct 44, Captain of Minesweepers.
16 Oct to 9 Nov 44, Portsmouth.
23 Nov 44, Southend.
25 Dec 44, Great Yarmouth.
23 April 45, Great Yarmouth.
23 and 25 April 45, Humber.
25 to 27 April 45, Methil
30 April 45, Methil
30 April to 6 Aug 45, Peterhead.
20 Aug 45, Aberdeen.
3 Sep 46, returned to US Navy.
21 Oct 47, sold.
Colin Brackley recalls his father Edward Brackley telling him that after VE day they sailed through the Red Sea to India and on to Singapore, by which time the Japanese had surrendered.
Distinguished Service Cross awarded to Temp. Lieutenant Commander, N. B. Lewis,
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943,
Temp. Lieut., R.N.V.R. S. W. Hills, 20 April 42.
Temp. Sub-Lieut., R. N. V. R., D. Stather 21, Apr 42.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944
Temp. Lieut., R.N.V.R. S. W. Hills, 20 April 42.
Temp. Sub-Lieut., R. N. V. R., D. Stather 21, Apr 42.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945,
Temp. Lieut.-Com, R.N.V.R., N. B. Lewis, DSC. (Act) In Command 21 June 45
Temp. Sub-Lieut., R. N. V. R., D. Stather 21, Apr 42
Edward Brackley joined the Royal Navy on 10th August 1943 aged 18 (his birthday was 5th July 1925), and joined BYMS 2015 on 20th January 1944 as a Seaman. In June 1944 he was still 18 and the youngest on board. He left BYMS 2015 on 20th July 1946 and was demobbed on 29th November 1946. He died in 2010.
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 BYM's. They would then have the formidable task of sailing their small vessel back across the Atlantic Ocean, often in winter.
Watch these short videos about the Wildfire III Minesweepers.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
D-day minesweepers: https://youtu.be/ZjlA5LxCAsg
Clearing the Scheldt: https://youtu.be/8ELsc9T3Lbw
The Relief of Holland: https://youtu.be/GghYEFHmOfY
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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A copy of a watercolour painting of BYMS 2015 from Colin Brackley.
Crew of BYMS 2015.
Edward Brackley who served on BYMS 2015 from 20th Jan 1944 through to 20 July 1946 is on the extreme left, third row down wearing a dark jacket (he was only 19).
Stan Cole is second from the left in the second row from the top.
Edward Brackley with an unidentified member of the crew – possibly while they were still in India.