Gilbert Lescombe Farnfield DSO, DSC, RN
| Ranks | | | 15 Nov 1931 | Lt. | | 15 Nov 1939 | Lt.Cdr. | | 30 Jun 1945 | Cdr. | | 30 Jun 1950 | Capt. |
Retired: 7 Jul 1959
Decorations |
Warship Commands listed for Gilbert Lescombe Farnfield, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Defender (H 07) | Lt.Cdr. | Destroyer | 30 Oct 1940 | 11 Jul 1941 |
| HMS Quality (G 62) | Lt.Cdr. | Destroyer | 15 Jun 1942 | Jun 1944 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
11 Jul 1941
At 1300hrs of 11 July 1941 HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, RN) sailed from Tobruk for Alexandria in company with HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. R. Rhoades, RAN). Besides her complement she had on board the crew of the sunken Waterhen.
Within a few hours, taking advantage of a clear and moolit night, a single Ju-88s of I/LG.1 (Lt. Gerd Stamp), on a reconaissance flight aliong the coast, attacked the destroyers: at 0518 hrs a heavy caliber bomb near-missed Defender, detonating beneath the machinery spaces. The heavy mining effect deformed the stern and flooded the engine rooms and one boiler room.
Despite determined attempts at towing, Vendetta was unable to make much headway. It appears Defender's back was broken, and as she was deep in the water from flooding, the tow caused much strain on Vendetta's old (1917 vintage) engines. The decision was then made to scuttle the crippled destroyer, carried out by a torpedo at 1145 hrs, barely 7 nautical miles north of Sidi el-Barrani. There was no loss of life in the sinking, all 271 aboard Defender transferred safely to Vendetta and arrived Alexandria unscathed.
