Allied Warships

HMS Begum (D 38)

Escort Carrier of the Ameer class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeEscort Carrier
ClassAmeer 
PennantD 38 
Built bySeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down3 Aug 1942 
Launched11 Nov 1942 
Commissioned2 Aug 1943 
End service 
History

Decommissioned and transferred to the R.N. and commissioned in R.N. service as HMS Begum on 2 August 1943.
Returned to the U.S.N. on 4 January 1946.
Stricken on 19 June 1946.
Sold into merchantile service on 16 April 1947 being renamed Raki.
Scrapped in Taiwan in March 1974.

 
Former nameUSS Bolinas

Commands listed for HMS Begum (D 38)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1A/Capt. John Egerton Broome, DSC, RNAug 194326 Mar 1945
2A/Capt. Cecil Lewis Howe, OBE, RN26 Mar 19454 Jan 1946

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Notable events involving Begum include:


3 Mar 1944

Convoy KMF 29A.

This convoy departed the Clyde on 3 March 1944 for Alexandria.

It was made up of the troop transport Strathnaver (British, 22283 GRT, built 1931). Also part of the convoy were the escort carriers HMS Atheling (Capt. R.I. Agnew, OBE, RCN), HMS Begum (A/Capt. J.E. Broome, DSC, RN) and the aircraft transports HMS Athene (T/A/Cdr. C.H. Moulton, RNR) and HMS Engadine (Capt. W.T. Fitzgerald, RD, RNR). These ships were ferrying aircraft.

Escort was provided by the light cruiser HMS Nigeria (Capt. S.H. Paton, RN), sloop HMIS Cauvery (A/Cdr. A.W. Beeton, RIN) and the frigates Cranstoun (Lt. E.W. Rainey, RN), HMS Deane (Lt. V.A. Hickson, DSO, RN), HMS Redmill (Lt. J.R.A. Denne, RN), HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR), HMS Lossie (Lt.Cdr. A.F. MacFie, OBE, RNR), HMS Shiel (Lt. H.P. Crail, DSC, RNR), HMS Spey (Cdr. G.A.G. Ormsby, RN) and HMS Taff (T/Lt.Cdr. A. Harrison, RNR).

Around 0800Z/6, the sloop HMS Erne (Lt.Cdr. W.R. Hickey, RNR) joined the convoy.

Around 1800Z/6, the frigates HMS Cranstoun, HMS Deane and HMS Redmill parted company with the convoy.

During the night of 9/10 March, HMS Nigeria fuelled at Gibraltar and then rejoined the convoy.

Around 1000A/11, HMS Erne parted company with the convoy to proceed to Algiers.

At 0137B/13, HMS Nigeria parted company with the convoy to proceed ahead of it to Port Said.

Around 1710A/13, the light cruiser HMS Phoebe (Capt. C.P. Frend, RN) joined the convoy.

Around 0600B/16, HMS Phoebe parted company with the convoy to proceed to Alexandria.

The convoy arrived at Port Said late in the afternoon of the 16th.

28 Mar 1944

Convoy AJ 2.

This convoy departed Aden on 28 March 1944.

It was made up of the transport; Aronda (British, 9031 GRT, built 1941).

The escort carriers HMS Atheling (Capt. R.I. Agnew, OBE, RCN), HMS Begum (A/Capt. J.E. Broome, DSC, RN) and aircraft transports HMS Athene (T/A/Cdr. C.H. Moulton, RNR) and HMS Engadine (Capt. W.T. Fitzgerald, RD, RNR) were also part of this convoy.

On departure from Aden they were escorted by the destroyer HMS Racehorse (Cdr. J.J. Casement, DSC, RN), sloop HMIS Cauvery (A/Cdr. A.W. Beeton, RIN) and the frigates HMS Lossie (Lt.Cdr. A.F. MacFie, OBE, RNR), HMS Spey (Cdr. G.A.G. Ormsby, RN) and HMS Taff (T/Lt.Cdr. A. Harrison, RNR).

At 0500E/2, the destroyer HMAS Nizam (Cdr. C.H. Brooks, RAN) joined coming from Addu Atoll.

The convoy arrived at Colombo on 4 April 1944.

11 Jun 1944
During 11 and 12 June 1944, HMS Storm (T/A/Lt.Cdr. E.P. Young, DSC, RNVR), conducted exercises off Trincomalee during which a practice attack was made on HMS Begum (A/Capt. J.E. Broome, DSC, RN). These were followed by A/S exercises with aircraft from Begum and several of her escorts. These included night exercises. (1)

12 Jun 1944
During 12 and 13 June 1944, HMS Sea Rover (Lt. J.P. Angell, RN) conducted exercises off Trincomalee. These included night exercises. During these exercises she was escorted by HMS Rosalind (A/Skr.Lt. E.G. Littler, DSC, RD, RNR). Also part of these exercises were a practice attack on HMS Begum (A/Capt. J.E. Broome, DSC, RN) and A/S exercises with two of her escorts, the frigates HMS Nadder (T/A/Lt.Cdr. P.E. Kitto, RNR) and HMS Lossie (Lt.Cdr. A.F. MacFie, OBE, RNR). (2)

Sources

  1. ADM 173/18834
  2. ADM 173/18674

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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