Geoffrey Shuttleworth Holden, RN
| Born | 25 Mar 1886 |
| Ranks
Retired: 29 Jun 1932 Decorations |
Warship Commands listed for Geoffrey Shuttleworth Holden, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Esperance Bay (F 67) | Capt. (retired) | Armed Merchant Cruiser | 14 Sep 1939 | Aug 1941 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Esperance Bay (F 67)
4 May 1940
Convoy HX 40.
This convoy departed Halifax on 4 May 1940.
It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Abraham Lincoln (Norwegian, 5784 GRT, built 1929), Athelregent (British (tanker), 8881 GRT, built 1930), Belinda (Norwegian (tanker), 8325 GRT, built 1939), Botwey (British, 5106 GRT, built 1916), Chesapeake (British (tanker), 8955 GRT, built 1928), City of Dieppe (British, 7958 GRT, built 1929), Clairy (Panamanian (tanker), 5840 GRT, built 1916), Delphinula (British (tanker), 8120 GRT, built 1939), Esturia (British (tanker), 6968 GRT, built 1914), Fernbank (Norwegian, 4333 GRT, built 1924), Geddington Court (British, 6903 GRT, built 1928), Graig (British, 3683 GRT, built 1924), Gujarat (British, 4148 GRT, built 1923), Gypsum Queen (British, 3915 GRT, built 1927), Hadleigh (British, 5222 GRT, built 1930), Holmelea (British, 4223 GRT, built 1928), Kars (British (tanker), 8888 GRT, built 1939), Leopold L.D. (French, 5267 GRT, built 1933), Lista (Norwegian, 3671 GRT, built 1920), Manchester Progress (British, 5620 GRT, built 1938), Margrethe Bakke (Norwegian, 5478 GRT, built 1938), Mount Kassion (Greek, 7914 GRT, built 1918), Nova Scotia (British, 6796 GRT, built 1926), Salvage King (Canadian (salvage vessel), 1164 GRT, built 1925), San Emiliano (British (tanker), 8071 GRT, built 1939), Teiresias (British, 7606 GRT, built 1915), Tilsington Court (British, 6910 GRT, built 1928), Touraine (French, 6589 GRT, built 1934) and Uffington Court (British, 4976 GRT, built 1929).
On departure from Halifax the convoy was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Esperance Bay (Capt.(ret) G.S. Holden, RN) and the destroyers HMCS Saguenay (Cdr. G.R. Miles, RCN) and HMCS Skeena (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Hibbard, RCN).
At 2303Q/4, the Graig grounded on Egg Island in thick fog. She could not be salvaged and was later declared a total loss. It was not clear to the convoy Commodore how this ship ended up in this location.
Both Canadian destroyers were to part company around 1800Q/5 and return to Halifax. [Due to the thick fog their movements were not known to the Convoy Commodore.]
Heavy fog persisted until 1000Q/7. On the fog lifting only 9 ships of the convoy and HMS Esperance Bay were seen from the Commodore's ship.
By 1700P/8, 21 ships were in company.
Around 0500Z/16, the corvette HMS Arabis (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, RNR) joined the convoy.
Around 0750Z/16, in position 50°09'N, 11°57'W, HMS Esperance Bay parted company to return to Halifax.
Around 1100Z/16, in position 50°07'N, 11°22'W, the sloop HMS Enchantress (Cdr. A.K. Scott-Moncrieff, RN) joined the convoy.
Around 1630Z/16, the convoy was split into two sections.
The Irish Sea / west coast section was made up of the following merchant vessels; Abraham Lincoln (arrived at Liverpool on 18 May), Belinda (arrived at Avonmouth on 18 May), Botwey (arrived at Manchester on 19 May), Chesapeake (arrived at Liverpool on 18 May), Gujarat (arrived at Liverpool on 18 May), Gypsum Queen (arrived at Liverpool on 18 May), Holmelea (arrived in the Clyde on 19 May), Kars (arrived at Liverpool on 18 May), Manchester Progress (arrived at Manchester on 19 May), Margrethe Bakke (arrived at Manchester on 19 May), Nova Scotia (arrived at Manchester on 19 May), Salvage King (arrived at Liverpool on 18 May), San Emiliano (arrived in the Clyde on 19 May), Teiresias (arrived at Liverpool on 18 May) and Tilsington Court (arrived at Liverpool on 18 May). They were escorted by HMS Enchantress until 1530Z/17 when she parted company and the convoy proceeded further up the Irish Sea unescorted.
The Channel / east coast section was made up of the following merchant vessels; Athelregent (arrived in the Downs on 18 May), City of Dieppe (arrived at Plymouth on 17 May), Clairy (Bombed and sunk by German aircraft on 21 May while at anchor off Boulogne-sur-Mer), Delphinula (arrived at Portland on 18 May), Esturia (arrived at Southampton on 18 May), Fernbank (arrived in the Downs on 18 May), Geddington Court (arrived in the Downs on 18 May), Hadleigh (arrived in the Downs on 18 May), Leopold L.D. (arrived at St. Nazaire on 18 May), Lista (arrived at Le Havre on 19 May), Mount Kassion (arrived at Falmouth on 18 May), Touraine (destination was St. Nazaire / Donges, arrivale date not known) and Uffington Court (arrived in the Downs on 18 May). They were escorted by HMS Arabis which arrived at Dover on 18 May. (1)
14 Jul 1941
HMS Esperance Bay (Capt. G.S. Holden (retired), RN) picks up 9 survivors from the British merchant Rio Azul that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-123 about 200 nautical miles south-east of the Azores in position 29°00'N, 25°00'W on 29 June 1941.
Sources
- ADM 53/112185 + ADM 199/49 + ADM 199/53
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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