| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Tank landing ship |
| Class | LST (Mk 1) |
| Pennant | F 131 |
| Built by | Harland & Wolff (Belfast, Northern Ireland) |
| Ordered | 6 Mar 1941 |
| Laid down | 31 Jul 1941 |
| Launched | 24 Sep 1942 |
| Commissioned | 28 Jan 1943 |
| End service | |
| History | Became a fighter direction ship in 1944. Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1947. |
Commands listed for HMS Thruster (F 131)
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.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | A/Lt.Cdr. Ralph Eric Baldwin-Wiseman, RNR | 26 Oct 1942 | 14 Jun 1943 |
| 2 | A/Lt.Cdr. (Retd.) Arthur Ward McMullan, DSC, RNR | 14 Jun 1943 | mid 1945 |
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Notable events involving Thruster include:
28 Jun 1943
Convoy KMF 18
This convoy departed U.K. waters on 28 June 1943.
It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Ascania (British, 14013 GRT, built 1925), Batory (Polish, 14287 GRT, built 1936), Circassia (British, 11136 GRT, built 1937), Derbyshire (British, 11660 GRT, built 1935), Durban Castle (British, 17388 GRT, built 1938), Llangibby Castle (British, 11951 GRT, built 1929) and Marnix van St. Aldegonde (Dutch, 19355 GRT, built 1930).
The headquarters ship HMS Hilary (Capt.(Retd.) J.F. Paget, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral P.L. Vian, KBE, DSO and 2 Bars, RN), fighter direction ship HMS Ulster Queen (A/Capt. M.H.J. Bennett, RD, RNR) and landing ships HMS Glengyle (A/Capt. E.C.L. Turner, RN), HMS Boxer (Lt.Cdr. G.B Herbert-Jones, RNR), HMS Bruiser (Lt.Cdr. J. Stretch, RD, RNR) and HMS Thruster (A/Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.W. McMullan, DSC, RNR).
The convoy was escorted by the AA cruiser HMS Colombo (Capt. D.H. Hall-Thompson, RN), sloops HMS Pheasant (Cdr. L.F. Durnford-Slater, RN), HMS Chanticleer (Lt.Cdr. R.H. Bristowe, DSO, RN), HMS Crane (Lt.Cdr. R.G. Jenkins, RN), HMS Cygnet (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.B. Proudfoot, RN), HMS Whimbrel (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Moore, DSC, RNR) and the frigates HMS Test (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.B. Collinson, RD, RNR) and HMS Trent (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.G. Rankin, DSC, RNR).
Around 2300B/1, HMS Colombo parted company with the convoy to proceed ahead to Gibraltar to fuel and rejoin the convoy. She arrived at Gibraltar around 1535B/3. After fuelling she departed Gibraltar around 2200B/3 for Algiers where she arrived around 1950B/4. On entering harbour her port engine failed.
Around 0600B/5, the escort destroyer HMS Ledbury (Lt. D.R.N. Murdoch, RN) and netlayer HMS Guardian (Capt.(Retd.) H.A.C. Lane, OBE, RN) joined the convoy coming from Gibraltar which they had departed around 0330B/5.
Around 1325B/6, the sloops HMS Cygnet and HMS Whimbrel attacked a submarine in position 36°46'N, 01°38'E. This was U-409 which escaped without damage.
Around 2115B/6, the AA cruiser HMS Delhi (Capt. A.T.G.C. Peachey, RN) joined the convoy coming from Algiers.
On 7 July, HMS Ledbury and HMS Ulster Queen rejoined the convoy after having fuelled at Algiers.
Also on 7 July the destroyer HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Wallace, DSC, RN) and escort destroyers HMS Wallace (Lt. D. Carson, RN), HMS Woolston (Lt. F.W. Hawkins, RN), HMS Hambledon (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN), HMS Mendip (Capt. C.R.L. Parry, RN, Capt. D 21), HMS Blankney (Lt.Cdr. D.H.R. Bromley, RN), HMS Blencathra (Lt. E.G. Warren, RN) and HMS Brissenden (Lt. D.C. Beatty, RN) joined the convoy coming from Bone. HMS Pheasant, HMS Chanticleer, HMS Crane, HMS Cygnet, HMS Whimbrel, HMS Test and HMS Trent then parted company and arrived at Bone also on the 7th.
Around 1300B/9, the following transports joined the convoy from convoy KMS 18B; Alcinous (Dutch, 6189 GRT, built 1925), Empire Confidence (British, 5023 GRT, built 1925), Orestes (British, 7748 GRT, built 1926) and Prometeus (British, 6096 GRT, built 1925). Also joining was the landing ships Derwentdale (Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), 8390 GRT, built 1941) and the HMS LST 301 (A/Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) R.F. Hoyle, RNR), HMS LST 305 (A/Lt.Cdr. R.M. Naylor, RNR), HMS LST 319 (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN), HMS LST 321 (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.H. Metcalfe, RNR), HMS LST 365 (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.F. Halliday, RNR), HMS LST 366 (A/Lt.Cdr. N. Hall, RNR) and HMS LST 424 (Lt.Cdr. G.R. Grandage, RNR).
Besides these transports the monitor HMS Roberts (A/Capt.(Retd.) R.E.C. Dunbar, RN) also joined the convoy.
Around 1815B/9, HMS Guardian parted company with the convoy to proceed independently to Malta where she arrived around 2100B/9.
The convoy arrived off Sicily in the early hours of 10 July 1943.
9 Jan 1944
Around 1700C/9, the submarine HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and the landing ships Boxer (Lt.Cdr. G.B Herbert-Jones, RNR), HMS Bruiser (Lt.Cdr. J. Stretch, RD, RNR) and HMS Thruster (A/Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.W. McMullan, DSC, RNR) departed from Aden for Port Said.
The submarine parted company with the landing ships after they had passed the Bab al-Mandab Strait around 0240C/10. (1)
Sources
- File 2.12.03.6416 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)