| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Ocean boarding vessel |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | F 102 |
| Built by | William Gray & Co. (Hartepool, U.K.) : Central Marine Engineering (West Hartepool, U.K.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | 25 Feb 1937 |
| Commissioned | 1 Jan 1941 |
| Lost | 1 Jul 1941 |
| Loss position | 47° 37'N, 19° 07'W |
| History | Cargo (ref.) vessel completed in September 1937. Requisitioned by the Admiralty on 24 August 1940. Displacement: 3132 GRT. Dimensions: 105.4 x 15.3. Armament: 2 6" guns (2x1), 1 12pdr AA gun Speed: 14.5 knots. HMS Malvernian (Cdr. John William Baillie Robertson, RNR) was bombed and heavily damaged on 1 July 1941 by German aircraft in position 47°37'N, 19°07'W, 24 dead. The ship was abandoned. She was spotted drifting on 19 July 1941 and was then finally sunk. |
Commands listed for HMS Malvernian (F 102)
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 | Cdr. John William Baillie Robertson, RNR | 17 Sep 1940 | 1 Jul 1941 |
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Notable events involving Malvernian include:
8 Apr 1941
Convoy SL 71.
This convoy departed Freetown on 8 April 1941.
It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Abosso (British, 11330 GRT, built 1935), Adda (British, 7816 GRT, built 1922), Afrika (British, 8597 GRT, built 1920), Baron Erskine (British, 3657 GRT, built 1930), Baron Fairlie (British, 6706 GRT, built 1925), Bhima (British, 5280 GRT, built 1939), British Hussar (British (tanker), 6944 GRT, built 1923), City of Auckland (British, 8336 GRT, built 1914), City of Christchurch (British, 6009 GRT, built 1915), City of Yokohama (British, 7341 GRT, built 1922), Clan MacTaggart (British, 7622 GRT, built 1920), Dagfred (Norwegian, 4434 GRT, built 1930), Egton (British, 4363 GRT, built 1938), Empire Governor (British, 8657 GRT, built 1925), Empire Progress (British, 5249 GRT, built 1918), Evinos (Greek, 5627 GRT, built 1919), Grangepark (British, 5132 GRT, built 1919), Gudvin (Norwegian, 1824 GRT, built 1918), Janeta (British, 4312 GRT, built 1929), Jedmoor (British, 4392 GRT, built 1928), Kurdistan (British, 5844 GRT, built 1928), Leonidas N. Condylis (Greek, 3923 GRT, built 1912), Lisbeth (Norwegian, 2732 GRT, built 1922), Lise (Norwegian (tanker), 6826 GRT, built 1931), Llangibby Castle (British, 11951 GRT, built 1929), MacGregor Laird (British, 4992 GRT, built 1930), Margalau (British, 4541 GRT, built 1926), Meerkerk (Dutch, 7995 GRT, built 1916), Mount Mycale (British, 3556 GRT, built 1907), Myrtlebank (British, 5150 GRT, built 1925), Nagpore (British, 5283 GRT, built 1920), New Brooklyn (British, 6546 GRT, built 1920), New Westminster City (British, 4747 GRT, built 1929), Newton Ash (British, 4625 GRT, built 1925), Nigerian (British, 5423 GRT, built 1936), Peribonk (British, 5673 GRT, built 1937), Princesa (British, 8731 GRT, built 1918), Ravnefjell (British, 1339 GRT, built 1938), Rhesus (British, 6530 GRT, built 1911), River Lugar (British, 5423 GRT, built 1937), Ross (British, 4878 GRT, built 1936), Sandown Castle (British, 7607 GRT, built 1921), Santiago (Panamanian, 3864 GRT, built 1908), St. Lindsay (British, 5370 GRT, built 1921), Stad Arnhem (Dutch, 3819 GRT, built 1920), Thorshov (Norwegian (tanker), 9955 GRT, built 1935), Tysa (Dutch, 5327 GRT, built 1938) and Veerhaven (Dutch, 5291 GRT, built 1930).
On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Cilicia (Capt.(Retd.) V.B. Cardwell, OBE, RN) and the corvettes HMS Clematis (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSC, RD, RNR), HMS Crocus (Lt.Cdr. E. Wheeler, RNR), HMS Cyclamen (Lt. H.N. Lawson, RNR) and HMS Marguerite (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Blundell, RNR).
Around 1515N/10, in approximate position 07°38'N, 18°30'W, the light cruiser HMS Mauritius (Capt. W.D. Stephens, RN) joined the convoy escort.
Around 0630N/17, in approximate position 20°40'N, 28°00'W, the four corvettes parted company with the convoy. They were to proceed to Bathurst to fuel.
Around 1000NZ(+0.5)/23, in position 36°20'N, 23°00'W, the heavy cruiser HMS London (Capt. R.M. Servaes, CBE, RN) joined the convoy escort and shortly afterwards HMS Mauritius parted company with the convoy.
Around 0530N/29, the destroyers HMS Lincoln (Lt. R.J. Hanson, RN), HMS Sherwood (Lt.Cdr. S.W.F. Bennetts, RN) joined the convoy in position 49°48'N, 23°03'W and shortly afterwards the armed boarding vessel HMS Malvernian (Cdr. J.W.B. Robertson, RNR) also joined the convoy.
Around 0810A/29, HMS London parted company with the convoy and set course for Scapa Flow.
Around 0430A/30, the destroyer HMS Beagle, (Lt.Cdr. R.T. White, DSO and Bar, RN) and escort destroyer HMS Eridge (Lt.Cdr. W.F.N. Gregory-Smith, RN) joined the convoy.
Around 0645A/30, the corvette HMS Sunflower (Lt.Cdr. J.T. Jones, RNR) joined the convoy.
Around 0715A/30, the corvette HMS Alisma (A/Lt.Cdr. M.G. Rose, RANVR) joined the convoy.
Around 0930A/30, HMS Cilicia parted company with the convoy in position 52°42'N, 20°32'W.
After the departure of HMS Cilicia more local A/S escorts arrived early in the afternoon, these were the destroyers HMS Vanquisher (Cdr. N.V. Dickinson, DSC, RN), HMS Viscount (Lt.Cdr. M.S. Townsend, OBE, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Rockingham (Lt. A.H.T. Johns, RN), sloop HMS Londonderry (Cdr. J.S. Dalison, RN), corvette HMS Freesia (Lt.Cdr. T.P.G. Crick, RN) and the A/S yacht HMS Philante (Capt.(Retd.) H.S. Bowlby, RN).
The convoy was then split up into a fast and slow section.
The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 3 May 1941.
4 Jun 1941
Convoy HG 64.
This convoy departed Gibraltar on 4 June 1941.
On departure from Gibraltar the convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Algerian (British, 2315 GRT, built 1924), Ardeola (British, 2609 GRT, built 1912), Ariosto (British, 2176 GRT, built 1940), Baron Kelvin (British, 3081 GRT, built 1924), Blairatholl (British, 3319 GRT, built 1925), British Coast (British, 889 GRT, built 1934), Caledonia (British, 1268 GRT, built 1913), Cara (British, 1760 GRT, built 1929), Empire Bay (British, 2824 GRT, built 1940), Empire Snipe (British, 2497 GRT, built 1919), Indra (Panamanian, 2026 GRT, built 1900), Kellwyn (British, 1464 GRT, built 1920), Lapland (British, 1330 GRT, built 1936), Leadgate (British, 2125 GRT, built 1925), Leka (Norwegian, 1599 GRT, built 1922), Leonardia (Swedish, 1583 GRT, built 1906), Lissa (British, 1511 GRT, built 1927), Magne (Swedish, 3103 GRT, built 1912), Mount Helikon (Greek, 5525 GRT, built 1918), Philipp M. (British, 2085 GRT, built 1924), Polo (British, 1950 GRT, built 1919), Selene (Swedish, 1347 GRT, built 1894) and Sheaf Crown (British, 4868 GRT, built 1929).
The Thursobank (British, 5575 GRT, built 1940) was also to have sailed with the convoy but was unable to do so. She sailed later to overtake and join the convoy escorted by the corvette HMS Woodruff (T/Lt. T. Muir, RNVR) which also joined the convoy.
On departure from Gibraltar the convoy was escorted by the sloop HMS Bideford (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Moore, RNR), corvettes HMS Coreopsis (Lt.Cdr. A.H. Davies, RNVR), HMS Fleur de Lys (Lt.Cdr. L.M. Carter, RNR), A/S trawler HMS Stella Carina (Lt. R. Lockwood, RANVR) and the submarine HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN).
Around 1130A/4, the motor launches ML 129 (?) and ML 134 (?) joined the convoy escort.
In the afternoon the Indra straggled from the convoy being unable to keep up.
Around 2200A/4, in position 35°20'N, 07°08'W, both motor launches were detached to return to Gibraltar.
Around 1300A/5, in position 37°42'N, 09°08'W, HMS Woodruff and the Thursobank joined the convoy.
Around 0015A/6, the Italian submarine Veniero twice fired a torpedo on ships of the convoy. The Ariosto reported being missed.
Around 0130A/6, in position 34°18'N, 10°47'W, HMS Stella Carina frustrated the attack of an enemy submarine on the convoy. She had sighted the submarine on the surface up moon after the convoy had altered course. This must have been Veniero. HMS Bideford and HMS Coreopsis joined the trawler to hunt this submarine. The escorts resumed their stations in the convoy screen around 0330A/6.
Later that morning, in position 34°18'N, 12°00'W, HMS Woodruff was detached to proceed to Bathurst. Shortly afterwards she was however ordered to remain with the convoy until it reached 15°00'W. She did not rejoin the convoy though.
At 1153A/6, in position 34°17'N, 13°20'W, HMS Stella Carina attacked a contact with depth charges. A good contact could not be established afterwards due to problems with the Asdic. HMS Bideford and HMS Fleur the Lys joined the hunt while HMS Coreopsis remained with the convoy.
By 1405A/6, they all rejoined the convoy after HMS Bideford and HMS Fleur the Lys had established a contact they had identified as 'fish'.
Around 0200Z/10, HrMs O 21 lost contact with the convoy in dense fog. She rejoined around 1115Z/10. During her absence she had sighted the straggler Indra which did not want to rejoin the convoy and preferred to make the passage independently.
Around 2200Z/10, in position 40°22'N, 22°10'W, HMS Stella Carina parted company to return to Gibraltar.
Around 1800Z/11, HMS Coreopsis, HMS Fleur de Lys and HrMs O 21 parted company to join convoy OG 64 coming from the U.K.
Around 1300Z/14, in position 50°30'N, 22°06'W, the armed boarding vessel HMS Malvernian (Cdr. J.W.B. Robertson, RNR) joined the convoy.
Around 0800Z/14, in position 55°40'N, 20°21'W, the destroyer HMS Walker (Cdr. D.G.F.W. MacIntyre, DSO, RN) and corvettes HMS Hydrangea (Lt. J.E. Woolfenden, RNR) and HMS Wallflower (Lt.Cdr. I.J. Tyson, RN) joined the convoy followed at 1300Z/14 by the destroyer HMS Skate (Lt. F.P. Baker, DSC, RN) and the armed boarding vessel HMS Lady Somers (Cdr. G.L. Dunbar, RD, RNR) joined.
Around 2345A/17, in position 55°40'N, 08°37'W, the Oban section of the convoy split off. This section was made up of the following merchant vessels; Kellwyn, Lapland, Leka, Magne, Sheaf Crown and Thursobank. They took HMS Skate with them as escort. These merchant vessels arrived at Oban later on the 18th. Around the same time HMS Walker parted company to proceed to Londonderry to fuel and then rejoin the convoy which she did around 0930A/18.
Around 0630A/18, in position 55°37'N, 06°57'W, HMS Hydrangea parted company to join the Oban section as HMS Skate had been ordered to proceed to the assistance of the of the torpedoed merchant vessel Norfolk. HMS Skate picked up the survivors and arrived at Londonderry on 19 June 1941.
On 18 June 1941, the following merchant vessels arrived at Belfast Lough; Algerian, Baron Kelvin, British Coast and Mount Helikon.
On 18 June 1941, the following merchant vessels arrived in the Clyde; Blairatholl, Leadgate and Leonardia. Also HMS Malverian, HMS Lady Somers and HMS Wallflower arrived in the Clyde.
On 19 June 1941, the following merchant vessels arrived at Workington; Empire Bay and Philipp M..
On 19 June 1941, the following merchant vessels arrived at Barrow in Furness; Caledonia, Cara and Lissa.
On 19 June 1941, the following merchant vessels arrived at Liverpool; Ardeola, Ariosto, Empire Snipe, Polo and Selene. HMS Walker and HMS Bideford also arrived at Liverpool on the 19th. (1)
Sources
- ADM 199/932
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.