uboat.net

  Front page - Fighting the U-boats - Allied Warships

Follow us on Twitter
@uboatnet

Notable events involving Fernie include:

5 Jun 1940
HrMs O 10 (Lt. G. Quint, RNN(R)) participated in A/S exercises off Portland together with HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. R.McC.P. Jonas, RN) and HMS Gardenia (Lt.Cdr. T.A.O. Ellis, RD, RNR). (1)

8 Jun 1940
HrMs O 10 (Lt. G. Quint, RNN(R)) participated in A/S exercises off Portland together with HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. R.McC.P. Jonas, RN) and HMS Gardenia (Lt.Cdr. T.A.O. Ellis, RD, RNR). (1)

1 Jul 1940
Heaving completed her repairs at Liverpool HMS Barham (Capt G.C. Cooke, RN) departed that place for Scapa Flow. She was escorted by HMS Imogen (Cdr. C.L. Firth, MVO, RN), HMS Warwick (Lt.Cdr. M.A.G. Child, RN), HMS Atherstone (Cdr. H.W.S. Browning, RN) and HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. R.McC.P. Jonas, RN). (2)

2 Jul 1940
HMS Barham (Capt G.C. Cooke, RN) and her escorts; HMS Imogen (Cdr. C.L. Firth, MVO, RN), HMS Warwick (Lt.Cdr. M.A.G. Child, RN), HMS Atherstone (Cdr. H.W.S. Browning, RN) and HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. R.McC.P. Jonas, RN), arrived at Scapa Flow. (2)

13 Jul 1940
Around 1730A/13, the aircraft carrier HMS Furious (Capt. T.H. Troubridge, RN) departed Liverpool for Scapa Flow. En-route, in the Clyde area near Prestwick, aircraft were to be flown on.

The carrier was escorted by the escort destroyers HMS Hambledon (Cdr. S.H. Carlill, RN), HMS Atherstone (Cdr. H.W.S. Browning, RN) and HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. R.McC.P. Jonas, RN).

They arrived at Scapa Flow around 0615A/15. (3)

8 Sep 1940
Around 2130A/8, the light cruisers HMS Galatea (Capt. B.B. Schofield, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral A.T.B. Curteis, CB, RN) and HMS Aurora (Capt. L.H.K. Hamilton, DSO, RN), destroyers HMS Campbell (Capt. C.R.L. Parry, RN), HMS Venetia (Lt.Cdr. D.L.C. Craig, RN), HMS Vesper (Lt.Cdr. W.E.F. Hussey, DSC, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Garth (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Dyke, RN), HMS Hambledon (Cdr. S.H. Carlill, RN) and HMS Holderness (Lt.Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN) departed Sheerness to bombard enemy shipping concentrations at Calais and Boulogne.

HMS Galatea with HMS Campbell, HMS Vesper and HMS Garth were to bombard Calais while HMS Aurora, HMS Venetia, HMS Hambledon and HMS Holderness bombarded Boulogne.

Between 0225A/9 and 0245A/9, British aircraft dropped flares over both ports. No shipping was however found to be present in Calais Roads so HMS Galatea and her escorts did not conduct a bombardment. HMS Aurora and her escorts however did bombarded the Boulogne harbour area.

They returned to Sheerness around 0700A/9. HMS Galatea had detonated a mine around 0525A/9 and was again damaged [see 1 September] damage was again minor. As Galatea was due for refit it was decided not to undertake repairs. HMS Galatea was to commence refit and repairs at the Chatham Dockyard upon completion of the refit of HMS Arethusa. For the moment HMS Galatea remained at Sheerness.

During the same night the destroyers HMS Beagle (Lt.Cdr. R.H. Wright, RN), HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. F.J.G. Hewitt, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Atherstone (Cdr. H.W.S. Browning, RN), HMS Berkeley (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Walters, RN) and HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. R.McC.P. Jonas, RN) departed Portsmouth to conducted a sweep along the French coast just south of Boulogne up to Cape Antifer (near Le Havre). On completion of the sweep they returned to Portsmouth. (4)

12 Dec 1940
After a delay of 24 hours due to a reported enemy submarine the British battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth (Capt. C.B. Barry, DSO, RN) departed Portsmouth for Rosyth where she was to complete her reconstruction.

She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Kashmir (Cdr. H.A. King, RN), HMS Kipling (Cdr. A. St. Clair-Ford, RN), HMS Jupiter (Lt.Cdr. N.V.J.T. Thew, RN) and HMS Punjabi (Cdr. J.T. Lean, DSO, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Cattistock (Lt.Cdr R.A. Ewing, RN), HMS Cleveland (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN), HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. R.McC.P. Jonas, RN) and HMS Holderness (Lt.Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN).

Around 1600A/13 the original escort was relieved by the destroyer HMS Brilliant (Lt.Cdr. F.C. Brodrick, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Exmoor (Lt.Cdr. R.T. Lampard, RN), HMS Pytchley (Lt.Cdr. H. Unwin, DSC, RN) and HMS Southdown (Cdr. E.R. Condor, DSO, DSC, RN).

At 1630A/14 the light cruiser HMS Nigeria (Capt. J.G.L. Dundas, RN) and the AA cruiser HMS Curacoa (Capt. C.C. Hughes-Hallett, RN) joined the escort coming from Scapa Flow.

The battleship and her escort arrived at Rosyth around 1330A/15. HMS Nigeria had parted company around 1115A/15 and arrived back at Scapa Flow later the same day.

14 Mar 1941
HMS Revenge (Capt. E.R. Archer, RN) departed Portsmouth for the Clyde early in the evening. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Kelly (Capt. L.F.A.V.N. Mountbatten, GCVO, DSO, RN), HMS Kashmir (Cdr. H.A. King, RN), HMS Kelvin (Cdr. J.H. Allison, DSO, RN), HMS Kipling (Cdr. A. St. Clair-Ford, RN), HMS Jackal (Lt.Cdr. R.McC.P. Jonas, DSC, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Cleveland (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN) and HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. A.H.P. Noble, RN).

16 Mar 1941
Around noon HMS Revenge (Capt. E.R. Archer, RN) arrived at Greenock. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Kashmir (Cdr. H.A. King, RN), HMS Kipling (Cdr. A. St. Clair-Ford, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Cleveland (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN) and HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. A.H.P. Noble, RN).

The other three destroyers that had been in company on departure from Portsmouth had been detached on the 15th for patrol duties.

6 Apr 1941
The destroyers HMS Intrepid (Cdr. R.C. Gordon, DSO, RN), HMS Icarus (Lt.Cdr. C.D. Maud, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Jersey (Lt.Cdr. A.F. Burnell-Nugent, DSC, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Cleveland (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN) and HMS Fernie (Lt.Cdr. A.H.P. Noble, RN) departed Portsmouth. They were to patrol between the longitudes of Nab Tower and Portlands Bill to the south of 50°15'N between 2000/6 and 0000/7. On completion of the patrol the destroyers were to return to Portsmouth except HMS Jersey which was to be detached so as to arrive at Plymouth at 0700/7.

28 Jun 1945
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.J. Schouwenaar, RNN) departed Rotterdam for Dundee. She makes the passage together with HrMs Tijgerhaai (Lt.Cdr. A. van Altena, RNN). They are escorted by the British escort destroyer HMS Fernie (Lt. J.A. Tricker, RN). (5)