Allied Warships

HMS Balsam (K 72)

Corvette of the Flower class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeCorvette
ClassFlower 
PennantK 72 
Built byGeorge Brown & Co. (Greenock, Scotland): Clark 
Ordered29 Oct 1940 
Laid down16 Apr 1941 
Launched30 May 1942 
Commissioned28 Nov 1942 
End service 
History

HMS Balsam is not listed as active unit in the July 1945 Navy List

She was scrapped at Newport starting on 20 April 1947.

 
Former nameHMS Chelmer

Commands listed for HMS Balsam (K 72)

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
1Lt. James Ernest Lewis Peters, RNR17 Aug 194214 Apr 1944
2T/A/Lt.Cdr. Sir Joseph Herbert Spence Fayrer, DSC, RNVR14 Apr 194415 Jan 1945
3T/Lt. Leslie Henry Harvey, RNR15 Jan 1945mid 1945

You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.

Notable events involving Balsam include:


2 Feb 1943
HMS H 33 (Lt. M.H. Jupp, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR), HMS Campion (Lt.Cdr. A. Brown, RNVR), HMS Myosotis (T/Lt. R. Lugg, RNR) and aircraft. (1)

3 Feb 1943
HMS H 33 (Lt. M.H. Jupp, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Campion (Lt.Cdr. A. Brown, RNVR), HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR), HMS Mallow (Lt. W.R.B. Noall, DSO, RNR) and HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR). (1)

5 Mar 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Ilfracombe (Lt.Cdr. J.E. Clark, DSC, RN), Morden (T/Lt. J.J. Hodgkinson, RCNR), HMS Mignonette (Lt. H.H. Brown, RNR), HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR), HMS Fleetwood (Cdr. W.B. Piggott, OBE, RD, RNR) and HMS Aberdeen (Lt.Cdr. H. Day, RN). (2)

4 May 1943
HMS Upstart (Lt. P.C. Chapman, DSC and Bar, RN) conducted A/S exercises in Lough Foyle with HMS Northern Wave (T/Lt. J.P. Kilbee, RNR), ? (can't read the ships name in Upstart's log), HMS Scarborough (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Carnduff, RN), HMS Azalea (Lt. G.C. Geddes, RNR), HMS Coltsfoot (T/Lt. the Hon. W.K. Rous, RNVR) and HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR). (3)

5 May 1943
HMS H 33 (Lt. J.A. Spender, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR), HMS Coltsfoot (T/Lt. the Hon. W.K. Rous, RNVR), HMS Parrsboro (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.G. Raven, DSC, RNVR) and HMS Wedgeport (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.L. Fetherstonhaugh, RNR). (4)

3 Jul 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Mignonette (Lt. H.H. Brown, RNR), HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR), HMS Northern Gift (T/Lt. P.T. Clothier, RNVR) and HMS Geranium (T/Lt. A.R.J. Tilston, DSC, RNR). (5)

4 Jul 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Rochester (Cdr. H.V. King, OBE, RN), HMS Geranium (T/Lt. A.R.J. Tilston, DSC, RNR), HMS Mignonette (Lt. H.H. Brown, RNR), HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR), HMS Coltsfoot (T/Lt. G.W. Rayner, RNVR) and HMS Azalea (Lt. G.C. Geddes, RNR). (5)

15 Jul 1943
German U-boat U-135 was sunk in the Atlantic, in position 28°20'N, 13°17'W, by the British sloop HMS Rochester (Cdr. H.V. King, OBE, RN) and the British corvettes HMS Mignonette (Lt. H.H. Brown, RNR) and HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR) and an American Catalina aircraft (VP-92).

28 Aug 1943
HMS H 33 (T/Lt. C.P. Thode, RNZNVR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Geranium (T/Lt. A.R.J. Tilston, DSC, RNR), HMS Azalea (Lt. G.C. Geddes, RD, RNR), HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR) and HMCS St. Croix (A/Lt.Cdr. A.H. Dobson, DSC, RCNR). (6)

22 Nov 1943

Convoy SL 141.

This convoy departed Freetown on 22 November 1943.

On departure from Freetown the convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Agia Marina (Greek, 4151 GRT, built 1912), Akaroa (British, 15130 GRT, built 1914), Baron Ruthven (British, 3178 GRT, built 1925), Cape Sable (British, 4398 GRT, built 1936), Conakrian (British, 4876 GRT, built 1937), Dordrecht (Dutch, 4402 GRT, built 1928), Empire Arun (British, 5490 GRT, built 1922), Empire Flamingo (British, 4994 GRT, built 1920), Gascony (British, 4716 GRT, built 1925), Hilversum (Dutch, 3717 GRT, built 1920), Langleebrook (British, 4246 GRT, built 1930), Palembang (Dutch, 7070 GRT, built 1921), Princesa (British, 8731 GRT, built 1918) and Scottish American (British (tanker), 6999 GRT, built 1920).

On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the sloops HMS Leith (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.W. Preston, RN), HMS Sandwich (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A.J. Clemence, RNR) and the corvette HMS Anchusa (T/Lt. R.A. Baker, RNVR).

On 25 November 1943, the merchant vessels Bosphorus (Norwegian, 2111 GRT, built 1934), El-Biar (French, 4678 GRT, built 1927), Empire Buckler (British, 7046 GRT, built 1942) and Marija Petrinovic (Yugoslavian, 5684 GRT, built 1918) departed Dakar to join the convoy.

On 3 December 1943, the merchant vessels Coulmore (British, 3670 GRT, built 1936) and Fort Gibraltar (British, 7134 GRT, built 1942) departed Casablanca to join the convoy. They were escorted to the rendezvous by the minesweeping sloop Commandant Delage and the patrol vessel USS PC-480 (Lt. F.W. Meyers, Jr., USNR) which then returned to Casablanca taking the El-Biar with them.

On 4 December 1943, the convoy merged with convoy MKS 32(G) coming from the Mediterranean.

This convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Arlesford (British, 2472 GRT, built 1922), Arawa (British, 14462 GRT, built 1922), Ashbury (British, 3901 GRT, built 1924), Blackheath (British, 4637 GRT, built 1936), Capitaine Paul Lemerle (French, 4945 GRT, built 1925), City of Hongkong (British, 9609 GRT, built 1924), Clan Cameron (British, 7243 GRT, built 1937), Cochrane (British, 7203 GRT, built 1923), Dalcross (British, 4557 GRT, built 1930)), Dalemoor (British, 5835 GRT, built 1922), Empire Derwent (British, 4026 GRT, built 1930), Empire Gold (British (tanker), 8028 GRT, built 1941), Empire Scout (British, 2185 GRT, built 1936), Empire Wolfe (British, 2888 GRT, built 1941), Explorer (British, 6235 GRT, built 1935), Hardingham (British, 7269 GRT, built 1942), Hartbridge (British, 5080 GRT, built 1927), Iris (British (cable ship), 1479 GRT, built 1940), Itinda (British, 6619 GRT, built 1938), Mandalay (British, 5529 GRT, built 1911), Parklaan (Dutch, 3807 GRT, built 1911), Porjus (Swedish, 2965 GRT, built 1906), Recorder (British, 2276 GRT, built 1902) and Socotra (British, 7840 GRT, built 1943).

The rescue ship Bury (British, 1686 GRT, built 1911) was also with the convoy.

The LST's USS LST 5 (Lt. J.F. Lambden Jr., USNR), USS LST 7 (Lt. F. O'Neil, USN), USS LST 306 (Lt. R.H. Kimball, USNR), USS LST 307 (Lt. J.B. Markham, USNR), USS LST 331 (Lt. J. Mazotta, USCG), USS LST 335 (Lt. H.R. Roberts, USNR), USS LST 336 (Lt. D.L. Biberman, USNR), USS LST 369 (Lt. J.P. O'Riorden, USNR), USS LST 388 (Lt. R.S. Browning, USNR), USS LST 391 (Lt. I. Ehrensall, USNR), USS LST 392 (Lt. L.R. Lemaire, Jr., USNR) and USS LST 393 (Lt. W.C. Knight, USNR) also took passage in the convoy.

Convoy MKS 32(G) was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Ranpura (Capt.(Retd.) H.T.M. Pawsey, RN), sloops HMS Rochester (Cdr. H.V. King, OBE, DSO, RN), HMS Scarborough (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Carnduff, RN), frigate HMS Tavy (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F. Ardern, RNR) and the corvettes HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, DSC, RNVR), HMS Geranium (T/Lt. A.R.J. Tilston, DSC, RNR) and HMS Mignonette (Lt. H.H. Brown, DSC, RNR).

The original escort of convoy SL 141 then parted company and proceeded to Gibraltar where they arrived on 5 December 1943.

Around 1015Z/6, the escort carrier HMS Fencer (Capt. E.W. Anstice, RN) joined the convoy. She parted company around 0630Z/12 to join the combined convoy Combined convoy OS 61 / KMS 35. She was escorted to the rendezvous with this convoy by HMS Tavy which then parted company to rejoin convoy SL 141 / KMS 32.

The now combined convoy SL 141 / MKS 32 arrived in U.K. waters on 17 December 1943. The Arawa (to Clyde, arrived 14 December 1943) and Socotra (to Liverpool, arrived 12 December 1943) had been detached earlier and proceeded to their respective destinations independently.

23 Dec 1944
HMS Balsam (Lt.Cdr. Sir J.H.S. Fayer, DSC, RNVR) picks up 8 survivors from the British merchant Dumfries that is torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-322 south of St.Catherine?s Point, Isle of Wight in position 50°23'N, 01°43'W.

Sources

  1. ADM 173/17779
  2. ADM 173/17814
  3. ADM 173/18373
  4. ADM 173/17782
  5. ADM 173/17926
  6. ADM 173/17785

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


Return to the Allied Warships section