Members’ Ships : Royal Navy : G to L

Ships listed on this page:
HMS Glasgow; HMS Goodall; HMS Howe; HMS Implacable; HMS Jamaica; HMS Javelin; HMS Kent; HMS Kenya; HMS Keppel; HMS King George V; HMS Loch Insh; HMS Loch Killin; HMS London; HMS Lookout

HMS Glasgow (21)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
Ken Newton (deceased), Wanganui

HMS Glasgow (21) was built on the Clyde, and was a Southampton-class light cruiser, a sub-class of the Town-class, commissioned in September 1937. She displaced 11,930 tons with a top speed of 32 knots. She was part of the Home Fleet, and escorted the King and Queen to Canada in 1939. It is believed she also took a large quantity of gold to Fort Knox as an emergency reserve. On April 14, 1940, during the Allied campaign in Norway in World War II Glasgow, along with HMS Sheffield and ten destroyers landed an advance force of Royal Marines at Namsos to seize and secure the wharves and approaches to the town, preparatory to the landing of a larger Allied force.

Later in the campaign, she transferred King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav of Norway and Norwegian gold reserves when they fled from Molde to Tromsø, escaping the advancing German forces in their country. Glasgow was then employed as a convoy escort in the Mediterranean Sea and she took part in the Fleet Air Arm raid that crippled the Italian Fleet at Taranto. In December 1940 she was damaged by torpedoes that put two of her four shafts out of action. This limited her ability to be assigned to missions and it was not until 1942 that she was properly repaired. During Operation Stonewall in late December 1943, Glasgow and the cruiser Enterprise fought a three-hour battle with eleven enemy destroyers of which three were sunk and four damaged with gunfire.

On D-Day, Glasgow led a US Force toward the beaches, providing naval gunfire support to the landing parties. After the end of the war, she took on Flagship duties of Commander in Chief Fleet East Indies; in 1948 the Flagship of the American and West Indies Station and in 1951 she became the Flagship of the Commander in Chief Mediterranean, Admiral the Earl Mountbatten of Burma. She was broken up in 1958.

HMS Glasgow sailed in convoys:  JW52 + RA52 + RA53. Motto: "Memor es Tuorum" "Be mindful of your ancestors". Badge date: 1935

HMS Goodall (K479)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
Henry P Carter, Christchurch (deceased)

HMS Goodall was a Captain (Evarts) class frigate of the Royal Navy, constructed in the United States and delivered to the United Kingdom under the provisions of Lend-Lease. Captain class frigates served in World War II as convoy escorts, anti-submarine warfare vessels and coastal forces control frigates. They were drawn from two classes of destroyer escort; 32 from the Evarts class and 46 from the Buckley class. Post-war nearly all the surviving Captain class were returned to the US Navy as quickly as possible to reduce the amount payable under the provisions of the Lend-Lease agreement.

HMS Goodall (K479) was laid down as destroyer escort USS Reybold (DE 275) of the Evarts-class for the US Navy, completed in October 1943. At 21.00 hours on 29 April 1945, U-968 (Westphalen) fired Gnats at the escort vessels from the convoy RA66 in grid AC8856 and reported two destroyers sunk. However, the detonations were observed by HMS Alnwick Castle (K405) (A/Lt Cdr H. A. Stonehouse, DSC, RNR) and a Gnat missed HMS Goodall (K479). About 22.00 hours the same day, U-286 hit HMS Goodall (K479) (Lt Cdr James Vandalle Fulton, RNVR) with a Gnat in the entrance to the Kola Inlet, seven miles from Murmansk. The magazine exploded, blowing away the forepart of the vessel and killing the Commander (112 dead and 44 survivors).

The abandoned ship had to be scuttled by gunfire by HMS Anguilla (K500) (T/A/Lt Cdr C. Morrison-Payne, RNVR) the next day. The U-boat was sunk by other ships of the 19th Escort Group during the following night. This was the last confirmed U-boat success in the Northern Theatre.

The badge (supplied by an alternative source to the others on this page) was designed by A. Cochrane the official herald at the end of WWII. It can be seen in one of the windows in St George's Chapel just inside the Old Pembroke Main Gate. There is also a badge for Mastadon among other designs some of which are official. Goodall's badge was not made official, she was sunk towards the end of the war, by which time the window design was probably well under way. Likewise Mastadon had closed down by this time.

HMS Goodall sailed in convoys:  JW66 + RA66

HMS Howe (32)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
G C "Mac" McKinley (deceased)

HMS Howe was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after Admiral Richard Howe. Built at the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. shipyard in Govan and launched in 1940, the ship was originally to be named Beatty after the commander of the British battle cruisers at Jutland, but she was renamed Howe in February 1940. Howe was part of the Home Fleet in 1942 and early 1943, then joined Force H in the Mediterranean. She was refitted between October 1943 and June 1944 then joined the British Pacific Fleet.

After the war she was used as a training ship. Howe was broken up along with the other three ships of her class which survived the Second World War in 1957.

HMS Howe sailed in convoys:  JW53 + RA51 + RA53. Motto: "Utcunque Placuerit Deo" "God’s will be done". Badge date: 1940

HMS Implacable (86)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
Bruce Veale (deceased)

HMS Implacable (R86) was an Implacable-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. She was laid down at Fairfields Shipyard on Clydeside three months after her sister-ship Indefatigable and was clearly destined for the British Pacific Fleet once worked up. Her first commanding officer was Captain Lachlan Mackintosh of Mackintosh, but he was replaced on promotion by Captain Charles Hughes-Hallett before sailing for the Far East. After several attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz early in 1944 the ship prepared for the main task.

In 27 November 1944, Fairey Barracuda planes from the carrier bombed two Norwegian ships carrying Allied prisoners of war, killing 2,571 onboard the Rigel, one of the largest maritime disasters ever. The vessels were apparently mistaken for being German troop transports. Implacable arrived at Sydney on 8 May 1945 (V-E Day). She joined the carrier squadron as replacement for Illustrious, which was due to return to the United Kingdom for a major refit.

Among other types of plane, Implacable operated the Fairey Firefly, the Supermarine Seafire and the Grumman Avenger. Her first operation as part of the BPF was against Japanese airfields at Truk in the Caroline Islands. The ship remained in Pacific waters after the end of the conflict, becoming the flagship of Sir Philip Vian when he took over as Vice-Admiral BPF for a period. She returned to the United Kingdom in time for the Victory Parade.

Motto: "Saeva Parens Saeviorum" "Fierce parent of a fiercer offspring". Badge date: 1941

HMS Jamaica (C44)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
Wilf Goodier, Napier (deceased)

HMS Jamaica (C44), a Crown Colony class cruiser of the Royal Navy, was named after the island of Jamaica, which was a British possession when she was built in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. She served in World War II, taking part in a number of operations during that war, notably the Battle of the Barents Sea and the battle of North Cape on 26 December 1943 in which the German battle-cruiser Scharnhorst was sunk.

 In April 1944, HMS Jamaica was one of the escorts for the carrier force for Operation Tungsten, a Fleet Air Arm attack on the German battleship Tirpitz. In the Korean War, Jamaica was known as "The Galloping Ghost of the Korean Coast" due to the North Koreans claiming that she had been sunk three times. She was scrapped in 1960.

HMS Jamaica sailed in convoys: PQ18 + QP14 + JW51a + JW51b + JW54a + JW55a + JW55b + JW57 + JW59 + RA51 + RA54a + RA54b + RA55a + RA59a. Motto: "Non sibi sed patriae" "Not for oneself but for ones country". Badge date: 1938

HMS Javelin (F/G61)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
Stan Douglas, Napier (deceased); Ron Hancock, Foxton (deceased)

HMS Javelin (F61) was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by John Brown and Company, Limited, at Clydebank in Scotland on 11 October 1937, launched on 21 December 1938 and commissioned on 10 June 1939. At the end of November 1941, the 5th Destroyer Flotilla comprising HMS Jupiter, Javelin, Jackal, Jersey and Kashmir, under Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten, were operating out of Plymouth.

The flotilla engaged the German destroyers Hans Lody, Richard Beitzen and Karl Gaster. The Javelin was badly damaged by torpedo and artillery hits from the German destroyers and lost both her bow and stern. Only 155 feet of Javelin's original 353 foot length remained afloat and she was towed back to harbour. Javelin was out of action for almost a year.

HMS Javelin participated in the Operation Ironclad assault on Madagascar in May 1942. She participated in the failed Operation Vigorous attempt to deliver a supply convoy to Malta, in June 1942. HMS Javelin was sold for scrap on 11 June 1949 and broken up at Troon in Scotland.

(Note: Javelin was laid down as Kashmir 4 April 1938 completed 10 June 1939. Kashmir was laid down as Javelin 4 April 1939 completed 26 October 1939)

HMS Javelin sailed in convoy: PQ12. Motto: "Vi et armis" "By force of arms". Badge date: 1937

HMS Kent (54)

ACCNZ Members that served on this ship:
Bill Chipp, Lower Hutt (deceased) and William Abbey (deceased)

HMS Kent (54) was a Kent class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Chatham Dockyard (Chatham, UK), laid down on 15 November 1924. She was launched on 16 March 1926, and commissioned 25 June 1928. In 1928, she was commissioned as flagship of the 5th Cruiser Squadron on the China Station. In 1937, she returned to Chatham and underwent a major refit, which included increasing her armour.

After the refit, in 1938, she returned to the Far East. In December 1939 she was transferred to the 4th Cruiser Squadron, to perform anti-raider patrols in the East Indies and then reassigned to troop convoy escort in the Indian Ocean early in 1940.

Following the declaration of war by Italy, she was reallocated to the Mediterranean Fleet, arriving at Alexandria in August 1940 with the 3rd Cruiser Squadronn. On 17 August 1940 Kent and twelve destroyers carried out a bombardment of Italian positions around the fortress of Bardia. On 15 September 1940 Kent, Valiant, the aircraft carrier Illustrious and seven destroyers left Alexandria. The next day, while south off Crete they were joined by the anti-aircraft cruisers Calcutta and Coventry. The force then sailed toward Benghazi.

During the night of 16 September and 17 September 1940, aircraft from the Illustrious, mined the harbour of Benghazi. They also attacked shipping in the harbour with torpedoes. The Italians lost two destroyers and two merchant ships.

While returning to base from this attack Kent and two destroyers were detached to bombard Bardia. During the night of 17 September and 18 September 1940 Kent was hit in the stern by a torpedo from Italian torpedo bombers led by Carlo Emanuele Buscaglia. She was towed back to base by the destroyers, with great difficulty. She underwent temporary repairs at Alexandria on 19 September to allow her to return to the United Kingdom. Extensive repairs at Devonport Dockyard followed. These were made worse by a bomb hitting her while in dock. Repairs were completed in time for her to recommission in September 1941 when she joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron, part of the Home Fleet to escort convoys to North Russia.

On 12 November 1944, as flagship of Rear-Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor, with light cruiser Bellona, destroyers HMS Myngs, Zambesi, Verulam and HMCS Algonquin, raided shipping south east of Egersund, Norway. At position 58.20° N 6.00° E, the force intercepted a German convoy, four freighters escorted by M.416, M.427, Uj.1221, Uj.1223, Uj.1713 and one more, unidentified, Uj. Opening fire at 2300 hrs, the cruisers and destroyers sank two of the freighters and all the escorts above except the unidentified one. At the end of 1944 Kent was collided with a tanker. After repairs on Clydeside, she was retained at Gareloch as Reserve Fleet flagship. In October 1946 she was moved to Chatham to act as reserve fleet flagship there. During the summer, 1947, her armament was removed and she was used for target trials. Finally, she was allocated to BISCO on 22 January 1948, and arrived at Troon on 31 January to be broken up by West of Scotland Shipbreakers.

HMS Kent sailed in convoys: PQ13 + PQ14 + PQ16 + QP9 + QP10 + QP12 + JW52 + JW54a + JW54b + JW56a. Motto: "Invicta" "Unconquered". Badge date: 1924

HMS Kenya (14)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
George Purdon, Tairua (deceased)

HMS Kenya (14) was a "Fiji" class light cruiser built by A. Stephens and Sons Ltd (Glasgow). Laid down 28/6/1938, launched 18/8/1939 and commissioned 27/9/1940. In May 1941 was part of the 2nd.Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet. Took part in operations off the Norwegian polar coast against German merchant shipping and in the shelling of Vardo. In December 1941, was part of "Operation Anklet", the British raid on the Lofoten Islands during which she received several hits from the Ragsunday coastal batteries.

During March - May was on covering duties on Arctic convoys. She remained with the Home Fleet throughout 1943 and was then transferred to the 4th Cruiser Squadron of the British Eastern Fleet. After serving in various parts of the world she returned to Portsmouth in September 1958 where she was in reserve for some years before being sold for scrap on 29 October 1962 and was broken up at the Faslane yards of Ship-breaking Industries.

HMS Kenya sailed in convoys: PQ3 + PQ12 + PQ15 + QP3 + QP11. Motto: "Consilio fide vigilantia" "Wisdom, Faith and Vigilance". Badge date: 1939

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
William Chapman, Tauranga (deceased)

The second HMS King George V was the lead ship of the King George V class of battleships of 1939. Following the tradition of naming the first battleship constructed in the reign of a new monarch after the current monarch, she was originally to be named King George VI (after George VI). However the King instructed the Admiralty to name the ship in honour of his father, George V. King George V was built by Vickers-Armstrong at Walker's Naval Yard, Newcastle upon Tyne and laid down on 1 January 1937, launched on 21 February 1939, and commissioned on 11 December 1940.

She was the flagship of the Home Fleet under the command of Admiral Sir John Tovey, and was involved in the chase for the German battleship Bismarck. On 27 May 1941, she and Rodney fired a large number of shells into to the hull of the ill-fated ship. While escorting convoy PQ-15 to Murmansk on 1 May 1942, King George V collided with the destroyer HMS Punjabi, resulting in the sinking of the latter ship with 49 crew, and bow damage to the battleship.

In the Mediterranean, King George V covered the Operation Husky landings at Sicily, as well as transporting the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, back to Britain from the Tehran Conference. From 1944 until the surrender of Japan, King George V served with the British Pacific Fleet, and was present off Japan during the official surrender ceremony. She was recommissioned as flagship of the Home Fleet in 1946. Just three years later, King George V was decommissioned into the Reserve Fleet and subsequently scrapped at Dalmuir in 1957.

HMS King George V sailed in convoys: PQ12 + PQ13 + PQ14 + PQ15 + QP9 + QP10 + QP11 + JW51a + JW53 + RA51 + RA53. Badge date: 1940

HMS King George V (41)

HMS Keppel (D84)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
G B W Johnson, Christchurch (deceased)

A "Shakespeare" class Flotilla Leader ordered from John I Thornycroft in April 1918. Launched delayed until 23 April 1920 when the hull was towed to HM Dockyard, Portsmouth for completion. In February 1923 was taken to HM Dockyard at Pembroke, Wales. Work was completed 15 April 1925. First deployment was in the Mediterranean following which she was transferred to China station September 1926. Returned to the UK in 1931 and refitted for further service in the Far East.

Transferred to Mediterranean and then Home Waters. Paid off into reserve in 1937 and brought forward in 1939. Remained in service until June 1945 when she was placed on the sales list and sold to Bisco for breaking up on 25 July 1945. Between 1939 and 1945 she escorted approx. 94 convoys in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, South Atlantic and the Arctic.

HMS Keppel sailed in convoys: PQ17 + PQ18 + QP14 + JW57 + JW58 + JW59 + JW60 + JW62 + JW63 + RA57 Motto: "Ne cede malis" "Yield not to evil". Badge date: 1919

HMS Loch Insh (K433)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
Fred Williams (deceased)

HMS Loch Insh (K433) was a Loch-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Henry Robb of Leith and launched on 10 May 1943. She was named after Loch Insh in Scotland. She served in World War II. On 29 April 1945, in the Barents Sea she assisted Anguilla and Cotton in sinking the German submarine U-286 with depth charges. On the same day she sank U-307. On 2 October 1964, she was transferred to the Royal Malaysian Navy and renamed KD Hang Tuah. She was scrapped in 1977.

HMS Loch Insh sailed in convoys: JW66 + RA66. Badge date: 1953

HMS Loch Killin (K391)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
Alfred Hargreaves, Tauranga

HMS Loch Killin was a Loch class frigate of the Royal Navy and is named after Loch Killin in Scotland. She was laid down at Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. and launched on 29 November 1943. Notably she was armed with a brand new Squid anti-submarine depth charge mortar. She was scrapped on 24 August 1960. She was captained during the war by Lieutenant-Commander S. Darling, DSC and Bar, RANVR. On 31 July 1944 together with HMS Starling (U66) she sank the German submarine U-333 in the North Atlantic west of the Isles of Scilly in position 49°39′N, 7°28′W, with the Squid depth charge system.

This was the first successful use of the Squid system. On 6 August 1944 Sank the German submarine U-736 in the Bay of Biscay west of St. Nazaire, in position 47°19′N, 4°16′W, with depth charges. On 15 April 1945 she sank the German submarine U-1063 in the English Channel west of Land's End in position 50°8′54″N, 3°53′24″W with depth charges. HMS Loch Killin was scrapped at Cashmore, Newport on 24 August 1960.

Badge date: 1953

HMS London (C69)

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
Bob Powell, Christchurch (deceased) and Alfred Scaddan (deceased)

HMS London (C-69) was a County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. London was laid down by HM Dockyard at Portsmouth on 23 February 1926, launched on 14 September 1927 and completed on 31 January 1929. London served with the 1st Cruiser Squadron until March 1939, and was the flagship of Admiral Max Horton during his time in command of 1st Cruisers. HMS London and its sister ship HMS Shropshire facilitated the evacuation of thousands of civilians from Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. London was involved in the pursuit of the enemy German battleship Bismarck in May 1941, served on Russian convoy escort duties until November 1942, and with the Eastern Fleet postwar.

In June 1949, she was involved in the Amethyst incident, in which she suffered 15 men killed during duels with Chinese shore batteries in the unsuccessful rescue efforts. HMS London was laid up in the River Fal, handed over to the British Iron and Steel Corporation on 3 January 1950, and arrived at Barrow-in-Furness on 25 January 1950 where she was broken up by Thomas W. Ward.

HMS London sailed in convoys: PQ15 + PQ16 + PQ17 + PQ18 + QP1 + QP12 + QP14 + QP15. Motto: "Dirige nos" "Direct us". Badge date: 1926

HMS Lookout

ACCNZ Member that served on this ship:
David Collingwood (deceased)

Built by Scotts at Greenock. Launched 4 November 1940 and completed 30 January 1942. Battle Honours: Diego Suarez 1942; Malta convoys 1942; Arctic 1942; North Africa 1942 and 1943; Sicily 1943; Salerno 1943; South France 1944; Mediterranean 1943-45. .Placed on Reserve at Devonport October 1947. Broken up by John Cashmore, Newport, Monmouthshire 29 February 1948.

HMS Lookout sailed in convoys: PQ12. Badge date: 1938

HMS Activity; HMS Anson; HMS Apollo; SS Atlantic; HMS Bahamas; HMS Belfast; HMS Bermuda; HMS Berwick; HMS Black Prince; HMS Bluebell; HMS Byron; HMS Caesar; SS Cape Race; HMS Caprice; HMS Chiltern; HMS Dasher; HMS Diadem; SS Dolabella; HMS Drury; HMS Duke of York; HMS Echo; SS El Almirante; SS Eldena; SS Elona; SS Empire Beaumont; SS Empire Galliard; SS Empire Garrick; HMS Forester; HMS Furious;  HMS Magpie; HMS Malcolm; HMS Musketeer; HMS Nabob; HMS Nelson; HMS Nigeria; HMS Norfolk; HMS Obedient; SS Ocean Freedom; HMS Offa; HMS Onslaught; HMS Onslow; HMS Palomares; HMS Queen; HMS Renown; HMS Rodney; SS Samgara; SS San Ambrosio; HMS Sheffield; HMS Speedwell; HMS Speedy; HMS Striker; HMS Suffolk; HMS Tartar; HMS Tracker; HMS Trinidad; HMS Victorious; HMS Vindex; HMS Volage; HMS Wakeful; and HMS Zealous

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