The Story of Frank Mitchell 1941 to 1946
HMS Dasher 2nd January to 4th March 1943 (837 Sqn)
source of information below:- http://www.bris.ac.uk/Groups/BristolURNU/dasher.html
The current HMS Dasher is the fifth ship of this name to see service
with the Royal Navy. She belongs to the P2000 or 'Archer' class of
coastal training craft and is one of 14 such vessels in service with
the Royal Naval Reserve. Her hull was built by Watercraft at Shoreham
and her fitting out was completed by Vosper-Thorneycroft at Hythe. She
was commissioned in 1988 at Bristol and was used by the Bristol
University Royal Naval Unit as the Unit's tender until January 2003
when she was trasferred to the RN's Cyprus Squadron.
In 1943 the fourth HMS Dasher was an escort aircraft carrier of the
'Avenger' class, converted from the merchant vessel Rio de Janeiro and
completed by the American shipyard of Tietjen and Laird in 1942. She
displaced 8,200 tons (8331.6 tonnes), was 468ft (142.6m) long, 66ft
(20.1m) in the beam, drew 21ft (6.4m) and carried a crew of 555 men.
Her engines were rated at 8500 horsepower and she was capable of 16kts.
She mounted three 4inch and fifteen 20mm guns and carried 15 aircraft.
She was supplied to the Royal Navy under the 'lend-lease' scheme. She
first sailed from Halifax with convoy HX205 arriving in the UK in
September 1942. She then took part in operation Torch, the Allied
invasion of North Africa, in November 1942. On her return to the UK she
underwent repairs and modifications and rejoined the Home Fleet at
Scapa Flow in February 1943. She sailed for Murmansk with convoy JW53
but, after only two days, was forced to turn back following heavy storm
damage to her hull. After further repairs she was preparing to return
to active service when, on 27 March 1943, she was lost in the Firth of
Clyde following an aviation fuel explosion, sinking in 3 minutes
with
the loss of 27 officers and 331 ratings of her company. There are
several memorials in the area of the tragedy.
I have not established exactly when Frank left the ship but I am
pleased he did.
****************
source of information below:- http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Ships/DASHER.html
The Fleet Air Arm Archive confirms the above and that 837 Squadron was
aboard with Swordfish in January and February 1943. Other
information:-
Battle Honours
Atlantic 1942, North Africa 1942, Arctic 1943.
Squadrons and Aircraft
15 aircraft: 12 Swordfish and 3 Sea Hurricane fighters
|
FAA squadrons
embarked
|
Dates
|
Aircraft type
|
|
804
|
Oct-Nov 1942
|
Sea Hurricane IIc
|
|
837 dt
|
Jan-Feb 1943
|
Swordfish I
|
|
891
|
Jan-Feb 1943
|
Sea Hurricane IIc
|
|
816
|
Feb-March 1943
|
Swordfish II
|
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copyright
Howard J Mitchell 2006/7
page updated 11th February 2007
