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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS BURNHAM (H 82) -  ex-US Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Beverley, Type A sister-ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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Ex USS AULICK (Type A - BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel, Quincy. The ship was laid down on 3rd February 1918 and launched on 11th April 1919- Commissioned on 23rd July 1919 for US naval service she was held in Reserve in 1939. The ship transferred to the RN under the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement on 26th November 1940 and commissioned as HMS BURNHAM on 8th October 1940 at Halifax in Canada. This name was common to a town in Maine, USA and one in Somerset. It had previously been used for WW1 minesweeper which was renamed BLACKBURN in 1918. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Burnham on Sea, Somerset.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC   1941-43

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field per fess wavy Blue and White in base a bar wavy also blue.

Three torches Gold enflamed proper charged with a hurt thereon a mullet White.

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

 

 

1 9 4 0

 

October

                8th          Commissioned as HMS RICHMOND at Halifax.

                16th        Took passage for Plymouth via Newfoundland.

                                On arrival taken in hand for modifications to suit RN use as a convoy escort.

 

November              Passage to Scapa Flow

                12th        Began work-up with ships of Home Fleet

                                Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE from Belfast to Clyde.

 

December              Joined escort of Convoy SL76 from Freetown and sustained structural weather

                17th        Taken in hand for repair at Belfast.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Under repair

                30th        On completion of post repair trials took passage to join 12th Escort Group

 

February                Joined HM Destroyers BURWELL and SHERWOOD for Atlantic convoy defence.

 

March                    Atlantic convoy defence in continuation with Group.

                3rd          Damaged in collision with HM Destroyer MALCOLM.

                5th          Under repair at Liverpool.

 

April                       Under repair.

                                Nominated for service with Group in the Royal Canadian Navy Newfoundland Escort

                                Force.

                27th        On completion of post refit trials took passage to join Group in Iceland.

 

May                        Deployed with Group for Atlantic convoy defence based in Iceland.

                                Transferred with Group to St Johns, Newfoundland.

 

June                        Western Atlantic convoy defence in continuation

to

July

 

August                  Part of escort for Atlantic Convoy HX143.

 

September             Sustained damage in collision with HM Destroyer CHESTERFIELD (sister ship).

                                Taken in hand for repair at Boston, Mass.

                                (Note: 12th Escort Group re-designated as 119th Escort Group, RCN.)

 

October                  Under repair.

                23rd        On completion took passage to rejoin re-designated Group at St Johns.

 

November              Deployed for western Atlantic convoy defence with Group.

                                Part of escort for Convoy SC53.

 

December              Part of escort for Convoys SC59 and CNS50

 

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Western Atlantic convoy defence based at St Johns in continuation.

to

February

 

March                    Under refit at Charlestown, SC.

 

April                       On completion of post refit trials detached for convoy defence based at Bermuda.

 

May                        Rejoined Group at St Johns.

 

June                        Western Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

 

July                         Part of escort for Convoy ON113 with ships of 2nd Canadian-Escort Group.

                                (Note: For details of dates see ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM IN WW2 by A Hague.)

 

August                  Part of escort for Convoy SC97 with ships of Group.

 

September             Part of escort for Convoy ON129 with ships of Group.

 

October                  Nominated for return to UK for refit.

                                Passage to UK.

 

November              Under refit at Thames commercial shipyard.

to

December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  On completion of post refit trials worked-up for operational service.

                                Took passage to St Johns to join 3rd Canadian Escort Group.

 

February                Rejoined Group and deployed for western Atlantic convoy defence.

                                Part of escort of Convoys HX221 and ONS163 with Group.

 

March                    Atlantic deployment with Group in continuation.

 

April                       Part of escort for Convoy ON160 with Group.

 

May                        Part of escort for Convoy HX238 with Group.

 

June                        Western Atlantic convoy escort duty in continuation.

to

August

 

September             Part of escort for Convoy HX255 with Group.

 

October                  Nominated for return to UK.

                                Withdrawn from operational service on arrival in Western Approaches Command.

                                Deployment as an Air Target Vessel approved after conversion

 

November              Taken in hand for conversion..

to                            (Note: Ship was disarmed and modified for new role.)

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Under conversion.

to

February

 

March                    Deployed at station in Irish Sea as Air Target Ship for training of aircrew.

to

October

 

November              Withdrawn from service and to be reduced to Reserve status at Milford Haven.

 

December              Paid off and de-stored.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Laid up in Reserve at Milford Haven.

to

August

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS BURNHAM was placed on the Disposal List in March 1947 and sold to BISCO for demolition by R S Hayes at Pembroke Dock  The ship arrived there in tow at the breaker’s yard on 2nd December 1948.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BURNHAM

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

 

 

 

 

 

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

21/11/40

10/12/40

SL 056

12/12/40

12/12/40

08/02/41

09/02/41

OB 283

11/02/41

12/02/41

30/01/41

12/02/41

HX 106

15/02/41

18/02/41

20/02/41

20/02/41

OB 289

24/02/41

24/02/41

13/02/41

26/02/41

HX 109

03/03/41

04/03/41

07/05/41

08/05/41

OB 319

12/05/41

13/05/41

30/04/41

15/05/41

HX 124

unknown

20/05/41

12/05/41

18/05/41

OB 322

20/05/41

20/05/41

10/05/41

21/05/41

HX 126

22/05/41

28/05/41

01/06/41

07/06/41

HX 130

14/06/41

20/06/41

01/06/41

07/06/41

SC 033

14/06/41

21/06/41

11/06/41

17/06/41

OB 334

20/06/41

25/06/41

30/06/41

04/07/41

HX 136

13/07/41

18/07/41

16/07/41

22/07/41

OB 347

31/07/41

31/07/41

05/08/41

08/08/41

HX 143

17/08/41

20/08/41

16/08/41

21/08/41

ON 008

23/08/41

25/08/41

10/08/41

24/08/41

HX 144

unknown

30/08/41

04/11/41

06/11/41

SC 053

20/11/41

24/11/41

19/11/41

26/11/41

ON 038

20/11/41

30/11/41

10/12/41

12/12/41

SC 059

21/12/41

27/12/41

24/12/41

28/12/41

ON 050

03/01/42

03/01/42

23/01/42

27/01/42

SC 066

04/02/42

09/02/42

20/02/42

22/03/42

ON 069

03/03/42

06/03/42

18/05/42

18/05/42

TH NN2

28/05/42

28/05/42

07/06/42

07/06/42

HX 193

10/06/42

19/06/42

02/06/42

14/06/42

ON 100

19/06/42

19/06/42

26/06/42

01/07/42

SC 089

10/07/42

11/07/42

17/07/42

18/07/42

ON 113

26/07/42

31/07/42

02/08/42

05/08/42

HX 201

09/08/42

14/08/42

06/08/42

10/08/42

ON 119

15/08/42

20/08/42

22/08/42

26/08/42

SC 097

05/09/42

07/09/42

11/09/42

12/09/42

ON 129

20/09/42

25/09/42

19/09/42

26/09/42

SC 102

06/10/42

06/10/42

09/12/42

10/12/42

ON 152

21/12/42

31/12/42

29/12/42

05/01/43

HX 221

14/01/43

14/01/43

24/01/43

25/01/43

ON 163

08/02/43

16/02/43

08/02/43

14/02/43

HX 226

23/02/43

24/02/43

09/03/43

10/03/43

ON 172

21/03/43

27/03/43

20/03/43

31/03/43

SC 124

07/04/43

09/04/43

24/04/43

25/04/43

ON 180

07/05/43

14/05/43

07/05/43

14/05/43

HX 238

21/05/43

22/05/43

01/06/43

02/06/43

ON 187

10/06/43

15/06/43

15/06/43

20/06/43

HX 244

29/06/43

30/06/43

09/07/43

10/07/43

ON 192

18/07/43

22/07/43

23/07/43

29/07/43

HX 249

05/08/43

06/08/43

20/08/43

23/08/43

ONS 016

29/08/43

01/09/43

02/09/43

08/09/43

HX 255

15/09/43

16/09/43

26/09/43

27/09/43

ONS 019

09/10/43

14/10/43

18/10/43

24/10/43

HX 262

02/11/43

02/11/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 15/8/11
further editing and formatting is required