HMS Hazard JO2 : WWII Halcyon Class Minesweeper The Die Is Cast

HMS Hazard JO2 : WWII Halcyon Class Minesweeper The Die Is Cast Halcyon Class Minesweeping Sloop - Motto: Facta Est Alea - 'The Die Is Cast" Built at yard #1068, Central Marine Works, William Gray & Co. Ltd.

of West Hartlepool, County Durham, UK on behalf The Admiralty. Classification: 'Halcyon' Class Minesweeping Sloop
Engine type: Twin turbines, twin screw
GRT: 835 displacement
Length: 235 feet
Beam: 33.5 feet
Launched on: 26th February 1937
Fate: Broken up in Grays, Essex on 22nd April 1949

HMS Hazard: Halcyon Class MinesweeperDate of image : 1937 Image courtesy of: Hartlepool Museum Service
29/04/2015

HMS Hazard: Halcyon Class Minesweeper
Date of image : 1937
Image courtesy of: Hartlepool Museum Service

On the 14th of June, 1943 HMS Hazard, Sharpshooter, H**e and Speedy were involved in the invasion of Sicily, known as 'O...
25/04/2015

On the 14th of June, 1943 HMS Hazard, Sharpshooter, H**e and Speedy were involved in the invasion of Sicily, known as 'Operation Husky' involving approximately 115,000 British, Allied and U.S. troops. The main assault convoy, known as KMS18, after passing through position 35º 00' North, 14º 16' East was joined by Minesweepers HMS Hazard, Sharpshooter, H**e and Speedy. Paravanes were 'streamed' before achieving the 200 fathom line.

9th July, 1943: The weather deteriorated during the afternoon and considerable swell created difficult conditions for the Main Convoy, Minesweepers and other small craft in the group. As the speed of the assault convoy had been reduced, sweeping from the 100 fathom line was ceased in order to arrive at the release position in time.

Pachino was on fire from the relentless bombardment of the town. The Minesweepers cleared the way for the landing craft to go ashore on the beaches at ‘Bark West’ in the Eastern British sector to the west of Port de Formiche, the most southerly tip of Sicily.

'Operation Husky' saw about 115,000 British and Allied troops, along with around 66,000 U.S. landing on Sicily, commencing on the 10th of July, 1943. The Minesweepers were engaged in a variety of es**rt and despatch duties. Seven days after the assault, HMS Hazard, H**e and Sharpshooter were ordered to Malta where they arrived on the 18th of July.

Photograph is of HMS Hazard in the Mediterranean in 1943, during 'Operation Husky'. Source: Tibbs Halford.

13/03/2015

Exclusive interview of Seaman, Alfred Samuel Gower

HMS Hazards' Alfred Samuel Gower is interviewed by the Imperial War Museums' Conrad Wood about his war exploits. He also served on a submarine as well as Mountbatten's HMS Kelly.

Reel No. 1: http://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80013934&media_id=87676

Reel 1: Background in Poplar and Bromley-by-Bow 1919-1937: family; education; reasons for joining Royal Navy 1937. Period of training with Royal Navy at HMS Pembroke, Chatham 1937: attitude to naval discipline; incident of unjust treatment.

Aspects of operations as seaman aboard HMS Hazard in GB coastal waters 1938-1939: method of minesweeping; shooting at German reconnaissance aircraft at Scapa Flow, autumn 1939; question of Royal Oak being sabotaged instead of torpedoed, 10/1939; his aim to join Submarine Service after completing torpedoman's course.

Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Kelly in Norway and GB coastal waters, 1940: joining ship, 2/1940; memories of Lord Louis Mountbatten; evacuation of French troops from Namsos, Norway, 4/1940; background to torpedoing of ship in English Channel and role of HMS Bulldog, 5/1940; character of his farewell to Lord Louis Mountbatten, 15/5/1940.

Aspects of taking blockship to Edvard Nissen to Dunkirk, 6/1940: reporting for duty.

Reel No. 2: http://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80013934&media_id=87677

Reel 2 Continues: role of blockship at Dunkirk. Period of training with Submarine Service in GB, 1940-1941: training at HMS Dolphin, Gosport; lack of 'bull' in service; training patrol aboard HMS Sturgeon.
Reel 3: Recollections of operations as torpedoman aboard HMS Seawolf in Arctic and North Sea, 1941-1942: incident when submarine was attacked by British destroyer off Portsmouth c3/1941; German Junkers Ju87 Stuka attack on submarine during Convoy PQ16; ashore in Polyarnoe, Russia; acting as screen cover during Convoy PQ17; incident with Russian sentry at Polyarnoe; age of submariners during Second World War.

Reel No. 3: http://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80013934&media_id=87678

Reel 3 Continues: emergency dive after attack by Bristol Blenheim in German markings; long periods without sighting German targets; urinating in bucket to preserve trim of submarine; attitude towards depth charging.

Recollections of operations as torpedoman aboard HMS Seanymph in North Sea, 1942-1943: need for silence; reasons for frequency of dives; question of ship being an unlucky submarine; towing X8 to attack on Tirpitz; incidents of men washed overboard; living conditions on board including use of scale oil, scabies, storage of rations, use of heads, disposal of food tins, and atmosphere; attitude towards German film 'Das Boot'.

Reel No. 4: http://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80013934&media_id=87679

Reel 4 Continues: background to leaving submarine, 12/1943 and attending leading torpedomans' course at Eastbourne. Recollections of operations as leading torpedoman aboard HMS Tiptoe in Far East, 1944-1945: background to drafting to submarine; voyage from GB to Trincomalee, 5/1944.

Patrolling from Trincomalee and Fremantle; heavy depth charging in Java Sea; Japanese attitude towards Allied submariners; precautions against heat in tropics. Story of nearly killing a child on sentry duty at Haslar Hospital.

Reel No. 5: http://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80013934&media_id=87680

Reel 5 Continues: Story of handling wounded seaman from HMS Foxglove in Portsmouth Harbour.

Question of lack of mental effects of service in Second World War. Question of why he received little promotion in Second World War.

02/03/2015

I have lots of additional images & details which I'll upload tomorrow. I'm too tired to finish this work tonight. (y)

This one's very poignant for us. My Father-in-Law, Jack Bower was put in the brink as his Captain tried to force him int...
02/03/2015

This one's very poignant for us. My Father-in-Law, Jack Bower was put in the brink as his Captain tried to force him into spending an inordinate amount of time beyond what was expected of a Mariner's abilities in HMS Hazard's crowsnest.

If I could take back time, I would punch Jack's commander's lights out but that said, Jack being the boxer that he was, he could have done that and then some if he wasn't as undisciplined as I am.

Grrrr. lol

Close-up of one of HMS Hazard's gun crews with their headgear and gloves on.
02/03/2015

Close-up of one of HMS Hazard's gun crews with their headgear and gloves on.

View of HMS Hazard's engine room and platform:
02/03/2015

View of HMS Hazard's engine room and platform:

Lieutenant Commander T.R. Seymour, HMS Hazard Captain on the bridge, taking a bearing with the navigator to his left:
02/03/2015

Lieutenant Commander T.R. Seymour, HMS Hazard Captain on the bridge, taking a bearing with the navigator to his left:

Lieutenant Commander T.R. Seymour, HMS Hazard Captain, taking a sight with his sextant:
02/03/2015

Lieutenant Commander T.R. Seymour, HMS Hazard Captain, taking a sight with his sextant:

"Another method of sweeping for moored mines is by means of the oropesa sweep. This is a single ship sweep and can be us...
02/03/2015

"Another method of sweeping for moored mines is by means of the oropesa sweep. This is a single ship sweep and can be used as a single or double sweep. The sweep wire is again kept at the required depth by means of the kite, the wire being kept out from the ship by means of a "kite otter", attached to which is the oropesa float. Streaming the oropesa float."

A Sailor working hard on his Minesweeper, HMS Hazard. Taken by Lieutenant S.J. Beadell. Date unknown but likely to be 19...
02/03/2015

A Sailor working hard on his Minesweeper, HMS Hazard. Taken by Lieutenant S.J. Beadell. Date unknown but likely to be 1940.

Another scene on board the Minesweeper, HMS Hazard. Taken by Lieutenant S.J. Beadell in 1940. A wonderful image of Sail...
02/03/2015

Another scene on board the Minesweeper, HMS Hazard. Taken by Lieutenant S.J. Beadell in 1940. A wonderful image of Sailors working together!

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