William Donald Aelian King DSO, DSC, RN
| Birth details unknown |
| Ranks
Retired: 6 Feb 1948 Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for William Donald Aelian King, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Snapper (N 39) | Lt. | Submarine | 16 Apr 1939 | 24 Dec 1940 |
| HMS Trusty (N 45) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | 15 Mar 1941 | Apr/May 42 |
| HMS Telemachus (P 321) | Cdr. | Submarine | 21 Jul 1943 | 20 Aug 1945 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Submarine HMS Snapper (N 39)
3 Dec 1939
HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, RN) is mistakenly attacked by a British aircraft when returning to Harwich after a patrol in the North Sea. Although suffering a direct hit no damage was done. Snapper terminated her patrol at Harwich on 6 December.
12 Apr 1940
HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, RN) sinks the small German tanker Moonsund (322 GRT) with gunfire off Larvik, Norway in position 58º53'N, 10º43'E.
14 Apr 1940
While operating in the Skaggerak HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Florida (6150 GRT) in position 58º10'N, 10º59'E.
15 Apr 1940
Still operating in the Skaggerak HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, RN) torpedoed and sinks the German auxiliary minesweepers M 1701 / H. M. Behrens (525 GRT) and M 1702 / Carsten Janssen (472 GRT) north-east of Skagen, Denmark in position 57º55'N, 10º53'E.
6 May 1940
HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, RN) attackes the German armed merchant cruiser Schiff 21 / Widder with 2 torpedoes east of Denmark in position 55º35'N, 07º16'E. However the torpedoes miss their target.
25 Jun 1940
HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, DSO, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German armed trawler V 1107 / Portland (286 GRT) south of Stavanger, Norway in position 58º54'N, 05º05'E.
3 Jul 1940
HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, DSO, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Norwegian merchant Cygnus (1334 GRT, offsite link) west of Hadryet, Norway in position 58º13'N, 05º06'E. Lt. King also claims to have damaged a second ship but this was not the case.
Submarine HMS Trusty (N 45)
4 Dec 1941
At 1217hours HMS Trusty (Lt.Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) makes a torpedo attack on ' what is identified as ' an Italian Grecale-class destroyer west of Zakynthos island, Greece in position 37º46'N, 20º25'E. All torpedoes fired however missed their target. The attack was most likely against the Italian torpedo boat Orsa.
HMS Trusty is often credited with the sinking of the Italian merchant Eridano (3586 GRT) but this ship was sunk by HMS Perseus.
Submarine HMS Telemachus (P 321)
13 Jan 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Lerwick for her 1st war patrol. This was a work-up patrol in the Norwegian Sea to the West-North-West of Trontheim, Norway.
For HMS Telemachus daily positions during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Telemachus 1st war patrolclick here for bigger map
26 Jan 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) ends her 1st war patrol at Lerwick. Norting of interest was sighted during this work-up patrol.
17 Apr 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Holy Loch for the Far East. The fist leg of the trip is to Gibraltar. (No positions are mentioned in the log of Telemachus nor have we found a passage report, therefore no map can be made.)
29 Apr 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) arrives at Gibraltar.
6 May 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Gibraltar bound for Malta.
11 May 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) arrives at Malta.
13 May 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Malta bound for Port Said.
18 May 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) arrives at Port Said.
27 May 1944
After a short docking period at Port Said HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) passes the Suez Canal.
29 May 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Suez bound for Aden.
3 Jun 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) arrives at Aden.
8 Jun 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Aden bound for Colombo. While on passage she is ordered to proceed to Trincomalee instead of Colombo.
28 Jun 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) arrives at Trincomalee.
5 Jul 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Trincomalee for her 2nd war patrol (1st in Far Eastern waters). She is ordered to patrol in the Malacca Straits.
For HMS Telemachus daily positions during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Telemachus 2nd war patrolclick here for bigger map
17 Jul 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese submarine I-166 (1635 tons, built 1932, offsite link) in the Strait of Malacca in position 01º10'N, 103º45'E.
29 Jul 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) ends her 2nd war patrol (1st in Far Eastern waters) at Trincomalee.
21 Aug 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Trincomalee for passage to Fremantle, Australia.
For HMS Telemachus daily positions during this passage see the map below.
HMS Telemachus passage Trincomalee-Fremantleclick here for bigger map
6 Sep 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) arrives at Fremantle, Australia.
14 Sep 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Fremantle for her 3rd war patrol. (2nd in Far Eastern waters). She is ordered to perform a special operation in the Singapore area.
For HMS Telemachus daily positions during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Telemachus 3rd war patrolclick here for bigger map
17 Sep 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) arrives at
Exmouth Gulf to top of with fuel and some days training for her special mission.
21 Sep 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs
Exmouth Gulf.
27 Oct 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) ends her 3rd war patrol. (2nd in Far Eastern waters) at Fremantle.
4 Dec 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) departs Fremantle for her 4th war patrol. (3rd in Far Eastern waters). She is ordered to patrol in the South China Sea.
For HMS Telemachus daily positions during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Telemachus 4th war patrolclick here for bigger map
8 Dec 1944
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO, DSC, RN) arrives at Exmouth Gulf to top of with fuel and some repairs to one of the engines. She departs for patrol the next day. Telemachus is not routed through Lombok Strait due to increased Japanese activity there.
20 Jan 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) ends her 4th war patrol. (3rd in Far Eastern waters) at Fremantle.
24 Feb 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) departs Fremantle for her 5th war patrol. (4th in Far Eastern waters). She is ordered to patrol in the Java and South China Seas.
For HMS Telemachus daily positions during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Telemachus 5th war patrolclick here for bigger map
28 Feb 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) arrives at Exmouth Gulf to top of with fuel. She departs the next day.
23 Mar 1945
The Engeneer Officer of HMS Telemachus is badly injured. His hand was nearly severed at the wrist. The next day a signal was sent to requist a rendez-vouz with an aircraft in the Flores sea to enable the Engeneer Officer to return to Australia for medical treatment.
27 Mar 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) arrives at the rendez-vouz position (09º40'S, 123º08'E). The Engeneer Officer was transferred to a Catalina flying boat. Later this day Telemachus was ordered to abandon the patrol due to the continues mechanical problems. Telemachus is ordered to proceed to Port Darwin.
30 Mar 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) arrives at Port Darwin. Before she could proceed to Trincomalee engine repairs must be made. Also a new Engineer Officer was flown in.
3 Apr 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) departs Port Darwin bound for Trincomalee. She is to proceed to the U.K. for refit.
16 Apr 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) ends her 5th war patrol. (4th in Far Eastern waters) at Trincomalee.
8 May 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) departs Trincomalee bound for Aden.
For HMS Telemachus daily positions during the passage from the far east to the U.K. see the map below.
HMS Telemachus passage Trincomalee - Plymouthclick here for bigger map
17 May 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) arrives at Aden.
18 May 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) departs Aden bound for Port Said.
23 May 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) arrives at Port Said.
31 May 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) departs Port Said bound for Malta.
4 Jun 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) arrives at Malta.
9 Jun 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) departs Malta bound for Gibraltar.
13 Jun 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) arrives at Gibraltar.
15 Jun 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) departs Gibraltar bound Plymouth.
21 Jun 1945
HMS Telemachus (Cdr. W.D.A. King, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) arrives at Plymouth. She is to undergo a refit at Devonport Dockyard