Antony Fane de Salis DSO, RN

Born  11 May 1896


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Ranks

15 Sep 1913 Mid.
15 Sep 1915 A/S.Lt.
15 Mar 1916 S.Lt.
15 Apr 1917 Lt.
15 Apr 1925 Lt.Cdr.
31 Dec 1930 Cdr.
31 Dec 1938 Capt.

Retired: 8 Jan 1948


Decorations

26 Sep 1940 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
1 Jul 1941 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
8 Aug 1941 DSO
11 Jun 1966 MBE

Warship Commands listed for Antony Fane de Salis, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Duncan (D 99)Capt.Destroyer17 Feb 194018 Feb 1940
HMS Faulknor (H 62)Capt.Destroyer19 Feb 194026 Jan 1942
HMS Sussex (96)Capt.Heavy cruiser1 Dec 194421 Jul 1946

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Destroyer HMS Faulknor (H 62)


1 Mar 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN), HMS Fame (Cdr. P.N. Walter, RN), HMS Forester (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Tancock, RN), HMS Fury (Cdr. G.F. Burghard, RN) and HMS Mohawk (Cdr. J.W.M. Eaton, RN) arrived at the Clyde.

3 Feb 1941
HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN) picks up 4 survivors from the British tanker British Premier that was torpedoed and sunk on 24 December 1940 by German U-boat U-65 200 nautical miles southwest of Freetown in position 06°20'N, 13°20'W.

8 Mar 1941
HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN) picks up 61 survivors from the British merchant Harmodius that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-105 north-north-east of the Cape Verde Islands in position 20°35'N, 20°40'W.

HMS Faulknor also picks up 6 survivors from the British merchant Hindpool that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-124 north of the Cape Verde Islands in position 20°51'N, 20°32'W.

HMS Faulknor, and HMS Forester together pick up 107 survivors from the British merchant Nardana that was also torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-124 north of the Cape Verde Islands in position 20°51'N, 20°32'W.

18 Jun 1941 (position 36.04, -7.29)
German U-boat U-138 was sunk west of Cadiz, in position 36°04'N, 07°29'W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN).


Heavy cruiser HMS Sussex (96)


28 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
With her refit completed, HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN), departed the Chatham Dockyard. At sea, near Sheerness, she conducted trials. (1)

29 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted D/G trials off Sheerness. (1)

5 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) departed Sheerness for Scapa Flow. (1)

6 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) arrived at Scapa Flow to commence a work-up period. (1)

12 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises and trials at Scapa Flow. (2)

14 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises and trials at Scapa Flow. (2)

21 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises and trials at Scapa Flow. (2)

24 Apr 1945
HMS Norfolk (CCapt. J.G.Y. Loveband, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral R.R. McGrigor, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN), HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) and HMS Birmingham (Capt. H.W. Williams, RN) conducted exercises and trials at Scapa Flow. (2)

30 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) arrived at Gibraltar. (2)

1 May 1945
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) departed Gibraltar for Bermuda. Her destination had been changed. (3)

2 May 1945
In the early evening, HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN), is ordered to return to Gibraltar. (3)

4 May 1945
In the morning, HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN), briefly stopped off Europa Point, Gibraltar to pick up correspondence. She then immediately departed again to proceed to Malta. (3)

6 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) arrived at Malta to complete her work-up programme before joining the Eastern Fleet. (3)

7 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted trials and exercises off Malta. (3)

16 May 1945
HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN), HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) and HMS Belvoir (A/Lt.Cdr. W.D. Shaw, RN) all conducted exercises off Malta. (4)

17 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
In the evening HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. (3)

18 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. (3)

28 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Malta.

In the evening exercises were carried out with HMS Meteor (Lt.Cdr. R.D.H.S. Pankhurst, RN). (3)

29 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
In the evening, HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN), went to sea for a night encounter exercise with HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN). (3)

30 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) departed Malta for a few days of exercises. (3)

31 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) returned to Malta upon completion of two days of exercises. (3)

2 Jun 1945
HMS Anson (Capt. A.C.G. Madden, RN), HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN)and HMS Meteor (Lt.Cdr. R.D.H.S. Pankhurst, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. (5)

4 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Malta. First with HMS Meteor (Lt.Cdr. R.D.H.S. Pankhurst, RN) and later night exercises were carried out with HMS Anson (Capt. A.C.G. Madden, RN) and HMS Meteor. (5)

5 Jun 1945
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) retuned to Malta upon completion of the night exercises. She departed again early in the afternoon for several days of exercises. This time with HMS Anson (Capt. A.C.G. Madden, RN) and HMS Cleopatra (Capt. B.I. Robertshaw, CBE, RN). Again night exercises were carried out for which HMS Milne (Capt. M. Richmond, DSO, OBE, RN) also joined. (5)

8 Jun 1945
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) returned to Malta upon completion of several days of exercises. (6)

14 Jun 1945
Around 1100B/14, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN), HMS Anson (Capt. A.C.G. Madden, RN) and HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) departed Malta for Alexandria or Ras el Kanayis (HMS Anson). (5)

16 Jun 1945
Around 1500C/16, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN) and HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) arrived at Alexandria. (5)

18 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted bombardment exercises off Alexandria. (5)

19 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted bombardment exercises off Alexandria. (5)

24 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) and HMS Cleopatra (Capt. B.I. Robertshaw, CBE, RN) departed Alexandria for Port Said. (5)

25 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) and HMS Cleopatra (Capt. B.I. Robertshaw, CBE, RN) arrived at Port Said. Both transited the Suez Canal southbound and arrived at Suez. (5)

27 Jun 1945
Around 0830C/27, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN), HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) and HMS Cleopatra (Capt. B.I. Robertshaw, CBE, RN) departed Suez for Colombo. (5)

7 Jul 1945
Around 1000FG/7, HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN), HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) and HMS Cleopatra (Capt. B.I. Robertshaw, CBE, RN) arrived at Colombo. (7)

13 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) departed Colombia for Trincomalee. (7)

14 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) arrived at Trincomalee. (7)

17 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Trincomalee. (7)

19 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)

Operation Livery.

Sweeping of mines off Phuket; bombardment and air strikes directed against appropriate targets.

'Force 63' departed Trincomalee on 19 July 1945. It was made up of the following warships; battleship HMS Nelson (Capt. C. Caslon, CBE, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral H.C.T. Walker, CB, RN), heavy cruiser HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN), escort carriers HMS Ameer (Cdr. P.D.H.R. Pelly, DSO, RN), HMS Empress (Capt. J.R.S. Brown, RN), destroyers HMS Rotherham (Capt. H.W. Biggs, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Racehorse (Cdr. J.J. Casement, DSC, RN), HMS Raider (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Cartwright, DSC, RN), HMS Paladin (Lt. H.R. Hewlett, RN) and the minesweepers HMS Pincher (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.B. Blake, RNVR), HMS Plucky (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G. Wallis, RNVR), HMS Squirrel (Lt. M. Buist, RN), HMS Rifleman (Lt. C.L. Carroll, DSC, RNR), HMS Vestal (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Porter, DSC, RN), HMIS Punjab(Lt. A.V. Baker, RIN) and HMS Deccan as attached danlayers.

The force passed through Sombrero Channel during the night of 22/23 July 1945 and arrived off Phuket in the morning of 24 July.

The area which had been given first priority was cleared of mines of as a result of operations carried out of 24th, 25th, and 26th July. A total of 24 mines were swept.

During the minesweeping operations HMS Squirrel was mined and damaged forward. Two and a half hours after hitting the mine she took a heavy list and therefore had to be sunk by our own forces. Seven ratings were lost with the ship.

In strikes against targets on the Kraa Isthumus, our aircraft achieved commendable results. Three small ships were destroyed and eleven others strafed in the Singora area, while fifteen locomotives were put out of action and rolling stock strafed on the railway system between Bandon and Dhungsong. A camp at Huatsei was bombed. One Sungei Patani airfield six grounded aircraft were destroyed, three left burning and two others hit. In all these operations only one Hellcat fighter was lost.

On 26 July 1945 attacks by enemy suicide aircraft were launched against units of 'Force 63'. One of these aircraft was shot down in flames by HMS Ameer and two were shot down by HMS Sussex. HMS Vestal was hit by a suicide aircraft, caught fire and had to be sunk by our own forces. Fifteen ratings were lost with the ship. Another enemy suicide aircraft bounced on the water and hit the side of HMS Sussex which sustained some hull damage above the waterline, but remained fully operational.

'Force 63' left the area of operation p.m. on 26 July and returned to Trincomalee where it arrived on 30 July. (8)

15 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Trincomalee.

With the war now over HMS Sussex remained in the Far East until March 1946 when she returned home.] (9)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/122333
  2. ADM 53/122334
  3. ADM 53/122335
  4. ADM 53/121885 + ADM 53/122335
  5. ADM 53/122336
  6. ADM 53122336
  7. ADM 53/122337
  8. ADM 199/1457
  9. ADM 53/122338

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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