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13 February 2012
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Noteable events involving Harvester include:

25 May 1940
Assisted in evacuation of troops from Dunkirk.

9 Jul 1940
HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, RN) and HMS Havelock (Capt. E.B.K. Stevens, DSC, RN) together pick up 35 survivors from the British merchant Aylesbury that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-43 about 200 nautical miles south-east of Ireland in position 48º39'N, 13º33'W.

13 Sep 1940
During the night of 13/14 September 1940 the destroyers HMS Highlander (Cdr. W.A. Dallmeyer, RN), HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, RN), HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. F.J.G. Hewitt, RN) and HMS Beagle (Lt.Cdr. R.H. Wright, RN) bombard Cherbourg in a sweep through the Seine Bay.

30 Oct 1940
The German submarine U-32 was sunk north-west of Ireland, in position 55º37'N, 12º19'W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. C.M. Thornton, RN) and HMS Highlander (Cdr. W.A. Dallmeyer, RN). (see map)

27 Nov 1940
HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, RN) and HMS Havelock (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Thomas, RN) both pick up a survivor from the British merchant Glenmoor that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-103 about 167 miles northwest of Sylne Head in position 54º35'N, 14º31' W.

7 Dec 1941
The German submarine U-208 was sunk in the Atlantic west of Gibraltar, in position 35º51'N, 07º45'W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, DSC, RN) and HMS Hesperus (Lt.Cdr. A.A. Tait, RN). (see map)

11 Mar 1943
The German submarine U-444 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 51º14'N, 29º18'W, by ramming and depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Harvester and the Free French corvette Aconit. (see map)

11 Mar 1943
Hello, I was looking over the names of the 145 men that you have listed as being on the Harvester at the time it was sunk by the German U-boat on 11/3/1943. A friend of our family was on the Harvester when it was sunk and was one of the survivors that was picked up by the Aconit. His name is Ronald Jack Coldman. He was a Leading Seaman on the Harvester. He was on the Harvester from 9/10/42 until the time it was sunk. Ronald Coldman joined the Royal Navy on 27/10/37 at the age of 15 and left the Navy on March 1947. Ronald was on numerous ships throughout WW2. After the Harvester was sunk he was enlisted on HMS Verdun. Some of the other ships Ronald served on were HMS Whirlwind, HMS Resolution, HMS Iron Duke, HMS, Landguard, HMS Victor. Jack is 89 years old and lives in Australia, Melbourne in a suburb called Frankston. He tells me many interesting stories about his life in the Navy. Please let me know if you receive this email or if you require any further information. I would really like to have Ronald Jack Coldman's name added to the list of men that were on the Harvester at the time it was sunk. His stories about what it was like being sunk and waiting in that freezing cold water to be rescued are hard to comprehend. He thinks he was very lucky to survive as so many perished on that day. I am sure there would not be too many people around today that were actually there at the time this event happened. Ronald told me that not as many people survived as was mentioned in your description of the event. He would be an interested person for you to get details from regarding this event as he was actually there and is still alive today. Ronald also had a brother and father in the Royal Navy throughout WW2. They all survived the war. Kind regards, Jan Edwards Mobile 0408 572 412 Australia, Melbourne