| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Class | B |
| Pennant | H 84 |
| Built by | Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. (Wallsend-on-Tyne, U.K.): Wallsend |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 8 Jul 1929 |
| Launched | 9 Oct 1930 |
| Commissioned | 21 Feb 1931 |
| End service | |
| Loss position | |
| History | HMS Brillant was present at one of the worst naval tragedies of the Second World War, you can read more about it here Sold to be broken up for scrap on 18 August 1947. Commanding Officers: Lt.Cdr. Arthur Geoffrey Poe, RN Lt. John Smallwood, RN Lt. John Aylmer McClure, DSC, RN A/Cdr. John Pringle, RN Lt. Douglas Leigh Satterford, DSC, RN Lt.Cdr. Arthur Reginald Willis Sayle, RD, RNR (retired) |
Commands listed for HMS Brilliant (H 84)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. Francis Cumberland Brodrick, RN | 14 Mar 1939 | 23 Sep 1941 |
| 2 | Lt.Cdr. Arthur Geoffrey Poe, RN | 23 Sep 1941 | 23 Mar 1943 |
| 3 | Lt. John Smallwood, RN | 23 Mar 1943 | 25 Sep 1944 |
| 4 | Lt. John Aylmer McClure, DSC, RN | 25 Sep 1944 | Nov 1944 |
| 5 | Cdr. John Pringle, RN | Nov 1944 | Feb 1945 |
| 6 | Lt. Douglas Leigh Satterford, DSC, RN | Feb 1945 | Jun 1945 |
| 7 | Lt.Cdr. (retired) Arthur Reginald Willis Sayle, RD, RNR | Jun 1945 | Oct 1945 ? |
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Noteable events involving Brilliant include:
12 Sep 1939
HMS Brilliant (Lt.Cdr. F.C. Brodrick, RN) is grounded off Dover. She is under repair until 16 October.
25 Jul 1940
HMS Boreas (Lt.Cdr. M.W. Tomkinson, RN) and HMS Brilliant (Lt.Cdr. F.C. Brodrick, RN) were damaged by a German air attack in the English Channel. 22 of the crew of Boreas were killed in the attack. Brilliant sustained no casualties. Boreas completed repairs ca. mid-January 1941 and Brilliant completed repairs ca. mid-September 1940.
5 Sep 1942
HMS Brilliant (Lt.Cdr. A.G. Poe, RN) picks up 245 survivors from the British merchant Myrmidon that was torpedoed and sunk southeast of Cape Palmas in position 00º45'N, 06º27'W by the German submarine U-506.
8 Nov 1942
During the Allied landing in North-Africa the Vichy French minesweeper La Surprise was sunk by gunfire from the British destroyer HMS Brilliant (Lt.Cdr. A.G. Poe, RN).
21 Jan 1945
The Canadian corvette HMCS Lindsay (T/Lt. G.A.V. Thomson, RCNVR) was damaged in a collission with the British destroyer HMS Brillant (A/Cdr. John Pringle, RN) south-west of the Isle of Wight. Lindsay was taken to Devonport for temporary repairs. She sailed for Halifax, Canada for a refit on 19 February.
12 Feb 1946
Went to the rescue of the Liberty ship "Ponce de Leon" which was on the rocks at Gantocks Light, off Dunoon pier.
![]() Hero of the Upholder Allaway, Jim |
Books dealing with this subject include:
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