Charles Sidney Britton, RN

Born  16 Apr 1900
Died  21 Jun 1976(76)Kensington (London), England, U.K.


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Ranks

1 Jan 1916 Mid.
15 Jan 1918 A/S.Lt.
15 Sep 1918 S.Lt.
5 Sep 1920 Lt.
5 Sep 1928 Lt.Cdr.
4 Mar 1941 A/Cdr.
16 Apr 1945 Cdr. (Retd.)

Retired: 16 Apr 1945


Decorations

Warship Commands listed for Charles Sidney Britton, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Caledon (D 53)A/Cdr.Light cruiser4 Mar 194129 Apr 1941

Career information

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

Events related to this officer

Light cruiser HMS Caledon (D 53)


5 Mar 1941
Around 0830C/5, the sloops HMS Auckland (Cdr. E.G. Hewitt, DSO, RN) and HMAS Parramatta (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Walker, MVO, RAN) joined followed about an hour later by the light cruiser HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) departed Aden to join convoy US 9A.

[For more info on this convoy see the event ' Convoy US 9A ' for 26 February 1941.] (1)

11 Mar 1941
Around 0645C/11, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) arrived at Port Sudan from convoy escort duty.

After fuelling she departed for Aden around 1230C/11. (2)

12 Mar 1941
Around 2359C/12, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) arrived at Aden from Port Sudan. (2)

18 Mar 1941
Around 0700C/18, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) returned to Aden from operations off Berbera. (2)

18 Mar 1941
Around 1200C/18, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) departed Aden to join convoy convoy WS 9B.

[For more info on this convoy see the event ' Convoy WS 9B ' for 12 March 1941.] (2)

22 Mar 1941
HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) arrived at Suez from convoy escort duty. (2)

30 Mar 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0730C/30, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) arrived at Suez from convoy escort duty. (2)

1 Apr 1941

Combined convoys Convoy BS 22 and SU 4.

Convoy BS 22 departed Suez on 1 April 1941.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports / tankers; British Ambassador (British (tanker), 6940 GRT, built 1924), British Energy (British (tanker), 7209 GRT, built 1931), British Motorist (British (tanker), 6891 GRT, built 1924), Bucegi (British, 4501 GRT, built 1913), Cap. St. Jacques (British (former French), 8009 GRT, built 1922), Chios (Greek, 5643 GRT, built 1939), City of Cardiff (British, 5661 GRT, built 1918), City of Derby (British, 6616 GRT, built 1921), City of Dundee (British, 5273 GRT, built 1921), Elisabeth Moller (British, 4353 GRT, built 1906), Esperance (British, 5072 GRT, built 1923), Lyder Sagen (Norwegian, 3944 GRT, built 1918), Mina L. Cambanis (Greek, 5227 GRT, built 1920), Neleus (British, 6685 GRT, built 1911), Nicolaos G. Culucundis (Greek, 3201 GRT, built 1917), Nils Moller (British (tanker), 6907 GRT, built 1922), Nymphe (Greek, 4504 GRT, built 1921), Queen Adelaide (British, 4933 GRT, built 1936), Rajput (British, 5521 GRT, built 1925) and Thelma (Norwegian (tanker), 8297 GRT, built 1937).

On departure from Suez the convoy was escorted by the sloop HMIS Clive (Cdr. H.R. Inigo-Jones, RIN).

On 2 April 1941, the light cruiser HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) joined the convoy.

On 3 April 1941, the convoy turned back to the North due to Italian destroyers operating in the Red Sea. The destroyer HMS Kimberley (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, DSO, RN) temporary joined the convoy as additional escort. She parted company again the following day to join convoy SU 4 coming from the north which merged with convoy BS 22 on the 4th. Also on the 4th the now combined convoy also went southwards again as the Italian destroyers had now been dealt with.

Convoy SU 4 had departed Suez unescorted on 3 April 1941.

It was made up of the (troop) transports; Empress of Australia (British, 21833 GRT, built 1914), Indrapoera (Dutch, 10825 GRT, built 1925), Johan de Witt (Dutch, 10474 GRT, built 1920), Khedive Ismael (British, 7290 GRT, built 1922), Lossiebank (British, 5627 GRT, built 1930), Menelaus (British, 10307 GRT, built 1923), Nieuw Zeeland (Dutch, 11069 GRT, built 1928), President Doumer (British, 11898 GRT, built 1935), Slamat (Dutch, 11636 GRT, built 1924), Takliwa (British, 7936 GRT, built 1924) and Windsor Castle (British, 19141 GRT, built 1922). HMS Kimberley then parted company to proceed to Port Sudan.

Around 1100C/5, the destroyer HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, DSC, RN) joined coming from Port Sudan. HMS Caledon then parted company to fuel at Port Sudan. She rejoined the convoy around 0900C/6.

Around 1715C/6, HMS Kimberley rejoined coming from Port Sudan and HMS Kingston parted company to return to Port Sudan.

Around 1445C/7, HMS Kimberley parted company presumably to return to Port Sudan but she was later diverted to go to the assistance of the torpedoed light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN).

The combined convoy was dispersed in the Gulf of Aden on 9 April 1941. (3)

9 Apr 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1030C/9, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) arrived at Aden from convoy escort duty.

She departed Aden around 2000C/9, to patrol off Perim to prevent Italian ships from escaping from the Red Sea. (4)

11 Apr 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1130C/11, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) arrived at Aden from patrol. (4)

13 Apr 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1730C/13, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) departed Aden for Colombo where she was to refit. (5)

16 Apr 1941
Around 0745C/16, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) arrived back at Aden. While en-route to Colombo she had been recalled by the Admiralty as she is to proceed to the Mediterranean.

Around 1500C/16, after having fuelled, she departed Aden for Suez. (5)

19 Apr 1941
Around 0900C/19, HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) arrived at Port Tewfik / Suez from Aden.

She now remained at Suez for a while as she had been proposed to be used as blockship during an attack on Tripoli harbour but the idea to attack Tripoli harbour was later abandoned. (4)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/113769 + ADM 199/410
  2. ADM 53/113769
  3. ADM 199/408
  4. ADM 53/113770
  5. ADM 53/113770 + ADM 199/410

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


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