| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Minesweeper |
| Class | Bangor |
| Pennant | J 95 |
| Mod | Turbine engined |
| Built by | William Hamilton & Co. (Port Glasgow, Scotland): Whites M.E. |
| Ordered | 28 Aug 1939 |
| Laid down | 11 Oct 1939 |
| Launched | 29 Jan 1941 |
| Commissioned | 20 Aug 1941 |
| End service | |
| History | Sold 1 January 1948. |
Commands listed for HMS Ilfracombe (J 95)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Harry Layland Dudley Hoare, RNR | 22 Jul 1941 | 30 Jan 1943 |
| 2 | Lt.Cdr. James Ernest Clark, DSC, RN | 30 Jan 1943 | 3 Nov 1943 |
| 3 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Robert Kenley Hart, RANVR | 3 Nov 1943 | 10 Jul 1944 |
| 4 | Lt. George Criddle, RN | 10 Jul 1944 | late 1945 |
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Notable events involving Ilfracombe include:
6 Sep 1941
HMS Otway (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) J.R.G. Harvey, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HNoMS Eglantine, HMS Ilfracombe (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H.L.D. Hoare, RNR) and HMS Northern Reward (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR). (1)
7 Sep 1941
HMS Otway (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) J.R.G. Harvey, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Ilfracombe (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H.L.D. Hoare, RNR) and HMS Northern Reward (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR). (1)
28 Nov 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Dornoch (Lt. H.E. Jackson, RN), HMS Ilfracombe (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H.L.D. Hoare, RNR) and two other vessels [unable to read the names of these two vessels in the log of HMS H 34]. (2)
5 Mar 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Ilfracombe (Lt.Cdr. J.E. Clark, DSC, RN), Morden (T/Lt. J.J. Hodgkinson, RCNR), HMS Mignonette (Lt. H.H. Brown, RNR), HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR), HMS Fleetwood (Cdr. W.B. Piggott, OBE, RD, RNR) and HMS Aberdeen (Lt.Cdr. H. Day, RN). (3)
14 Apr 1943
HMS H 50 (Lt. G.S.C Clarabut, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Whimbrel (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Moore, DSC, RNR), HMS Jonquil (T/Lt. R.W. Tretheway, RNR), HMCS Kenogami (T/Lt. J.L. Percy, RCNVR) and HMS Ilfracombe (Lt.Cdr. J.E. Clark, DSC, RN). (4)
22 Jun 1944
HMS Ilfracombe (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.K. Hart, RANVR) was damaged by an aerially delivered mine off Normandy beaches. (source: Report by the Allied Naval Commander in Chief, Expeditionary Force, on Neptune, Volume II, Part II, Defence of the British Assault Area, Section V, Casualties Subsequent to the Assault, p. 23)
(5)
Sources
- ADM 173/16862
- ADM 173/17243
- ADM 173/17814
- ADM 173/17827
- Personal communication
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.