Allied Warships

HMS Burnham (H 82)

Destroyer of the Town class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Town
Pennant	H 82
Built by	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. (Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down	3 Dec 1918
Launched	11 Apr 1919
Commissioned	9 Oct 1940
End service	Dec 1948
History	Renamed HMS Burnham, the destroyer began escort duties with the British Navy in December 1940. In early 1941 Burnham began a series of escort voyages between Iceland and Newfoundland. Throughout 1942 and 1943, Burnham worked mainly between Newfoundland and Londonderry, Northern Ireland. In 1944, she was used on aircraft training duties in the Western Approaches Command. Burnham was reduced to reserve at Milford Haven, Wales, in November 1944. HMS Burnham is not listed as active unit in the January 1945 Navy List She was ultimately scrapped at Pembroke, Wales in December 1948.
Former name	USS Aulick (DD 258)

Commands listed for HMS Burnham (H 82)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. John Bostock, DSC, RN	9 Oct 1940	5 Feb 1942
2	Lt.Cdr. Thomas Taylor, DSC, RN	5 Feb 1942	6 Mar 1943
3	Cdr. Ralph Cyril Medley, DSO, RN	6 Mar 1943	May 1943

4	Lt. Christopher Henry Rankin, RN	6 Jul 1943	late 1943
5	T/Lt. Leonard Macpherson Morrell Stamp, RNVR	late 1943	29 Aug 1944
6	Lt. Charles Alexander Headon Owen, DSC, RN	29 Aug 1944	late 1944

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Notable events involving Burnham include:

30 Apr 1941

Convoy HX 124.

This convoy departed Halifax on 30 April 1941 for Liverpool where it arrived on 20 May 1941.

Upon departure from Halifax the convoy was made up of the following merchant ships: Aalsum (Dutch, 5418 GRT, built 1922), Alchiba (British, 4427 GRT, built 1920), Algenib (British, 5483 GRT, built 1937), Asbjorn (British, 4387 GRT, built 1935), Athelviscount (British (tanker), 8882 GRT, built 1929), Atlantian (British, 6549 GRT, built 1928), Auditor (British, 5444 GRT, built 1924), Baron Ogilvy (British, 3391 GRT, built 1926), Barrington Court (British, 4910 GRT, built 1924), Beaconstreet (British (tanker), 7467 GRT, built 1927), Botavon (British, 5848 GRT, built 1912), British Faith (British (tanker), 6955 GRT, built 1928), British Fortune (British (tanker), 4696 GRT, built 1930), British Industry (British (tanker), 4297 GRT, built 1927), British Resolution (British (tanker), 8408 GRT, built 1937), Charlton Hall (British, 5200 GRT, built 1940), Daytonian (British, 6434 GRT, built 1922), Delphinula (British (tanker), 8120 GRT, built 1939), Echodale (British (tanker), 8150 GRT, built 1941), Empire Hawk (British, 5033 GRT, built 1919), Empire Steel (British (tanker), 8138 GRT, built 1941), Gitano (British, 3956 GRT, built 1921), Harmala (British, 5730 GRT, built 1935), King Lud (British, 5224 GRT, built 1928), Kingswood (British, 5080 GRT, built 1929), Korsholm (Swedish, 2647 GRT, built 1925), Madrono (Norwegian (tanker), 5894 GRT, built 1917), Morska Wola (Polish, 3208 GRT, built 1924), Pacific Enterprise (British, 6736 GRT, built 1927), Pomella (British (tanker), 6766 GRT, built 1937), Queen City (British, 4814 GRT, built 1924), Redgate (British, 4323 GRT, built 1929), Souliotis (Greek, 4299 GRT, built 1917), Varand (British (tanker), 6023 GRT, built 1927), Vera Radcliffe (British, 5587 GRT, built 1925), Vivi (Norwegian (tanker), 6546 GRT, built 1932) and Wearwood (British, 4597 GRT, built 1930).

On departure from Halifax the convoy was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Circassia (A/Capt. E.V. Lees, RN) and the corvettes HMCS Cobalt (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.B. Campbell, RCNR) and HMCS Collingwood (T/Lt. W. Woods, RCNR). The corvettes were detached later the same day.

On 2 May the convoy was joined by the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. H.B. Jacomb, RN). She detached from the convoy on 9 May.

On 11 May the destroyer HMS Broadway (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, RN) and corvettes HMS Aubretia (Lt.Cdr. V.F. Smith, RNR), HMS Hollyhock (Lt. T.E. Davies, OBE, RNR) and HMS Nigella (T/Lt. T.W. Coyne, RNR) joined the convoy

On 12 May the destroyers HMS Burwell (Lt.Cdr. S.R.J. Woods, RNR), HMS Scimitar (Lt. R.D. Franks, OBE, RN), HMS Malcolm (Cdr. C.D. Howard-Johnston, DSC, RN), HMS Watchman (Lt.Cdr. E.C.L. Day, RN), HMS Amazon (Lt.Cdr. N.E.G. Roper, RN), corvettes HMS Heliotrope (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, RNR), HMS Mallow (Lt.Cdr. W.B. Piggott, RNR), HMS Violet (Lt.Cdr. K.M. Nicholson, RNR), and A/S trawlers HMS Northern Gem (Skr.Lt. W.J.V. Mullender, DSC, RNR), HMS Northern Wave (T/Lt. W.G. Pardoe-Matthews, RNR), HMS Notts County (T/S.Lt. R.H. Hampton, RNR) and HMS Vizalma (T/Lt. M.M. Firth, RNVR) joined the convoy.

On 14 May the corvettes HMS Anemone (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Boys-Smith, DSO and Bar, RD, RNR), HMS Clarkia (Lt.Cdr. F.J.G. Jones, RNR), HMS Verbena (Lt.Cdr. D.A. Rayner, DSC, RNVR) and HMS Veronica (Lt.Cdr. (retired) D.F. White, RNR) joined the convoy.

The destroyers HMS Burwell, HMS Scimitar, HMS Malcolm, corvettes HMS Aubretia, HMS Heliotrope, HMS Hollyhock, HMS Mallow, HMS Nigella, HMS Vervena, HMS Veronica and all the A/S trawlers were detached on 14 May.

HMS Circassia and HMS Watchman were detached on 15 May while on the same day the destroyers HMS Burnham (Cdr. J. Bostock, DSC, RN), HMS Leamington (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Bowerman, RN), HMS Salisbury (Lt.Cdr. H.M.R. Crichton, RN), escort destroyer HMS Eridge (Lt.Cdr. W.F.N. Gregory-Smith, RN), minesweepers HMS Hussar ( Lt.Cdr. D.H.P. Gardiner, RN), HMS Niger ( Lt.Cdr. J.M. Bayley, DSC, RN), and catapult ship Ariguani joined the escort.

On 18 May the destroyer HMS Roxborough (Lt. V.A. Wight-Boycott, OBE, RN) joined the convoy. Also on this day HMS Leamington and HMS Anemone were detached.

On 19 May the destroyer Saladin joined the escort.

The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 20 May.

8 May 1941
HrMs O 10 (Lt. J.H. Geijs, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Burnham (Cdr. J. Bostock, DSC, RN), HMS Salisbury (Lt.Cdr. H.M.R. Crichton, RN), HMS Eridge (Lt.Cdr. W.F.N. Gregory-Smith, RN), HMS St. Elstan (T/Lt. G. Butcher, RNVR), HMS Vizalma (T/Lt. M.M. Firth, RNVR), HMS Gladiolus (Lt.Cdr. H.M.C. Sanders, DSC, RNR) and HMS Veronica (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) D.F. White, RNR). (1)

20 May 1941
The British merchant Harpagus is torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-94 about 250 nautical miles south-south-east of Cape Farewell in position 56°47'N, 40°55'W. HMS Burnham (Cdr. J. Bostock, DSC, RN) later picks up 40 survivors.

26 Jul 1942
At 07.57 hours on 26 July 1942 German U-boat U-607 attacked convoy ON-113 about 300 nautical miles east of Cape Race and observed two hits on a freighter and heard one detonation further away. At 08.11 hours the same day German U-boat U-704 attacked the same convoy and saw one detonation. It seems that both U-boats had hit the British merchant Empire Rainbow. The master, 38 crew members and eight gunners were picked up by the British destroyer HMS Burnham (A/Cdr. T. Taylor, RN) and the Canadian corvette HMCS Dauphin (T/Lt. R.A.S. MacNeil, RCNR) and landed at St. John's, Newfoundland.

2 Dec 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Beagle (Cdr. R.C. Medley, DSO, RN), HMS Asphodel (Lt. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR), HMCS Louisburg (Lt.Cdr. W.F. Campbell, RCNVR), HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. H.K. Hill, RCNVR), HMS Burnham (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN) and HMS Watchman (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Rodgers, RN). (2)

3 Dec 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Burnham (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN), HMS Watchman (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Rodgers, RN), HMS Leamington (Lt. C.G.deL. Bush, RN), HMCS Prescott (Lt. W. McIsaac, RCNVR) and HMS Monkshood (Lt. G.W. McGuiness, RNR). (2)

4 Dec 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Burnham (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN), HMS Dahlia (T/Lt. M.S. Work, RNR), HMS Chesterfield (Lt. J. Smallwood, RN), HMS Borage (T/Lt.Cdr. A. Harrison, RNR) and aircraft. (2)

23 Jan 1943
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Bittersweet (T/Lt. F.B. Brooks-Hill, RCNVR), HMS Burnham (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN) and HMS Viscount (Lt.Cdr. J.V. Waterhouse, DSO, RN). (3)

8 Jul 1943
HMS H 34 (T/Lt. R.L. Willoughby, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Fame (Capt. R. Heathcote, DSO, RN), HMS Warwick (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSO, DSC, RD, RNR) and HMS Burnham (Lt. C.H. Rankin, RN). (4)

17 Aug 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. R.H. Bull, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Burnham (Lt. C.H. Rankin, RN) and HMCS Skeena (A/Lt.Cdr. E.E.G. Boak, RCN). (5)

25 Sep 1943
HMS H 33 (Lt. D.G. Kent, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Mayflower (Lt. V. Browne, RCNR), HMCS Saskatchewan (Cdr. R.C. Medley, DSO, RN), HMS Burnham (Lt. C.H. Rankin, RN) and HMCS Skeena (A/Lt.Cdr. E.E.G. Boak, RCN). (6)