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:

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)