Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Escort destroyer |
Class | Hunt (Type II) |
Pennant | L 42 |
Built by | Cammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.) |
Ordered | 4 Sep 1939 |
Laid down | 18 Nov 1939 |
Launched | 30 Sep 1940 |
Commissioned | 9 Apr 1941 |
End service | |
History | Arrived at Faslane to be scrapped on 28 October 1968. |
Commands listed for HMS Brocklesby (L 42)
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 | Lt.Cdr. George Pepys Huddart, RN | 17 Jan 1941 | 12 Jan 1942 |
2 | Lt. Michael Neville Tufnell, DSC, RN | 12 Jan 1942 | 17 Apr 1942 |
3 | Lt.Cdr. Edward Nigel Pumphrey, DSO, DSC, RN | 17 Apr 1942 | 25 Aug 1942 |
4 | Lt.Cdr. George Blackler, RN | 25 Aug 1942 | Jun 1943 |
5 | Lt. Kenneth Rupert Simpson Leadlay, RN | Jun 1943 | 27 Dec 1944 |
6 | Lt. Anthony Constantine Barrington Blomfield, DSC, RN | 27 Dec 1944 | 20 May 1946 |
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Notable events involving Brocklesby include:
17 Apr 1941
HMS Suffolk (Capt. R.M. Ellis, RN) conducted HA gunnery exercises off Scapa Flow.
These were followed in the evening by night encounter exercises with HMS Brocklesby (Lt.Cdr. G.P. Huddart, RN). (1)
15 Sep 1941
HrMs Isaac Sweers (Cdr. J. Houtsmuller, RNethN) and HMS Brocklesby (Lt.Cdr. G.P. Huddart, RN) collide in the Irish Sea (Bristol Channel). Both ships suffered only minor damage and were able to continue.
Isaac Sweers arrived at Greenock later the same day.
12 Dec 1942
The British destroyers HMS Whitshed, HMS Worcester and HMS Vesper, the British escort destroyers HMS Brocklesby and HMS Albrighton, and the Norwegian escort destroyer Eskdale attacked German shipping in the English Channel. Eskdale torpedoed and sank Sperrbrecher 144/Beijerland (387 BRT) west of Le Treport, France in position 50°05'N, 01°09'E and Whitshed torpedoed and sank Sperrbecher 178/Gauss (1236 BRT) north-east of Dieppe, France in position 50°04'N, 01°09'E.
4 Apr 1943
Around 1430A/4, ' Force H ', made up of the battleships HMS Nelson (Capt. H.B. Jacomb, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral A.U. Willis, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Rodney (Capt. J.W. Rivett-Carnac, DSC, RN), aircraft carrier HMS Formidable (Capt. A.G. Talbot, DSO, RN), destroyers HMS Loyal (Lt.Cdr. H.E.F. Tweedie, DSC, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. V.A. Wight-Boycott, OBE, RN), HMS Velox (Lt. G.B. Barstow, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Atherstone (Lt. E.N. Wood, DSC, RNVR), HMS Brocklesby (Lt.Cdr. G. Blackler, RN), HMS Calpe (Lt.Cdr. H. Kirkwood, DSC, RN), HMS Farndale (Cdr. D.P. Trentham, RN), HMS Haydon (Lt. R.C. Watkin, RN), HMS Holcombe (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Pinchin, DSC, RN) and HMS Puckeridge (Lt. J.C. Cartwright, DSC, RN) departed Gibraltar for Mers-el-Kebir where they arrived around 0900A/5. (2)
5 Apr 1943
Around 1630A/5, ' Force H ', made up of the battleships HMS Nelson (Capt. H.B. Jacomb, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral A.U. Willis, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Rodney (Capt. J.W. Rivett-Carnac, DSC, RN), aircraft carrier HMS Formidable (Capt. A.G. Talbot, DSO, RN), destroyers HMS Loyal (Lt.Cdr. H.E.F. Tweedie, DSC, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. V.A. Wight-Boycott, OBE, RN), HMS Velox (Lt. G.B. Barstow, RN) and the escort destroyers HMS Atherstone (Lt. E.N. Wood, DSC, RNVR), HMS Brocklesby (Lt.Cdr. G. Blackler, RN), HMS Calpe (Lt.Cdr. H. Kirkwood, DSC, RN), HMS Farndale (Cdr. D.P. Trentham, RN), HMS Haydon (Lt. R.C. Watkin, RN), HMS Holcombe (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Pinchin, DSC, RN) and HMS Puckeridge (Lt. J.C. Cartwright, DSC, RN) departed Mers-el-Kebir for Algiers where they arrived around 0830A/6 minus HMS Brocklesby which had to return to Oran with a defective feet pump. (2)
2 May 1944
HMS Stratagem (Lt. C.R. Pelly, DSC, RN) participated in A/S exercises off Malta together with HMS Exmoor (Lt. D.D. Howson, RN) and HMS Brocklesby (Lt. K.R.S. Leadlay, RN). (3)
2 Nov 1944
HMS Swiftsure (Capt. R.D. Oliver, CBE, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral E.J.P. Brind, CBE, CB, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Malta. In the evening a night encounter exercise was carried out with HMS Brocklesby (Lt.Cdr. K.R.S. Leadlay, RN) and HMS Erne (Lt.Cdr. W.R. Hickey, RNR). (4)
Sources
- ADM 53/115098
- ADM 199/638
- ADM 173/18844
- ADM 53/120604
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.