Allied Warships

HMS Violet (K 35)

Corvette of the Flower class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeCorvette
ClassFlower 
PennantK 35 
Built byW. Simons & Co. Ltd. (Renfrew, Scotland) 
Ordered21 Sep 1939 
Laid down21 Mar 1940 
Launched30 Dec 1940 
Commissioned3 Feb 1941 
End service17 May 1947 
History

Ordered under the 1939 emergency war programme. 7th Royal Navy ship to be so called, the first dating from 1588.
Building time 10 months and 3 days.

Operational History
1941
17 February, arrived Tobermory for work up
9 March, allocated to Western Approaches Command 12th Escort Group, based on Londonderry
9th March, convoy duties with OB293, followed by HG55, OB301, HG56, OB311, SC29, HX124/SC30, HX130, OB338 and HX133
29 June, with HMS Arabis, HMS Malcolm, HMS Scimitar and HMS Speedwell sunk U-651 in North Atlantic (59-52N, 18_36W)
10 July, transferred to 8th Escort Group; 13 July, further escort for SC36, followed by ON1, HX140, ON6 and HX143
20 August, refit at Dundee
26 September, allocated to South Atlantic Command
10 October, at 03.25 hrs picked up survivors of the Nailsea Manor
23 October, arrived Freetown
28 October, arrived Takoradi
1 November, arrived Lagos

1942
January, ran aground at the mouth of the Niger whilst heading for Fernando Po to pick up two small Freighters
31 January, sailed from Lagos
8 February, arrived Freetown
9 February sailed for escort duties between Lagos and Freetown with convoy SL100 followed by OS18, Sl102, OS20, SL104, OS22
15 April sailed from Freetown
19 April, arrived Takoradi
25 April, convoy LS3 followed by SL109, LS5, SL112
8 July, refit at Sheerness (armament 1 x 4 inch, 1 x 2 pdr, 4 x 20mm, 2 x 6 pdr and Hedgehog)
30 September, refit completed
4 October, allocated to Western Approaches, 36 escort group in the Irish Sea
22 October, escort for KMS1
27 November, escort for KS2A
25 December, 37 Escort Group convoy KMS6.

1943
11 January, escort for convoy MKS5
7 February, KMS9
16 April, to 38 Escort Group, Western Approaches, escort for OS46/KMS13
25 April, OS46, followed by SL129, OS50, SL133, MKS18, OS53, ST75, STL1 and SL137
20 October, refit at Sheerness (armament 1 x 4 inch, 1 x 2 pdr, 4 x 20mm, 2 x 6 pdr and Hedgehog).

1944
3 January, refit completed
6 January, work up at Tobermory
15 January, allocated to Eastern Fleet; Sailed from Londonderry to Gibraltar, escorting KMS 39
19 January, sank U-641 in North Atlantic (50-15N, 18-49W) Convoys OS65/KMS39
28 January arrived at Gibraltar
6 February arrived at Port Said
26 February arrived at Aden
8 March, convoy duties to and from Aden RV BA64
18 March, sailed with convoy AB33B to Bombay
12 April, sailed for Hormuz with BP112
18 April, PA76 to Aden
28 April, escorted Italian submarine Giada to Colombo
20 May, JC49A to Chittagong
28 May, escorted AM3 to Calcutta
8 June, CJ30A to Colombo
20 June, JCS52A to Chittagong
28 June, AM4 to Madras
5 July, CJ33A to Colombo
15 July, JC56A to Vizagpanam
21 July, CJ36 to Colombo
28 July, MB77 to Bombay
17 August, BP117 to Hormuz
24 August, PA to Aden
8 September, AP74 to Hormuz
20 September, PB84C to Karachi
3 October sailed to Aden
15 November, sailed to Bombay to join the East Indies Fleet
23 November, BAF6A to Aden
10 December, AP74B to Hormuz

1945
1 February, arrived Bombay to operate between Masirah and Colombo
21 March, arrived Colombo
31 March arrived Diego Suarez, Madagascar
7 April, arrived East London for refit
23 July sailed from Durban for Colombo
29 July, arrived Diego Suarez, Madagascar
7 August, arrived Colombo
22 August, arrived Cocos Islands
27 August, grounded Madagascar
sailed from Colombo after boiler clean to the Cocos Islands in readiness for the invasion of Singapore
9 September, arrived Cocos Island Air-Sea Rescue Patrol off Sumatra and Java, crossing the Equator nine times every four days (setting a record) sailing for 24 hours and drifting for 16 to conserve fuel.
25 September, arrived Cocos Island
16 October, arrived Colombo
16 November, arrived Cocos Island
1 December, arrived Colombo

1946
5 January, sailed from Colombo for UK
10 February, arrived Harwich to reduce to category C reserve.

1947
14 October, towed from Harwich after being sold on 17 May to Zubi Shipping Co., London and renamed La Aguerra.

1949
Sold to Industrias Pesqueras Africanas SA, Spain and renamed La Guera.

1958
Sold to Flatamentos Maritimos SA Spain, renamed Claudio Sabadell

1970
October, broken up at Bilbao in Spain.

For crew lists and more info on this ship see this link (off site).

 

Commands listed for HMS Violet (K 35)

Please note that we're still working on this section.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt.Cdr. Kenneth Montgomery Nicholson, RNR6 Nov 1940Sep 1941
2T/Lt. Frank Clarin Reynolds, RCNVRSep 19419 Apr 1942
3Lt. Charles Napier Stewart, RNR9 Apr 194210 Jun 1945
4T/A/Lt.Cdr. Arthur Robert James Tilston, DSC, SANF(V)10 Jun 194525 Oct 1945

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Notable events involving Violet include:


20 Feb 1941
HMS H 50 (Lt. M. Willmott, RN) conducted exercises off Tobermory with HMS Violet (Lt.Cdr. K.M. Nicholson, RNR) and HMS Azalea (Lt. G.C. Geddes, RNR). (1)

26 Feb 1941
HMS H 50 (Lt. M. Willmott, RN) conducted exercises off Tobermory with HMS Bretwalda (Skr. J. Windram, RNR) and HMS Violet (Lt.Cdr. K.M. Nicholson, RNR). (1)

29 Jun 1941
German U-boat U-651 was sunk south of Iceland, in position 59°52'N, 18°36'W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Malcolm (Cdr. C.D. Howard-Johnston, DSC, RN), HMS Scimitar (Lt. R.D. Franks, RN), the corvettes HMS Arabis (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, RNR) and HMS Violet (Lt.Cdr. K.M. Nicholson, RNR) and the minesweeper HMS Speedwell (Lt.Cdr. J.J. Youngs, OBE, RNR).

27 Jul 1941
HMS H 32 (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Violet (Lt.Cdr. K.M. Nicholson, RNR), HMS Verbena (Lt.Cdr. D.A. Rayner, DSC, RNVR) and HMS Sardonyx (Lt.Cdr. R.B.S. Tennant, RN). (2)

10 Oct 1941
HMS Violet (T/Lt. F.C. Reynolds, RCNVR) picks up 42 survivors from the British merchant Nailsea Manor that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-126 north-east of the Cape Verde Islands in position 18°45'N, 21°18'W.

19 Dec 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Aubretia (Lt. G.D. Fowler, RNR), HMS La Malouine (T/Lt. V.D.H. Bidwell, RNR), HMS Stonecrop (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Smythe, RNR) and HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR). (3)

20 Dec 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS La Malouine (T/Lt. V.D.H. Bidwell, RNR), HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR), HMS Fowey (Cdr.(Retd.) L.B.A. Majendie, RN), HMS Carnation (Lt. A. Branson, RNR) and HMS St. Elstan (Lt. R.M. Roberts, RNR). (3)

21 Dec 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Campion (Lt.Cdr. A. Brown, RNVR), HMS Myosotis (Lt. G.P.S. Lowe, RNVR), HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR), HMS Carnation (Lt. A. Branson, RNR) and HMS Tango (T/Lt. J. Hunter, RNR). (3)

1 Feb 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Alisma (Lt.Cdr. M.G. Rose, RANVR), HMS Pink (Lt. R. Atkinson, DSC, RNR), HMS Carnation (Lt. A. Branson, RNR), HMS Mallow (Lt. W.R.B. Noall, DSC, RNR), HMS La Malouine (T/Lt. V.D.H. Bidwell, RNR) and HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR). (4)

2 Feb 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. I.S. McIntosh, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Carnation (Lt. A. Branson, RNR), HMS Mallow (Lt. W.R.B. Noall, DSC, RNR), HMS La Malouine (T/Lt. V.D.H. Bidwell, RNR) and HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR). (4)

3 Feb 1943
HMS H 33 (Lt. M.H. Jupp, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Campion (Lt.Cdr. A. Brown, RNVR), HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR), HMS Mallow (Lt. W.R.B. Noall, DSO, RNR) and HMS Balsam (Lt. J.E.L. Peters, RNVR). (5)

16 Jun 1943
HMS H 34 (T/Lt. R.L. Willoughby, RNR) arrived at Lough Foyle. There she conducted A/S exercises with HMS Teviot (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN), HMS Wellington (Cdr. G.A. Thring, DSO, RN), HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR), HMS Coreopsis (T/Lt. B.C. Hamilton, RNR), HMS Leith (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.W. Preston, RN) and HMS Anchusa (T/Lt. H.V. Gordon, DSC, RNVR). (6)

17 Jun 1943
HMS H 34 (T/Lt. R.L. Willoughby, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Wellington (Cdr. G.A. Thring, DSO, RN), HMS Folkestone (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G.C. Gibson, OBE, RN), HMS Enchantress (Cdr. A.E.T. Christie, OBE, DSC, RN) and HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR). (6)

5 Nov 1943
HMS Thrasher (Lt.Cdr. A.R. Hezlet, DSC, RN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Columbine T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.J. Griffiths, RNR), HMCS Skeena (A/Lt.Cdr. E.E.G. Boak, RCN), HMCS Mayflower (Lt. V. Browne, RCNR), HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR) and HMS Sweetbriar (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R. Edwards, RNVR). (7)

12 Jan 1944
HMS Varangian (Lt. S.J. Fovargue, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMCS Forrest Hill (T/Lt. E.U. Jones, RCNVR) and HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR). (8)

19 Jan 1944
German U-boat U-641 in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland, in position 50°25'N, 18°49'W, by depth charges from the British corvette HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR).

Sources

  1. ADM 173/16790
  2. ADM 173/16741
  3. ADM 173/17244
  4. ADM 173/17813
  5. ADM 173/17779
  6. ADM 173/17795
  7. ADM 173/18231
  8. ADM 173/19346

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


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