Allied Warships

HMS Kurd (FY 639)

MS Trawler


Photo courtesy of Ted Godding

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeMS Trawler
Class[No specific class] 
PennantFY 639 
Built byCochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd. (Selby, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down 
Launched9 Oct 1930 
Commissioned 1939 
Lost10 Jul 1945 
Loss position49° 52'N, 5° 02'W
History

Completed in November 1930 as steam trawler Kurd for William A. Bennett (Shire Trawlers Ltd), London. Taken over by the Admiralty in 1939.
Displacement: 352 tons.
Armament: 1 12pdr AA gun.

HMT Kurd (T/A/Lt.Cdr. Roy Barrett, RNR) was mined and sunk southeast of Lizard Head in position 49°52N/05°02W on 10 July 1945. Her flotilla was sweeping the British anti-submarine minefield QZX.1600 when one of the mines was caught in the sweep wire of HMT Kurd and detonated when it was retrieved, blowing off the stern and causing the trawler to sink within a minute. 16 out of a crew of 27 went down with the ship. The survivors were picked up by HMT Almandine.

See also this website for more info (offsite link).

 

Commands listed for HMS Kurd (FY 639)

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.

CommanderFromTo
1Skr. James Harold Petherbridge, RNR31 Aug 193922 Oct 1940
2Skr. Edgar Smith, RNR22 Oct 194015 Jan 1941
3T/Lt. Edgar Dawson, RNVR15 Jan 194115 Sep 1941
4Lt. Percival John Stoner, RN15 Sep 1941mid 1942
5T/Lt. David Robert Vaughan Roper, RNVRmid 194231 Aug 1942
6Roy Barrett, RNR31 Aug 194210 Jul 1945 (+)

You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.

Notable events involving Kurd include:


31 Jul 1940
In the early hours of the day, HMS Kashmir (Cdr. H.A. King, RN), collided with the Auxiliary M/S trawler HMT Kurd (Skr. J.H. Petherbridge, RNR). HMS Kashmir, which was on patrol off the Humber had to return to Immingham. She later went to Hull for repairs which were completed on 21 August. (1)

Sources

  1. ADM 199/375

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


Return to the Allied Warships section