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- HMS Reading during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

HMS Reading



   On 26 November 1940 USS Bailey was decommissioned at Halifax Nova Scotia, and transferred in the destroyer land bases exchange to Great Britain, being renamed HMS Reading. She was commissioned 28 November 1940 for service with the 5th Town Flotilla and arrived at Plymouth, England, 17 December 1940. Between December 1940 and July 1941 she escorted convoys in the Atlantic, working out of Liverpool. In July 1941 she joined the Newfoundland Escort Group with which she remained until May 1942. Between May and October 1942 she underwent a yard overhaul, after which she served as a target ship for aircraft from the Air Station, Fearn, Scotland, and continued in this assignment until July 1945 when she was handed over to ship breakers at Rosyth. She was decommissioned and sold for scrap on 24th of July 1945 at Inverkeithing.

 


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



Those known to have sailed in

HMS Reading

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Broadhurst Thomas A. V.. Sub Lt.
  • Chester Arthur James. Able Sea. (d.4th May 1944)
  • Greenaway Frank Stanley Horace. Cmdr.
  • Wright Eric. LS

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of HMS Reading from other sources.



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Want to know more about HMS Reading?


There are:0 items tagged HMS Reading available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


Able Sea. Arthur James Chester HMS Reading (d.4th May 1944)

Able Seaman Arthur Chester served with the Royal Navy during WW1 and was killed in action on the 4th May 1944 aged 20. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial in Plymouth. Arthur was the son of John William and Violet May Chester of Chadderton, Lancashire.

At the time of Arthur's death HMS Reading was unarmed and used as a target ship for aircraft so the circumstances of his death are not clear.

S Flynn



Sub Lt. Thomas A. V. Broadhurst HMS Forfar

Sub Lt Broadhurst onboard HMS Forfar.

I have just read with interest, Mr Kerr`s report on the sinking of the H.M.S Forfar, in which he mentions my father Broadhurst. I then remembered that I had an old photo album of my father's in which there are many pictures, including some with Mr. Kerr, menus , boxing matches, band programmes recording some of the life on the Forfar. After the sinking of the Forfar, my father was reappointed to the H.M.S Reading. After leaving the Royal Navy he later became a founder member Of the British Sub Aqua Club.







Boxing program 10th July 1940



Telegram sent home after the ship was lost.

Adrianne Steffen



Cmdr. Frank Stanley Horace "Raffles" Greenaway HMS President HMS Kestrel HMS Hambledon HMS Kin

Raffles Greenaway

Frank Greenaway was known as Raffles. Born 3rd of May 1915 in London and died 2002. Frank served in the Royal Navy during WW2.

This is his service history:

  • Prob. Seaman Boy November 1932
  • Ordinary Seaman 3rd of May 1933
  • Able-Bodied Seaman 1935.
  • Telegraphist Air Gunner 1939?
  • T/S.Lt. 14th of February 1941
  • T/Lt. 14th of February 1942 *
  • T/A/Lt.Cdr. December 1945
  • Lt.Cdr. 7th of December 1948, seniority 3rd of May 1948 (retd 3rd of May 1957)
  • A/Cdr. 1952 * with full Watch Keeping Certificate; gained full "Qualified Officer" Status (1942/43?)
  • November 1932 joined London division, RNVR [HMS President]
  • 1936 qualified 3rd Class Gunnery (Anti Aircraft) Rate
  • 1938 mobilised (stood down after Munich crisis)
  • July 1939 mobilised August 1939 transferred to Fleet Air Arm August 1939 - January 1940 HMS Kestrel (RN Air Station, Worthy Down, Hampshire) (aircraft crashed; returned to General Service)
  • 1st of April 1940 HMS Hambledon (destroyer)
  • [Anti Aircraft 3rd Rate Seaman Gunner "as C.W. candidate"; survived mining in Dover Straits during Operation Lucid, October 1940]
  • February 1940 - 1941 HMS King Alfred (RNVR officers' training establishment, Hove, Sussex)
  • April 1941? qualified as ASDIC (Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Committee) control officer April 1941 HMS Reading (destroyer)
  • December 1941 no appointment listed
  • 1941? -1942? undertook radar control course
  • 15th of March 1942 - 5th of October 1942 HMS Broadway (destroyer) (2nd Lieutenant / Watchkeeping, Anti-Submarine Control Officer and Radar Direction Officer)
  • 6th of October 1942 - December 1943 HMS Goathland (destroyer) (Second Lieutenant)
  • February 1944 -30th of April 1944 21st Escort Group as "Spare C/O" 1st of May 1944 - February 1945
  • First Lieutenant, HMS Venomous (destroyer) [in charge while refitting at Falmouth till 1st of August 1944]
  • 31st of March 1945 - June 1945 First Lieutenant, HMS Hoste (frigate)
  • June 1945 - 1945 Commanding Officer [?], HMS Bentley (frigate)

    1945 volunteered to serve in Far East for assault on mainland Japan

  • 2nd of April 1946 - April 1946 Commanding -Officer, LST 3029 (landing ship, tank) (operating out of Colombo & Singapore)
  • 1946 - 1947 Commanding Officer, LST 3504 (landing ship, tank)
  • 7th of December 1948 transferred to Permanent RNVR, initially Cardiff Division, but from c. 1950 South Wales Division (List 1)

Frank was Executive Officer to Peter Ingledew when he became Commanding Officer of Cardiff Division at its inception in 1947, and was acting in command following Ingledew's health difficulties. He started up the newly formed South Wales Division RNVR (HMS Cambria) as Executive Officer and was in command of the motor minesweeper; HMS St David, divisional training ship; Commanding Officer for Divisional contingent & guard at the Coronation; Senior Reserve Commander, HM Coronation Review, Spithead; 1955 Senior Commander and Divisional Guard Commander at Royal Naval Reserve Forces Silver Jubilee Review, Horseguards Parade.

Noelle Greenaway







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