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HMS Philoctetes
HMS Philoctetes was a former merchant ship taken over in 1940 for conversion to a depot and repair ship. It was based at Freetown, Sierra Leone until 1945.
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Those known to have sailed in HMS Philoctetes during the Second World War 1939-1945. 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,
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Add a Name to this List
Records of HMS Philoctetes from other sources.
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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
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Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
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Want to know more about HMS Philoctetes? There are:0 items tagged HMS Philoctetes 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. |
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Able Sea. Kenneth Victor Carter HMS Excellent My father, Kenneth Carter joined the Navy in 1942 and was released in 1946. He served on various ships, Victory, Orlando, Philoctetes, Excellent.
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CPO. Henry Newton HMS Philoctetes My father, Henry Newton, was one of the workers who spent long hours converting Fleetwood trawlers for use as minesweepers for the Royal Navy. When he saw these set sail he decided to join the Royal Navy. The first ship he was assigned to was HMS Philoctetes.
Based in Freetown, West Africa, his job was to repair destroyers and submarines. Whilst in Freetown he saw some of the trawlers that he had helped to convert!
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PO. Alfred Hamilton "Scouse" Eaton CdeG. HMS Philoctetes My father, Alfred Eaton, told me quite a bit about Freetown. He certainly mentioned HMS Philoctetes as one ship on which he served. What he thought of Freetown is pretty much summed up by impressions on similar sites of those who were there. One additional story was of crew having been invited to a party by a local chief 'King' Caulker. Plenty of food and drink and a good time had by all until a man from Grimsby named Rafferty shouted 'where are the women?' The party came to an abrupt end. There is an interruption between ships on my Dad's service record, from 1941 to 1942 approx. This is accounted for, I believe, as the time that his minesweeper (name unknown) was torpedoed and sunk. He and one other reached shore and were detained by Vichy French forces. I do not know where, but conditions were bad and he was badly wounded with shrapnel. However, arrival of US forces saw surrender of the French in North Africa and my Dad's release and repatriation to a hospital in Scotland. One of his mates on this ship was from Lowestoft. I do not know his name except he was known as Yarboy.
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Mervyn "Mick" Hawke HMS Venomous My father-in-law served on HMS Drake, HMS Venomous and HMS Philoctetes in WWII He was Mervyn Hawke, probably known as Mick. I would like to know what he did. I have so many pictures, but apart from one batch saying "West Africa", I don't know any more about his time during the war. Does anyone have information?
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