Signatures on back of photograph.
BYMS 2279, with her old number. Possibly in New Orleans, USA, undergoing her commissioning.
BYMS 2279 crew, Ostend 1945. Keith Raymond Willers is the third from the left.
BYMS 2279
British Yard Mine Sweeper
BRITISH YARD MINE SWEEPERS
BYMS’s were built in the United States and transferred the Royal Navy under the Lend-lease Programme. “British Yard Mine Sweepers” are so called because they were built to the same design as the US Navy’s “Yard Mine Sweepers”.
Crews for the BYMS’s would sail to the United States, often on the Queen Mary, which could sail unescorted because of her greater speed, to collect their vessel. They would then have the formidable task of sailing their small vessel back across the Atlantic Ocean, often in winter.
22 March 1945. BYMS 2279 rescued survivors from U.S. Liberty ship, Charles D. McIver which struck a mine in the Scheldt Estuary, leaving Antwerp, Belgium.
MINE SWEEPING FLOTILLA: 168th MSF: 2042, 2062, 2063, 2234 2253, 2254, 2279, 2280.
Based at: Portsmouth/ANCXF 1944. East Indies 1945. (Note, ANCXF is the Allied Naval Commander Expeditionary Force, leading up to D-day and beyond.)
Built by: Henry C. Grebe and Co., Chicago, Illinois, United States (On Lake Michigan).
Laid down: 23 January 1943.
Launched: 29 July 1943.
Handed over to Royal Navy: 15 October 1943.
Returned to USA: May 1948. Sold to Germany and re-named Rudolf Diesel, Y889
SPECIFICATIONS:
Wooden hull. Length, 130 feet. Beam, 25 feet 6 inches. Depth, 12 feet I inch. Draft, 8 foot 10.5 inches. Displacement 207-215 tons.
Engine: Two 800 bhp General Motors diesel engines.
Speed: 14.6 knots. 10 knots while sweeping. (Eight knots with double Oropesa sweeps)
Range: 2,500 at ten knots.
Compliment: 3 officers and 27 men.
Armament: One 3-inch HA/LA gun and two Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.
BYMS’s were fitted with a drum on the stern with LL (double L) cables for sweeping magnetic mines, an acustic hammer on the bow for sweeping acustic mines and Oropesa floats for sweeping tethered mines.
All YMS and BYMS were built to the same design, the only variation was in the number of exhaust stacks. Minesweepers 1 to 134 had two sacks, 135 to 480 had one stack, 466 to 479 had no stacks.
BYMS 2279's crew.
BYMS 2279's crew.
Ostend 1944/45
BYMS 2279's crew with ship's mascot.
BYMS 2279 crew. Guns and Bill.
VE Day, Ostend, BYMS 2050 from a sister minesweeping flotilla.
BYMS 2279 crew, Wilson and Mitz
The main engine room of BYMS 2279. (Quality of photograph not great but engine room photographs are very rare.)
BYMS 2279's crew
BYMS 2279 crew. VE Day. Ostend.
American Liberty Ship sinking fast, crew rescued, but still time to save some supplies.
Crew of BYMS 2279
BYMS 2279 crossing the Atlantic in company with BYMS 2253 (with her American number)
It looks like it wasn’t all hard work while commissioning their vessel.
Raymond Woodrow in Holland.
VE Day Ostend. BYMS 2182 from a sister flotilla.
American Liberty ship, Charles D. McIver her back broken.
All BYMS (British Yard Mine Sweepers) were built in the United States, and British crews sailed across the Atlantic to pick them up and sail them back to England. Any voyage back across the Atlantic, in small vessels is daunting, especially in winter when BYMS 2279 crossed. She took the southern route, firstly to Bermuda, and then to Horta in the Azores and on to Portsmouth. She Arrived at Portsmouth in time to take part in the D-day landings.
Roy tells us that Keith always spoke warmly about the city, (New Orleans) and people, I believe they had a good time there. He was amazed at what you could buy. He developed a liking for Hershey chocolate. He told me the English crews were well liked by the military guards in the port. They were from a black regiment and we treated them the same as anyone else. They were always around during live firing practice, asking for a go as they were not armed, just side sticks.
Crews on minesweepers had to be good shots. When a tethered mine was cut lose, the crew fired at it. Not to explode it, as it could damage the vessel, but to hole and sink it.
Thank you to Roy Cafferty for the information and photographs about his father-in-law Keith Raymond Willers and BYMS 2279.
Roy tells us “My late father-in-law Keith Raymond Willers spent his entire wartime service on 2279, from picking it up from New Orleans, to the final days in Ostend.”
Keith had fond memories of BYMS 2279. He was always annoyed when any wartime program was on about D-day, as he said we were there first sweeping the channels, and never get a mention!
This is so true; the minesweepers are always overlooked. Apart for several mini-submarines, the minesweepers arrived first off the D-day beaches. The minesweepers led the invasion fleet. Having swept ahead of the fleet through the German mine barrier, they swept every warship into its firing position and continued to sweep right up to the beaches.
Ostend 1944/45. LST 80 landing supplies.
American Liberty ship, Charles D. McIver ten minutes after detonating a mine in the Scheldt.
Cleaning the gun.
Crew member, Gov.
Crew of BYMS 2279 in front of the 3-inch HA/LA gun.
Rough seas.
Crew of BYMS 2279
One of two of BYMS 2279's Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.
As seen from BYMS 2279, the American Liberty ship, Charles D. McIver which when leaving Antwerp had detonated a mine in the Scheldt, sinking her.
BYMS 2279 crew. VE Day. Ostend.
MOVEMENTS.
15 October 1943, completed.
21 to 29 Dec 1943, Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
3 to 8 Jan 1944, Bermuda.
16 to 22 Jan 1944, Horta, Azores.
27 and 28 Jan 1944, Falmouth.
29 Jan 1944, Portsmouth.
BYMS 2179’s movements at this time shows she was involved in the D-day landings.
12 Sep 1944, Newhaven.
14 Sep 1944, Southend.
16 Sep 1944, Portland.
12 Dec 1944, Southend.
BYMS 2179’s movements at this time shows she was probably escorting convoys to supply the Allied armies in Europe.
29 Nov 1944, Aberdeen.
29 and 30 Nov, 1944, Methil,
1 and 2 Dec 1944, Humber.
3 Dec 1944, Thames Estuary. (A major anchorage for convoys)
6 to 8 Dec 1944, Portsmouth.
9 Jan 1945, Portsmouth.
16 Jan 1945, Ostend, Belgium.
22 March 1945. Rescues survivors from U.S. freighter Charles D. McIver which struck a mine in the Scheldt, leaving Antwerp, Belgium.
2 May to 5 June 1944, Ostend, Belgium.
5 and 6 June 1945, Harwich.
9 June 1945, Portland.
1 to 14 Sep 1945, Aberdeen.
15 Sep 1945, Lowestoft.
May 1948, returned to USA.
AWARDS FOR MINESWEEPING
DSC: Distinguished Service Cross. DSM: Distinguished Service Medal. MID: Mention in Dispatches.
James Henry FISH, Lieutenant, BYMS 2279, 11 Dec 45. DSC awarded for Minesweeping - Wind-up ops Europe 1945.
VE Day Ostend. BYMS 2036 in background.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1943.
Not on Navy Lists.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Tempy. Skipper, Lieut. A. L. Olesen (act) 27 May 44. (In Command)
Tempy. Skipper J. G. Armes, 16 Oct 43.
Tempy. Skipper, E. Stanley, 16 0ct 43.
Tempy. Skipper G. Drewery, 13 Jan 44.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Tempy. Skipper, E. Stanley, 16 0ct 43.
Tempy. Skipper, G. Drewery 13 Jan 44.
If you, your father or your grandfather have any additional information about this ship, crew lists, stories, photographs, please send copies of them to be added to our records and this website.
Thank you.
Contact: johntenthousand@yahoo.co.uk
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BYMS 2279 crew, Bill and Wilson.
RAYMOND DOWN WOODROW.
Thank you to Steve Woodrow for the information and photographs about his dad, Raymond Down Woodrow, who served on BYMS 2279.
Raymond also served of a number of other minesweepers, mainly Motor Mine Sweepers and at HMS St. Tudno, the Royal Navy Shore Base at Queenborough.
While serving on MMS 1070, during 1944 Ray was “lent” to the Royal Canadian Navy and based in Nova Scotia.
Ray had a highly trepidatious Atlantic crossing in winter, via the Azores. Not much scared Raymond, but that episode clearly did.
Ray also recalled the unauthorised discharge of a deck gun, possibly by him or by A.N.Other. This occurred whilst alongside a quay, possibly on or near the Scheldt. I seem to remember a mention of Holland.
Ostend 1944/45 Motor Torpedo Boat 475 in foreground.
VE Day Ostend. BYMS 2036 in background.
BYMS 2279 crew. Colin.
Steward.
BYMS 2279 with her old American number on her funnel. These minesweepers were built in the USA as American Yard Minesweepers, transferred to Britain under the Lend Lease Plan, renumbered from 2001 to 2284, and renamed British Yard Sweepers. Oropesa float, for sweeping tethered mines in the foreground.
Raymond Woodrow at HMS Royal Arthur the requisitioned the Butlin's holiday camp.
Ostend 1944/45 Leave Boat.
There so goes! American Liberty ship, Charles D. McIver sinks but all her crew are saved by BYMS 2279 and other vessels.
BYMS 2279 crossing the Atlantic, Burmuda.
Don't quite know what is happening here. Looks dangerous. Could be recovering a live mine.
BYMS 2279 crew. Johnny.
BYMS 2279 crew.
Keith Raymond Willers who served on BYMS 2279 during WW2.
The above photographs are from his collection.
Ostend 1944/45 Hospital Ship 65.
Ostend 1944/45