MOVEMENTS.
16 June 43, Completed.
3 Aug 43 Charleston
9 Sep 43, Boston.
12 to 17 Sep 43 Halifax.
21 to 25 Sep 43, St John’s. Crossed Atlantic Ocean from Canada to the U.K.
2 to 6 Oct 43 Londonderry.
8 Oct 43 Plymouth.
9 Oct 43 Portsmouth.
12 Oct 43 Southend.
12 Oct 43, Great Yarmouth.
25 April 44, Great Yarmouth.
26 April 44, Southend.
2 May 44 Great Yarmouth.
During the period from the 4 June 1944 (the day before D-day) to the end of July 1944 BYMS 2039 would have cleared pathways through the minefields to the Normandy Beachheads, cleared mines ahead of the Invasion Convoys, cleared mines from the ship assembly and disembarkation areas almost right up to the beaches, widened the cleared pathways and continuously swept for newly laid mines.
17 June 44, Portsmouth.
26 June 44, Portsmouth.
13 July 44, Portsmouth.
28 July 44, Plymouth.
4 Aug 44, Milford Haven.
8 to 23 Aug 44, Brixham.
7 Sep 44, Plymouth.
12 Sep 44, Portland.
19 Sep 44, Portsmouth.
17 Oct 44, Portsmouth.
22 Oct 44, Humber.
23 Oct to 25 Nov 44 Lowestoft.
25 Nov 44, Humber.
8 July 45, Humber.
9 July to 20 Aug 45, Bremen, Germany. Although the War in Europe is over, mines still need clearing from German harbours and ports. The German people were close to starving and urgently needed humanitarian aid to arrive in ships for which BYMS 2039 cleared the way.
23 Oct 45 Humber.
27 Oct 45 Grimsby.
28 Oct 45, Humber.
14 Sep 45, Dover.
14 Sep 45 Lowestoft.
1946 and 1947 at Falmouth.
12 May 48 returned to USA.
14 May 48 sold.
Distinguished Service Cross awarded to Skipper J. R. Bowie.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944,
Skipper Lieut, R. N. R., W. J. Scott (act) 17 June 43 (In Command)
Temp. Skipper, R. N. V. R., A. May, 17 June 43.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945,
Skipper Lieut, R. N. R., W. J. Scott (act) 17 June 43 (In Command)
Skipper R.N.R., J. R. Bowie, DSC. 16 March 45.
Watch these short videos about the Wildfire III Minesweepers.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
D-day minesweepers: https://youtu.be/ZjlA5LxCAsg
Clearing the Scheldt: https://youtu.be/8ELsc9T3Lbw
The Relief of Holland: https://youtu.be/GghYEFHmOfY
BYMS 2039 awaiting disposal after WW2.
BYMS 2039, Flotillas 157 in 43, 163 in 44 and 45.
Built by: Barbour Boat Works, New Bern, North Carolina, USA.
Laid down: 27 May 1942
Launched: 14 October 1942
Completed and transferred to Royal Navy: 16 June 1943
Reclassified: J-839 later HMS BYMS-2039
Assigned to the Nore Command, Flotilla 157
Took part in the D-day landings.
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.
BYMS 2039
British Yard Mine Sweeper 2039.
Nore Command, World War Two 1939 to 1945.
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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