BYMS 2057. Photos by kind permission of John Sterland who's Dad Alf served on her.
BRITISH YARD MINE SWEEPER
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.
MOVEMENTS.
22 July 43, Completed.
6 Oct 43, Charleston.
31 Oct 43, Halifax.
3 Nov to 9 Dec 43, St John’s. Crossed Atlantic Ocean from Canada to the U.K.
22 Dec 43, Falmouth.
26 Dec 43, Portland.
27 Dec 43 Portsmouth.
29 and 30 Dec 43 Harwich.
30 Dec 43, Lowestoft.
21 May 44, Lowestoft.
21 to 25 May 44 Harwich.
25 May to 9 June 44, Lowestoft.
9 June to 10 July 44, Harwich.
18 July 44, Harwich.
24 to 31 July 44, Lowestoft.
31 July 44, Harwich.
23 Aug 44, Portsmouth.
18 Sep 44, Le Havre.
19 Sep Portsmouth.
21 Sep 44, Southend.
21 Sep to 23 Oct 44, Harwich.
23 Oct to 6 Nov 44, Dover.
7 Nov 44, Ostend. In November 1944, helped in clearing the Scheldt of mines, the most crucial minesweeping event of WW2.
16 November 1944. BYMS 2040 and 2057 are credited with mine number 206. Signalman Robert Kay claims the mines were so numerous they were “like peas”. When the 2040 dropped her otter board into the sea it detonated one of the mines which resulted in a gaping hole in her port quarter. She had to return the England for repairs.
26 to 29 Nov 44, Lowestoft.
30 Nov 44, Humber.
13 June to 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.
20 Aug 45, Cuxhaven, Germany.
21 to 23 Aug 45, Lowestoft.
23 Aug 45, Dover.
27 Aug 45 Grimsby.
7 Sep 45 Dover.
1946 at Pembroke.
1 Sep 47 returned to USA and sold.
BYMS, British Yard Mine Sweeper were all built to the same design. The only variation was one of appearance in the number of exhaust stacks. They were fitted with an Acoustic “hammer” on the bow to sweep for acoustic mines and a drum on the stern for the LL cables to sweep magnetic mines
Crew of BYMS 2057. Photos, thanks again to John Sterland.
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 2057, Flotilla 163 in 43, 44, and 45.
Built by: Westergard Boat Works, Inc., Biloxi, Mississippi, USA.
Laid down: 7 May 1942.
Launched: 15 January 1943.
Completed and transferred to Royal Navy: 22 July 1943.
Reclassified: HMS J-857 later BYMS-2057.
Assigned to the Nore Command, Flotilla 163
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 2057
British Yard Mine Sweeper 2057.
Nore Command, World War Two 1939 to 1945.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, June 1944.
Temp. Lieut. R.N.V.R., R. O. Oliver. 15 Jan 44 (In Command)
Temp. Lieut. R.N.V.R., J. A, Johnson 28 Jan 44.
OFFICERS ON THE NAVY LIST, July 1945.
Temp. Lieut. R.N.V.R., R. O. Oliver. 15 Jan 44 (In Command)
BYMS 2057 Gun Drill. Alf Sterland is second from the right. Photos by kind permission of Alf's son, John Sterland.