HMT Delphinus, Armed Mine Sweeper.
Pennant: FY 846
Year Constructed: 1906
Built by: Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. North Shields.
Fishing Number: GY981
Previous Names: Amelia.
Gross Tons: 257.
Length: 125.9 feet
Beam: 22.1 feet.
Depth: 12 Feet.
Armament: One 12 pounder Anti-aircraft gun, 2 .5" Anti-aircraft gun Vickers (1x2), and 2 303 Anti-aircraft Hotchkiss machine guns.
Watch these short minesweeping videos.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
A Bad Day in December 1940: https://youtu.be/Lw2pW31qH4s
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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HMT DELPHINUS
Minesweeping Trawler.
Wildfire Queenborough.
Built in 1906 the Delphinus saw service in World War One as a minesweeper where on the 18th and 19th January 1917 she salvaged the SS Anders (LG30538).
Surprisingly during WW1 Royal Navy warships still received Prize Bounty Money for the capture of enemy ships. They also received Salvage Money for saving ships and their cargoes.
At the outbreak of World War Two the Delphinus was again requisitioned by the Admiralty to be used as a minesweeper and based at the Minesweeper Base Wildfire III, Queenborough.
Nov 39, Requisitioned and converted to a minesweeper.
22 June 1941. Nore Command, Sheerness.
Minesweeper Trawler Group 123. DELPHINUS, Temp. Skipper, R.N.R. A. V. Roberts, 10 Sept 40
January 1942, ROYAL NAVY SHIPS,
Minesweeping Group 123 - minesweeping trawlers AMROTH CASTLE, DELPHINUS, PELAGOS, all at Sheerness.
1945. Sold.
To find out more of the Delphinus movements go to DRIFTERS AND TRAWLERS.
MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES.
MID was awarded to Temp. Acting Skipper, R.N.R. George Wingfield Smith, 11 Feb 1941. Dunkirk.
A second MID was awarded to Temp. Acting Skipper, R.N.R. George Wingfield Smith, 14 June 1945, HM's birthday 45.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL.
DSM was awarded to Signalman Charles Mew, LD/X.4045, R.N.V.R., H.M.T. Delphinus.
ADMIRALTY FLEET ORDERS.
Admiralty, S.W.1, 10th June, 1943.
By Command of their Lordships.
The KING has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following Appointments to the Distinguished Service Order and to approve the following Awards for gallantry or outstanding service in the face of the Enemy, or for zeal, patience and cheerfulness in dangerous waters, and for setting an example of wholehearted devotion to duty, without which the high tradition of the Royal Navy could not have been upheld :
The Distinguished Service Medal. Signalman Charles Mew, LD/X.4045, R.N.V.R., H.M.T. “ Delphinus ”.
OFFICERS FROM NAVY LIST.
10 Sep 1940 to 28 May 1941, Temp. Skipper, R.N.R. Albert Victor Roberts.
28 May 1941 to 24 Jan 1944, Temp. Lieutenant R.C.N.V.R., Arthur Hugh Shaw Mayne.
24 Jan 1944 to June 1945, Temp. Act. Skipper, R.N.R. George Wingfield Smith.
During her service in World War One, Albert Septimus McDermott served on her as an Engineer. Born in Hull in 1885, he sailed out of the Orkneys on the Steam Trawler St Romanus after the war.
Leading Seaman Harold Rayner was stationed at HMS St Tudno, (Wildfire III) on the minesweeper Delphinus from 14 November 1943 to 18 June 1945
Prior to that, he was stationed in Iceland at the British WW2 land base Baldur on HMS Venture. It was so cold that ice had to be hacked off the ship to stop it becoming top heavy.
Louise tells us that Harold never conquered sea sickness and that he once had his kit bag stolen and had to pay for new uniform and lost all his belongings when someone “helped him” carry it on board when he was injured and had to return from his base at Baldur in Iceland to Meanskirk hospital in Glasgow, on a hospital ship!
After 4 months in hospital Harold was transferred to St Tudno (HMS Wildfire III) where he joined the Delphinus.
The Delphinus was involved in sweeping for D Day and opening up the Scheldt, the biggest minesweeping operation of WW2.
Engineer Albert McDermott, is second from right on the front row with cigarette in his hand while on the St Romanus. Thank you to Mike Eastwood for the information and photograph.
HMT Delphinus. During her conversion, the Delphinus had a deckhouse added forward of the bridge together with an upper bridge and searchlight. She was first employed on auxiliary patrol work and then minesweeping. The acustic hammer for sweeping acustic mines can be seen on her bow.
Thank you Louise Rayner for the above picture of HMT Delphinus
Armed Trawlers sweeping the North Sea.
Thank you to Louise Rayner for telling us about her dad, Leading Seaman Harold Rayner.