Nov 1939, Requisitioned by the Admiralty.
1940 – 1941, Internos was a patrol drifter at Brightlingsea.
15th September 1940, Nore Command, Brightlingsea.
Auxiliary Patrol Vessels (Drifters-Lewis guns)
Rig, Strive, Three Kings, Reed, Internos, Eager, Xmas Rose, Young Jacob, Eunice & Nellie.
January 1942, ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, Nore Command, Sheerness, Wildfire III, Queenborough.
LL Drifters - BOY PHILLIP, EGERIA, EUNICE & NELLIE, FORERUNNER under repair, INTERNOS, JACK EVE, SOLSTICE, TILLY DUFF, VERNAL, WELCOME HOME, all at Sheerness.
LL (double L) Drifters are minesweeper which sweep for Magnetic mines. They tow a pair of electric cables parallel to each other on floats, which emit a strong electric pulse generating a magnetic field which detonates magnetic mines.
March 1946. Returned to owner.
To find out more of the Internos movements go to DRIFTERS AND TRAWLERS.
MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES. Two MID’s were awarded to Temp. Acting, Chief, Skipper George Wingfield Smith.
MID, 11 Feb 1941, Dunkirk (June 1940)
MID, 14 June 1945, H.M. Birthday 45.
5 Jan 1940 to June 1940, Commanding Officer, HMS Three Kings (drifter)
7 Aug 1941 to Aug 1942, Commanding Officer, HMS Internos (minesweeping trawler)
24 Jan 44 to Oct 44, Commanding officer, HMS Delphinus (minesweeping trawler) Another Wildfire III vessel.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS. DSC was awarded to Temporary Acting Chief Skipper, William Arthur George, for services in Norway.
On 8 May 1940, being landed with a party from the Northern Spray to examine a German troop-carrier down in Efjordan, the party was surprised and attacked by some 30 Germans, the late occupants of the plane, with machine-guns and grenades. After all their ammunition was expended, the party surrendered, except Skipper George, who, eluding his captors, made his way to the wrecked plane, in which he spent the night. He collected all books and papers he thought might be of value and, launching the india-rubber boat, crossed the fjord and eventually re-joined his ship.
15 Feb 1940 to June 1940, HMS Northern Gem (anti-submarine warfare trawler) (DSC)
15 June 1940 to Feb 1941, Commanding Officer, HMS Exyáhne (minesweeping trawler)
4 May 1941 to June 1943, Commanding Officer, HMS Egeria (minesweeping trawler)
12 July 1943 to Oct 1945, Commanding Officer, HMS Internos (minesweeping trawler)
William Arthur George was married in 1931 to Annie Harris and had two daughters.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST Dec, 39
Not listed.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST Aug 40.
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R., N. Roch 8 Jan 40.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 41.
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R., N. Roch, 8 Jan 40.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 42
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R., G. W. Smith 7 Aug 41.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 43
Listed but no Officers.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June, 44.
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R., W. A. George 12 July 43.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June, 45.
Temp. Chief Skipper, R.N.R., W. A. George (act) 12 July 4
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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Watch these short minesweeping videos.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
A Bad Day in December 1940: https://youtu.be/Lw2pW31qH4s
INTERNOS.
Torpedo Recovery Vessel and Minesweeper
Wildfire III, Queenborough.
Firstly, based at Brightlingsea and later at Wildfire III Queenborough, the Internos was a Torpedo Recovery Vessel and Minesweeper.
Torpedo Recovery Vessel were auxiliary vessels which recovered practice torpedoes and mines fired and laid by surface vessels and aircraft.
Minesweeping was extremely dangerous and it was the courage of the men on these minesweepers which saved many ships and the lives of many of their crews.
On the 30 August 1941, Wildfire III, Queenborough, minesweepers Monarda, Internos, Forerunner and Vernal blew eleven acoustic and three magnetic mines in just over an hour on the North Thames foreshore, off Southend.
Tragically both Forerunner and Monarda were sunk within the next ten weeks.
HMS INTERNOS, Torpedo Recovery Vessel and Minesweeper.
Type of Vessel: Fishing Drifter. (Using long drift nets.)
Pennant Number: FY977.
Year Built: 1903
Tons: 93 tons
HMS Internos would have looked like this model of a Drifter.