Leslie Albert Bates who served on MMS 293.
Built by Frank Curtis at Par, Cornwall. Launched on January 10, 1943
MMS 293 was in MSF (Mine Sweeping Flotilla) 132 in 1943 (Sheerness) and MSF 147 in 1944, Expeditionary Force Allied Naval Command.
Leslie Albert Bates who served on MMS 293.
The sad demise of MMS 293, abandoned at Forton Lake, Portsmouth in 1950,
Leslie Albert Bates
Leslie Bates undertook his basic Royal Navy training in June 1942 at the Royal Navy shore base, HMS Collinwood. From there he was transferred to HMS Europa, the Royal Naval Patrol Service Headquarters at Lowestoft, known as the Sparrow's Nest.
On completion of his training, in September 1942 Les was transferred to HMS Cape Palliser. HMS Cape Palliser (FY 256) was a trawler requisitioned by the Royal Navy and converted into an Anti-Submarine Trawler.
HMS Cape Palliser escorted artic convoys and patrolled in Artic waters, for which Les received the Artic medal.
Following a refit at Grimsby where her bows were reinforced for ice-breaking. HMS Cape Palliser was sent on a top -secret operation deep into Artic waters (above 80 degrees north). Here German U-boats were thought to be on the surface charging their batteries. Returning from this mission on 12th Nov 1942, HMS Cape Palliser rescued 15 survivors from the American Liberty ship William Clark. One survivor died before they could reach hospital and two men lost their legs due to exposure to extreme cold.
Les would always remember removing the two frozen bodies from the lifeboat.
In June 1943 Les was transferred to the Motor Mine Sweeper MMS 293, keeping the sea lanes along the east coast of England open to allow war materials, in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe, to come flooding into England.
In 1944 MMS 293 was serving under the “Expeditionary Force Allied Naval Command”. She was sweeping ahead of convoys on their way to the D-day landing beaches. Clearing mines from the D-day beaches area. Later clearing the coast of Belgium and Holland and the Scheldt and opening up the port of Antwerp and as such being given credit for shortening the war.
Thank you to Freddie Woodman for the following information and photographs about his Great Grandfather Leslie Albert Bates who served on MMS 293.
MMS 293
OFFICERS from Navy List December 1943,
(Rank. Name, Date joined ship.)
Tempy. Lieutenant, H. C. W. Fox, R.N.V.R. J (In Command) 26th May 1943
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., L. Owen, 25 May 1943
OFFICERS from Navy List April 1944,
Tempy. Lieutenant, H. C. W. Fox, R.N.V.R. J (In Command) 26th May 1943
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., L. Owen, 25 May 1943
OFFICERS from Navy List June 1944,
Tempy. Lieut., A. M. Goodwin (In Command) 5 May 44.
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., L. Owen. 25 May 43
OFFICERS from Navy List Jan 45
Tempy. Lieut., A. M. Goodwin (In Command) 5 May 44.
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., L. Owen. 25 May 43
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Motor Mine Sweeper MMS 293.
Motor Minesweeper's were purpose built, wooden, shallow draft, minesweepers with both SA and LL sweeping capabilities. SA is Sweep Acoustic, a device similar to a Kanga Hammer which makes a loud thumping noise which exploded the acoustic mine. LL (double L) is a pair of electric cables which are towed parallel to each other on floats and emit a strong electric pulse which generates a magnetic field which detonated the magnetic mine.
Four Hundred and two Motor Minesweeper were built for the Royal Navy between 1940 and 1945.
Admiralty type; 1 to 118 and 123 to 313
Displacement 165 Tons
Length: 105 Feet (32 metres)
Beam: 23 Feet (7 metres)
Draft: 9 feet 6 inches. (2.9 Metres)
Engine: Diesel. 500 BHP.
Speed: 12.65 Miles per hour. (11 knots)
Complement: 20 Officers and men.
Armament: Two 20 mm Anti-aircraft guns
Two machine guns.