Thank you to Marion Wardell for the information and photographs. Marion's father, Lieutenant E. A. Cash served on Motor Mine Sweeper MMS 45.
Marion was christened on the ship and the crew gave her a silver bracelet which is engraved.
Before serving on MMS 45, Lieutenant E. A. Cash served on the Anti-aircraft paddle steamer HMS Westwood-Ho.
Lieutenant E. A. Cash was on board HMS Westward Ho when she made three harrowing round journeys to Dunkirk being dived bombed by enemy planes. Westward Ho rescued 1,686 British soldiers returning them home to England.
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.
The Westward Ho took part in the Dunkirk evacuation making 3 trips rescuing 1,686 British soldiers
July 1942 became an AA ship with 1 x 12pdr AA, 2 x 2pdr AA (2 x 1) and 2 x 0.303 B7P gun turrets (2 x 4)
July 1943 refitted at Rochester for use as an accommodation ship for the Coastal Forces
MMS 46, thought to be in the same minesweeping flotilla as MMS 45.
MMS.45, J 545. Built by Richards Ironworks Ltd., Lowestoft, England. Commissioned Oct 1941.
5 June 1944, (and rest of June) MMS 45 swept inshore off the Normandy (D-day) beaches.
13th June, 1944. Damaged by shell, no time out of action.
13th June 1944. PICKTHALL, Albert, Seaman, RNPS, LT/JX 403610, killed.
Like many of the Wildfire III, Queenborough MMS 45 took part in “Operation Calendar Two”. Clearing the vital water way of the Scheldt Estuary of mines and opening up the port of Antwerp to resupply Allied troops with over stretched supply lines.
OFFICERS from Navy List December 1942
(Rank. Name, Date joined ship.)
Temp. Lieutenant. RNVR. E A Cash, 20 Oct 1941
Temp. Lieutenant RNVR. R. Walthew. 28 Aug 42.
OFFICERS from Navy List June 1943
Temp. Lieutenant. RNVR. E A Cash, 20 Oct 1941
Temp. Lieutenant RNVR. R. Walthew. 28 Aug 42.
OFFICERS from Navy List June 1944
Temp. Lieutenant. RNVR. E A Cash, 20 Oct 1941
Temp. Sub Lieutenant. RNVR. H. E. Clarke. 14 July 43.
OFFICERS from Navy List Oct 1944,
Temp. Lieut, E. A. Cash. 20 Oct 41.
Temp. Lieut, G. R. B. Smith. 4 Aug 44.
OFFICERS from Navy List Jan 45
Temp. Lieut, E. A. Cash. 20 Oct 41.
Temp. Lieut, G. R. B. Smith. 4 Aug 44.
OFFICERS from Navy List April 45.
Temp. Lieut, E. A. Cash. 20 Oct 41.
Temp. Sub-Lieut, R. C. Andrews. 19 Jan 45.
OFFICERS from Navy List July 45.
Temp. Lieut-Com., E. A. Cash. 20 Oct 41.
Temp. Sub-Lieut, R. C. Andrews. 19 Jan 45.
Lieutenant E. A Cash when he served on the Anti-Aircraft vessel, the paddle steamer HMS Westward Ho.
Motor Minesweeper MMS 25 would have looked the same as her sister ship, MMS 192. Note, the Acoustic “hammer” on the bow in the up position used to sweep for acoustic mines and the drum on the stern for the LL cables used to detonate magnetic mines.
MMS 45
MMS 190, in the same minesweeping flotilla as MMS 45.
Officers from the Westward Ho.
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
Shipmates from MMS 45 (or possible Westward Ho)
Motor Mine Sweeper MMS 45 from Lieutenant E. A. Cash's collection.
Crew of MMS 45
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
RETURN TO SHIP DATABASE.
Click here
RETURN TO FRONT PAGE.
Click here
A huge explosion from a magnetic mine having been detonated by the LL cables of Motor Mine Sweepers.
Taken from MMS 45.