HMS FOX

[shetlandpeat]

I am struggling to find any info about HMS Fox for the period 1940 - 1945.

Records show that it was a RN land base in Shetland. There was a HMS Fox II during the same period.

I could only assume it would be at Sullom, but as yet no records. A number of ships used to return to Sullom Voe during the Norwegian Campaigns.

[EM]

I could only assume it would be at Sullom,

Lerwick.

[shetlandpeat]

I was coming to say I had found it on Wiki, well not quite the base but its location.

Also the last commander, A/Capt. H.C. BrowneDSO Bar, RN who used to be on RN boats.

 

There is a list of Coastal Bases Here

 

Some of the bases have extensive lists of crews.

 

Thinking about it, perhaps Hays Dock may be a focal point due to the accident there.

 

Keep looking!!!

[MuckleJoannie]

Have you tried the Imperial War Museum? A friend of mine was there looking for stuff on the Shetland Bus and he told me there was a vast photographic record of bases in Shetland during the second world war. They also have other records.

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/

[EM]

My understanding is that some of Fox was near the Bruce Hostel. I think that was accomodation and it later was converted to a hospital. All gone now of course.

[bigton]

the weather vane at Hays came from HMS Fox.

[shetlandpeat]

The only Ref I can get from the Shetland Museum is one photo of Allan Ferguson Laurenson who died through the exploding of a mine at The Knab. He was a RNVR at HMS Fox. That information helps what I am doing.

 

I will have to keep trawling, thanks for the info about the weather vane.

Will have to get a picture.

 

I have found very little in the IWM web site.

[shetlandpeat]

My understanding is that some of Fox was near the Bruce Hostel. I think that was accomodation and it later was converted to a hospital. All gone now of course.

 

Found the Hospital

 

Thanx

 

LINK

[Heimdal]

The hospital (foot of Lover's Loan) was Shetland's maternity hospital for quite a few years after WW2.

Some info about HMS Fox here..

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/HMSFox

[shetlandpeat]

Thnks for that. Off to the library later today and museum Monday.

[EM]

...who died through the exploding of a mine at The Knab.

If I remember correctly, that incident was due to exploding mines, not just one. They came in to the Sletts and the general area was evacuated. The casualty was killed while doing something in the evacuated area due to the later explosion. I think there might have been a window or a ladder involved.

 

Not sure how many actually exploded.

[shetlandpeat]

Just been up to the Knab to leave some flowers. Low and behold, a new seating area describing the harbour defences, even a photo of HMS Fox.

 

Thanks EM and Heimdal, apreciated.

 

I did not know there was a battery at the Toll Booth area, or even at the site of the coastguards. Hence battery beach. I also found out that the first propper road was built to transport guns and munitions.

[shetlandpeat]

You are almost there EM.

 

25th November 1941, Allan Laurenson was killed, along with two ratings from the Knab camp (the golf area). There was talk that he thought he new more than he did, though a very well respected young man.

 

The incident you refer too was Warden Walter Jamieson. At 19.30, a mine exploded at Breiwick damaging windows and chimneys. Walter was repairing and boarding the properties when a secnd mine exploded killing him.

 

This helps with other lines of research. I got th info from the library, Z387.

 

Thanks for that.

[Heimdal]

Walter Jamieson was killed later, 24th January 1942.

He was repairing damage caused by a mine explosion at the Sletts on 23rd January when another mine blew up there.

On my desk I have a fragment of a mine picked up in a garden in the South Road on 23rd January following the first explosion. Damage was widespread from both explosions.

I remember being told that mines had been spotted floating in Brei Wick and that there was disquiet in the local population that the 'authorities' had done nothing about them.

I was also told that the mine which killed Allan Laurenson exploded on the harbour side of the Knab.

[EM]

...exploded at Breiwick damaging windows and chimneys.

And something else too, something somewhat surprising. Midder's family were evacuated from the south end of King Harald Street along with everyone else. On arrival at a relative's house her mother realised that in their rushed departure various important baby care items had been left behind. My uncle Sonny and Midder volunteered to go back for the stuff. Understandably, when they reached the area they were not permitted back across the lines. Undeterred they opted to get to their house by sneaking through the back greens. This worked fine.

 

After collecting the baby equipment they were about to leave when Sonny suddenly announced he urgently needed to have a crap. To their amazement they found that their bogpan had been completely shattered by the explosion!

 

Sonny decided to use their neighbour's bog. Apparently there was a hard frost and the surface of the water in the neighbour's bogpan had frozen. When he pulled the flush, the water washed his crap out and left it beached on the floor

 

When the emergency was over and they had been allowed back to their homes, they overheard the neighbour complaining to someone about the behaviour of the dirty filthy soldiers .