Dates: 1917 - 1946

HMS Ceres, built by John Brown, launched 23rd March 1917. Arrived at Blyth for breaking up 12th July 1946.
In 1939 Ceres recommissioned from the Reserve Fleet and was sent on Northern Patrol in the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland. In January 1940, Ceres was refitted by Harland & Wolff at Belfast, Northern Ireland. On February 15th she sailed from Devonport to Gibraltar. During March while based at Malta, she took part in contraband patrols in the Ionian Sea, Straits of Otranto and off the coast of Greece. During April-May 1940, the old cruiser was now based at Singapore and carried out patrols off the Dutch East Indies coast. In June she went to Colombo and later to Bombay when Ceres convoyed tankers from the Arabian Gulf to Aden. She spent several months off the east coast of Africa, based at Mombassa. Whilst on patrol off the coast of Somaliland she was called upon to assist in the evacuation of troops and civilians from British Somaliland to Aden bombarding the various enemy positions with shellfire. After this incident she was involved in convoy duties between Durban and Cape Town. Later that year she was sent to the Seychelles and other islands to search for German commerce raiders. From 4 until 9 August 1940 the cruiser assisted with the evacuation of civilians and sick personnel from British Somaliland, which was occupied by the Italians. She also assisted in the evacuation of Commonwealth soldiers from Berbera (British Somaliland). In February 1941 Ceres blockaded Kisimayu in support of the offensive against Italian Somaliland, in company with the British cruisers HMS Hawkins, HMS Capetown and the British destroyer HMS Kandahar. On New Years day 1942, convoy WS-14 arrived in South Africa from the U.K. with reinforcements for the Middle East, The convoy consisted of 18 ships, Ceres and the sloop HMS Bridgewater provided the escort. Ceres spent two months in the Persian Gulf, and then arrived at Simonstown for a three month refit.She was then based at Aden and she also participated in the fall of Djibouti. She completed that year employed on convoy duties to Durban. In October 1943, Ceres returned to Devonport having steamed 235,000 miles since the outbreak of war.

On June 6th, Operation "Neptune" the amphibious landings on Normandy, Ceres was employed as a depot ship to the Eastern Task Force. The following October it was decided to reduce her to reserve and use her as an accommodation/base ship at Portsmouth. In July 1946, the old cruiser was broken up for scrap at Bolckow, Blyth.

Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving H.M.S. Ceres

" I can always remember joining barracks in 1956, I was drafted there from H.M.S. Ceres, and got a right bollocking from the chief G.I for not walking between the lines that went across the parade ground. I do not think they have even got such a thing now. Last edited by Henry Wannerton"

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