Dates: 1942 - 1948
H.M.S. Spey (K246)
Built by Smiths Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees
Laid Down: 18th July 1941
Launched: 18th December 1941
Commissioned: 19th May 1942
Fate: Transferred in November 1948 to Egypt as Rashid.
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
Sold to the Egyptian Navy November 1948 and renamed Rashid.
Commanding Officers:
Cdr. Humphry Gilbert Boys-Smith, DSO and Bar, RNR
25th March 1942 – 30th August 1943
DSC awarded on 16th March 1943
Lt.Cdr. Benjamin Andrew Rogers, RD, RNR
30th August 1943 – 6th January 1944
Lt. John Charles Mackintosh Keir, RNR
6th January 1944 – 12th August 1944
DSC awarded on 6th June 1944
T/Lt.Cdr. Aislabie Harrison, RNR
12th August 1944 – 1 April 1945
Lt. Michael Elijah Impey, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN
1st April 1945 - ???
Promoted to A/Lt.Cdr. on 1st May 1945
Lt. John Charles Mackintosh Keir, DSC, RNR
Still listed in the October 1945 Navy List
Noteable events involving Spey include:
11th July 1942
The German submarine U-136 was sunk in the Atlantic west of Madeira, Portugal, in position 33?30’N, 22?52’W by the Free French destroyer Leopard (Lt.Cdr. Richard), the British frigate H.M.S. Spey (Cdr. H.G. Boys-Smith, DSO and Bar, RNR) and the British sloop H.M.S. Pelican (Cdr. G.V. Gladstone, RN).
29th March 1943
The British merchant Empire Whale is torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-662 about 425 nautical miles north-west of Cape Finisterre in position 46?44’N, 16?38’W. H.M.S. Spey (Cdr. H.G. Boys-Smith, DSO and Bar, RNR) picks up 10 survivors.
23rd August 1943
On the 23rd August 1943 the 40th Escort Group (Cdr. Dallison), consisting of the sloops H.M.S. Landguard, H.M.S. Bideford, H.M.S. Hastings and the frigates H.M.S. Exe, H.M.S. Moyola and H.M.S. Waveney were deployed on a u-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. The whole operation was covered by the British light cruiser H.M.S. Bermuda.
On the 25th August the Canadian 5th Support Group (Cdr. Tweed), consisting of the British frigates H.M.S. Nene, H.M.S. Tweed and the Canadian corvettes HMCS Calgary, HMCS Edmundston and HMCS Snowberry were deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group.
While this was in progress the ships were attacked at 1415 hrs by 14 Dornier Do-217’s and 7 Ju-88’s. with the new German weapon, the Henschel Glider Bombs, (the "Hs293 A-1"). Designed by the German Professor Herbert Wagner. H.M.S. Landguard and H.M.S. Bideford were the first of the Allied and R.N. ships to be attacked and damaged by them. This being the first time of their being brought into action against Allied ships. Several sailors were injured on H.M.S. Bideford and one sailor was killed.
Another two days later on the 27th August 1943 the Canadian 5th Support group was relieved by the 1st Support group (Cdr. Brewer) consisting of the sloops H.M.S. Pelican, H.M.S. Egret and the frigates H.M.S. Jed, H.M.S. Rother, H.M.S. Spey and H.M.S. Evenlode.
Also the covering cruiser H.M.S. Bermuda was relieved by the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan and the British destroyer H.M.S. Grenville. These ships were also attacked by the Germans. This time with 18 Dornier Do-217’s also carring Henschel Glider Bombs. HMCS Athabaskan was heavily damaged and H.M.S. Egret was sunk with the loss of 194 of her crew. After this loss the u-boat hunt was blown off.
18th February 1944
The German submarine U-406 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 48?32’N, 23?36’W, by depth charges from the British frigate H.M.S. Spey.
19th February 1944
The German submarine U-386 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 48?51’N, 22?44’W, by depth charges from the British frigate H.M.S. Spey.
Personal Memories of H.M.S. Spey
My name is G.J. Heritage I served in the Royal Navy aboard H.M.S. Spey, H.M.S. Marne and H.M.S. Oakley from 1940 until 1945. In that time, I had many unforgettable experiences of military action. Here are two of my stories from the World War II years.
I was Acting Leading Stoker on the H.M.S. Spey on 11th November 1943 for the North African landings. I was esco
