I am researching my grandad mr Thomas Henry Potter aka Harry, I think he was one of the survivors and we have press cuttings and letters detailing his recuperation in Faroe, are you able to confirm.
Sorry to have bothered you must of my links mixed up, I was on a ww2 research site looking for name of grand dads ship and your link came up, the ship sank jan 31 1942 with the loss of all but 12!
That explains why I could not find anything.
Walter Costick a survivor says there were 13 survivors in all and that 135 crew died. (other information suggests that 125 died)
Picture of HMS Culver:
http://www.wrecksite.eu/img/wrecks/mendota_uss.jpg
British Sloop
HMS Culver (Y 87)
1 9 4 1
April
30th Transferred to RN and
commissioned for service
in New York as HMS CULVER. Manned by
Personnel from HMS MALAYA.
May Took passage from New York to
Halifax with sister
ships HM Sloops FISHGUARD, BANFF
And HARTLAND
6th Arrived at Halifax to be
deployed with routine
convoy to UK.
7th Joined Convoy HX125 for
transit to UK.
(Note: HM Battleship
REVENGE was also part
of this convoy to provide Ocean Escort.
In view of the fact that
this ship had not
been prepared of convoy defence and fitted with
Essential RN equipment to
be installed in UK
it is unlikely that she would be used as part
Of the escort during
transit.
22nd Detached from HX125 and joined
Western Approaches
Command.
Prepared for operational
service.
June Passage to Londonderry for
convoy defence
deployment.
18th Deployed with escort of inward
Convoy HX130
during passage in NW Approaches.
20th Detached from HX130 and
returned to Londonderry.
July Deployed with escort for
inward Convoy HX136.
18th Detached from HX136 and
returned to Londonderry
(Note: Deployment with
these two convoys may
be have a period of introduction to Atlantic
Convoy defence prior to
transfer to convoy
defence between UK and West Africa in 40th
Escort Group.)
Nominated for convoy
defence for convoys
between UK and West Africa.
Deployed with HM Sloops
WELLINGTON and
sister ship HMS LANDGUARD as escort for
Outward Convoy OB386
during passage to
Freetown.
August
1st Detached from OB386 on
relief by Local Escort
from Freetown and took passage to Bathurst,
Gambia to refuel.
On completion took passage
to Freetown.
September Deployed with escort for return
Convoy SL84 from
Freetown
(Note: This convoys is
recorded as sailing
on 18th August and arriving at Liverpool on 8th
September. On that basis
details from other
sources about period in London under refit
Are incorrect and the
following entries are
subject to revision if proved incorrect.)
Passage from Londonderry
to Sheerness,
6th Under refit at Woolwich by
Harland and Wolf,
(Note: Radar Type 271 for
surface warning
and particularly effective for detection of
Surfaced submarines was
installed.
A High Frequency Radio
Receiver (H/F D/F)
was also fitted to assist in the
Detection of radio signals
transmissions
from submarines to determine their position
See SEEK and STRIKE by W
Hackmann)
October On completion of post refit
trials took passage
from Sheerness as part of escort for East Coast
Routine convoy.
(Note: Identity in one
source is EC83 but
usual identity for northbound convoys was FN.
To be confirmed.)
Detached from coastal
convoy and took
passage to Tobermory for workup.
25th Joined escort of convoy OS10
of 34 ships during
passage to Freetown.
(Note: Sister ships HM
Cutters LULWORTH.
LANDGUARD and GORLESTON were also
In this escort.)
31st Under attack by U96 which
sank the Dutch
mercantile BENNEKOM.
(See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair.)
November
2nd Under attack by U-Boats of
STOERTEBECKER Group
which were unsuccessful and
Driven off by escort which
then included HM
Destroyer STANLEY and HM Corvette
VERBENA. See above
reference,
(Note: These ships may
have been sent to
assist as not part of original escort from
Londonderry.)
7th Rescued survivors from BENNEKOM
(Note: This date seems
unlikely as
mercantile was sunk on 31st October.
Rescue may have been on
1st November.)
14th Detached from OS10 and took
passage to Bathurst
to refuel.
21st Deployed with HM Sloops
BANFF, GORLESTON,
LANDGUARD and FISHGUARD as escort
For inward Convoy SL93
during passage to
Liverpool.
(Note: Other Ships in 40th
Escort Group to
which ship belonged were:
HM Cutters LANDGUARD,
GORLESTON, LULWORTH,
HM Destroyer STANLEY
And HM Corvette VERBENA.
December
10th Detached from SL93 with escort
and returned to
Londonderry.
22nd At Greenock.
23rd Joined outward convoy OS15 as
escort during
passage to West Africa with HM Sloops
LANDGUARD and LULWORTH.
1 9 4 2
January
12th Detached from OS15 and took
passage to refuel in
Bathurst.
17th Sailed from BATHURST with HMS
LULWORTH as escort
for mercantiles during passage
To join inward convoy SL98.
18th Deployed with HM Sloop
LONDONDERRY and other
warships as escort for SL98 during
Passage to Liverpool.
25th Detached from SL98 to escort
mercantile ss
NURTURETON to Funchal, Madeira for repair to
Boiler that had developed
defect since
joining SL98.
26th Rejoined SL98 escort from
Madeira.
31st Under attack by U105 and sunk
in position 48
43N 20 14W, SW of Ireland.
Magazine exploded after
ship hit by two
torpedoes and sank in about one minute.
Only 12 of the ship’s
company were rescued,
four being on loan for limited period.
See above reference and
WARSHIPS LOSSES OF
WW2 by D Brown.
Radar Type 271 was
unserviceable at the time
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS CULVER
By Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the
text above
Date convoy sailedJoined convoy as escortConvoy No.Left
convoyDate convoy
arrived
06/05/4107/05/41HX 125A22/05/4122/05/41
01/06/4115/06/41HX 13019/06/4120/06/41
26/06/4101/07/41HX 13511/07/4112/07/41
14/07/4114/07/41OB 34601/08/4101/08/41
05/08/4108/08/41SL 08328/08/4128/08/41
25/10/4126/10/41OS 01015/11/4118/11/41
18/11/4118/11/41SL 09310/12/4110/12/41
23/12/4124/12/41OS 01511/01/4213/01/42
15/01/4218/01/42SL 09831/01/4205/02/42
Hope this helps. NameHMS Culver (Y 87)
Type:Sloop (Banff)
Tonnage1,546 tons
Completed1929 - Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp, Quincy MA
OwnerThe Admiralty \
Date of attack31 Jan 1942Nationality: British
FateSunk by U-105 (Heinrich Schuch)
Position48.43N, 20.14W - Grid BE 2784
Complement Men (126 dead )
ConvoySL-98
HistoryBuilt as US Coast Guard cutter USS Mendota (CGC 49)
of the
Chelan-class.
On 30 Apr, 1941 transferred to Royal Navy and renamed HMS
Culver (Y 87)
This ship was the first vessel to be equipped with an
operational automatic
HF/DF set.
Notes on lossAt 23.31 hours on 31 Jan, 1942, U-105 fired a
salvo of four
torpedoes at the convoy SL-98 and observed two hits and a
large explosion.
Schuch thought that he had hit an ammunition freighter,
but in fact it was
the HMS Culver (Y 87) (Cdr Gordon-Duff) that had blown up
with the loss of
the commander, seven officers and 118 ratings.
Crewlist
Personnel associated with this vessel
NameAgeRankServed on
Arliss, Thomas Eric, RN24StewardHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Armstrong, Fred Sellars, RN25Stoker 2nd ClassHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Balding, Stanley Henry, RN22Leading SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Barber, Hamish Couper, RN19Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Barker, Thomas William, RNAble SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Bass, Gordon John, RN21Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Bennett, Alfred John, RN22Leading SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Bennett, Arthur George, RN38GunnerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Bensley, Ronald Edward Roe, RNVRSub-LieutenantHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Beveridge, Albert Leonard, RN21Sick Berth AttendantHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Birch, Sidney, RN30Petty OfficerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Blundy, Henry James, RN20Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Bone, Alfred Alan, RNLeading SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Brand, David, RNVR24SignalmanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Brasnell, Samuel Robert, RN27Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Braybrook, Charles Frederick, RN31Ordinary SeamanHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Brooker, Roy, RN22Engine Room Artificer 4th ClassHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Brown, Heber Seymore, RN21Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Buckley, Hugh William, RN23Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Burch, Thomas Edward, RNPetty OfficerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Burt, George William, RN31Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Capelin, Douglas Albert, RN19Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Cessford, George, RNR25Leading SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Chester, Claude, RN21Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Chiverton, George Arthur, RN48Chief StokerHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Clark, Charles Evan Alexander, RNR28SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Collins, Albert Sydney, RN21Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Cox, Frederick, RN25Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Cranfield, Alan Frederick, RNVR20Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Cresdee, William Arthur George, RNLeading StokerHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Curtis, Francis Charles, RN26Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Day, Ernest Joseph, RN29Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Dean, Alan, RN19Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Dixon, Stanley William, RN20Stoker 1st ClassHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Dunn, Douglas Frederick, RN23Petty OfficerHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Dyer, Ronald Arthur, RN20Leading SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Egarr, Jack, RN30Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Ellis, George, RNAble SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Freeborn, Charles Louis, NAAFI31Canteen ManagerHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Gault, Francis, RN23Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Gilder, Bernard Harold, RN21Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Gordon-Duff, Randal Thomas, RNCaptainHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Gordon-Duff, Randall Thomas, RN37Lieutenant CommanderHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Gow, William, RNR30SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Guthrie, Alexander Cameron, RN21Yeoman of SignalsHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Haste, Douglas Harold, RNOrdinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Heath, William Graham, RNStoker 2nd ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Hillier, Herbert Reginald, RN19Ordinary TelegraphistHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Holt, Harry John Reginald, RN32Petty OfficerHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Hughes, John, RN32Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Jeffery, Kenneth Otway, RN24Leading SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Jelley, Cyril Frederick, RN31Stoker 2nd ClassHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Jessop, Charles, RN24Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Jubb, Albert Henry, RNR30LieutenantHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Kehoe, Edward Joseph, RN27Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Kennett, Harold John Jesse, RN18Shipwright 5th ClassHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Kerr, James Loutit, RN20Stoker 2nd ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Kipling, Robert Fallowfield, RN28LieutenantHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Knight, Frank William, RN36Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Knott, Alfred Joseph, RN29Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Labram, Albert Edward, RN40Petty Officer StokerHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Laing, James, RNStoker 2nd ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Leatherland, John William, RN36Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Lemon, William John, RN22Engine Room Artificer 4th
ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Leonard, Reginald, RN40Chief Petty OfficerHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Marshall, Isaac, RN34Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Maslin, Edward Henry, RN44Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
McCarthy, Daniel, RN26Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
McCloud, John, RN42Stoker 1st ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
McLaughlan, John, RN29Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Mills, Harry, RN23Stoker 1st ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Milne, Alexander, RNAble SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Moore, Reginald Douglas, RN20Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Mullins, William George, RN20Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Mundy, Charles Walter Ronald, RN28Engine Room Artificer
3rd ClassHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Musson, Leslie George, RN21Stoker 1st ClassHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Nash, Robert, RN23Stoker 1st ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Neil, James Kennedy, RNOrdinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Newell, Alan Wyman, RNOrdinary TelegraphistHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Nudds, Albert George Stephen, RN37Chief Engine Room
ArtificerHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Ogle, William Crammon, RN21Supply AssistantHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Orton, John William, RN19Leading SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Parr, William George, RN19Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Payne, William Ifor, RN26Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Perfitt, Samuel, RN28Stoker 1st ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Phillips, Ralph, RNOrdnance Artificer 4th ClassHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Piercy, Harold, RN31Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Piotrowski, Wojciech, Polish NavySub-Lieutenant (Ppor
mar)HMS Culver (Y 87)
+
Portlock, Ernest Henry, RN37Petty Officer StokerHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Pyle, John Hetherington, RN27Ordinary SignalmanHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Ratcliffe, Donald Douglas, RNOrdinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Renton, Henry Francis Harding, RN20Ordinary SeamanHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Riddle, Harold, RN24Petty OfficerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Roberts, Ernest Geoffrey, RN22Cook (O)HMS Culver (Y 87) +
Sandall, William, RN35Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Searle, Stanley Harold, RN42Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Self, Joseph, RNPetty Officer StokerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Shannon, Walter, RN19Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Sharp, Herbert, RN24Cook (S)HMS Culver (Y 87) +
Sneath, Ronald Ernest, RN32Petty OfficerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Stevens, Arthur Thomas, RN22Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Stokes, Alfred, RN29Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Sutton, Cyril George, RN22Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Sutton, Herbert, RN27Stoker 1st ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Tame, Richard Alfred, RNElectrical Artificer 4th ClassHMS
Culver (Y 87) +
Taylor, Brinley George, RN32Petty Officer StokerHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Taylor, Frederick Adams, RN34Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Taylor, Jack, RN21Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Tearle, Charles Francis Stewart, RNAble SeamanHMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Thomas, Haydn, RN22Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Thorpe, Guy Smyth, RN33Lieutenant Commander (E)HMS Culver
(Y 87) +
Tonks, Charles, RN45Leading StokerHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Troup, Robert, RNVR27Surgeon LieutenantHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Tullett, Reginald, RN21Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Voysey, Philip Robert, RN23CoderHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Ward, Kenneth, RN20Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Watson, Alan Ainsley, RN19Stoker 2nd ClassHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Watson, Gerald Featherstone, RNVR35LieutenantHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Watts, John Edward, RN31Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Whitaker, John Penson, RN32Ordinary SeamanHMS Culver (Y
87) +
Willey, John Eric, RN29Able SeamanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Wood, Jack, RN26Stoker 2nd ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Wood, William Arnould, RN35Engine Room Artificer 4th
ClassHMS Culver (Y 87)
+
Woodward, Ernest, RNStoker 1st ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Worthington, Eric, RN24Ordinary SignalmanHMS Culver (Y 87) +
Yeats, Charles Alexander, RN20 Leading Supply Assistant HMS Culver (Y 87) +
Young, George Charles, RN35 Yeoman of Signals HMS Culver (Y87) +
Young, Robert William, RN21Stoker 2nd ClassHMS Culver (Y 87) +
