Category: Mine Warfare

HAYES, Syd. A Signalman’s War. [vi], 133p. Canberra: Fellowship of Australian Writers, [c.2000]. ISBN: 1876409177.

 A fictionalised autobiography. He joined the RN in 1942 aged eighteen as a signalman. After a short spell in Saladin, he joined the First Minelaying Squadron in Home Waters. In 1943 he volunteered for submarines and served in Home Waters then the Far East.

A brief but useful survey of her building and career, not least at war.

Fourteen brief memoirs of service on minesweepers in all theaters and from BYMS to Algerines.

An autobiography. Called up in 1941, he served for most of the rest of the war in Motor Minesweeper 172 in the Bristol Channel, off the coasts of Sardinia, Corsica and western Italy and in mine clearance of the Italian ports. An interesting little tale.

About one-third of the book covers the neglected topic of the destroyer minelayers of the 20th Flotilla in Home Waters and the work done in the Far East.

How two Australian RANVR officers became skilled at rendering bombs and mines safe in over 140 operations in the UK. Some of their exploits are reconstructed.

An autobiography. It concentrates on the war where he had a number of mine clearance roles. He served in trawlers in Home Waters, as an instructor, briefly in Walney as she charged the boom in Oran, then in staff appointments , often afloat, for the Mediterranean invasions, then was involved in mine clearance.

A participant gives an account of the success of the staff of HMS Vernon in tackling and beating the German campaign of mine warfare.

An excellent operational history of each of the nine flotillas plus an account of their postwar roles.

A sort of operational ragbag arranged by class and with much useful information.

Wilson was a local tradesman when war began. He quickly volunteered and trained for the Controlled Mine Watch Service. After a period of service on the Clyde, in January 1942 he sailed for Mauritius. This was idyllic if boring and, late in 1943, he was shuffled round the Indian Ocean, ending up in Colombo. In April 1944 they were drafted home and spent the last part of the war surveying and clearing ports.

ELLIOTT, Peter. Allied Minesweeping in World War 2. 201p., bibliog., illus., index. Cambridge: PSL; Annapolis: NIP,1979. ISBN: 0850593506.

Describes the mines, sweeping techniques and the work of the minesweepers in the various wartime theaters. Also includes anecdotal material and detailed accounts of particular operations such as the clearing of the Scheldt. Concentrates on the European theatre.

A detailed account of the class of small minesweepers, built for the RN in the USA, known as BYMSs - British Yard Minesweepers, covering the ships, the men who served on them (mainly members of the Royal Naval Patrol Service), builders, experiences of the men on operations in all theatres plus a complete BYMS listing.

VAREY, Peter. Life On The Edge: Peter Danckwaerts GC, MBE, FRS brave, shy, brilliant. iv, 368p., bibliog., illus., index. Cambridge: PFV Publications, 2012. ISBN: 9780953844012.

The biography of a distinguished chemical engineer and academic. During the war he served in mine and bomb disposal in London and the Mediterranean. After being wounded in Sicily, he was given a role in Combined Operations HQ working on scientific projects and intelligence.

HERRIOT, Peter G. Steamers at War:The Story of the Clyde Steamers in the Second World War. 32p., illus. Glasgow: Clyde River Steamer Club, 2015.

The work of an enthusiast, this is a brief and well illustrated account of the role of the steamers in Europe from the Clyde to the Scheldt.

NICHOLSON, Arthur. Very Special Ships: Abdiel Class Fast Minelayers of World War Two. 208p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2015. ISBN: 1848322356.

Covers the design and building of the six very active ships in this class, along with operational histories. Profusely illustrated.

COCKER, M.P. Mine Warfare Vessels of the Royal Navy 1908 To Date. 223p., illus., index. Shrewsbury: Airlife, 1993. ISBN: 1853103284.

A basic but comprehensive list by class, with leading details, and appendices covering losses. Includes vessels requisitioned, chartered and purchased. Over 200 illustrations.

UPTON, Bernard. On the Road to Normandy and a Little Beyond: A Sailor’s Life Story. xiv, 142p., illus., index. [n.p.], author, 2017. ISBN: 9781527213081.

An autobiography. Born in 1919, he volunteered in 1939 and trained as a signalman. After brief convoy service he trained at King Alfred and was commissioned in 1941. In February 1942 he joined the minesweeper Cromarty and slowly sailed via the Cape, convoy duty and the Madagascar assault to join the fleet at Alexandria that October. After a year of active duty Cromarty was sunk by a mine in October 1943 near Sardinia. He saw out the war in a succession of minesweepers, including action off the Normandy invasion coast, slowly rising in rank. He continued sailing until the age of 94 and died in 2016. The book can almost be described as a scrapbook, full of photographs, documents and recollections. The first half of the book is autobiographical, with the second half assembled from information supplied by family and friends.

LINCOLN, F. Ashe. Secret Naval Investigator. 207p., illus. London: Kimber, 1961.

The story of the RN's Department of Torpedoes and Mines Investigation Section. He was a member of the RNV(S)R and a barrister, whose legal training was of value in sifting evidence of new German mine weapons. Describes how the German threat was neutralised. A new edition was published by Frontline in 2017, ISBN: 9781526701190.

PARKER, Charles Joseph. Red Duster to White Ensign: My Life at Sea in Peace and War. xiv, 112p., illus. Spiderwize: Peterborough, 2018. ISBN: 9781912694747.

Written in the 1970’s and as edited by his son in the 1990’s, this is his autobiography. He joined the Merchant Navy in 1921, aged fifteen. In 1940 he transferred to the RN where he served as a Steward. He was first on the minelayer Port Napier until her grounding and sinking that November. In March 1941 he joined the AMC Laconia, but when she was returned to the Merchant Navy as a troopship in September 1941, he joined the A/A ship Alynbank until the end of 1943, first on Arctic convoys and then in the Mediterranean. In May 1944 he joined the carrier Speaker briefly for six months then finally joined the LSI Keren where he served until discharged in 1946.

BRUHN, David D. & HOOLE, Rob. Enemy Waters: Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Norwegian Navy, U.S. Navy, and Other Allied Mine Forces Battling the Germans and Italians in World War II. 434p., illus. Berwyn Heights, MD: Heritage Books, 2019. ISBN:  9780788458729.

Some 150 illustrations are used to give a comprehensive account of the first conversions of merchant ships to minelayers in 1939, through to the role of minesweepers in assault landings. Follows an earlier volume covering WW1.

MALCOLM, Ian M. Dangerous Seas 1939-1945. v, 227p., bibliog., illus. Broughty Ferry: Moira Brown, 2017. ISBN: 9781520753775.

A compilation of four short Kindle Books. These are Dangerous Voyaging and Dangerous Voyaging 2, both based on brief accounts of individual convoys, often with a personal story. Fortunes of War briefly lists the war service of merchant ships chronicled in Vol. 14 of the Marine Observer for 1937, plus descriptions of three wartime voyages made by a friend, Douglas Cameron. The final volume, Mined Coasts, is a list of British merchant ships damaged or sunk by mines, with brief details of the circumstances.

CASHFORD, Noel. All Theirs! Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Men Who Risked Their Lives to Render Safe Bombs and Explosive Devices (And Booby Traps). vi, 150p., illus. Sheffield: ALD Design & Print, 2004. ISBN: 9781901587388.

A whole series of brief tales of the members of the armed forces – and civilians - who risked their lives to render safe bombs and mines. Includes a few post-war stories. A very personal view which build on his own previously published memoir.

A poorly written but fact-rich account of the role of the minesweepers in the war at sea. Concentrates on home waters.

The story of the minesweeping trawlers, by an author who served with them. Fullest in its account of the earlier years of the war.

Memoirs of a naval bomb and mine disposal officer. He volunteered in 1941 and trained as a bomb disposal officer. The book is arranged as a whole series of anecdotes.

A very well illustrated account of how the White Funnel Line ferries were taken up for war service as minesweepers.

A history of British mine warfare, with some 50 pages on WWII.

In 1943 the three "tiffies," slang for artificers or engineers, stood by the Algerines Aries and later Clinton, building in Canada. After an enjoyable time in North America, they sailed for the UK in December and were based in Granton. In mid-1944 one of the three was drafted to Portsmouth for an officer training course but was killed in an air raid on Southsea. Clinton moved to the Mediterranean in July for Operation Dragoon then was based at Malta, from which the second of the three was drafted in September after the two friends had fallen out. The 5th Minesweeping Flotilla, then moved to Piraeus, where Clinton was seriously damaged by a mine and after temporary repairs went to Taranto.

More sketches of the everyday round of life on the auxiliary minesweeper "HMT Sea Mystery," giving a decidedly rose-coloured view of the war at sea.

The fictitious trawler "HMT Sea Mystery" and her crew are described going about their minesweeping duties. The author, serving on such a vessel, presents a composite picture of his own and others' experience. Some of the stories first appeared in the Daily Mirror.

A popular account of the work of the minesweeping forces.

A history of mine warfare. Best on WWII, during which the author served, winning the George Medal for his work in defusing mines.

A history of the "P" Parties which helped open the ports of Europe by disarming mines underwater.

He was called up in 1940 and served on HMS Jersey until he was selected for a commission in 1941. He specialised as a bomb disposal officer, serving in the Middle East, Greece, and Singapore.

War memoirs of a George Medallist. He was posted to Vernon in 1939 and his gallantry in bomb disposal is described engagingly but modestly. In autumn 1942 he joined Abdiel as Torpedo Lieutenant and served until her sinking in Taranto Harbour in September 1943. After a series of brief appointments he had a staff appointment for D-Day, but by the end of the year had joined Apollo where he served until after VE-Day, then rejoining the staff of Vernon as a lecturer.

RN personnel were heavily involved in this work. An excellent account by an expert.

An autobiography. He served on Rosario in the Mediterranean. An earlier book covers his service on Illustrious in 1940-43.

A history of mine warfare. About half concerns British and German offensive and defensive use of the mine in WWII.

Mainly concerned with WWII. A good detailed account of operations in all theaters.

The authors use the reminiscences of numerous ex-crewmen to give a good account of this thankless and often forgotten area of the Royal Navy's work.

He joined up at the start of the war, failed flying training with the FAA, then took officer training and went to minesweepers. He joined Bude, sweeping in the Channel, then worked up Brixham which moved to the Mediterranean for Torch and the later invasions in Sicily and Italy and then work in Greek waters before returning to the UK in December 1944. He next joined Medway Queen in the Training Squadron at Granton as First Lieutenant. A nostalgic account of a "good war."

Maher joined up aged 18 in 1943. After training he joined Jason as a midshipman and on 1 May 1944 was promoted Sublieutenant on ML 137, equipped for minesweeping, which she did off Sword Beach. ML 137 took part in the clearance of Cherbourg and Brest. In June 1945 he was injured in a minesweeping accident in the Netherlands and was hospitalised, completing treatment early in 1947, when he was discharged.

Celebrates the design, development and deployment of the 105-foot wooden Motor Minesweeper.

An autobiography, half of which covers the war. The author specialised in bomb and mine disposal.