Date of Arrival

Place

Date of Departure

Orders, Remarks etc

Jan 1945

The 1^st MSF was based in Harwich and for the next few months until the end of the war in Europe were engaged in sweeping channels and minefields in the southern part of the North Sea. Lt T H P (Hugh) Wilson in HARRIER describes this period: 

Ten days out, 2 or 3 days in (‘Today shall be Monday’ was the oft heard pipe on Sunday mornings), with occasional breaks for boiler cleans, maintenance or defects. Until VE Day we swept all daylight hours, returning to the Downs (‘safe’ from E-boats) for the night. As we were in the sweeping area by dawn and left it only at dusk and the passage to and from was up to 40 miles, there were not many hours left at anchor and sleeping. After VE Day we were allowed to anchor ‘on task’ and did not have to man our Oerlikons in daylight hours.

31.1.45

Leading Seaman Alfred William Lancaster C/J48303 (age 45) died.

27.2.45

Source: ADM 199/153 (Extracts)

Tuesday 27^th February 1945 

1. (a) HMS HARRIER sailed at 0430 to lay datum dans.

(b) HMS Hazard sailed at 0445 with dan layers Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad and Lord Ashfield.

(c) HM Ships Seagull, Halcyon and Speedwell sailed at 0515. Sweepers and danlayers to rendezvous with HARRIER North West of Area. 

(2. – 5. Details of sweep) 

6. At 1000… a mine detonated in Hazard’s (rear ship) sweeps. The plume was about 30 feet… Inquiries were made of her and she was unable to determine when or where she had picked up this mine… 

7. During the second lap a mine detonated in Seagull’s sweep and parted it. There was no plume and from this fact and her position it was assumed to be one of our deep mines...  

(At 1334 the visibility, which had been good, closed down to half a mile and then became thick fog. Sweeping was abandoned as it was 4 hours passage to the anchorage for the danlayers and it was thought prudent to have them inside our patrols before dark.) 

Wednesday 28^th February 

Flotilla and danlayers ordered to return to Harwich by the C in C Nore.

28.2.45

Harwich

?

1.3.45

Harwich

9.3.45

17.3.45

Harwich

24.3.45

30.3.45

Harwich

6.4.45

14.4.45

Harwich

22.4.45

27.4.45

Source: ADM 199/153 (Extracts)

7^th May 1945

1^st MSF Report No. 5 

From: The Commanding Officer, HMS Gleaner
Date: 27^th April 1945
To:   The Senior Officer, 1^st MSF, HMS HARRIER 

0846 27^th April 1945. Seagull, Speedwell, Gleaner, Hazard, Halcyon. 

HARRIER was 6 ½ cables astern of Gleaner with SA Mk IV and Halcyon was operating explosive sweep. 

Standard hand grenade sweep every two minutes. Mine explosion one minute after explosion of hand grenades. Normal explosion about 150 ft high. 

2.5.45

Harwich

17.5.45

Completion date May 1st

26.5.45

Harwich

31.5.45

5.6.45

Harwich

9.6.45

19.6.45

Harwich

24.6.45

?

26.6.45

4.7.45

Harwich

17.7.45

27.7.45

Harwich

3.8.45

14.8.45

Harwich

20.8.45

28.8.45

Harwich

2.9.45

10.9.45

Harwich

21.9.45

25.9.45

Harwich

?

26.9.45

Harwich

?

2.10.45

Harwich

6.10.45

7.10.45

Portsmouth

1.11.45

10.11.45

Portsmouth

15.11.45

For Cherbourg