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Since the launch of this website in April
2006 there has been a steady number of e-mails from relatives of crew
members and, indeed, former members of the crews of the Halcyons themselves. Details have
been included here of those contacts relating to HMS Seagull, although e-mail addresses are excluded for privacy
and to avoid spam messages.
Please
contact me if you would like to contact anyone listed here. |
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Crew Member |
Contact |
Relationship |
Information |
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L J Earp |
L W Earp |
Son |
A/B LESLIE JOHN EARP. FEB. 1942 TILL
APRIL 1943. CONVOYS PQ15, I6 , 17. JOINED HMS SLINGER 1943 THEN HMS
SYLVIA TILL 1946 ,STILL GOING STRONG AGED 82. HIS FIRST SHIP WAS HMS
SEAGULL AND HE SAW PLENTY OF ACTION ON THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS. THESE
SAILORS WERE INDEED SUPERMEN ! |
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C J Dalton |
M Shearer |
Son in Law |
I AM WRITING
TO GIVE THE NAME OF CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH DALTON WHO WAS A STOKER ON THE
SEAGULL DURING THE WAR HE USED TO REFER TO A OFFICER AS JIMMY THE 1
COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE 1ST LT JAMES PHILISTON HE TOLD OF HIS MANY
EXPLOITS ON THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS BUT SADLY DIED IN 1991 HOPE THIS HAS
HELPED |
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F Farnell |
Tracy Farnell |
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My name is Tracy Farnell and I have
recently been tracing my family tree. I have found out that my late
great uncle Frederick Farnell served on HMS Seagull pre-war and
throughout the war. I have quite a bit of information about him
including a very clear photo of him and his fellow crew members and of
HMS Seagull if you would like to see them I am sure they will be of
interest. I would also like his name added to your list if at all
possible. |
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G Knowles |
Roger Knowles |
Son |
I was interested to discover your
site as my father George Knowles served in Seagull Jan.42-Jan43. He
is 91 now and still "with it" but usually is reluctant to discuss his
wartime service. Perhaps if I tell him of your site he may be more
forthcoming. These men have so much to tell that will soon be lost.
hanks for your reply to my e-mail.
I sent Dad the 1942/3 section on Seagull and he was thrilled to
bits to receive it.
Incidentally he lives about 3 hours
drive from me so communication is limited to phone and monthly
visits.
However, he seems willing to open
up about his wartime experiences now and I hope to get his
recollections on paper shortly. He also received the Arctic Emblem
from the MOD and was not overly impressed with it. I don't know
what your views are on it but I get the impression there is some
dissatisfaction in the ranks on its style and size. Dad is a
member of the Arctic Convoy Veterans Association and he does pick
up some information from them from time to time. I would have
thought a full-on campaign medal would have been appropriate, at
least the Russians did something for the veterans.
I will get in touch again when I
get some material for the site.
Regards,
Roger Knowles
Melbourne
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R H Taylor |
Ken Taylor |
Son |
My Father ( Ronald H
Taylor) served on board the Seagull as a stoker, unfortunately I can
not confirm the true date as my dad past away on the 13th of
September 2004 if only I had found your site before, but know from
what my Dad had told me that he served on her from the time he was
called up until he was demobbed, which I believe would have been
around 1941 to 1945 as I was born in 1942 and he was away then and I
must have been around 3 year old when he finally came home.
Hoping this
information can be used and and that my father's name can be
included on the crew list it would be much appreciated.
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Herbert Marsden |
Dr Philip Marsden |
Grandson |
My grandfather,
Herbert Marsden, served on the Seagull during WWII. We have a nice
sketch of him that was done when they were in Polyarnoe USSR on 20
November, 1943: (the sketch is attached, it was drawn on the back
of a map of Finisterre). He passed away a few years ago but I
shall keep looking for information he may have left and am
interested in learning more from others.
[See Crew Section for sketch]
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Eric Ilott |
When I joined Seagull
we were sweeping from Belgium all along the coast right up to the
Dutch Island of Texel and as the Germans were leaving we got closer
to the coast and instead of returning to Margate and safe anchorage
we anchored off Ostend for a couple of nights in quiet mode & no
lights with lookouts posted but to no avail we lost a Dan Layer each
night after which needless to say we resumed safe anchorage at
Margate.
Also one day an armada
of ships appeared including Monitors Lord Roberts & Erebus. The Buzz
was we were going to sweep a passage to the Walcheren Islands...but
the next morning the Armada had gone, apparently another Flotilla
got the job, lucky for us unlucky for them.
Shortly after we got
the job to proceed up the river Maas presumably to see if it was
clear of mines, luckily for us it was, when we arrived at Rotterdam
the port was in a right mess the cranes were destroyed and also the
oil tanks were on fire. About 10 yrs ago whilst visiting some
friends, we were introduced to their friends and we got talking
about the war and Holland it turned out one of the gentlemen had
actually worked on Seagull whilst it was at Rotterdam a chance
meeting of one in a million.
Eric Ilott Sept 2007
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William Glover |
Rodney Trudgeon |
Son in Law |
I have been recently been talking to my
father in law about ships that he served on in his navel days. Your
site giving the ships history has been read by him with great interest
and he remembers many of the crew he served with in the arctic and
Russia. His name is William Glover known as (Jan) rank leading stoker
service number DKX/105155.He was aged 20 when he joined HMS Seagull
September 1940 and was part of the crew until April 1944.He then
joined a brand new Loch class frigate HMS Scavaig K648 after some time
in European waters he sailed to the far east with her and was on this
ship for some time. while in the far east he also served on a LCT and
a salvage ship leaving the service in 1953.After some time in the
merchant service on tankers he then joined the crew of the cable ship
St Margaret's. Now aged 87 he and his wife live in the outskirts of
Plymouth.
Dec 2007
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Harry Foster |
George Foster |
Son |
My Dad Harry
Foster served as a stoker in HMS Seagull from May 1944 (he remembers
the grounding incident) until August 1945. He has communicated with
Eric Ilott and Albert Walker but lost touch. After Seagull he joined
HMS Patroller in Scotland and took her to the far east to pick up many
of the (14th?) Army boys. His official number was DK/X
539612 and he is alive and well and living in Cannington, Somerset.
His favourite story is going ashore in Ipswich on VE night but
wondering how he could conserve the 10 shillings he had in his pocket,
he needn’t have worried – he met a bunch of US airman in a pub and
they wouldn’t let him buy a drink!
I am his son George Foster and I too served as a stoker in the RN from
1963 to 1971.
Jan 2008 |
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Raymond Dodd |
Alan Hall |
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My wife's stepfather served on HMS
Seagull from May 1941 until June 1943. He was Lt Raymond Anthony
Dodd. He volunteered in Shanghai Nov 1939 was Shipped to Hong Kong
and on to England. Had various postings before the Seagull ,
discharged in November 1946 when he returned to Hong Kong.
Returned to England 1959 .Died 1971.
Alan Hall Feb 2008 |
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Albert Stroud |
Graham Stroud |
Son |
The sketch of Herbert Marsden was drawn by my father Albert Stroud,
a signalman on Seagull. He is alive and well and will soon celebrate
his 87th birthday.
He has kept all of his drawings over the years ( except this one of
course ) and has a small sketch pad amongst other things showing
some of his shipmates. He still paints and has always had a natural
talent for this.
Dad was pleased to see to his sketch again and amazed at the power
of the internet.
Graham Stroud Oct 2008
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