HMS Grenville (H03) graves, Shotley, Suffolk

            HMS Grenville, Pennant No. H03, was the flotilla leader for the G-class destroyers, built for the Royal Navy in the mid 1930's.

Ordered in 1934, the ship was laid down by the Yarrow Shipbuilding Company at Scotstoun in Glasgow on 29th. September 1934, launched on 15th. August 1935, and completed on 1st. July 1936. Aside from a brief period when she was assigned to the 20th. Destroyer Flotilla after her commissioning, Grenville spent the pre-war period as the flagship of the 1st. Destroyer Flotilla with the Mediterranean Fleet. She spent ten months deployed off the Spanish coast in the Western Mediterranean during the Spanish Civil War before returning to Portsmouth for a brief overhaul between 24th. May and 9th June 1937. The ship returned to the Mediterranean until she was given a more thorough refit in Portsmouth between 7th. June and 25th. July 1938.
On the outbreak of war in September 1939, Grenville was deployed in the Mediterranean. On 22nd. October, Grenville and her sisters Griffin, Grenade and Gipsy were transferred to the Western Approaches Command and arrived at Plymouth on 2nd. November. Grenville and Grenade collided during the night of 7/8th. November and Grenville's No. 3 boiler room was flooded. She was under repair at HM Dockyard, Devonport until 1st. December. While the ship was under repair, her flotilla had been transferred to the Nore Command at Harwich for local patrol and escort work. Grenville rejoined them the on 3rd. December and participated in several attempts to intercept enemy shipping traffic off the Dutch and German North Sea coasts. 
Whilst returning from one of these missions on Friday 19th. January 1940, Grenville, commanded by Capt. George Elvey Creazy, and six other ships of the flotilla were returning from an operation off the Dutch coast when she sailed into a minefield in the Thames Estuary laid by the German destroyers Friedrich Ihn Z 14, Erich Steinbrinck Z15 and Friedrich Eckoldt Z 16. At 12:50 hrs. in calm weather she struck a mine 23 nautical miles (26.5 miles - 42.5 km) east of the Kentish Knock lightvessel in position 51º39'N, 02º17'E, and quickly capsized, her bow being the last part of the ship to disappear. Two ships from the flotilla, despite the danger lowered boats and saved 118 men from the water.

Of the 77 officers and crew who lost their life in the sinking the following are buried in St. Mary's churchyard at Shotley in Shffolk.  

P/SSX 19991 Able Seaman Malcolm Cecil Austin, aged 23

P/J 94072 Leading Seaman Ernest Albert Bick, aged 36

P/M 7373 Ordnance Artificer 1st. Class William Charles Fiddaman Denning, aged 45

P/KX 82773 Leading Stoker Robert Lester Goodall, aged 25

P/J 93775 Able Seaman John William Jones, aged 36

P/K 57211 Petty Officer Stoker Reginald Zebulan Priddle, aged 39

P/SSX 15341 Leading Seaman George William Smith, aged 22

P/KX 94152 Petty Officer Stoker Thomas Edward Tegg, aged 43

Name: HMS Grenville
Pennant number: H03
Vessel type: G-class destroyer
Motto: Deo Patriae Amicis (For God, Country, and Friends)
Normal complement: 175
Length overall: 330 ft. (100.6 m)
Beam: 34 ft. 6 in. (10.5 m)
Draught: 12 ft. 9 in. (3.9 m)
Standard displacement: 1,478 ton
Installed power: 3 x  Yarrow boilers
Boiler output: 3 x 12,665 hp (9,444 kW)
Propulsion: 2 x geared steam turbines
Propellers: 2
Max speed: 36 knots (41 mph - 67 km/h)
Range at 15 knots: 5,530 nm (6,360 miles - 10,240 km)
Sensors: Anti-submarine detection (ASDIC)
Armament:
5 x single 4.7 in. (120 mm) guns
2 x quadruple 0.50 in. (12.7 mm) machine guns
2 x quadruple 21 in. (533 mm) torpedo tubes
20 x depth charges, 1 rail and 2 throwers
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilding Company, Scotstoun, Glasgow
Ordered: 15th. March 1934
Laid down: 29th. September 1934
Launched: 15th. August 1935
Commissioned: 1st. July 1936
Lost: 19th. January 1940
   

Taken in: UK / England / Babergh District / Shotley (show map)

Taken on: April 30, 2024

Tags:

HMS Grenville H03

destroyer

Royal Navy

Nore Command

grave

war grave

gravestone

headstone

St Mary's, Shotley

Shotley

Suffolk

WW 2

WW II

Second World War

2nd. World War

World War 2

World War Two

CWGC

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

P/SSX 19991 Able Seaman Malcolm Cecil Austin

P/J 94072 Leading Seaman Ernest Albert Bick

P/M 7373 Ordnance Artificer 1st. Class William Charles Fiddaman Denning

P/KX 82773 Leading Stoker Robert Lester Goodall

P/J 93775 Able Seaman John William Jones

P/K 57211 Petty Officer Stoker Reginald Zebulan Priddle!

P/SSX 15341 Leading Seaman George William Smith

P/KX 94152 Petty Officer Stoker Thomas Edward Tegg « less

Sets appears in: • CWGC- British Naval

Groups appears in: • Graves, Tombs And Cemeteries • WW II more » • The Cemetery • A Place of Rest- Cemeteries, Graveyards, Mausoleums and Tombs. • Naval history and warships • Old Soldiers (rest in peace) • THE GROUP FOR HAPPY SNAPPERS. • Royal Navy & Fleet Air Arm • Commonwealth War Graves • The Military • Tombs & graves, tumbas y nichos • Photographers in Suffolk, Essex & Norfolk • Things in Fours • Graves, Tombs, and Cemetaries • Norfolk Photo Takers • Cemetery Photos • Cemetery Architecture, Monuments, & Gravestones • UK amateur photographers • UK Graves and Graveyards • Graveyard Ghosts • Militär - Military worldwide • Photographers and the Love for the Cemetery. • CWGC Headstones 1939-1945 and later • All Things Naval • Cemeteries and headstones • Every Grave Can Tell A Story • Military Gravestones • UK War Graves & Memorials • Caught My Eyes • REMEMBER THEM • Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones • Anything, Absolutely Anything • Commonwealth War and Service Graves • WBEZ Radio • Fans of Flickr « less

Camera: Canon EOS 850D, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 850D
ISO:	100
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
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