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HMS Odyssey
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Those known to have sailed in HMS Odyssey during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
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Add a Name to this List
Records of HMS Odyssey from other sources.
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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
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Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
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Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
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Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
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Want to know more about HMS Odyssey? There are:-1 items tagged HMS Odyssey available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Steward Neil Campbell Gillespie HMNB Portsmouth HMS Victory HMS Glendower HM Neil Gillespie first served on HMS Victory from 7/1/42 to 8/4/42 after spending two months training at a shore based establishment in North Wales, HMS Glendower, having entered the service on 18/11/41. He then served on HMS Nelson from 9/4/42 to 8/1/44. He returned to HMS Victory subsequently for three spells of duty,
9/1/44-28/7/44, 9/11/44-21/2/45 and 31/1/46-22/7/46.
The last of these three periods was his final assignment in the navy before being released class A, from the service.
The time that Neil spent on the Victory latterly was interrupted by time at HMS Odyssey from 29/7/44 until 8/11/44. In peacetime HMS Odyssey was the Collingwood Hotel in Ilfracombe in Devon. In wartime, it was apparently a centre for various types of specialist training for certain skills or assignments. Then from 22/2/45 to 30/1/46 he served on the aircraft carrier HMS Glory. On 6th September, 1945, the officers commanding the Japanese forces in the south west Pacific signed Instruments of Surrender at a ceremony on the flight deck of HMS Glory, which was in the St George's channel between New Britain and New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago close to New Guinea.
When he returned to civilian life, he lived with his wife Margaret and New born son Alexander, often known as Alistair in family circles, and later with other children Jean, Neil, Margaret and Iain. He worked with Allison the Butcher in Paisley and at King Aircraft in Hillington, Glasgow. In both cases he occupied management positions.
Although Neil served throughout the war and successfully settled to peacetime life, he sadly died in April 1962 at the age of 40.
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Stwd. Neil Campbell Gillespie HMS Glory Neil C Gillespie served on HMS Victory from 7th January, 1942 until 8th April, 1942 after two months of training at the shore based HMS Glendower in North Wales.
He then served on HMS Nelson until 8th January, 1944, returning to HMS Victory on 9th January, remaining on the crew until 28th July, 1944.
He had two more spells of duty on the Victory : 9/11/44-21/2/45 and 31/1/46-22/7/46.
He left the service at the end of the last mentioned spell of duty above with a Class A release.
In the interim periods between these spells of service above, he saw service as follows:-
29/7/44-8/11/44 at HMS Odyssey, a shore based training posting in what was the Collingwood Hotel in Ilfracombe in peacetime.
22/2/45-30/1/46 on board HMS Glory an Aircraft Carrier. It was on board HMS Glory that the Japanese forces surrendered while the carrier was riding in the St George's channel between New Britain and New Ireland.
After he returned to civilian life and his wife Margaret, Neil spent the rest of his life looking after his family: Alexander, Jean, Neil, Margaret and Iain, and worked in management in the meat trade and in industry in King Aircraft. Sadly he died quite young in 1962 at the age of 40.
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Ord Sea. William Leaver Thornber HMS Scotia I had often heard my Father, William Thornber say that he has served at Scotia as a Telegraphist. In fact my parents named their house after his short time there.
Both of my parents have now passed on, but whilst emptying the contents of their house I came across my Father's old Service Records in which it showed that he was at Scotia May 1943 - July 1943.
As an ex RN Submariner, I am now trying to trace some of the other places and ships where my Father served as part of tracing our family tree. They include HMS Collingwood, Beamer, Boscawen, Odyssey, Europa and Phoenicia
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AB. Leonard Thomas Pardoe HMS Flycatcher Len Pardoe born 6th of May 1924 was from Quarry Bank, Staffordshire, a Black Country lad.
He joined the Navy in November 1942 serving on HMS Drake and because of the practice of filling the ranks with people from a wide range of areas, the first couple of weeks was spent trying to understand what the other ratings were saying, due to all the diverse accents.
At the wars' end he was in Australia with Mobile Operational Naval Air Base, so didn't return home until late 1946, having circumnavigated the globe. He later became a newspaper cartoonist in Birmingham.
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Ronald Sidney Amor HMS Europa Ronald Amor was born 5th March 1924. He was the son of George Henry Amor and Esther Amor, nee Arnold. He was married to Winifred May Amor nee Dulieu.
Ron volunteered for the Royal Navy on 31st of August 1942. He was involved in minesweeping.
He served on the following ships,
- Collingwood 31 Aug 42-29 Nov 42
- Europa 30 Nov 42-4 Dec 42
- Epping 5 Dec 42-17 Aug 43
- Europa 18 May 43-4 Jan 44
- Congre (Flora) 5 Jan 44-30 Apr 44
- Odyssey (Congre) 1 May 44-30 Apr 45
- Marshal Sault (Congre) 1 May 45-15 Nov 45
- Europa 16 Nov 45-25 Jun 46
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Pte. Charles Dignam Royal Marines My dad, Charles Dignam was in Combined Opts, HMS Odyssey in Normandy 1944 and he was in Iceland. That's all I know he didn't talk much about his war years.
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A B Francis Gordon "Mac" McVittie MID HMS Nelson My father, Gordon McVittie (known as Mac),volunteered to join the Royal Navy in Nov.1941 when he was 17. He, in fact, altered his birth certificate so it looked as though he was born in 1923 and not in 1924 his actual birth year.
His certificate of service shows that Mac's first posting was the 'Collingwood'. Presumably this was a training ship? In Jan.1942, he was sent to HMS Victory and served there until his transfer to HMS Nelson in March 1942.He stayed on Nelson until Jan.1944, during which time he was made up to Able Seaman.
The certificate then shows that Mac served on a number of ships including; The Pembrook, Odyssey, Dartmouth and Vernon. HMS Vernon was where he under took training to become a deep sea diver and was instructed on the dismantling of unexploded bombs, the clearance of mines and underwater obstructions. Following this training Mac was sent to wherever he was needed in order to clear the seas and create a safe passage.It was during this time that he was twice mentioned in despatches.He then returned to HMS Victoria in Jan.1946 from where he was discharged in June 1946.
Mac had very fond memories of serving on HMS Nelson and always considered this to be his ship,despite having served on many others.
After the war,Mac married Norma,joined first the fire service and then the police service, from which he retired at the rank of Inspector in 1976.At the time of his death in June 1986,he was survived by Norma,two children and three grandchildren.All of whom love and miss him, especially his 'old sea tales'.
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