- HMS Cyclops during the Second World War -
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HMS Cyclops
HMS Cyclops was built as merchant ship Indrabarah by Laing and was launched 27th October 1905. She served during the Great War and was used as a a Submarine depot ship in the Mediterranean.During the Second World War she served as the depot ship for the Royal Navy's 7th Submarine Flotilla and was based in Rothesay. A number of Wrens worked on board, mostly performing administrative duties.
HMS Cyclops was scrapped in 1947 at Newport.
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
Those known to have sailed in
HMS Cyclops
during the Second World War 1939-1945.
- Anderson John Thomson. Tel.
- Brady Joseph John. CPO
- Clarke Eric. Stokr.
- Drury Maurice Leslie. Able Sea.
- Ellis John Raymond . Sub.Lt.
- Harland James Patrick. Able Sea
- Hollingworth Charles Albert Edward.
- Loveland Montague William James. CPO.
- Mitton Leonard Henry. Ldg. Signalman (d.11 Nov 1942)
- Pickett George William. L.Sig.
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, please Add a Name to this List
Records of HMS Cyclops from other sources.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.
Charles Albert Edward Hollingworth HMS Cyclops
I have recently found my late father’s Certificate Of Service and it shows he, Charlie Hollingworth, served on the Cyclops from March 1945 to December 1945
Tel. John Thomson Anderson HMS Cyclops
John Anderson served as a Telegraphist on HMS Cyclops during June, July, September and November 1943.
Sub.Lt. John Raymond "Smiler" Ellis HMS Cyclops
My father was known as Ray Ellis, maybe nicknamed "Smiler". He was at Chatham by mid 1939, ie not conscripted but volunteered before the war. Then to Plymouth during the Blitz, then to Rothesay on the HMS Cyclops. He told me it was moored up all the time apart from one night a year, where "having lifted itself off its bed of empty gin bottles" it went to sea, and anchored, and came back next day. This allowed them to have the rum etc for another year.He was a Sub-Lt all the way through and carried on his civilian skills (teaching physics and maths) by teaching personnel about navigation and anything else that was needed. My Aunt says he used to be in charge of the code books and carry them off the ship at night to our flat in Rothesay. He loved codes and years later, taught me the basics of code making, which I still love.
I was born early in 1945 in Rothesay. I was christened in the ship's bell. My dad was demobbed eventually, and we travelled down to his parents home in Somerset, with me in a carrycot made of white canvas, made by the sailmaker onboard, I can remember it, saved in our garage. After the war he went into the RNVR, helped at the Cadet group in his school, and joined the Civil Defence when that was formed.
Liz Lindsay
Stokr. Eric Clarke HMS Thrasher
Eric Clarke was my father. He had kept records of his RN Service, which show he joined the RN on 24th of February 1943. He spent his first few months in training at various shore establishments until 17th of September 1943 when he joined the supply ship HMS Cyclops. He was promoted to Stoker1 on 24th February 1944. On 19th June 1944 he joined the submarine depot ship HMS Forth for service on T Class submarine Thrasher On 14th of Oct 1944 he joined the submarine depot ship HMS Wolfe ( still serving on HMS Thrasher) On 10th Mar 1945 Eric was promoted to A/L Stoker (T1) (M). 30th Aug 1945 Eric completed his submarine service and moved to shore base Dolphin at Gosport. Eric completed his RN service on 30th Nov 1946.Kenneth Clarke
Able Sea. Maurice Leslie Drury HMS Cyclops
In August 1944 my mother, Ivy, took my brother and I to spend a month at Rothsay while my father, Maurice Drury, was a member of the crew of HMS Cyclops, then moored in the Bay. I was only seven years old but do remember going aboard the ship for a religious service, and afterwards being shown (what I now think will have been 4") shells in lockers on deck. After that my brother and I were taken aboard a submarine moored alongside. We were not able to visit the torpedo compartment (where my father, a Torpedo man, presumably frequently worked) as the crew were sleeping there before setting off on their next patrol. I also remember seeing the Cyclops from the shore with varying numbers of submarines moored alongside. According to his Certificate of Service, Maurice served on Cyclops from 8th September 1943 to 8th October 1945.David Drury
L.Sig. George William Pickett HMS Cyclops
Not a lot is known about George Pickett's sevice days. He was on HMS Renown and He said whilst on HMS Renown, they brought Winston Churchill from Nova Scotia to the United Kingdom. On George's 21st Birthday in 1944, his address was 101 Mess, HMS Cyclops. In February 1946, in St. Rodeaux, he joined the Atheling as crew and sailed to Australia.Michael Gilmore
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