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HMS Malaya
HMS Malaya (Queen Elizabeth Class), was built by Armstrongs in 1916.
Her compliment was approx 1300. She was armed with
eight 15-inch Guns and 12 6-inch guns and 8 4-inch A.A Guns 16 2-pdr AA Guns and 1 aircraft.
She weighed 33,000 tons and was powered by Parsons turbines which
developed 75,000 HP, giving her a top speed of 25 knots.
She took part in the Battle of Jutland and sustained eight hits.
During World War Two, she was in the Mediterranean during 1940
and took part in operations against the Italian Fleet. She was also involved in
Convoy escort duties of the West African Coast.
On the 20th March 1941 during these operations she was torpedoed by U-106 ,
repairs were carried out in the USA.
Between July 1941 and the summer of 1943, she was involved again in Convoy protection between the UK
and Malta and also from Cape Town to the UK.
She was scrapped at Faslane in Scotland on the 12th April 1948.
17th August 1940 Attack on Navy fleet
7th August 1942 Airmen avade capture
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Those known to have sailed in HMS Malaya 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,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of HMS Malaya from other sources.
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Want to know more about HMS Malaya? There are:2 items tagged HMS Malaya 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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AB. John Francis Wall HMS Illustrious My Grandad, Jack Wall volunteered on the 19th of March 1941 and enlisted in the Royal Navy at Devonport.
He entered under NS( AF) Oct 1939.
He trained at HMS Raleigh 19th March to 26th March 1941
transferred to HMS Drake 27th March - 30th June 1941
He joined HMS Illustrious (aircraft carrier) 25th Dec 1941 - 11th Oct 1942 and served in the Loader gunnery station. He was in HMS Assigai 12th Oct 42 - 8th Nov 1942, HMS Lanka 9th Oct 1942 -3rd July 1944
Returned to HMS Drake 4th July 1944 - 2 Jan 1945
then HMS Malaya 13th Jan 1945 - 6th March 1945
HMS Drake 7th March to 21st Dec 1945 when he was released in class A Reserve.
Jack was wounded in action on 19th of March 1945. He visited Bombay,
Durban, Cape Town and Mombasa.
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Able Sea. Gordon Frank Martin HMS Malaya I have my father's discharge papers, his certificate of service, torpedo training record and an official army souvenir letter from him to his parents when he was at the Panama canal. He served at Chatham, HMS Pembroke, HMS Marlborough, HMS Malaya, HMS Golden Hind and HMS Black Prince,
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Stokr. Stanley Augustus Higgins HMS Dorsetshire     After completing his basic training following his call up on 27th of February 1940, Stanley Higgins was posted to HMS Dorsetshire on 5th of June 1940 at Devonport, where she was completing a refit.
During the Bismarck action, Stanley was off watch from the boiler rooms, and was at his action station in a damage control party. Part way through the action he was allowed to go "up top" to see what was happening, and witnessed the smoke shrouded wreck of Bismarck before its sinking.
After being stood down from action stations, all available hands were called to "man the sides" and assist in the rescue of Bismarck survivors. Stanley took part and after assisting in the rescues, one particular survivor, called Friedrich Junghans, gave Stanley his "erkennungsmarke" or ID tag. It is currently on display in the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool.
Eleven months later, at the time of the Dorsetshire's own sinking, Stanley was again off-watch and again called to action stations, at this time he was a leader of a damage control party up near the Dorsetshire's bows adjacent to the ships paint locker. Very shortly after the commencement of the Japanese air attack, all comms in the ship were lost, though it was soon apparent that the Dorsetshire was receiving a heavy pounding, with the ship heeling over and quaking from the impact of the Japanese bombs.
One concussion dislodged a length of suction hose, known as an elephant's foot, which hit Stanley and he was concussed for a few seconds. On regaining his wits, and sensing that the ship was starting to list heavily, Stanley shouted for the party to get on the upper deck via a ladder leading to a hatch in the compartment roof. The first man up the ladder shouted that he couldn't unlatch the hatch dogs. Stanley used a crowbar to release the latches and the party crawled out onto the rapidly inclining bow deck. One party member, a South African, couldn't swim and went down with the ship, the rest all survived.
Stanley went on to serve on the battleships Warspite, Valiant and Malaya, and ended the war in Fremantle, Australia onboard the submarine tender, HMS Adamant.
After demobilisation, Stanley was a bus driver in Liverpool until retirement in 1984, and passed away on 4th July 2013, aged 93.
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AB. Archibald Oliver Turner HMS Pelican My Dad, Archibald Oliver Turner served on HMS Pembroke in early 1942, for some time then on HMS Pelican, back to Pembroke, in 1944, with a short spell on the Malaya in July 1944, back to Pembroke, then Baldur, finishing his time on the Pembroke 1945.
Although he didn't speak much of his experiences it was obvious it was a very traumatic time coping with the dangerous tasks such as depth charges, and retrieving personal effects from crew on other ships where they had been attacked and not survived.
I have photos of: Blue Watch B guns crew, 4 mess, George and Snitch, Neville,Depth charge party, A Guns Crew, Red watch B guns crew, Astra exchange Tommy and Skouse, RPO Levrett and 10 Mess.
Dad may have been known as Gerry.
He had a brother Sid, who was a stoker and also in the Royal Navy.
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Chief PO George Ernest Stanley Sellick Gunnery HMS Malaya George Sellick served in the Royal Navy in WW2 aboard HMS Malaya August 1941 to June 1943.
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PO. Albert William Watson OBE. HMS Bridgewater My step-father joined the Navy as a lad of 15 and served on HMS Gangees until 1932. I understand he was on submarines for a while. He served on various ships including: HMS Malaya, HMS Drake, HMS Osprey, HMS Bridgewater, HMS PresidentIV, HMS Woolston (Mallard), HMS Pyramus, HMS Attack.
He received the OBE in 1941 but he never revealed why he was awarded it. He rose through the ranks and was made a Petty Officer on 29th of June 1943 and was released on this rank on 20th of December 1945.
Until his death 16 years ago he was a member of the Gangees Association and regularly went to meetings. At his funeral the Gangees Association attended and the flag bearers all lowered their standards.
I am lucky to still have his service records and a copy of the London Gazette dated 4th of March 1941 announcing the awards in which he is included.
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Stok1. William Henry Tuffin HMS Malaya Bill Tuffin joined the Royal Navy on 4th May 1937, 2 months after his 20th birthday. After training he joined the Malaya on 16 November 1937 as a Stoker 2nd Class. On 4 April 1938 he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class. He served on Malaya until 9th August 41.
At the outbreak of war he saw service in the Mediterranean and the Indian Oceans. Early 1940 he was in the Atlantic when Malaya carried UK's Gold reserves from Scotland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and escorted Canadian troop ships back to the UK.
In April, it was back to the Med for escort duty and the anticipated Italian hostilities. Italy declared war in June 1940 and after a very busy 1940 in the Med and its part in the bombardment of Genoa in February 41, Malaya moved to cover Atlantic convoys when she was torpedoed on 20 March 41.
I remember how Dad, used to tell us, how frightening it was, especially for the Stokers who were always below decks and ran the risk of being entombed in the ship if the water tight doors activated. Fortunately, there was no loss of life on Malaya. Nevertheless, Dad said it was a very anxious time for all on board a damaged ship which took 9 days to reach Port of Spain in Trinidad. Their escort left them after 3 days so they were 6 days on their own.
The up side was that after temporary repairs in Trinidad, Malaya proceeded to the Brooklyn Navel Dock in New York for full repairs and refit. It arrived 6th of April 1941 and left 9th of July 1941. Bill stayed with the ship. During this time he was able to visit his mother's cousin in Connecticut and also went to the Kentucky Derby in May 1941. We also have a great photo of Dad when he went to the famous Jack Dempsey Bar with personnel from the USS Vincennes. He left Malaya on 9th of August 1941 after it returned to the UK via Halifax Nova Scotia on troop escort duty.
Dad went on to serve on HM Ships Despatch (destroyer) and Narborough (Capt Class Frigate). Narborough was on escort duty for Operation Neptune and did 29 troop escorts in 36 days. Narborough was escorting USS Susan B Arthur on 7th of June 44 when it struck a mine and sank. There was no loss of life. Narborough took on 700 US soldiers which overloaded Narborough and Dad said their was great relief when they reached the troop landing crafts where the soldiers left Narborough.
Mum and Dad married 1st of October 1944 and on 20th October Dad, on the Narborough was part of the 30 vessel escort for Arctic Convoy JW61. When we were small children Dad told us the stories of how cold it was up there and how big the seas were. How the waves broke over the ship and covered the decks and everything in ice. How for 24 hours of the day, someone was always chipping ice off the ship, especially the guns.
Dad continued to serve after the war, on the Narborough until 29 October 1945, and then on the minesweeper HMS Gazelle before he was discharged on 1st October 1946. He went on to have 2 daughters, 3 sons and 8 grandchildren. He was very practical and patient, and had a really good sense of humour, qualities passed on to his children and for which we thank him.
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Reginald Wilkinson My grandfather, Reginald Wilkinson,served with the British Army during the 2nd World War. He died in 1989. He was reluctant to talk about his experiences, but I feel as though I would like to understand. The only facts I have are these:
He served in India, Burma and Malaysia. He survived. I believe he was involved in establishing radio communication.
I realise this is very little information. Does anyone remember Reg or know someone who did?
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Pte. Frederick Thomas Ford 2nd Btn. Loyal (North Lancs) Regiment (d.20th January 1942) My great uncle, Private Frederick Ford, served with the 2nd Btn. Loyal (North Lancs) Regiment in Malaya and is buried at the Kranji War Cemetery. I have tried to research what action the Loyal Regiment were involved in on the date of his death - 20th January 1942 - but it isn't really clear. However, there are several references to the Loyal Regiment 2nd battalion on the net. One such site is www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/armedforces_loyal_regiment.htm
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Sgnlmn. William Moffat 3rd Indian Signals Royal Corps of Signals     William Moffat was born in 1920 and joined the Territorial Army in 1939. He was with 11th Corps in 1941 and on the 28th of July embarked for Singapore
on the R C of S Malaya. A Letter, not dated and censored, on active service reveals Willie was en route to the far East and had a few days on shore before continuing his journey. On the 5th of October he joined 3 Indian Corps Sigs. A letter written 12th of October 1941 from 18th Technical Maintenance Section- 3rd (s) Corps Signals, Malaya describes the town in which he was billeted, people, dance hall, food and tigers.
On the 15th of February 1942 he was listed as missing in Malaya:
William Moffat 072 1/4300 Sgmn 3 Corps Sigs Fitter
He was held in Changi and transferred to Blakan Mati on the 5th of November 1943. His first letter as a free man is dated 7th of September 1945 and was
written from No.2 Camp R.A.P.W.I, HQ SE AC. In a letter written 5th of October 1915 he states "Journey home was on Nieuw Holland ,bathing in the Suez, eating cream doughnuts, due in Liverpool 16th October, put on 2 stone 6, got a bit of beri-beri." He was repatriated on the 15th of October 1945 and became a Territorial Reserve Signalman on the 20th of July 1946. He was transferred to R.E.M.E on the 1st of July 1951
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PO. Alvin George Scott HMS Malaya (d.14th May 1943) Alvin Scott was my uncle and died before I was born. It was belived that he died on board the HMS Malaya as a result of an accident whilst using a gun turrett. Alvin is buried at the war grave in the Orkney Islands and the photo's were taken a couple of years ago by his great nephew.
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PO. Robert Springett HMS Malaya My father, P.O Bob Springett, served on HMS Malaya from 1937 until 1941, finally leaving her whilst she was in Brooklyn Navy Yard for repair after being torpedoed. Just after he joined her in '37 she was in collision with a merchant ship off Oporto and they came back to the UK for repairs. Whilst repairs were being carried out Dad was transferred to HMS Revenge which took part in the Review of the Fleet at Spithead. My mother, brother and I were taken around the assembled ships before having tea on board Revenge.
A commission in those days was for 2 1/2 years and Dad was due home in '39 to come out on pension. However, the war changed all that, and the next time I saw him was in 1941! I should be pleased to hear of anyone else with family connection with the Malaya at about this time.
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Stoker William Albert Hadfield HMS Malaya I would like to find out about my father, William Hadfield who served as a Stoker on HMS Malaya during the second world war.
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Sub.Lt. Brian N. T. Lloyd HMS Malaya My late uncle, Brian N.T.Lloyd, joined the Royal Navy prior to WW2 and served as a Midshipman and Sub Lieutenant on HMS Malaya. In 1941 he was in Fort St Angelo, Malta where he joined the submarine HMS Urge for a mission to Sciliy to pick up a secret agent. Alas, he never returned from that mission.
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Lt. S. H. Barrow HMS Malaya I have a very good friend down the road from me who was on the HMS Malaya. I would love to see if any of his friends are about to surprise him. He served as LT SCC C H Barrow, also I do not know how long he served on the HMS Malaya.
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