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HMS Wildfire
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Those known to have sailed in HMS Wildfire during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Adams Frederick George. ERA4.
- Addis MID. DSC. Richard Graham. Lt. (d.30th March 1944)
- Barnes Russell Robert. Able Sea.
- Burton William George. Ord Sea.
- Capel Arthur John. Cook. (d.3rd May 1943)
- Howard Frank Hector MacDonald. PO.
- Lennox Not known Gordon Andrew. PO.
- Lewis MID Ronald Norman. Able Sea.
- Scott Samuel Frederick. Able Sea.
- Somerville Simon Albert. Able Sea.
- Stevenson William Frederick . OA3.
- Taylor Henry Britton.
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 Wildfire from other sources.
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Want to know more about HMS Wildfire? There are:-1 items tagged HMS Wildfire 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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OA3. William Frederick Stevenson HMS Wildfire   My dad William Stevenson told me a story when he was a chief gunner on the many ships he was based on. He told me how he was on HMS Pembroke and he was stationed in Chatham doing his training. He was wearing shorts one day during the summer when I joked about his hot legs laughingly. When I noticed he had scars all down one leg and a bit on the other. It was then I found the pivotal moment when he began to tell me his terrifying moment they were under attack. He said they were firing above at the planes and trying to avoid getting torpedoed from the sea Subs and U boats. But he said he remembered a cry of "incoming torpedo". Dad said he was pushed and as their boat sank he was in the water in pain and hearing his fellow comrades screaming for help.
He adds there was fire on the water but when I asked where he was, what ship he was on and the country, he shut down and wouldn't say any more.
Checking his list of ships he was on HMS Tyne and HMS Wildfire III. To name a few.
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PO. Frank Hector MacDonald Howard HMS Wildfire I have my Grandad, Frank Howard's certificate of service.
He was born in 1900 and it seems he joined the services as a boy on 15th of August 1916. He served on many ships from 1916 to 1947 including HMS Ganges 1916, HMS Victory 1917, HMS Blenheim 1919, HMS Wildfire 1920, 1938 and 1944 to name a few.
I have numerous medals from 1914/1919 and 1939/1945.
My Grandad sadly passed away in 1956 before I could meet him.
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Able Sea. Simon Albert "Jock" Somerville HMS Wildfire Simon Somerville known as Jock was in the Royal Navy on HMS Wildfire.
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Able Sea. Samuel Frederick "Blondie" Scott HMS Wildfire Samuel Scott served in the Royal Navy. I have found a couple of documents which say my father was in service on HMS Wildfire during 1942 and 1946.
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Henry Britton Taylor HMS Pembroke Henry Taylor served on board HMS Pembroke, St Angelo, Badger and Wildfire joining Navy on August 43 till 18th Nov 1946.
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PO. Gordon Andrew Lennox Not known HMS Pembroke Gordon Lennox was my Dad. He joined the Royal Navy in 1941 when he was aged 18. He was based in Chatham. His trade was an engine room mechanic.
He was on, HMS Royal Arthur, HMS Pembroke, HMS Titania, HMS Pembroke again, HMS Wildfire, HMS St Tudno and HMS Eskimo.
He became a Petty Officer on 2nd July 1944. Was discharged from the Royal Navy in 21st May 1946.
I don’t know much about his time in the Navy apart from some mention that he went to Holland . He had an accident in July 1942 in which he fractured a toe and was issued a Hurt Certificate. So that’s about all I know of his Navy career. He loved engines all his life and when we went on boats and steamers he loved to show us the engines and explain how they worked. Also when he he taught us to drive a car we had to learn how the engine functioned!
He passed away in 1976 aged 52 before we got round to asking him about his war experience.
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Able Sea. Ronald Norman Lewis MID HMS Nelson Ronald Lewis completed his training as an Able Seaman and graduated from HMS Wildfire just as World War 2 was declared. He Served on HMS Nelson based out of Scapa Flow with the Home Fleet from 1939 to 1942 in the Atlantic, Arctic and Malta convoys & theatres. He was directly involved in Commando Raids on Norway's Lofoten Islands as well as participating in the 3 day relief of the British Expeditionary Force Troops at Dunkirk. He also served on Crash Boats out of Simonstown and Durban, South Africa and was also a Japanese Prisoner of War for a short period in 1943 to 1944.
In addition, he survived 5 sinking ships. He left the Navy after the end of World War 2 and emigrated, in 1952, with his wife and only son to Australia, where he continued to live until his death in 2018, being 96 years old.
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ERA4. Frederick George Adams HMS Wildfire My father, Frederick Adams joined the Royal Navy on 1st of March 1943 for the duration of hostilities and attended HMS Wildfire at Chatham, training as an Articifer. From 29th of May 1943 he was sent to Queenborough pier, Isle of Sheppy, for minesweeper duties at HMS Wildfire and then with HMS St Tudno until 17th of December 1945. After this he was transferred back to HMS Pembroke at Chatham. He Joined HMS Rajah a Lend Lease carrier on 19th of January 1946 and embarked on a world tour to repatriate Prisoners of War and Logistics. He was released from the Royal Navy on 26th of August 1946.
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Ord Sea. William George Burton HMS Fervent My father, William Burton served between May 1940 and Jan 1946 when he was released from service. He commenced his service in HMS Raleigh and served in a number of ships including, Pembroke, Leamington, Wildfire and Fervent.
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Able Sea. Russell Robert Barnes During WW2, Russell Barnes served in HMS Eurylus, HMS Osprey, HMS Sea Hawk, HMS Hornet, HMS St Christopher, HMS Aggressive, HMS Wildfire, HMS St Angelo, HMS Ferret, HMS Sea Eagle and HMS Pembroke.
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Lt. Richard Graham Addis MID. DSC. HMS Laforey (d.30th March 1944)  Richard Addis was the 13th of the 13 children of Sir Charles and Lady Addis, of Woodside, Frant, Sussex. He was born in London on the 1st December 1916. He married Gill, nee Dearmer in London on the 9th December 1941. Their son, David, was born on 10th March 1944 (one son died at birth 17 Oct 1942). Dick was killed in action on 30th March 1944, aged 28, when his son was less than a month old. Gillian later remarried and died in December 2005.
From 20th of October 1939 to 19th of November 1939 Dick Addis was Prob. Temp. S/Lt RNVR at HMS King Alfred for basic training. Peter Scott (the famous ornithologist) was also in training there and singing Dick's songs. Gill had just come back from France and was in all the newspapers, especially the Evening Standard. Gill met Dick via Peter whom Gill knew via Peter's mother.
From 22nd of August 1940 to 9th of April 16941 he was a Lt RNVR on HMS Astral tender to HMS Wildfire (the Captain of Astral was a good cook and there was also signalman Stone, a cockney).
In May 1940 he was at Dunkirk, about which he wrote an eye witness account that was published in Blackwoods Magazine.
He was Mentioned in Dispatches for his work at Dunkirk. Temp. Sub Lt Mobile Balloon Barrage on Astral (this may have been a Belgian ship). The ships went up and down the Channel from Sheerness to Portsmouth
and on the 6th of May 41 as a Temp. Sub Lt. he was awarded the DSC for his work on the Mobile Balloon Barrage.
From the 29th of May 1941 to 6th of January 1942 he was a Sub. Lt & Lt RNVR on HMS Mignonette Flower Class Corvette.
As a Probationary Temporary Sub Lieutenant RNVR, Dick was sent in April 1941 for a fortnight's training at HMS Nimrod, the anti-submarine base in Campbeltown, commanded by his elder brother Charles, who was a Captain RN. The new entries were lined up on joining to be greeted by the commanding officer who, when he came to his brother, asked "What's your name?" "Addis, sir", Dick declared. At which Charles with a straight face replied "Oh yes, I believe I know your parents."
On the 8th of February 1942 be became a Temp Lt at HMS Mercury, RN Signal School.
Then on the 23rd of May 23.05.43 he transferred to HMS Dinosaur training on landing craft.
From the 1st of Decemner to 7th of January 1943 he was at HMS Mercury Qualifying for Lt 'S'
before joining HMS Laforey under Capt "Beaky" Armstrong. The ship was torpedoed by a U-Boat and sank off the coast of Italy on the 30th March 1944.
Dick was a gifted musician and played the piano and oboe and also composed a number of pieces. He also wrote prose and poetry, including a number of books, one of which, a children's book, Barbara, the story of a Black Sheep, was published by Faber in 1944. His account of Dunkirk was published in Blackwoods Magazine.
He was also an excellent cook and was friends with Andre Simon, founder of the Wine and Food Society.
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