Bob Taylor HMS Activity

Bob Taylor served on HMS Activity, which in company with the CVE HMS RULER sailed with convoy KM39 departing from the Clyde on January 29th 1945 for Gibraltar.

On February 2nd the carriers detached from the convoy and proceeded to Alexandria, arriving there on the 9th. RULER required dockyard assistance on arrival to repair damage suffered to her flight deck, ACTIVITY proceeded alone. After passage through the Suez Canal she called at Aden to refuel; she arrived in Colombo on February 20th and unloaded her stores and passengers. [It is unclear whether she disembarked her ferry load here because the following day her commanding officer received orders to make a ferry trip to Sydney, Australia, delivering the first of two loads of replacement airframes for use by the British Pacific Fleet].

Whilst in the Indian Ocean en route to Australia ACTIVITY was involved in the rescue of a party of survivors from the American liberty ship the S.S. PETER SILVESTER. She had been sunk by the German submarine U862 on Tuesday 6th February 1945 at 2215 hours in position 3º 19”S, 99º 37”E, 700km from Fremantle, Australia. [The PETER SILVESTER was the last allied ship to be sunk by enemy action in the Indian Ocean.] A lifeboat was sighted in position 26º 48”S, 101º 58”E at on February 28th, twenty-two days and 580 miles from the position of the sinking; 20 survivors were taken aboard.

Extract from signal raised by Commander E.J.R. North about the event:

"At approximately 1210 on Wednesday 28th February 1945, ship was steering 132º speed 15 knots, when the Officer of the Watch (Lieutenant L.L.P. Sinclair, M.H.R.) reported sighting an object bearing 123º &º#186;186;istance about 8 miles. This at first, had the appearance of the coning tower of a submarine, but, as it appeared to be very lively in the moderate/average sea and swell was running, I considered the subject to be a small boat under sail.

Course was altered at 1220 in order to close and investigate, and the object was soon recognized as a ship’s lifeboat with red sails. The occupants of the boat had seen us, for, about this time they fired off Very lights and red flares. At 1240 I stopped the main engines and placed the ship to windward of the lifeboat which then came alongside, and 20 officers and men from the American S.S. “PETER SILVESTER” were taken on board. At 1308 the lifeboat was cast off and sunk by twin 4 inch, and the ship proceeded on her original course."

The survivors (pictured below) were put ashore at Fremantle on March 3rd, ACTIVITY continuing on to Sydney. After delivering her ferry load ACTIVITY sailed form Sydney on March 24th bound Colombo carrying passengers and stores. From Colombo she proceeded to Cochin for a second ferry load (Corsairs) which were loaded on April 20th. This load was destined for Brisbane, and was offloaded there on VE Day, May 8th.

On May 26th Captain Wauchope died as a result of illness and Commander EJR North RNR (the ships executive officer) assumed command. ACTIVITY was to remain on ferry duty until after V-J Day, mainly making runs from Cochin to Colombo.

After the end of hostilities on August 15th 1945, attention turned to the reoccupation of former British territories held by Japanese forces. ACTIVITY followed behind Force ‘N’ which Sailed from Trincomalee and Rangoon on August 31st bound for Singapore; ACTIVITY departed Colombo on September 1st for Operation TIDERACE; HMS SUSSEX lag Officer Rear Admiral C.S. Holland, CB) , with destroyer VIGILANT, was to join with a convoy consisting of 26 L.C.I. (L), RFA DEWDALE, Hospital Ship AMARAPOORA, and HMS KEDAH (H.Q. Ship of Rear Admiral J.A.V. Morse, CB, CBE, DSO, Flag Officer Malaya designate) HMS SUSSEX and Force ‘N’ arrived off Singapore on Tuesday, September 4th. At 11:30am the next day HMS SUSSEX made her way into Singapore Harbour; allied bombing had taken its toll on Singapore's harbour facilities, and numerous wrecks blocked the approaches but SUSSEX arrived safely at Empire Pier. Berthing parties were put ashore to assist in making fast other ships carrying food and medical supplies. The surrender of Japanese forces in Singapore was accepted onboard SUSSEX later that day.

ACTIVITY entered the harbour on the 6th carrying more supplies and the personnel of the port party who were to occupy and administer the docks. On the 11th Force 61, (CVEs AMEER EMPEROR, KHEDIVE, and STALKER, Battleships NELSON and RICHELIEU and the Cruiser ROYALIST) anchored in Singapore Roads between 0930 and 1030; later the order was given for part of the force to proceed into the harbour. The CVEs EMPEROR, HUNTER, KHEDIVE and STALKER anchored in Keppel Harbour, Singapore. AMEER and EMPRESS remained with over 90 ships (including 70 RN and RIN warships, 3 Royal Fleet Auxiliaries, 3 hospital ships and 14 merchant vessels) in Singapore Roads. On September 12th.Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the surrender of 680,000 Japanese soldiers in South East Asia in the Council Chamber of the Singapore Town Hall in the presence of military representatives of the United States, India, Australia, China, France and Holland.

After unloading her supplies and assisting with their distribution ACTIVITY began embarking former POWs who were fit enough to make the voyage to Ceylon and she sailed for Trincomalee on the 15th. On arrival back in Ceylon, she received orders to sail for the UK. After disembarking her passengers from Singapore the crew prepared to sail for the UK. With new passengers embarked, she sailed from Trincomalee on September 22nd for the Suez Canal.

HMS ACTIVITY arrived back in the Clyde on October 20th 1945, and was stood down from active service; after her passengers disembarked and was paid off. Work began straight away to de-store her and prepare her for the reserve fleet. She was transferred to Category B reserve status in the Clyde on January 30th 1946 and put up for disposal.

A full history of HMS Activity can be found at www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk

Bob said: "The whole of my ship's company were awarded the Burma Star."