HMS Affray 1951

Discussion in 'Postwar' started by MacKenzie14, Mar 11, 2020.

  1. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    We lost a family member on the Affray called Walter Green. Does the name sound familiar to anyone who has done any research. Keen to know more.
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Suggest you obtain his service record - this can only be found at the MOD Glasgow, the forms can be downloaded from this link Request records of deceased service personnel - part 1 & 2

    Do you have details of when he died etc - might help

    TD
     
  3. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Are you referring to the loss of HM Submarine Affray on 16 April 1951? If so HMS Affray (P421) - Wikipedia

    Tim
    Edit: I now see the above link has a LSM W J Green in the list of those lost. Is this him?
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2020
  4. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Wiki merely seems to repeat info already on another site in a slightly different form
    hms affray
    Probably worth contacting the guy who runs it
     
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  5. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    Thank you that's very helpful
     
  6. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    naval-history.net Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, 1951 has
    GREEN, Walter J, Ty/Leading Stoker Mechanic, C/KX 162120, killed

    HMS Affray was lost with all hands
    On 16 April 1951, Affray set out on a simulated war mission called Exercise Spring Train with a reduced crew of 50 from 61. They were joined by one sergeant, one corporal, and two marines from the Special Boat Service; a commander (Engineer), a naval instructor, seven lieutenants in the engineering branch, and 13 sub-lieutenants. The last two groups were undergoing essential submarine officer training. This made her complement 75 in total. Her captain's orders were unusually flexible: the Marines were to be dropped off somewhere along the south west coast of England—the captain told the Admiralty he had chosen an isolated beach in Cornwall—come ashore and return under the cover of darkness. The exercise was expected to continue until Affray was due to return to base on 23 April for essential defect repairs including a leak in a battery tank. Affray left her home base at about 1600 hrs, and made normal contact to confirm position, course, speed etc at 2100 hrs, and indicated she was preparing to dive. The last ship to see her on the surface was the 'Co' Class destroyer HMS Contest returning to Portsmouth that evening. As they passed each other, both vessels piped the side. When she missed her 0800 report due the next day she was declared missing and an immediate search began.

    After a lengthy search during which over 160 wrecks, mainly from WW2 were located, she was finally found, at a depth that only a few divers could reach. No attempts had been made by the crew to escape, and the only damage was a broken snort mast, which seems to indicate that it broke while at periscope depth and flooded so quickly that the weight of water prevented the sub from rising, even with all ballast flushed - if the crew even had time to do so...That no escape attempts were made would indicate that the loss was sudden and swift for all members of the crew.
     
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  7. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    Thank you,this is much appreciated.
    Walter was my father's uncle although they never met.
     
  8. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    Yes it is. Thank you
     
  9. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

  10. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    I will take a look.
    Thank you for sharing this.
    Much appreciated.
     
  11. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

  12. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    I remember Affray incident well and talking about it with a friend who during NS in the RN about this time told me that they had as part of their training,escape technique exercises from submerged vessels,obviously not at submarine underwater depth specification.

    A tragedy which was also to happen with the US submarine Thresher in the early 1960s after the boat put to sea after a refit and disappeared.It took many years to find her crushed on the Atlantic Ocean bottom.
     
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  13. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

    Fabulous, will take a look at the thread when I can later. Thank you Tim
     
  14. MacKenzie14

    MacKenzie14 Member

     
  15. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    There was the Submarine Escape Training Tank at Gosport, but this was not completed until 1954 (ie after the Affray loss). I don't know what the escape training was before this.
    Submarine escape training facility - Wikipedia
    End of era for Gosport’s iconic submarine escape tower

    Tim
     
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  16. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

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  17. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

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  18. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

  19. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

  20. APage

    APage New Member

    My nans dad is Walter Green, is your farther possibly Richard or Rodrick? They’re the only people who me and my nan can think of to be possibly related to you. Walter had two brothers, William and Arthur, Arthur had Richard and Rodrick, do you have any info on how you are related?? I’d love to know more and see if we are related as I’m trying to find more on my family’s history.
     

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