Buy My WW2 Book here
(Kite has her own chapter)

By Mike Kemble (c) From information provided by Ray Holden, Clem Bray, Christine Chaplin, Lionel Irish, Mary Davies, Paul Masterson & Others

Created: 27 Nov 2002 Update: 23 April 2006

Echoes Of The Past

All those lads who sailed the oceans during the course of World War Two and in particular, the Battle of the Atlantic, never thought of themselves as "heroes" as such. They were just doing a job.  They were all volunteers, the "press gangs" having disappeared well over a century before! They all knew what they were letting themselves in for and still they did it.  Those 217 lads who lost their lives as a result of HMS Kite being torpedoed by U344 did so as a result of gross stupidity at the hands of an incompetent commander and not by any lack of resolve on their behalf.  As you will read, or have already read, in the Board of Inquiry pages, the Admiralty was hell bent on protecting their officers and persisted in laying the blame for so many deaths on the hands of the sailors themselves accusing them of "not following safety procedures". Ray Holden lost a dear brother as a direct result of the Captain's actions; now I have heard of another brother who, ironically, was serving aboard the rescue ship, HMS Keppel, the escort command ship.  George Boxall lost his brother, who served aboard Kite.  These pages are in memory of these lads. As you will read in these pages, the whole idea of this section on HMS Kite came about from Ray Holden finding my pages on Captain Walker RN - the greatest U Boat killer of all time.  He ignited my mind on HMS Kite and the rest, as they say, is history. This page is intended to provide a home for all the messages that I have received regarding HMS Kite. They are beginning to clutter up the main Kite pages so I have decided to move them here, to centralise them so to speak. The latest are on the top of the pile.

Walker, His Ships & His Men - 11 September 2005

I have written a book entitled "On A Sailors Grave (No Roses Grow)" which will be published in December 2005 by Woodfield Publications of Bognor Regis. However, I am now compiling another which will tentatively be entitled "Walker, His Ships & His Men". To do this one I need all your information about life on board his ships. I already have some info from Tony Green (HMS Wren) but want information from those who served aboard Stork & Starling, Wild Goose, Kite (Lionel & Reg ???), and the other ships Walker commanded in both the 36th Escort Group and 2nd Support Group. If you served in either of these Groups and have a tale to tell, please contact my by clicking on this email link. I will obviously give you full credits in the book, if it comes about.

  Click to email me

NEWSFLASH - 24 NOVEMBER 2004

Campaigners will try to persuade a key official that servicemen who braved treacherous conditions in the World War Two Arctic convoys deserve belated medals. Commander Eddie Grenfell, who represents the veterans, will meet with the secretary of the Honours and Decorations Committee, Gay Catto. This is only the second time the committee will have taken a direct representation from a veterans' group over a medal claim. Only the Suez veterans have been able to do this previously, and their campaign was successful. The group will argue that it was wrong to ignore the men who sailed through subzero conditions under constant attack to keep the Soviet Union fighting on the Eastern Front against Nazi Germany. This committee has the power to recommend to the Queen that a new medal is created. Commander Grenfell said: "This is a massive breakthrough. We will present a huge dossier proving that the HD committee can put right the injustice made in the 1940s of not awarding a medal to the men who sailed the convoys to Russia." In June, Commander Grenfell, 84, wrote to each of the 659 MPs asking them to back the demand for a specific campaign medal for those who served on the Arctic convoys. The Arctic Medal Campaign organisation has been fighting the campaign for seven years. The convoys carried essential military supplies to the Russian army between 1941 and 1945. During those four years they steamed through treacherous icy seas and deadly enemy action to deliver four million tons of war equipment, including tanks and planes, to the Russian front line.

The Messages:

Ian Thomas Price - 23 April 2006

I am the nephew of Able Seaman Leslie Price D/JX 555763, who died on HMS Kite. I have just come across your web site and I am so happy to have got the information that I have been looking for for years and years now. I emigrated to Australia fifteen months ago with my wife and two children and could never find info in the UK. The first time I happen to look whilst in Australia I find all I needed to know. I just wanted to thank you and to say it is a good job there are people like you to keep their memory alive. Thanks again Ian Thomas Price.

From Ed Crompton - 11 September 2005

My father, James Crompton, was washed overboard from HMS Kite on June 4th 1943. The C.O. at the time was Lt. Commander Segrave who wrote a short account of the incident in a letter to my mother. She also received a letter of condolence containing a cheque for £50 from the ship's company signed by Lt. Francis Boyer. Has anyone any recollection of O/S James Crompton or of the incident in which he lost his life? (ed_crompton*hotmail.com replace * with @ to send an email direct to Ed.)

From Mal Pope - 21 July 2005

My dad Stan Pope was on the Kite from Sept-Dec 1943 and on the Wren August and Sept 1943.  He was a CW Candidate. Mal is a singer/songwriter and can be found at the following web site: http://www.malpope.com/
 

From Bob Pendleton. 28 /03/05

I would like to say how much I appreciated your web site and the help it has given to our family. In 1944 our family was informed that Able seaman - Frederick Davenport - D/JX568231 was lost in action on HMS Kite.  It was not until I recently contacted your web site that his surviving family members were at last able to close the pages on this matter. His parents and one of his sisters, who passed away some time ago, died without having questions surrounding his death being answered.  Thanks to your web site I have been able to send details to his cousin Edward Pendleton who now lives in Australia, aged almost 80.  As boys, they were very close.  Edward has contacted Freddie's only surviving sister Charlotte.  Edward, Charlotte and I feel there is now a closure to this very sad event. Best wishes. Bob Pendleton.

From Rob Webb, Calgary Canada. 26/08/04

To Robert/Andrew (Braintree Council) Hi to you both, I want to take the time to thank you both for all the time and effort you have put into this project, my family members who attended this last go around have written to me to say how impressed they were with the whole event. You two must take a lot of credit for this, but on behalf of the Webb family I thank you for every thing you did, also pass on our regards to every one concerned; the town of Braintree also deserves a mention.

To the rest of you,

It was a pleasure to meet you all last year, but I just could not attend this year. On the day of the 21^st I sat in my computer room, looking at all that I have collected over the years, the items you sent, photos etc, and tried to reflect on that day 60 years ago, and on how many lives changed. My dad was one of the lucky ones, for what ever reason he survived that day, for that I am thankful , to me he was the best dad in the world, so many lost loved ones, so many never had a chance to say goodbye. During this time I also had a thought of the sub that sunk KITE, in less than 24 hours they also lost there lives, I just wondered if some where in Germany relatives gathered some where to remember lost loved ones, in just one encounter in that cold sea so many lost lives in a war I am sure they did not want to be in, they were just doing there job the best they could. I poured my self a glass of rum (pussers to some) and toasted the lives of all these brave men, I hope this is not the last of things to come, I hope there is a bond between us.  

Thank you all from the Webb family in Canada.

I was reading on the message board of your HMS Kite site of a man who's father, Stanley Carter, served on HMS Woodpecker and Lark. He was asking of any other of the crew who might still be alive, my father also served on the Woodpecker and the Lark. His name is Charlie Best and is in his 80th year. My email address is philip*best76.freeserve.co.uk - replace the * with @ to email him directly.

From Jack Russell. Feb 2004: I was on the last convoy to kola inlet,  a stoker on hms Anguilla.  We lost HMS Goodall with  heavy loss of crew if I remember,  lost 140 crew . I will never forget that day, we sank between us 2 U Boats. We arrived back in Liverpool on that day, what  a tragic loss so late in the war. Jack Russell royal navy  stoker  pkx 528974

From Desmond Lindsay-Hawkins. November 2003. My father was Chief Stoker. H.W Hawkins I have finally found a site that has just "Kite" information and have always wanted to have a complete history of her sinking, My mother had letters from relatives that had men on board and had known my father but they also were lost at sea. Any information greatly appreciated.

An Email from Australia:

From George Jones. I have along with my cousin been searching for quite a number of years to find out about his father and my uncle who served on HMS KITE myself through web sites and himself by writing to Portsmouth but all to no avail, till my daughter found your site. What brought every thing back to light was when I was watching a Documentary on a Sky Channel about Johnnie Walker returning to Liverpool for a heroes welcome and then the officers were lined up on the quay side listening to a speech being made to the members of the squadron,  among the officers I saw my uncle. The last time that I saw my uncle, Chief Petty Officer John (Jack) Mackie, was when he was on home leave at his home in Bolton and he received a telegram to return to Liverpool and his ship HMS KITE and told my father that the ship was like a rust bucket and it was going on convoy patrol to Russia,  the last thing that my aunt knew was when she received a telegram to say that he was missing in action and my uncle Jacks son who did not remember his father still has the telegram and his medal but I have still not seen his name or any mention of him in any reports or on the crew list. May I say that I congratulate on your web site and hope that you find my letter of interest and informative. Your Sincerely Mr George Jones. He is in fact, on the roll of honour as Harold John MacKie.

From Mike Kemble. 31 August 2003. Ray Holden has formed the HMS Kite Association. I will be giving you more details as and when they become available.

From Mike Kemble. 28 Aug 03. I want to share with you an email I got from the Australian Military. I feel so pleased, all that work on Captain Walker is now rewarded!

"Dear Mike, In my current posting I have responsibility for the production of a limited distribution journal known as TACTALKS.  I have taken a keen interest in your site ( http://www.mikekemble.com/ww2/walker.html ) that discusses CAPT Walker.  For the next edition of TACTALKS I would like to use your site to produce an article.  It is therefore requested that you grant release permission to use text and images from your website.

LCDR Scott Walker
SO Tactical Development (Under Sea Warfare)


IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Australian Defence Organisation and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914. If you have received this email in error, you are requested to contact the sender and delete the email."

I have removed all contact details from the email.

I copied and printed your pages and Roll of Honour for a colleague. His uncle, Alfred Ball (apparently known to the family as Hugh) was lost on HMS Kite and the family had few details of the sinking. The copy has been sent to  Hughs' surviving brother. The attachment is a photo, believed to be 1941, of Hugh (Left) and another brother, Jack. Maybe some visitor to your site recognises one or the other. Any information can be passed to the family. Many thanks for the site, I'm sure it's a lot of work. Regards Ken Fields. August 2002.

From John Murray. Re convoy JW 59, the one Kite was lost on; it´s odd, but no book I´ve read has ever mentioned the Royal Sovereign class battleship that was handed over to the Russians and renamed "Archangelsk" - I´ve forgotten what her original name was. She was stationed in the middle of the convoy and must have been an enormous temptation to the local U-boats!  Maybe it was a very well-kept secret. I remember all the comments that went round the ship when we saw her first - "Gawd, what a bleedin´ target she´ll make!" Our skipper, LT.Cmdr John Mosse, had warned Mermaid´s ship´s company even before we left Monkey Stevenson and Tobermory, that we could expect a guest appearance of Tirpitz and accompanying destroyers, so when Archangelsk showed up we were pretty sure he was right.

Whoever used the email address of DnsDggn@aol.com - it does not work anymore and I cannot keep you updated regarding HMS Kite. Can you please mail me and inform me of your new mailing address, if any?

I am writing to express my appreciation after having discovered your excellent history concerning the above vessel. Recently I have been searching for information, through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, concerning three relatives who perished during the Second Wold War, and I have been successful. CWGC revealed that a cousin; James Anthony McAvoy was a crew member aboard HMS Kite on that fateful day 21 August 1944. He was an Able Seaman, aged 26 years.  I can recall that he was on the convoys to Russia, but that was all the info. that I had. Many thanks  John Holland.

My father asked my to look on the internet for HMCS Chilliwack.  I don't think he realised the extent of what I would find.  Needless to say he will be extremely surprised.  I have printed all I found - I think.  My fathers name is Stanley Carter and served on HMS Woodpecker and HMS Lark for certain.  I seem to think he also served on HMS Starling as well although I will have to confirm this.  My father was definitely a front gunner but I am not sure if he was front gunner on all the ships he served on: definitely on the Woodpecker though.  I would be interested if there are any of my fathers ex-ship mates still living.  Could you let me know?  My father told me about a chair that Captain Walker took with him on every ship he served on.  What ever happened to it?

I am researching all the names of servicemen on my local War Memorial in the town of Portadown, Northern Ireland. I put a search in for HMS Kite and found your website which I must say is one of the best I have come across. One of the servicemen was lost on HMS Kite he was Stoker James Craig (D/KX 162389) of 52 Montague Street, Portadown, and he was lost at sea when HMS Kite was torpedoed. Just thought I would contact you with above info.  James Stewart.

"The Officer in Command at the time of the sinking was a replacement for Lt Comdr Seagrave who was the regular commander of the ship. Seagrave had broken both his legs in a berthing accident the last time HMS Kite had berthed at Gladstone Dock - enter Lt Comdr Campbell.  This is the man who gave the orders that sank Kite, a submariner by trade. If not him, it was Lieutenant Savage. A U Boat commanders dream - a target, sailing slowly, on a dead straight course for at least 40 minutes. U344 stole right up to her from where she could not miss.  The Board of Inquiry, and accompanying papers are courtesy of Christine Chaplin". Ray Holden.

Also from Ray Holden. "Let me try to give an insight as to what was going on when Kite got hit. HMS Keppel made the signals because she was senior in command, and at 0121 she signaled to say that she was returning to her station, Kite in company. According to the report, Kite went into cruising stations, a ship is divided into 2 watches, Port and Starboard, each watch is divided into 2 parts, therefore in a cruising watch, only part of one watch is closed up. Also I gather from the report that B gun closed up for the morning watch.  This meant that A gun which Tom (Holden) served on went from action stations to middle watch until relieved by B Gun at 0400. A Guns crew would have then turned in, in their mess deck which was up forwards on the starboard side. When the torpedoes struck Tom and at least one more of his guns crew made it to the water. To do it they had to open at least 3 watertight doors, each having 6 large clips, god only knows how many were fighting to get through the doors. The report more or less blames the men for their own deaths, not wearing clothes, life belts or ropes ends across their shoulders. These men in cruising watch were expected to sleep fully clothed in a hammock with life belts and ropes ends around them. None of the men up forward were wounded as such because the explosions were down aft, neither was Tom wounded at that time - so where did his "wounds" come from? These men slept whilst their officers tempted the enemy. Keppels First Lieutenant states that Keppel closed Kite and searched for the U Boat. A Crew member of Keppel told me that she sailed "amongst the survivors" LIKE A SCENE FROM THE CRUEL SEA (Jack Hawkins film in which he orders his ship straight through survivors in the water to get at a U Boat).  Is this were Tom got his wound from I wonder? The men were left in the water for 45 minutes, the report says that they could not help themselves. That ******* Commanding Officer must have thought he was on a pleasure cruise up the River Severn, with 75% of his crew sleeping, he tempted the enemy for 45 minutes. Little wonder he uttered a mouthful of abuse and went back to his cabin. Best thing the ******* could do in my opinion.  There are so many if's and but's but had Seagrave been in command Kite would have brought those men safely home. I feel anger and embarrassment at the same time. And so the Admiralty hid the report for over 50 years to cover those with gold rings on their sleeves. As senior ship, why didn't Keppel warn Kite is what I wonder, Keppel must have been expecting it with baited breath!" Tom's family got a letter from an officer on the Keppel, in which he was upset and confided in them Tom's final words. This letter, unfortunately, no longer exists, or is lost.  Finally - a personal note from Ray about his dying brother Tom Holden.  "Tom was dying when he gave his details in a very weak voice, to his rescuers.  They took down what they understood him to say, but they got it wrong.  He tried to give them another message but died with a faint whisper about "Wife". For years I could only wonder, but now with Kites papers I am getting an insight of where Tom was when it happened. I feel ashamed that the ship and her crew were sacrificed for the sake of the Foxers which could have, and should have, been cut adrift.  I feel ashamed of the Service in which I spent 8 years of my life." I also found out that Captain Johnnie Walker refused to use "foxers" on his ships, instead leaving them on the quayside; maybe that's why he and all his men always came home!

5 Nov 2002. Message from Roy Williscroft of Tamworth.  My brother Aubrey Williscroft served aboard HMS Kite. My mother was told after the war, by another local sailor, that my brother was picked up after the torpedo attack, did not survive, and was buried at sea. He was a pom pom gunner and was probably thrown into the water. He is listed on the roll of honour.

Ref: "Jack" Boxall. Thank you for posting the photo. A bit of info that we know - (Uncle) Stoker 1st Class George Boxall was posted on HMS Kite and he had perished with her. His brother, Alfred Thomas (Uncle Tom) Boxall was on HMS Keppel and was involved with the search for survivors. I can't imagine what Tom went through looking for his brother knowing full well he was there! Both brothers were career sailors with the Royal Navy. They both joined up in 1914 for WW1 and served throughout on various ships. We're not sure which ones they served on yet throughout the years. Tom retired to pension in 1936 and was mobilised in 1939 for WW2.  George "Jack" was the older of the two and am not sure if his career went the same way. (We're not sure where he got the nickname "Jack") Both brothers were Stoker 1st Class. As mentioned previously, they were both on that same convoy with Tom aboard HMS Keppel and George aboard HMS Kite. Considering where George likely would have been on Kite at the time she was torpedoed, I don't think he would have been one of the ones who would have had time to even make it out before she went down. We only found out about Jack earlier this year when we were researching our family and so we are still discovering more information as well. Thank you again  Carolyn Rempel.

 
If you read plenty of WW2 books try this site by clicking here
for every book you buy, I get a small commission, which will
hopefully offset the costs in running this domain.

I have written a book in which HMS Kite has her own chapter. You may purchase it from

HERE

Walker RN - Click Here

Copyright ©  Mike Kemble

Copyright © mike kemble  Home | Walker RN | U boats  | Merseyside | U534 | U344 |