Running Aground - January 1942

This Additional Information was Supplied by Dennis Mountain

It was January 1942 and H.M.S. Violet was on its way from Lagos to a rendezvous off the island Fernando Po to pick up two small freighters from this Spanish Island. All very hush hush. It was in the middle of the morning when suddenly there was a great crash and the ship shuddered. Action stations sounded and the crew were raised to their posts as they thought the ship had been hit by a torpedo.

The Captain ran the ship forwards and backwards and finally after quite some time she was free. H.M.S. Violet then continued on her journey to pick up the ships.

Duchessa-De-Oasta,One of the ships to be escorted when H.M.S Violet ran aground (Jan 1942).


Freetown October 1943
This Additional Information was Supplied by Tom Farnsworth

Whilst tied up alongside the depot ship Philocetes at Freetown for a boiler clean and taking on stores the hawser holding H.M.S. Violet parted causing it to drift onto a sandbank near the harbour wall. A native boatman demanded a tin of corned beef when he asked the crew if they wanted to know where the deep water was!

The ship was pulled clear by its own anchor, the Asdic dome was damaged in the process. The skipper was reprimanded, Violet sailed to Sheerness for a refit and had the Asdic dome repaired.


Death on Board - May 1945

This Additional Information was Supplied by Jim Green,
Stan Wilkes and Ronnie Worsman


After the refit in East London, H.M.S. Violet sailed to Durban, whilst there the ship was fumigated as she was full of rats, bugs and cockroaches. The crew were put ashore for 24 hours. A box with tomatos and other fruit, out of the ward room, had been put in a covered lifeboat.

The crew returned at 2100 and started to re-stock the ship, a seaman (Henry Baxter Ward) working alongside Jim Green ate a tomato, from the box that had been left in the lifeboat, and immediately dropped dead from cyanide poisoning. He was buried in Durbans Stellawood Commonwealth Cemetary.

The crew had to turn to and scrub the ship from bow to stern.