Robert John Terry

Service Number - KX88660

SERVICE RECORD

Volunteered for 12 years active service on 27th of April 1936, aged 20 years.

1st Assignment - HMS PEMBROKE

27/04/1936 to 21/10/1936 - Stoker 2nd class - HMS Pembroke, (Chatham Barracks).

2nd Assignment - HMS YORK

22/10/1036 to 23/01/1937 - Stoker 2nd class - HMS York. 24/01/1937 to 12/06/1939 - Stoker 1st class - HMS York.

HMS York on 2nd cruise, entering New York harbour, 1938

HMS York was one of two York class heavy cruisers built in the late 1920's.

HMS York-built by Messrs. Palmers Yard, (Jarrow) laid 1927, launched 1928, commissioned 1930. HMS Exeter-built by Devonport Dockyard, (Plymouth) laid 1929, launched 1929, commissioned 1930.

These ships were a smaller version of the "County" class heavy cruisers, but with improved armour protection. The ships had a main armament of three 8-inch turrets instead of four, which permitted a reduction in length of 50 feet and a 17% saving in weight. The early years of HMS York were spent on the America and West Indies Station as Flagship to the 8th Cruiser Squadron but she was recalled to Europe in 1935/1936 as a result of the Abyssinian Crisis. She returned to the America and West Indies station in 1936 and carried out four cruises from her home base in Bermuda prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. These cruise were as follows :-

Cruise 1 Bermuda-Port of SpainPointe al Pierre- Pernambuco-Santos-Buenos Aires-Mar del Plata-Montevideo-Rio de Janeiro-Georgetown-Barbados-Bermuda, ( total miles 11680 ).

Cruise 2 Bermuda-Montreal-Quebec-Hawke Bay-Cornerbrook-St Georges Bay-Newport-Bar Harbour-St Andrews-Halifax-Boston-Philadelphia-New York-Bermuda, ( total miles 5723 ).

Cruise 3 Bermuda-Nassau-Havana-Belize-Kingston-Antigua-St Lucia-Barbados-Grenada-Trinidad-St Kitts-Washington-Bermuda, ( total miles 6404 ).

Cruise 4 Bermuda-Kingston-Cartagena-Colon-Panama Canal-Balboa-Vancouver-Prince Rupert-Wrangell-EsquimaltCowighan-Vancouver-Comax-San Fransisco-San Diego-Cocos Island-Panama Canal-Balboa-Nassau-Bermuda, ( total miles 12772 ).

At the outbreak of war her initial duties were as escort to the North Atantic convoys from Halifax, Nova Scotia and as part of the Norwegian Campaign. In 1940 she was attached to the Home Fleet and based in the Mediteranean where for the remainder of her service she escorted the Malta Convoys and carried allied troops to Greece. On the 26th March 1941, whilst anchored at Souda Bay in Crete she was attacked by Italian explosive motor boats. Severely damaged she was beached in shallow water in an attempt to save her,  but was repeatedly savaged by German  Stuka bombers. When the Alies evacuated Crete HMS York was skuttled and abandoned. After the war she was sold for salvage and towed to Italy, where she was finally scrapped in 1952.

3rd Assignment - HMS PEMBROKE

13/06/1939 to 22/08/1939 - Stoker 1st class - HMS Pembroke, (Chatham Barracks).

4th Assignment - HMS SALTASH

23/08/1939 to 18/04/1940 - Stoker 1st class - HMS Saltash.

HMS Saltash, (picture provided by Mike Thomsett ).

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