D26(Atlantic)
R313
/ A452 (Pacific)
OKINAWA 1945
Builder: Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co. Tacoma, Washington.
Completed by: Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland, Oregon.
Displacement: 15,390 tons
Length (Overall): 494ft 9in
Beam: 69ft 6in
Draught: 16 ft
Flight deck: 450ft x 80ft wood covered mild steel plate
Propulsion: 2 Foster Wheeler boilers; 1 x Allis-Chalmers geared turbine driving 1 shaft
Speed: 18 knots
A/C Capacity: 20
Hangar: 260ft x 62ft x 18ft
A/C lifts: 2, Aft 34ft long x 42ft wide; forward 42ft long x 34ft wide
Arrestor wires: 9 with 3 barriers
Catapult: 1 H4C hydraulic
Armament: 2 single 5in USN Mk 12, 8 twin 40mm Bofors, 14 twin 20rnm Oerlikon, 7 single 20mm Oerlikon
Crew Complement: 646
Capt. B. L. Moore RN
Jun 44 - Jun 45
Lt. Cdr. J. G. Hopkins Jun 45 - Feb 46
None
None
HMS SLINGER operating Seafires from 768 Deck landing Training squadron in December 1944.
H.M.S. SLINGER was a 'Ruler' class escort carrier, her keel
was laid down on May 25th 1942 at Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co.
Tacoma, Washington, as a C3-S-A1 type freighter hull, Maritime
Commission hull number 243; Seattle-Tacoma hull number 27. Hull
number 27 was purchased by the US navy, to become the auxiliary
aircraft carrier USS CHATHAM AVG-32, however while still under
construction it was decided that AVG-32 was to be transferred to the
Admiralty on loan on her completion under the lend-lease agreement
that existed between the US and Britain.
She was launched on September 19th 1942 as ACV -32 and was assigned to
Willamette Iron & Steel shipyard in Portland, Oregon, for the completion
as an escort carrier. Her crew began to arrive in Portland during the
spring of 1943 and were under the charge of Lt. Cdr. W.H. Roberts, OBE,
the ship's Executive Officer.
While SLINGER was in the hands of the Willamette Iron & Steel
yard there was a friendly rivalry between the workers and their opposite
numbers at other Portland ship yard working on ships for the Admiralty
and the Commercial Iron Works yard, where HMS TRUMPETER was being
built. For many months the progress of both ships was proceeding at the
same pace until some key parts had to removed and sent to Bremerton Navy
Yard, Washington for adjustment. The parts had to be sent 200 miles by
road and who ever got the parts there first would gain valuable time
over their rival. The Willamette workers were first to deliver their
parts, but Commercial workers were not to be out done and increased
their productivity to make up the lost time; eventually TRUMPETER
was completed first by one week.
CVE-32 sailed on her builder's sea trials at 08:00 on the morning of Monday July 19th 1943. After passing down the Willamette River she entered the Columbia River and trials began at 09:30. After testing her anchors, steering, engines, and general handling she carried out a full speed test and an emergency stop before completing a maximum speed run over a measured mile, she returned to her berth at 16:00 after completing the test schedule.
On completion of defect rectification and final fitting out, CVE-32 was transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend Lease and delivered on August 11th 1943 at a ceremony held on the flight deck. The ship was accepted on behalf of the US Navy by Captain L. D. Whitgrove USN, and after the playing of the American national anthem he delivered her to Captain A.N.C. Bingley O.B.E. RN who accepted her on behalf of the Admiralty. Captain Bingley read out the order commissioning her as HMS SLINGER (pennant number D26) and the White ensign and the Union Jack were hoisted.
After the British national anthem had been played a short church service
was held during which Captain Bingley read a passage from the Bible
about David, the first 'SLINGER' reading from a large print Bible that
had been donated to the ship by Mr. William Whitfield. The Portland
built ships and their crews had been warmly welcomed into the Portland
community and many individuals and organisations made donations of
recreation materials and equipment to the departing carriers that had
been built in their local ship yards.
The passage he read included Samuel 1, Ch17 verse 49 'And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.' which was the inspiration behind the unofficial ship's badge.
HMS SLINGER left Portland on August 31st 1943 bound for Seattle where she was to take on ammunition and stores, carry out gunnery practice, and undergo a short work-up. SLINGER exercised with her sister CVE HMS TRUMPETER which had sailed from Portland a week before and was preparing to embark 848 naval air squadron on September 4th. The squadron had formed in June at USNAS Quonset Point on the US east coast with 12 Avengers, and had flown out to join the ship at Seattle to work up the ship and the squadron in preparation for providing anti-submarine patrols on the forthcoming Atlantic crossing to the UK. Part of SLINGER's work up period off Seattle included testing her flight deck equipment, in particular the arrestor wires and her catapult, to achieve this an Avenger from 848 squadron was utilised for a period of practice deck landings.
The event proved to be an inauspicious start to SLINGER's operational service 'during one of the landings on September 15th the arrestor wire parted as Avenger, JZ102 attempted to land. There was no barrier rigged so the pilot, Lt P.F. McClintock, had to attempt to recover flying speed as his aircraft continued on down the deck. Unable to recover the Avenger ditched off the starboard bow and was overtaken by the ship - Lt McClintock was recovered safely, however the severed arrestor cable had whipped across the deck striking an Oerlikon Gunner, Able Seaman Jack Hill, suffered serious head injuries and an almost severed ear. Both the port and starboard catwalks were packed with officers and men observing the trials but AB Hill was the only casualty.
Her work-up and storing completed, SLINGER left Seattle in company with TRUMPETER and after clearing the Panama Canal on September 29th, both vessels headed for the US Naval Operating Base at Norfolk, Virginia, to collect consignments of aircraft for ferrying to the UK. On her arrival at Norfolk Navy Yard on October 6th SLINGER was allocated to Western Approaches Command as a ferry carrier and began embarking 54 airframes to be ferried to the UK. This load included the 10 Corsair IIs of No. 1830 Naval Air Squadron which were loaded on the 9th; 1830 had formed and worked up in the US at USNAS Quonset Point on June 1st and was returning to the UK to continue training.
On completion of loading SLINGER departed Norfolk for New York to join the next Liverpool bound convoy. SLINGER and TRUMPETER sailed with convoy UT.4 from New York on the October 21st; when nearing Ireland on October 30th the two carriers detached from the convoy and proceeded to Belfast where they unloaded their squadrons to Royal Naval Aircraft Yard Belfast on November 1st. SLINGER then continued on to Greenock, Scotland to unload the remainder of the aircraft and cargo. .
The ship was next ordered to proceed to Chatham Dockyard on November 20th where she was to be modified to meet RN standards and have additional armament and communications equipment fitted. The modification work was completed in early February 1944, and SLINGER was towed by tugs from Chatham to Sheerness on February 5th in preparation for leaving the river Medway and proceeding to the Clyde the next day.
She weighed anchor at 08:00 the following morning and proceeded out into the channel, a gunnery test was carried out mid morning during which time all of the ship's main armament was fired. Around midday there was a loud explosion as the ship struck a mine; the 'flying bedstead' radar array collapsed onto the bridge while the HF/DF mast toppled into the twin Bofors gun mounts, and the ship began to list and drift as the engines stopped.
The carrier was eventually taken in tow by escorting destroyer HMS GARTH as she was drifting out of the swept channel and in danger of entering our own mine fields. It was nightfall before the ship was taken in tow by two tugs and began the journey back up the river Medway towards to Sheerness, a journey that was to take all night. Water continued to enter the ship and the onboard pumps could barely manage to hold their own as she took on a dangerous list. At Sheerness, lighters with electric pumps were secured alongside the ship and the long task of pumping her out began. When the water was at last under control and the list less pronounced SLINGER was moved to Harland & Wolff's Royal Albert dry dock for damage easement of her hull on the 12th. Her bottom had been holed in two places, and her rudder and propeller had been severely bent.
She was to spend the next eight and a half months in the Port
of London and Woolwich docks under repair; during this time she was
partly cannibalised to complete the refits of several of her sister
CVEs; her forward lift for example was removed to repair HMS STALKER in
Match. Opportunity was also taken to upgrade the ship's defensive armament
fit. The Admiralty had decided to upgrade the single 20mm Bofors units on
all the CVEs of her class to twin 20mm Bofors in powered mountings. During
this time in the hands of the dockyard Captain Bingley left the ship to take
up command of HMS BITER,
he was relived by Captain B. L. Moore RN on June 6th.
Repairs and modifications were completed by October 17th 1944 and SLINGER proceeded to the Clyde where she was transferred to control of the Flag Officer Flying Training. The ship's flight deck equipment was put through its paces by an Avenger from 778 service trials unit on the 28th, this involved arrested landings and catapult assisted take offs. On its final landing it experienced tail hook trouble and ended up in the barrier.
rom November 3rd 1944 SLINGER was assigned to operate as a deck
landing training carrier for the next six weeks being visited by a
variety of aircraft belonging to 768 Deck landing Training squadron from
RNAS Abbotsinch. This period put the various ships' departments through
tier paces while training carrier pilots in the art of deck landing, and
was not without its mishaps. On the 23rd Seafire LR652, went over the
port side into sea, the pilot Midshipman R.J. Watson was rescued by
ML593 acting as SLINGER's safety boat; two days later S/Lt E.O.
Atkin landed short in Seafire LR687 causing the aircrafts tail oleo to
hit the rounddown.
On December 19th 1944 No. 1845 Naval Air Squadron, equipped with 24 Corsair Mk. IVs, joined the ship from RNAS Eglinton, and began deck landing practice and exercising with the ship as it worked up in preparation for deployment to join the British Pacific Fleet (BPF). 1845 was part of No. 10 Naval Fighter Wing with 1843 squadron, the latter was to deploy to the BPF aboard HMS ARBITER.
December was to be a period of intensive flying training for SLINGER and her new squadron and the strain began to show; The first accident happened three days later when Sub.-Lt Barlow failed to cut his throttle landing on in KD541 and entered the barrier. On the 27th Sub-Lt P.D. Bennett RNVR landed KD249 heavily on the rounddown and the undercarriage collapsed. In the New Year Midshipman E. F. K. Webb RNVR ended in the barrier in KD465 on January 4th. Tragedy struck later that same day when Corsair KD546, flown by Sub-Lt G. A. Anderson RCN, dropped its port wing on landing and swung to port collapsing the undercarriage leg, the aircraft came to rest on the DLCO (Deck Landing Control Officer) platform killing the DLCO Sub-Lt F. E. Ure RNVR. There was one final incident before the work up period ended, KD27 crashed on landing on the 8th, pilot unknown.
On January 11th 1945 SLINGER (1845 Corsair squadron) and CVEs KHEDIVE (Carrying 808 Hellcat Squadron, non-operational, plus reserve aircraft ferry load) and SPEAKER (1840 Hellcat squadron) together with a destroyer escort of VOLAGE, VENUS, ESKIMO, WOLVERINE and WHITEHALL sailed from the Clyde bound for Gibraltar on the first leg of the voyage to join the BPF in Australia, under command of Captain B. L. Moore, (SPEAKER) Senior Officer. The group of ships called at Gibraltar on the 16th, then set course for Malta. The next day both SPEAKER and SLINGER flew off aircraft armed with rocket projectiles to search for a U-boat reported off the North African coast. The small convoy entered Valletta Harbour on the 19th before arriving at Alexandria on January 22nd, entering the Suez Canal on the 24th for transit to the Red Sea. After a brief stop at Aden to refuel and store ship on January 28th the convoy steamed straight across the Indian Ocean to Ceylon, arriving at Colombo on February 4th. Flying training and exercising with the ship had continued throughout the voyage with only one aircraft incident recorded; on January 21st Sub.-Lt .C. Leddy RNVR made a heavy landing in KD563 resulting in severe fuselage structure strain, the aircraft was written off.
The three CVEs were to Part Company; on arrival at Ceylon, SPEAKER and SLINGER sailed for Sydney on the 6th, KHEDIVE remained in Ceylon to join the East Indies fleet. On February 8th the traditional 'crossing the line' ceremony was observed aboard SPEAKER and SLINGER which had crossed the equator at 21:00 hours the day before; the festivities took up most of the day. On February 11th both ships were called to assist in a search for survivors from a torpedoed American troop ship, the S.S. Peter Silvester, 1000 miles off the coast of Western Australia.
The aircraft of
1840
and
1845 squadrons conducted aerial searches
but after five days no trace was found and
SPEAKER continued on to
Sydney leaving the area late on the 16th, SLINGER remained to
continue searching until the 19th before she had to break off and
proceed to Sydney. On arrival off Sydney on February 25th
1845 squadron
flew off all serviceable aircraft to
RNAS Schofields (Mobile
Naval Air Base No.3), New South Wales; three unserviceable
airframes, which had suffered damage during the search on the 14th and
15th, were off loaded and taken by road to
RNAS Bankstown (Mobile
Naval Air Base No.2), the ship was secured alongside at Circular
Quay in Sydney on the 28th.
Work began to prepare the ship to join the 30th Aircraft Carrier Squadron (30 ACS; at that time comprising the CVEs CHASER, RULER, SPEAKER, STRIKER and SLINGER under the command of Commodore Carne in STRIKER), her pennant number was changed to R313 for operations in the Pacific theatre. She was to be employed as a forward area replenishment carrier and would only carry replenishment loads of spare airframes for issue to other carriers whilst at sea as a part of the Air Train, the aviation logistic support element of the British pacific Fleet's logistics life-line 'the Fleet Train'. This was a collection of merchant and military vessels which supplied the fleet with fuel, food, armaments and other stores. Based in Sydney, with forward bases at Manus in the Admiralty Islands and Leyte in the Philippines, the Fleet Train operated over a distance of some 2,500 miles each way.
On March 1st the ship's company set about painting the ship, applying her new Pacific camouflage scheme and new pennant number, work also commenced loading stores. The following day Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, the C-in-C, visited the ship and gave a pep talk to the crew about the importance of the work of the Air Train. SLINGER was to be employed as a forward area replenishment carrier, operating as part of Task Force 112. To carry out this task the ship was loaded with a replenishment load of 25 airframes, made up of 10 Corsairs, 7 Hellcats, 3 Seafires, 1 Avenger and 4 Fireflies for issue to the fleet during replenishment periods; this load was to be carried in addition to her squadron.
Once loading was completed SLINGER sailed for Manus in the Admiralty Islands on the morning of March 11th; 1845 squadron re-embarked later that morning. On arrival at Manus on the 17th SLINGER joined the ships of TG 112, the first forward area replenishment group which was assembled in the deep water anchorage of Seadler Harbour. A number of the ship's officers went ashore to the newly opened Royal Naval Air Station on Ponam Island, HMS Nabaron, a short distance up the coast. This proved to be a reunion with their old CO, Captain Bingley who was now in command of the Forward Area MONAB (Mobile Naval Air Base No.4) which occupied and operated the former US navy air strip on the island.
The first elements of the logistic support group, Task Unit 112.2.1
consisted of the escort carrier
STRIKER (Commodore 30th ACS),
escorted by CRANE, the FINDHORN and WHIRLWIND. And
Task Unit 112.2.5, consisted of the oilers SAN ADOLPHO, SAN AMBROSIO and CEDARDALE, with
SPEAKER,--for CAP duties- escorted by
PHEASANT and KEMPENFELT in position to replenish the elements of the British Pacific Fleet, Task
Force 57, when they prepared to begin Operation 'Iceberg'.
SLINGER was appointed as convoy leader of the second convoy of logistic support ships, comprising of LOTHIAN (flag ship Rear-Admiral, Fleet Train), EMPIRE SPEARHEAD, ARTIFEX, BACCHUS, WAVE KING, WAVE MONARCH, ARNDALE, DINGLEDALE, FORT COLVILLE, AASE MAERSK, DENBIGHSHIRE, ROBERT MAERSK, THYRA S., HERMELIN, and TYNE, which left Manus on March 19th bound for the Philippines. The convoy arrived at Leyte Gulf on the 26th and anchored in San Pedro Bay
After refuelling and restoring, the Logistic Support Group Task Unit 112.2.3, including SLINGER, left Leyte on March 29th to proceed to the replenishment area east of Luzon, a rectangular area which covered e 5000 square miles of ocean. At this time there were three CVEs in the Logistic Support Group, SPEAKER provided Combat Air patrols (CAP) for the Fleet Train while STRIKER and SLINGER provided replacement aircraft and aircrews. .
The British Pacific Fleet (now re-designated Task Force 57), sailed from Ulithi Atoll at 06:30 on March 23rd 1945 for operations as part of the American Fifth Fleet under Admiral Raymond Spruance USN. For the first phase of operation ICEBERG the carriers had embarked 218 aircraft; INDEFATIGABLE 40 Seafire, 20 Avenger, and 9 Firefly, INDOMITABLE 29 Hellcat, and 15 Avenger, ILLUSTRIOUS 36 Corsair, and 16 Avenger, and VICTORIOUS 37 Corsair, 14 Avenger, and 2 Walrus. The carriers were tasked with denying the Japanese use of airfields on two Islands in the Sakishima-Gunto group in a series of 12 strike days conducted in rotating cycles of 2-3 days of strikes and 2 – 3 days of replenishment; Because of the long distances involved between the operational area and the nearest forward base, all replenishment had to be done at sea. When TF57 stood down to replenish the strike task was taken over by USN elements TF58 and later TF52.
TF57y met with the Logistic Support Group
LSG for a short replenishment at sea on the 25th which included the issuing of 4 replacement aircraft from
the replenishment CVE
STRIKER and topping off fuel tanks.
Having only issued a small part of her load of replacement aircraft
STRIKER remained on station and proceeded with the LSG to the next replenishment area.
For the next replenishment period, March 28 - 30, The LSG were waiting at the prearranged rendezvous, in area MIDGE One, a rectangular area which covered 5000 square miles of ocean, at 07:30 on the 28th TF57 met the Tanker Group and began refuelling. STRIKER were waiting at the prearranged rendezvous, in area MIDGE One, a rectangular area which covered 5000 square miles of ocean, at 07:30 on the 28th. TF57 met the Tanker Group and began refuelling. STRIKER issued 13 replacement aircraft to the fleet and recovered three flyable, but unserviceable, aircraft; in addition she transferred replacement Avenger aircrew to 854 Squadron in ILLUSTRIOUS. Her stock of spare aircraft exhausted STRIKER departed for Leyte in the afternoon of the 29th, escorted by CRANE and WHIRLWIND. Replenishment was complete by mid-afternoon on March 30th and TF57 withdrew.
SLINGER was on station with
the LSG for the third replenishment period, April 3 - 5th. The LSG was late for the rendezvous at first light on April 3rd, bad weather hampered the rendezvous which was not made until 12:30. Between the 3rd and the 5th of April, Task Force 57 took on fuel and stores. For this replenishment period there CVEs SPEAKER with 1840 squadron Hellcats embarked provided CAP for the Fleet Train while SLINGER provided replacement aircraft and aircrews. She issued 22 replacement aircraft to the fleet carriers and recovered 2 ‘flyable duds'. The fleet repositioned overnight on the 4th to replenishment area MOSQUITO One and refuelling resumed at 06:30; later on the 5th casualties were embarked for transport to the Hospital ship OXFORDSHIRE at Leyte; these were ferried across to SLINGER by jackstay transfer. 16 men came from NDEFATIGABLE which had received a direct hit by a Kamikaze aircraft several days before. It struck the flight deck adjacent to the island, destroying the flight deck sick bay, killing 14 and wounding 16. SLINGER withdrew from the replenishment area on the 6th after receiving further casualties from ILLUSTRIOUS, INDOMITABLE, and VICTORIOUS and headed back to Leyte; a burial at sea took place later that day for Petty Officer Mitchell, one the casualties taken off INDEFATIGABLE, who died of his injuries. SLINGER also suffered a casualty from amongst her own crew on the 6th when 19 year old Able Seaman David Lias RNVR, was discovered to be missing; he presumably fell overboard and drowned. She reached Leyte on April 8th and transferred the wounded before sailing for Manus at mid-day on the 9th to receive another replenishment load.
During the passage to Manus, fate dealt SLINGER another blow when increasing to maximum speed she began to shake from stem to stern, these strong vibrations subsided when her speed was reduced to 12 knots.
SLINGER had been struck by the bane of the 'Bogue class' CVE's: her LP rotor, part of the reduction gearing that harnessed the steam turbines to the propeller shaft, had begun shedding teeth.
She was unlucky in that she (and TRUMPETER) did not have this problem rectified before leaving the US, the modifications for RN service being carried out in the UK. The other vessels in her class were modified in Vancouver ad their LP rotors were checked and corrected while in the dockyard. The reduction in speed meant that SLINGER had to drop out of the convoy and make her way towards Manus independently.
It was decided after radio messages were exchanged with RAFT and C-in-C BPF that SLINGER should proceed back through the Islands at best speed to Brisbane to under go repairs in the newly opened Cairncross Dry Dock, another unfortunate `First' - the first carrier ever to use it, just as she had been the first carrier in London.
SLINGER called at Manus on the 14th and arrived at Brisbane on April 19th but was unable to enter the dry dock until the 28th. The huge gear wheel that formed the LP rotor had to be taken out through the hangar deck and when examined it was found that many teeth had been damaged and these had to reshaped on a lathe to make all the teeth of a uniform size, about two-thirds of their original width. The repairs were to take four weeks, during which time VE Day was celebrated on May 8th. Upon putting back to sea on May 27th one side effect of the repair became apparent, she could now only achieve a maximum speed of 12 knots and therefore could no longer conduct flying operations. As a result she was reallocated to the role of Ferry Carrier, transporting replacement aircraft from Australia to Manus and the Philippines. This change in role saw SLINGER effectively become an auxiliary vessel, accordingly her pennant number was again changed, this time to A452.
HMS SLINGER wearing her auxiliary pennant number A452. Photo: Courtesy of David Yates
She arrived in Sydney on May 29th and work began on loading stores and embarking passengers in preparation for a round trip to Brisbane departing on June 3rd and arriving Brisbane on the 5th. After unloading the ship sailed for Sydney later that day on the return leg, during this passage very high seas and squalls were experienced adding a day to the voyage. On June 8th SLINGER sailed into Sydney and after passing under the great bridge moored at Pyrmont in readiness to embark her first ferry load.
At the beginning of July there was another change of commanding officer,
Captain Moore leaving to take up the post of Senior British Naval
Liaison Officer, Philippine. He was replaced as CO by the ship's
executive officer Commander J. G. Hopkins RN, an ex-submariner he had
joined SLINGER in February. SLINGER's new role also saw a
reduction in the size of the ship's company, a much smaller crew was now
required so many men were drafted to the RN Barracks,
HMS Golden Hind
in Sydney.
SLINGER next sailed as a ferry carrier bound for Manus carrying spare airframes as part of the build-up for the anticipated invasion of Japan now that Okinawa had been taken. She arrived at Manus on August 13th and was moored in Seeadler Harbour when the news of the Japanese surrender came over the radio. During this period the ship carried at least one cargo that comprised of 120 airframes.
After VJ Day (August 15th) SLINGER was recalled to Australia to join the humanitarian relief efforts that were to commence with the liberation of territories formerly held by the Japanese. On August 17th SLINGER anchored of Ponam Island and loaded a cargo of damaged aircraft for transport to T.A.M.Y. I (HMS Nabsford, Archerfield, Brisbane), and sailed for Australia. After unloading in Brisbane she proceeded to Sydney where she arrived at the end of the month to begin outfitting as a makeshift troop transport. Her hanger was to become a vast dormitory outfitted with tiers of bunks, and spaces previously used by the air engineering department were put to use.
On September 5th the advance party of HMS Nabcatcher (MONAB VIII) embarked. HMS SLINGER sailed for Hong Kong on the 9th carrying men, food and medical supplies for the relief of the colony. On route she called at Brisbane to take on more stores and Mindanao Bay in the Philippines to refuel.
In early October the ship arrived in Hong Kong and work began unloading stores in Kowloon; the work was undertaken by former Japanese Naval personnel who proved to be very efficient at the task. Japanese prisoners were employed extensively in the colony in the early months after the surrender, working parties marching to and from assignments were a common sight. After only a few days alongside work had to be suspended as SLINGER and the vessels of the BPF in Hong Kong were ordered out to sea to ride out a typhoon which was fast approaching the colony. A small working party remained ashore at Kai Tak airfield which was being reopened by MONAB 8, which was where much of the offloaded stores were being taken. The ships of the BPF spent five days at sea riding the typhoon before it was safe to re-enter Hong Kong. Work resumed unloading the remaining stores and the embarkation of the civilian prisoners of war from the Stanley Road Prison Camp began.
The passengers were civil servants, shipping company officials,
servicemen and their families. also embarked were three prisoners under
guard; these men, Major Boon, the Camp Commandant, an elderly Army
Lieutenant and a Sergeant, had been accused by their fellow prisoners of
collaborating with the Japanese and were to face court martial
proceeding back in Britain. The prisoners were under the charge of Lt.
Hughes, the ship's gunnery officer; he was also given custody of
documents about the Camp and photographs of the Japanese camp personnel
which were to be delivered to Naval Intelligence.
Upon her arrival back in Sydney SLINGER came alongside the wharf at Pyrmont, in Sydney Docks; large crowds met the ship, many were there to meet family members and loved ones. Major Boon and his fellow prisoners were transferred to the cruiser HMS DEVONSHIRE to be taken home for trial. SLINGER then sailed for her last round trip to the Admiralty Islands, via Brisbane, on arrival she lay off the reef at Ponam Island to load vehicles and equipment from MONAB 4 for ferrying to Australia. SLINGER arrived back in Sydney in early November.
SLINGER moved to a mooring alongside at Sirius Cove, where she began loading passengers and stores. The bulk of her passengers were personnel of MONAB 4 who began embarking on November 5th. There was also a contingent of female nursing staff taking passage to the UK. Major Boon also arrived back on board, having been transferred back to SLINGER after a spell in hospital in Sydney; DEVONSHIRE had already sailed for the UK as planned without him.
All loading completed, SLINGER slipped her moorings in Sirius Cove, Sydney, at 11:00 hours on the morning of Saturday November 10th 1945, bound for Fremantle. From there she made for Colombo to embark more passengers before making for the Suez Canal. The ship briefly called into Gibraltar before beginning the final leg of the journey, local leave was granted and the captain and navigator went ashore. While anchored in Gibraltar Roads a storm front developed, the wind soon increased to gale force and began to act on the ship causing her to drag her anchor and there was a danger that she would crash into the North Mole. The weather was too severe for the captain and other officers to return to the ship by boat, so the officer of the watch decided to take the initiative and called for the engine room to get the ship underway. Having checked the ship's drift the anchor was secured and SLINGER put to sea to weather the gale. The Captain and liberty men were re-embarked once the storm had abated.
The foul weather continued to dog SLINGER, all the way across the
Bay of Biscay and up the English Channel, as she made port at Portsmouth
on December 22nd. After unloading some of her passengers, cargo and mail
from the Far East she sailed for Plymouth. The sea was so rough on the
afternoon of Christmas Eve when SLINGER arrived off Plymouth
sound she could not pass the breakwater, instead she anchored in Cawsand
Bay until the weather eased sufficiently to allow her to secure
alongside at No 5 Jetty, Devonport naval dockyard on December 27th.
Major Boon was put ashore later that day, handed into the custody of an
armed escort for transportation to Exeter prison to await trial.
Once all the passengers had departed from the ship, leave was granted while work began removing certain items of Admiralty equipment from the ship; she was no longer required for service in the RN and was to be paid off and returned under the terms of the Lend-lease agreement. On January 16th 1946 SLINGER left Devonport for the Clyde to be de-stored in preparation for her decommissioning. On the 25th she left the Clyde for the last time and proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia.
CVE '32 was returned to U.S. Navy custody on February 27th 1946 at Norfolk Navy Yard. She was stricken for disposal on April 12th 1946 and put up for sale. She was sold into mercantile service on November 21st 1946 when she was purchased by the Robin Line (part of the Seas Shipping Co., Inc., of New York); on completion of her conversion into a passenger freighter she was renamed 'ROBIN MOWBRAY'. She operated on the company's weekly New York to South and East Africa run until she was sold for scrap and was broken up in Taiwan starting on January 29th 1970.
Last modified: 07 January 2024
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Shape: Standard, circular.
Blazon (Heraldic description) On a white field: An arm embowed, the hand grasping a sling, armed with a stone, in sinister, base, proper.
SLINGER:One who uses a sling for throwing missiles, as in ancient warfare. Both the design and the motto are references to the parable of ‘David and Goliath’ were an ordinary person, using simple weapon, overcame am enemy’s much larger proud champion who boasted he was unbeatable.
Unofficial badge:
Although an official pattern was approved in 1943 an unofficial design, believed to have been submitted for consideration by the ships officers while the ship was building was widely used in materials relating to the ship throughout her service. It comprised of a field of white with six barry wavy white and blue in base; an arm, the hand grasping a sling, armed with a stone, in sinister, proper, with a boat hook Saltirewise, gold. This design was in a Diamond shield and was possibly looking back to the Catapult trials ship - SLINGER from the First World War.
For explanations of heraldic terms see the
Royal
Navy Ship's Badges page.
Logistic Support Group
Comprised of the CVEs SPEAKER (CAP) and STRIKER (Replenishment), CRANE, FINDHORN, WHIRLWIND, Tankers CEDARDALE, SAN ADOLPHO and SAN AMBROSIO.
CloseNote:Anecdotal evidence suggests that a cable did exist in naval stores but due to it being poorly marked it was not listed as being in stock. It was discovered several months later by chance.
Close Logistic Support Group
Comprised of the CVEs SPEAKER (CAP) and STRIKER (Replenishment), CRANE, FINDHORN, PHEASANT, WHIRLWIND and KEMPENFELT, Tankers CEDARDALE, SAN ADOLPHO and SAN AMBROSIO.
Close Logistic Support Group
Comprised of the CVEs SPEAKER (CAP) and SLINGER (Replenish), PIRIE, BENDIGO, PARRET, WOODCOCK Tankers (RFA) ARNDALE, AASE MAERSK, (RFA) DINGLEDALE, (RFA) WAVE KING, (RFA) WAVE MONARCH. .
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Comments (5)
My wife's father was the AB Jack Hill mentioned under Seattle: Working up the ship.
"Asbury" refers to HMS Asbury (later known as HMS Saker 11) which was a shore based transit accommodation for the Royal Navy located just outside New York City and used by crews picking up ships allocated to the Royal Navy under the provisions of Lend-Lease from the USA. He would have been on board for the handover ceremony at Portland, Oregon on 11/08/1943 and when the ship hit a mine in 1944. He was transferred to HMS STRIKER in June 1944, at the same time Capt Bingley left.
Any idea what a Greaser did on board?
On STRIKER he became a Donkeyman - what did they do?