Cyclops (F31) 1905 - 1947
| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Fate: | Scrapped at Newport July 1947. |
Pennant Numbers
- A1 (1914)
- C5 (Jan 1918)
HMS Cyclops was a civilian ship, Indrabarah purchased on the stocks in 1905 for use as a depot ship and served in the Mediterranean, and returned to Home Waters late in 1939 where she spent the war years.
Roll of Honour |
7
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| Harsant, Peter C/SSX 20306 | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 33 | ||
| from Little Welnetham, Suffolk | |||
| Son of Peter and Annie Harsant and the foster son of Mrs E M Seal of Little Welnetham, Suffolk. One of Three Submariners are reported to have died in Norway in May 1945. It is unclear why they were in Norway and it is not reported how they died but the Norwegian Navy was operating U Class Submarines on loan but were in the process of being gifted several more submarines and there three may have been on Loan or Liaison duties. The circumstances of their deaths are not yet established. |
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| Howard, Walter Charles Daniel D/MX 508074 | |||
| Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | Aged: 22 | ||
| from Plymouth | |||
| Son of William Howard and Nora Coumbo Howard of Plymouth and the husband of Dorothy Evelyn Howard of Oreston, Plymouth One of Three Submariners are reported to have died in Norway in May 1945. It is unclear why they were in Norway and it is not reported how they died but the Norwegian Navy was operating U Class Submarines on loan but were in the process of being gifted several more submarines and there three may have been on Loan or Liaison duties. The circumstances of their deaths are not yet established. |
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| Lindon, Frederick George O/N P/MX 503521 | |||
| Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | Aged: 23 | ||
| from Foleshill, Warwickshire | |||
| Son of Frederick George and Selina May Lindon of Foleshill, Warwickshire One of Three Submariners are reported to have died in Norway in May 1945. It is unclear why they were in Norway and it is not reported how they died but the Norwegian Navy was operating U Class Submarines on loan but were in the process of being gifted several more submarines and there three may have been on Loan or Liaison duties. The circumstances of their deaths are not yet established. |
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| Beldon, Edgar (RNVR) | |||
| Died: 30th Apr, 1944. | |||
| Acting Lieutenant Commander | Aged: 42 | ||
| The son of Albert Beldon (a Solicitor) and Bertha Lawson Beldon. He first joined the RNVR in September 1918 and served in the Cruiser HMS Vindictive but was demobilised after the 1918 Armistice. He was a Director of the firm of Langley, Beldon & Gaunt Ltd Wool Merchants and Wool Brokers. He volunteered for further service in the 2nd World War although details of his service are limited. In April 1944 he was serving in the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Cyclops at Rothesay when he was drowned in a sailing accident along with Commander (E) Barry Leonard. He was the husband of Maria Lambert Beldon (nee Gaunt) |
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| Leonard, Barrie Warsop Cooper | |||
| Died: 30th Apr, 1944. | |||
| Commander | Aged: 33 | ||
| from Portsmouth | |||
| Born in Portsmouth in 1911, he was the youngest son of Paymaster-in-Chief William Vancouver Theodore Leonard, RN, and Georgina Maud Leonard. His siblings were Mercedes Kathleen, Edward Mailand Cooper, Theodore Cooper Leader, and Lois Monica. At the time of the 1911 Census on 2nd April 1911 the Leonard family were living at No. 7, The Parade, in HM Dockyard, Portsmouth. In the 1921 Census he was listed as a boarder at 37, Watts Avenue, Rochester in Kent, both of his parents were noted as deceased and he was a pupil in the Junior School of King's Cathedral Grammar School in Rochester. He joined the Royal Navy as a Midshipman (E) at the Royal Naval Engineering College at Keyham in Devonport on 10th January 1929 for Engineering Training. He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant (E) on 1st May 1931 and to Lieutenant (E) on 16 April 1933. On 29th August 1935 Barry Leonard was appointed to the Battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth, 1st Battle Squadron in the Mediterranean and on recommissioning, He joined Submarines on 4th January 1937 when he was appointed to HMS Dolphin for the Submarine Course. He embarked in SS Ranpura at London for Hong Kong on 22nd October 1937and joined Submarine HMS Rorqual as the Engineer on 15th May 1938. On his return to UK he was appointed to HMS President on 26th December 1939 'for the Engineer-in-Chief's Department'. Promotion to Lieutenant Commander (E) followed on 6th April 1941. On 15th March 1943 Barry Leonard was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Forth. On 15th April 1944 he was further promoted to Acting Commander (E) and was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Cyclops at Rothesay as the Engineer Commander and for Flotilla duties. Barry Leonard was accidentally drowned in Rothesay Bay as a result of a sailing accident. Lieutenant Commander Edgar Belson, also of HMS Cyclops, was drowned in the same accident. Barry Leonard was the husband of Patricia Beatrice Eden Neate, eldest daughter of Commander Charles Eden Neate, RN and Dorothy Tucker. |
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| Fisher, William Edward P/J 98921 | Born: 5th May, 1905. | ||
| Died: 26th Apr, 1945. | |||
| Chief Petty Officer | Aged: 39 | ||
| from Wrexham, Denbighshire | |||
| William Fisher joined the Navy as a Boy Seaman on 17th September 1920 and, as a Torpedoman served mainly in Cruisers and in the Aircraft Carriers Glorious, Furious and Hermes and in the Battleship HMS Barham. By 1940 he was a Chief Petty Officer (LTO) and was later drafted to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Cyclops. He was taken ill with a toxemia of unknown origin and died from myocardial failure in the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow. He was the husband of Ellen Maud Fisher (nee Pilcher) and the father on Ronald Arthur Fisher. |
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| Polatch, Henry Alfred C/MX 92400 | Born: 7th Apr, 1916. | ||
| Died: 11th Aug, 1945. | |||
| Acting Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | Aged: 29 | ||
| from Croydon, Surrey | |||
| The son of Frederick Stephen Polatch (a Royal Navy Gunner) and Lily Kathleen Polatch (nee Dyster), of Purley, Surrey. In the 1921 Census the Polatch family were listed as living at 44, Pendevon Road, Croydon and his father was now listed as a ledger manager for a corn and seed merchant. Henry had an older brother Stephen, a younger brother Walter and a younger sister Irene. In December 1935 both Henry and his elder brother Stephen were seriously injured when a motorcycle they were riding was in a collision with a car in London Road, Ashford in Kent. Henry was later awarded damages for his injuries. Henry Polatch joined the Royal Navy as an Acting Engine Room Artificer and in August 1945 he was serving in the Submarine Depot Ship HMS CYCLOPS. It is reported that he died from multiple injuries sustained in an explosion which occurred during demolition training exercises. Note that his younger brother also joined the Royal Navy. Petty Office Writer, Walter Polatch served in HMS Hurworth but was lost at sea on 22nd October 1943. |
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Events
| 27-10-1905 | Launched |
| 31-01-1920 | Reduced to reserve at Sheerness |
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