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Parthian (N 75)

Built By: Chatham Dockyard (Medway)
Build Group: P
Fate: Lost after striking a mine in southern Adriatic on 6th August 1943.

Parthian

Parthian (N 75)

Parthian and Olympus

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1930-1931: Portsmouth.
1931-1940: China Station.
1940-1941 1st Flotilla: HMS Medway, Alexandria.
1941-1942: Refit in USA.
1942-1943: Mediterranean.

It should be noted that boats attached to 1st Flotilla in Alexandria were likely to spend much of their time at Malta even though Malta had been given up as a submarine base due to the air attacks. Although submarines did still operate from Malta during this period the 10th Flotilla was not recognised as such until September 1941.

1941 - Sinks or damages three transport of 12,600 tons.

July/October/November 1942 - Employed on the "Magic Carpet" run to Malta.

Roll of Honour
67
Adamson, Henry George Owen
C/JX 145339
Born: 24th Feb, 1920.
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Telegraphist
Aldred, Alfred Herbert
C/J 97729
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 39
Able Seaman
Barnsdale, Charles Frederick
P/JX 203397
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 26
Able Seaman
Bond, Richard Henry
P/JX 144731
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Petty Officer
Bullen, Walter
D/SSX 16368
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 29
Able Seaman
Chalmers, John
P/KX 79304
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 36
Stoker Petty Officer
Clasper, Henry
C/KX 106419
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 27
Stoker 1st Class
Cleary, James Patterson
P/SSX 26433
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Leading Seaman
Crane, Gladwin
C/JX 156254
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Petty Officer
Currell, Ronald Ernest William DSM
C/KX 107159
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class
Denby, Eric
P/SSX 15134
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 29
Petty Officer
Dennis, Frank DSM
P/JX 12663
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Petty Officer
Doran, Edward James
D/JX 161271
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 20
Able Seaman
Elnor, Edward
P/KX 134891
Born: 1st Apr, 1921.
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Stoker 1st Class
Ethell, Frederick
C/JX 147570
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Leading Telegraphist
Fay, Owen Clement
C/KX 134852
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 20
Stoker 1st Class
Ford, Peter
D/JX 151156
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Yeoman of Signals
Forster, Lawrence
C/SSX 27324
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Leading Seaman
Gibson, Henry
D/SSX 28717
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Able Seaman
Gibson, Wesley
D/JX 149209
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Gilliam, Frederick
P/KX 136124
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Goodwin, John Charles
C/JX 164968
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 40
Petty Officer
Also had Service Number Ex.J86924
Goodwin, John Frederick (RNVR)
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 24
Sub Lieutenant
Grainger, David
P/SSX 22974
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Green, Harold
C/JX 130775
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 31
Petty Officer Telegraphist
Hall, Ernest Marland
P/MX 88746
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 26
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Hannah, Walter Sidney
C/KX 136677
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 20
Stoker 1st Class
Hanson, Walter
D/KX 93319
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class
Haywood, Frederick Clifford
P/KX 135578
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class
Heaton, James DSM
C/JX 223596
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 25
Able Seaman
Heenan, Thomas Michael Halpin
C/JX 208177
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 27
Able Seaman
Hetherington, Ronald
D/JX 257390
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 32
Able Seaman
Hill, Bryan David
P/JX 146413
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Holman, Harold
C/KX 134907
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 21
Stoker 1st Class
Imrie, Douglas
P/SSX 20542
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 24
Able Seaman
Jacob, Lionel Claude Nathaniel
C/SMX 19
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 28
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Jones, Edward Thomas
P/JX 234590
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Able Seaman
Jones, James
D/KX 114491
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class
Jones, Samuel
D/KX 130579
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 21
Stoker 2nd Class
Keenan, Peter
P/MX 49153
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 29
Petty Officer Cook
Lightfoot, Frank
C/KX 80765
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Petty Officer
McCabe, John MID
P/SSX 23239
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
McCaig, James
D/LX 26009
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Leading Steward
Official number in ADM140_133 is D/SLX 20
Nunn, Albert
D/MX 59141
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Palmer, George Walter
C/JX 162289
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 20
Telegraphist
Pardoe, Cyril Astell (RNR)
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 31
Lieutenant
Parker, Kenneth Henry
D/JX 208617
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Potter, Dennis Walter
P/MX 78677
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Price, Alfred Kenneth MID
D/KX 85715
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 27
Petty Officer
Rumble, Joseph
P/SSX 16820
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 27
Petty Officer
Smithson, John
P/JX 235991
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman
Speed, Frederick Alexander (RNZN)
NZ 3753
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman
Starkey, James Edward
C/JX 232123
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Ordinary Telegraphist
Stewart, Frederick Arthur John
C/KX 113741
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 26
Stoker 1st Class
Sykes, John Cleveland
D/MX 56722
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 30
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Tallis, Reginald George
P/KX 93121
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 26
Leading Stoker
Toogood, John William
P/KX 132374
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 30
Stoker 1st Class
Von Bergen, Mark Allen
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 22
Lieutenant
Walker, John Timothy Ryder
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Sub Lieutenant
Wallis, Morris Stanley
D/M 38846
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 33
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class
Webb, Frederick James
P/JX 282232
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 20
Able Seaman
Weir, James Collins
P/JX 156663
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 20
Leading Telegraphist
Wheble, Roy De la Force MID
D/MX 56474
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 25
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Whincup, Albert Lewis
C/KX 94539
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 27
Leading Stoker
Wilson, John Robert
P/SSX 24567
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Leading Seaman
Wolfe, George Alex
C/MX 76034
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Worthington, Frederick
P/KX 111894
Died: 6th Aug, 1943.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class

Events

30-06-1928  Laid Down
26-06-1929  Launched
13-01-1931  Completed
20-06-1940  Scored the first hit in the Mediterranean when sinking the Italian submarine Diamante off Tobruk
20-07-1940  HMS Parthian landed an agent on Crete
30-08-1940  Unsuccessful attack on Italian cruiser force
25-06-1941  HMS Parthian torpedoes and sinks the French submarine Souffleur during the Syrian campaign.
06-08-1943  Mined & sunk in Mediterranean

In July HMS Parthian sailed from Malta for a patrol in the southern Adriatic. On the 26th she was ordered to patrol off Capo Otranto. This order was cancelled on the 28th when a new patrol area was given. The submarine was signalled on 6th August to leave the patrol. This signal was not acknowledged and not further contact was made with the submarine. Parthian was due to arrive at Beirut on 11th August, her failure to do so was probably caused by a mine on or around 6th August.

Adoption

Credit: Dr Peter Schofield
Credit: Dr Peter Schofield
Credit: Dr Peter Schofield
Officially adopted by Boston Municipal Borough and Rural District
Warship Week from 14 Mar 1942 to 21 Mar 1942
During its warship week, the community raised £342,287 in National Savings. Although plaques were exchanged in early February 1943, the likelihood is that the presentation plaque never reached Parthian as she would have been on active service. Parthian was lost later that year.

Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian, Saturday 2 May 1942
Lord Kindersley, president of the National Savings Committee, has sent the following letter to the Mayor of Boston: Dear Mr. Mayor I am writing to ask you to accept personally and to convey to all others who have contributed to the success of Boston Warship Week my warmest thanks and appreciation. This special effort, resulting in the adoption of HMS Parthian will not only force a closer link between the people of Boston and the Royal Navy, but will also provide a lasting record of their patriotism.

Lincoln Standard and Boston Guardian, Saturday 27 November 1943
A Rural District Committee is making excellent progress in its efforts to stimulate the Savings Campaign in the country areas following the formation of the Committee as a separate organisation, with the task of raising the sum of £225,000 in savings in the thirteen weeks ending on the 31 January, 1944. This figure represents half the cost of replacing HMS Parthian, which was adopted by the town and district in Warship Week 1942, and was unfortunately lost earlier this year. A public meeting will be held at the Town Hall, Kirton. when Mr. H W Butcher, MP. will inaugurate the new Parthian campaign.

Following the loss of HMS Parthian in 1943, a new campaign was inaugurated to raise £225,000, half the cost of a replacement, in early 1944.

Note: A second adoption plaque presented to the Rural District exists somewhere.
Submarine Adoptions

Official
P Specification
Length overall  289 ft 2 inch
Beam  28 ft
Draught  13 ft 8 inch
Displacement   1760 tons (surface)
  2040 tons (submerged)
Diving Depth  500 ft
Speed  Surface 17 to 17.5 knots (design)
  Surface 17.5 knots (service)
  Submerged 9 knots (design)
  Submerged 8.5 knots (service)
No. of shafts  2
Propeller  3 blades, 6 ft 5 inch dia
Endurance  Surface: 11400 miles at 8 knots (design)
  Surface: 10750 miles at 8 knots (service)
  Submerged: 60 miles at 4 knots (design)
  Submerged: 8.5 miles at 8.5 knots or 70 miles at 4 knots (service)
Armament  6 x 21 inch bow tubes
  2 x 21 inch stern tubes
  (14 torpedoes carried)
  1 x 4 inch gun
Complement   53
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