The Story in Pictures
|
Ever since I could remember I had often heard my family mention my Great Uncle, Bill Piper who died in World War Two, serving on HMS Glowworm. As a result of my research, and my attempts to find out how he died; what follows is a brief summary of the ship's history and the events leading up to her date with destiny on that fateful day |
||
|
HMS Glowworm, (H92) a 'G' class destroyer was launched on 22nd July 1935. She weighed 1,345 tons. She was armed with four 4.7 inch guns; seven anti-aircraft/machine guns; ten 21 inch torpedo tubes and depth charges. She cost £300,000 to build and had a complement of 145. |
||
|
Her first peacetime duties were in the Mediterranean which included escort work at the time of the Spanish Civil War and the Munich Crisis. It seemed that Glowworm was developing a habit of colliding with things in an uncanny similarity to her destiny, after she hit HMS Grenade, her sister ship, in May 1939, whilst on night exercises and the Swedish Ship Rex in February 1940. Both collisions resulting in her undertaking extensive damage repair. |
||
|
On 22nd July 1938 Lieutenant Commander Gerard Broadmead Roope was appointed in command of Glowworm. A competent career naval officer, well liked and respected by his men. His ship's company called him 'Old Ardover', for his habit of altering course at a moment's notice and 'Rammer Roope' as a result of the events described above. At the Outbreak of World War Two, Glowworm was based at Harwich. On 5th April 1940 She left for the stormy waters of Norway as one of the escorts for the Battle Cruiser Renown, dispatched to intercept the expected German invasion force. |
||
|
|
||