Postby Brian Holmes » Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:51 pm
ML_130 Frank Curtis Ltd, Looe, Cornwall 9/10/40
For an action with enemy light forces off Malta in which the boat was sunk after a stout defence 7/5/42
DSC TLt David Robert Hamilton Jolly RNVR
DSC TLt Frederick Roy Price-Fox RNVR
DSM LSto Victor James Fisher P/KX88846
DSM AB James McNeill Wilson P/SSX26299
DSM Tel Leslie Norman Atherley C/JX135392
MID AB John Brown C/SSX26364
Known Crew
TLt David Robert Hamilton Jolly RNVR TLt 12/1/41 HMS Cormorant for MLs 1/10/41 Commanding Officer ML 130 HMS Cormorant 1944
TLt Frederick Roy Price-Fox RNVR ML 130 TLt 4/5/43
TSLt George Raymond Worledge RANVR HMAS Moresby, TSLt Stood by ML 130 and ML 124 Commanding Officer ML 220 TLt 16/8/41 Commanding Officer ML 352 6/42 - 9/42 HMAS Cerberus
LSto Victor James Fisher P/KX88846
AB John Brown C/SSX26364 Killed in action 7/5/42 aged 20. He was the son of John and Margaret Brown of Sunderland, County Durham.
AB Albert Henry Williams C/JX 141928 Killed in action 7/5/42 aged 23. Son of Henry and Rosina Williams, of Radlett, Hertfordshire
AB James McNeill Wilson P/SSX26299
Ord Thomas Wilson Finlay D/JX 257816 Killed in action 7/5/42 aged 32. Son of George and Agnes Finlay, of Edinburgh Buried in Syracuse War Cemetery, Sicily III. E. 12.
Sto2 John William Middlemiss C/KX 118740 (Killed in action 7/5/42) Age 28 Son of Thomas and Isabella Middlemiss, of Shiremoor; husband of Gladys Middlemiss, of Shiremoor, Northumberland.
Tel Leslie Norman Atherley C/JX135392
Wartime Activities
3rd ML Flotilla at Portsmouth
ML 121, ML 123, ML 126, ML 129, ML 130, ML 132, ML 134 and ML 135
12/4/41 Destroyers HMS Kashmir and HMS Jackal and corvette HMS Spirae depart the UK for Gibraltar escorting 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla ML 121, ML 129, ML 130, ML 132, ML 134, ML 135, and ML 168
17/4/41 Destroyers HMS Kashmir and HMS Jackal and corvette HMS Spirae arrived at Gibraltar escorting 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla ML 121, ML 129, ML 130, ML 132, ML 134, ML 135, and ML 168
7/41 3rd ML Flotilla at Gibraltar
ML 121, ML 129, ML 130, ML 132, ML 134, ML 135 and ML 168
25/7/41 Light cruiser HMS Manchester returned to Gibraltar, escorted by destroyer Avon Vale, with three out of four engines inoperative.Before arriving at Gibraltar, destroyers Vidette and Vimy joined the screen. Destroyer Wishart later sailed and relieved destroyer Avon Vale.Tug St Day departed Gibraltar to assist. They arrived at Gibraltar shortly before midnight. Motor launches ML 130, ML 126, ML 168, ML 121, and ML 129 departed Gibraltar to sweep ahead of the cruiser and provide additional escort. Later, tugs Rollicker and St Omar with ML 173, and ML 169 departed to join the cruiser
2/8/41 ML 130, ML 129 and ML 168 departed Gibraltar to conduct an anti-submarine search north of Alboran Island
13/11/41 When carrier HMS Ark Royal is torpedoed, sestroyer HMS Wild Swan, tugs St Day and Thames, and ML 121, ML 130, ML 132, ML 135, ML 170, ML 172, and ML 176 departed Gibraltar to assist. Tugs Thames and St Day arrived and took the carrier in tow
1/42 ML 121, ML 126, ML 129, ML 130, ML 132, ML 134, ML 135, ML 168 at Gibraltar
12/3/42 At 2130, ML 126 and ML 130 depart Gibraltar passing through the straits and flying the Italian ensign
17/3/42 ML 126 and ML 130, arrive in Malta.
7/5/42 S 31, S 34 and S 61 sink the British ML 130 off Malta, by gunfire and scuttling charges, in position 35.55n 14.37e . ML 130 was employed in escorting submarines in and out of harbour. After one such mission ML 130 was approximately one mile off St Elmo breakwater when illuminated by searchlights attempting to find reported E Boats which had followed ML 130 back up the swept channel. There were seven E Boats and three of them were sunk in the ensuing action. ML 130 was overwhelmed with four dead, eight severely injured and one man uninjured. The nine survivors were picked up by German vessels
ML 130 on patrol. At 0143 a hot action took place about six miles off Grand Harbour, lasting about twenty minutes. Nearly an hour later there was a loud explosion, and a vessel which appeared to be ML 130 was seen burning until five o'clock.
The R.A.F. rescue launch proceeded to the spot but searched unsuccessfully for survivors. Wreckage and part of a carley float established the fact that ML 130 had been lost probably due to an explosion caused by a fire started during an action with an enemy light craft
Precis of an article published in Navy News April 1996 about Frederick Roy Price-Fox
Part of 2nd ML Flotilla at Gibraltar was fitted with extra fuel tanks and material to alter the silhouette with the intention of making passage to Malta. ML 139 flew a Spanish ensign whilst proceeding east off French held territory and the French flag off Italian held Teritory. Hoisted a German ensign when overflown by Italian aircraft.
Approaching Malta at daybreak they were proceeding under an ‘escort’ of German aircraft then ML 130 made a dash for the breakwater.
At Malta, ML 130 was employed in escorting submarines in and out of harbour. After one such mission ML 130 was approximately one mile off St Elmo breakwater when illuminated by searchlights attempting to find reported E Boats which had followed ML 130 back up the swept channel. There were seven E Boats and three of them were sunk in the ensuing action. ML 130 was overwelmed with four dead, eight severely injured and one man uninjured. The nine survivors were picked up by German vessels.
Frederick Roy Price-Fox was in hospital in Augusta, Sicily with shrapnel in the head, shoulder, one arm and the right leg for eight weeks before being sent to a POW camp in Germany for the rest of the war.