HMT Lord Hailsham

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMT Lord Hailsham
Namesake	Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham
Builder	Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd, Selby
Launched	30 June 1934
Completed	August 1934
Acquired	August 1939
Commissioned	October 1939
Fate	Sunk on 27 February 1943
General characteristics
Type	Armed trawler
Displacement	445 tons
Length	156 feet (48 m)
Sensors and processing systems	ASDIC
Armament	1 × 4-inch (100 mm) gun 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon machine guns 14 depth charges 1 × Holman Projector (installed later)

HMT Lord Hailsham (FY109) was a Royal Navy vessel that saw service in the Second World War. The ship was named after Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham.

Service history

Lord Hailsham was a trawler converted to be used in anti-submarine warfare. She had a 4-inch (100 mm) gun forward and 20 mm Oerlikon machine guns on the wings of the bridge, which could be used for anti-aircraft and anti-ship actions. She was also equipped with ASDIC anti-submarine sonar detection equipment, and carried up to 14 depth charges. Later on, she was equipped with a Holman Projector.

A crest of the Hailsham Family was given to the ship in 1942 at the request of First Lieutenant Reginald Mortimore, and was displayed on the front of the ship's bridge.

The ship saw action in the English Channel, and the Eastern Atlantic.

Fate

Lord Hailsham was on convoy duty when she was sunk on 27 February 1943 in Lyme Bay by German E-boats. At the time she was one of five armed ships, led by the Hunt Class destroyer HMS Blencathra, escorting a convoy of eight merchant vessels from South Wales to Southampton. Four of the merchant ships were also lost in the action.

One of her crew, Seaman James Robert Beatty (Royal Naval Reserve), was Mentioned in Despatches due to his prompt action which helped to save lives when the ship was hit.

External links

• Lord Hailsham at uboat.net