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See page 2 for the story behind this, the original crest

Wild Goose

Wild Goose on 7th May 1946

The majority of these images are from Terry Briody. His dad, Tom, served on HMS Wild Goose.
A huge thank you to Terry Briody for his financial support for this entire site. As a direct result
I have extended the hosting 'life' of this site by 2 further years.

The War Diary of HMS Wild Goose is reprinted below, and below that, email messages.

Hanging on the wall in the Maritime Museum Liverpool, this plate "Wild Goose" - April 2005	HMS Wild Goose enters Gladstone Dock following the "6 In One Trip"
Tom Briody	Wild Goose Gun Crew, Tom Briody, far rear left
	Tom is to the back of this "frozen" Arctic image, wearing the hooded coat looking downright miserable. Apparently they had been ice scrapping all day
Wild Goose with a captured U Boat Dinghy L-R: A/B V Kilgour; CPO J Westwood & L/S Albuary The reverse of the above image has the following:
	Starling & Wild Goose back in Liverpool after having sunk U-202
B Gun Wild Goose March 1944 Crew: JG Wall; WD Ashwood; I Waterhouse; N Culley; CS Whatman Probably taken in Gladstone Dock, Liverpool	His Majesty King George VI visits HMS Wild Goose in Liverpool. Image courtesy of Joe Wilkinson/Terry Briody
The Queen visits HMS Wild Goose in Liverpool. Image courtesy of Joe Wilkinson/Terry Briody	See page 2 for details
This photograph was given to my mother by Wild Gooseman Don Bones, who still lives in St.Helens. Starling rammed a U boat (U 119) and Walker and some officers were rowed over  to the Wild Goose to continue after another (U449). On the oar in the "middlish" of the photo is my dad and Don Bones himself, The next photo identifies these two. Terry Briody
	Close up of Joe Wilkinson Don Bones recently attended the Wild Goose Association meeting in Portsmouth and says there are only three members left. - Terry Briody

CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF WAR SERVICE FOR H.M. ESCORT SLOOP WILD GOOSE 

ADOPTED BY THE CIVIL COMMUNITY OF WORSELEY, LANCASHIRE 

Compiled by G.B. Mason Lieutenant Commander Royal Navy (Rtd.)

 Index 

Introduction.

General Information: Escort Sloops.

H. M. Escort Sloop Wild Goose.  

Copyright : G.B. Mason, Bristol June 1997.

“SLOOP” ESCORT VESSELS  General Information  The title “Sloop” has been used by the Royal Navy since the 17th Century to describe warships carrying out auxiliary naval duties and not deployed as Ships of the Line. By the beginning of  the 19th Century it was applied to any smaller “square-rigged” ship with three masts. After the introduction of steam later that Century only those craft attached to training ships were given this title. By 1904 its use had lapsed.  During WW1 the title was reintroduced for the FLOWER Class of minesweeping  vessels also used for patrol and miscellaneous tasks with the Fleet. After the armistice in 1918 HUNT Class minesweepers were also described as Minesweeping Sloops. In 1924 the need for replacement of wartime built minesweepers had been recognised and work on a new design of Sloop commenced. The resultant ship had a minesweeping capability and the endurance needed by a warship deployed on foreign stations. The first ships built to this specification were the twp BRIDGEWATER  Class and both were ready for service  in 1929. They displaced 1,045 tons with an overall length of 264 feet 6 inches, a beam of 34 feet and a draught of 11 feet 5 inches. A single  4” gun for engaging surface targets and another HIGH angle 4” gun for AA defence were provided. Although the design included depth charge throwers and rails these were not fitted but were kept ashore for installation in war, The minesweeping gear was always installed as a permanent feature. It was initially intended to fit diesel engines in one ship and geared turbines in the other and to carry out comparative trials , but as no British diesel machinery was available this requirement had to be forgone. Turbine machinery with  a shaft horsepower of  2,000 produced a speed of 16/17 knots. Although as designed the Complement was 100 this increased in war when additional equipment was fitted. In the next 5 years another 13 ships of the same basic design came into service, these were designed to carry submarine detection equipment (ASDIC) which was a known essential in ships used for convoy defence. The need for a ship intended to be used as an escort to also carry minesweeping gear was in serious doubt by the early 1930’s. Specialist minesweepers were required and the provision of an effective anti-aircraft armament in convoy escorts was gradually being accepted. Ships in the next Class of Sloop were built between 1933 and 1936. These were GRIMSBY Class and initially all were fitted for minesweeping, except one which was fitted for use as a minelayer. During service ships in this Class were re-armed with twin 4” HA guns and the minesweeping gear was removed in some. The design of the later BITTERN and BLACK SWAN Classes included 3 twin 4” HA guns to provide effective AA defence and a large number of depth charges for attacks against submarines. I order to provide a more stable platform for gunnery purposes they were fitted with stabilisers to reduce the effects of roll. However, wartime experience revealed a major deficiency. The lack of a suitable fire-control system for the main armament during air attacks significantly reduced the effectiveness of the excellent 4” mountings fitted. Ships in these two Classes were larger (1,250 and 1,300 tons) but had a higher shaft horsepower in order to maintain speeds up to 19 knots.  During WW2  twenty-nine  Sloops were built to an improved BLACK SWAN design with displacement of 1,920 tons and a speed of 19.5 knots with an increased AA armament.  Many of the earlier Classes of Sloop which had been stationed overseas in September 1939 were recalled to UK for escort of Atlantic convoys and were well able to remain operational under these adverse conditions. The later BITTERN and BLACK SWAN Classes gave most outstanding service in Support Groups deployed to seek out and destroy U-Boats operating in packs in the Atlantic. Their excellent A/S and AA capabilities proved ideal for this duty. As soon as radar became available  it was fitted for fire control and surface warning and provided accurate ranging data. H.M.S. WILD GOOSE (U 45) Modified “BLACK SWAN” Class Sloop ordered from Yarrow’s at Scotstoun under 1940 Build Programme on 13th April 1940. The ship was laid down on 28th January 1942 and launched on 14th October 1942 by Mrs Yarrow as the 1st RN ship to carry the name. Build was completed on 11th March 1943 and an anti-submarine ahead throwing mortar (HEDGEHOG) was fitted as well as radar equipment for surface warning radar (Type 272) and fire control radar (Type 285). Following a successful ‘WARSHIP WEEK’ National Savings campaign in February 1942 the ship had been ‘adopted’ by the civil community of Worsley, Lancashire. This Sloop was part of the 2nd Escort Group commanded by Captain F.J.Walker  RN , the most renowned of all anti-submarine specialists, who died during his service in sister ship H.M.S. STARLING as Senior Officer of the Group in July 1944 (See RELENTLESS PURSUIT by Captain D.E.G.Wemyss who succeeded him in command of the Group and was in command of H.M.S. WILD  GOOSE) she was the most successful of all the anti-submarine ships during WW2. I am unsure of the Hedgehog reference above as my infroamtion is that only Mermaid has this in Walkers group?   Battle Honours ATLANTIC 1943 – 1944 BISCAY 1943 NORMANDY 1944      ARCTIC 1944 ENGLISH CHANNEL 1945

Post War Notes 

HMS WILD GOOSE was not required for deployment in Far East after VJ and the ship paid off and reduced to Reserve on completion of refit on 17^th September . However, in 1946 she was brought forward for service in the Persian Gulf. Apart from refit and re-commissioning period the ship was deployed in the Middle East until 1955 when she returned to UK to be placed on the Disposal List. Sold for breaking up in February 1956 this Sloop arrived at the breakers at Bo’ness on the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh on 26^th February. See page 4 for images of the period 1946 onwards.

Convoy Route To Russia

Small portions of the following are repeats of above information, but kept together for continuity

HMS Wild Goose was one of thirteen sloops of the Black Swan class which were built just prior to and during, WW2. These ships with their twenty four close sisters of the Modified Black Swan class were found to be amongst the most efficient ships for escort duties with the heaviest armament for ships of their size anywhere in the world. They were capable of all operations, having both a good anti-submarine and ant-aircraft armament. Wild Goose was built by Yarrow and Co. of Scotstoun, Glasgow, one of four ships of this class constructed by that company. She was laid down on 28^th January 1942, launched on 14^th October the same year and ,after fitting out, was completed on the 11^th March 1943. She displaced over 1,300 tons, with a length overall of 299 ft. 6ins., an extreme beam of 38 ft. 6 ½ ins. And a draught of 10 ft. 6 ins. Her normal war complement was 180 officers and men. Her machinery consisted of two shaft geared turbines of 3,600 S.H.P. and two Admiralty three drum boilers, to give her a maximum speed of 19 ¼ knots. Although not as fast as destroyers, these sloops had a very useful built in range, and were employed to form the long range escort groups of “Hunter-Killer” ships at a time when the U boat was causing very serious losses to the convoys supplying our strategic industries. These ships with other similar types would seek the U boats rather than stay with a convoy and let the U boat seek them. They were also used to add additional  weight to the convoy escort, when extra anti-submarine defences were required after the convoy had been located and the U boat pack were closing in.

Wild Goose 1943

Wild Goose has additional equipment that was not fitted to earlier ships of the class .Her main dual purpose main armament of three twin 4 inch, Mk.X1X high angle mountings was standard to the class, and could give a very good account of themselves. As designed she was to have received two twin 40mm Bofors (Hazemeyer) anti-aircraft guns amidships, but as these were not completed in time single Mk 1V 20mm Oerlikons were fitted until they became available.  Single 20mm were fitted on the bridge wings, with two Mk.V 20mm power operated Oerlikons fitted aft on the quarter deck. The anti-submarine armament consisted of four depth charge throwers with their adjacent loading racks and depth charge rails aft. She carried Type 144 Asdic, for underwater search, and 272 surface search radar, in the lantern on the platform back aft. This could be placed higher than the earlier Type 271 having an improved power source to give slightly increased range for locating surfaced “U” boats. Thus, with everything operational, she could detect targets both above and below the surface. An additional assistance was the high-frequency direction finder (HF/DF) frame fitted at the masthead. With this she was able to pin-point radio signals from a transmitting “U” boat, and the target could be sought before it could get to the convoy, or home other “U” boats towards the convoy to form the hunting pack. Right forward are the chains for streaming parvanes, for minesweeping, if contact mines were thought to be present. Other extra items were the stabiliser fins, fittings intended to decrease the roll of the ship at sea, and provide a steadier gun platform. These fins were stowed when not required to reduce resistance, and in close company they were quite capable of penetrating any hull they came into contact with. Opinions varied as to their usefulness, as they were prone to mechanical trouble, and many Commanding Officers thought that the stabiliser space could be better utilised, to stow additional fuel, in order to increase the ship’s range. There was a tendency to be rather wet forward  where the weight of “A” and “B” mountings tended to bury the bows in heavy weather. The handling covers to the 4 inch ammunition supply chutes were liable to leak and allow water to run into the forward mess decks.

This image of Wild Goose was taken from HMS Tracker (More below)

After her completion and a very short work up Wild Goose was allocated to the 2^nd Escort Group under overall command of the famed Captain F.J. "Johnnie" Walker, CB DSO and three bars. He was soon to become senior officer, when in June 1943, his own ship Starling was damaged after ramming a U boat, and had to undergo repairs. On 9th July 1944 Captain Walker died in hospital, as a result of illness brought about by overwork. Wild Goose had an exceptionally fine record of 10 confirmed U boat kills to her credit. On 24^th June ,1943, in company with her sisters Woodpecker, Wren and Kite, U-449 was destroyed. Six days later the same group sank U-504. On 6^th November with Starling back in service, U-842 was sunk. 1944 was a month old when on the 31^st January, again in company with Starling, and assisted by Magpie  U-592 was destroyed. On 9^th February, with Starling again, U-734 was sunk, and two days later, this time with the help of Woodpecker, it was the turn of U-424. On the 15^th March, with Starling and assisted by aircraft, U-653 was destroyed.. With Starling yet again, and Wren to add power, U-473 was sunk on the 5^th March

On the 28^th February with the help of the American built HMS Labuan, and Loch Fada, and assisted by aircraft,  U-327 came to her end. The final sinking for Wild Goose came to be on the 12^th March, when with Loch Ruthven, the U-683 was destroyed. These battles all took place in the Atlantic, with the exception of the last two which took place in the English Channel, covering the invasion forces. A gap appears in the tally when the 2^nd Escort Group took part in the Normandy Invasion, in June 1944. In March 1945, our Wild Goose, subdued for the occasion, had the honour to be inspected by The King and Queen, in Liverpool. After the war a period of peace, until the “Mad Duck” as she was affectionately known by her ship’s company, was transferred to the East Indies Station, joining the Persian Gulf Division.

For this she underwent some considerable conversion to fit her for the role of showing the flag. Her wartime colour schemes have been replaced by a white coat and a buff funnel. Back aft, “X” turret has been  changed to a cabin used to entertain Oil Sheiks and dignitaries on that station. Forward “A” and “B” guns remained, but the old twin 40mm mountings have been replaced by more modern 40mm’s and saluting guns have been added. The depth charge throwers had been reduced by 50% but the rails have been retained. The mast had been replaced and re-designed with new radar fitted. The old 272 radar had been overtaken by modern development. She served with distinction on that station until 1954, when on her return to Chatham in December that year the “Mad Duck” was finally certified, and reduced to the Reserve. Sold for breaking up in February 1956 this Sloop arrived at the breakers at Bo’ness on the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh on 26^th February.

Also taken from HMS Tracker, one of Tracker's Swordfish flies overhead and the follow on image below

This image was the property of Eric Smith

Wild Goose Award

My name is Commander Stuart Robinson RN and following 26 years active service I now work for Thales Underwater Systems based in Templecombe, Somerset.  We are the UK manufacturer of  Royal Navy Anti-Submarine (Sonars 2050 & 2087), Submarine (Sonar 2076) and Minehunting (Sonars 2093 and 2193) systems.  During my previous existence, I served in the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) ships HMS ARETHUSA, HMS PHOEBE and HMS MARLBOROUGH and ashore was at various times the Staff ASW Officer to Flag Officer Sea Training, Flag Officer Surface Flotilla and latterly Commander-in-Chief Fleet.  As you can imagine, the exploits of Walker, Weymss and the 2nd Support Group were required study for a career ASW Officer like myself.

 Now to the reason for the contact.  The annual award of trophies for effectiveness in all manner of disciplines, be it boxing, boatwork or bunting tossing, has been a long-standing tradition in the Royal Navy - in recent years some of these awards have been sponsored by industry and we at Thales are proud to support the Anti-Submarine trophy. 

  I was recently contacted by Navy Command Headquarters who suggested that, as the existing trophy was getting somewhat scruffy, we might like to choose another from the Royal Navy Trophy Centre in HMS NELSON, Portsmouth.  I was initially shown a whole range of large, ornate silver cups and salvers - not quite what I had in mind - and I asked if I could browse the display cabinets.  Right at the back of one cabinet I saw, to my delight, a large silver cigar box bearing the engraving "HMS WILD GOOSE" on the lid. Although not a wartime trophy, there were very few of those, the fact that it has a direct link to a very famous ASW ship meant I had to look no further.  For those who may have information about the trophy itself, the inscription on the front of the box reads:

 Presented by

Strick Line

In Appreciation of Services Rendered To

SS "AFGHANISTAN"

At Bahrein in July 1953

The HMS WILD GOOSE Trophy is currently being renovated, but I will provide you with a photograph as soon as possible.  It will be awarded each year in January to the best ASW ship in the Fleet and will be permanently on display in the foyer of the Navy Command Headquarters in HMS EXCELLENT, Whale Island, Portsmouth.  I plan to produce a supporting document, outlining the service record of "HMS WILD GOOSE", to accompany the trophy and this will also be framed and awarded to the winning ship.  I hope that you will be able to pass on this information to the "WILD GEESE" and I would be delighted to hear from any who would like to correspond.  Best Regards  

Stuart Robinson
Director Marketing

Thales UK

Ocean House, Templecombe, Somerset, BA8 0DH