HMS Childers (R91), Royal Navy
Narrative
HMS Childers (R91) was a C-class destroyer.
Launched: February 27, 1945
Commissioned: December 19, 1945
Displacement: 1,825 Tons
Narrative
On February 20, 1948, leKommemiyut לקוממיות Sette Fratelli was followed by British destroyer the next day, as she arrived at the coast of Palestine, sailing southward, in the hope that she could run up onto the shore near Nahariya under cover of night.
The destroyer asked permission to send people aboard to search the vessel.
It was decided not to resist a British takeover, since there were more than 140 children on board.
Two more appeared on the horizon, forcing the commander to enter negotiations with the British, who agreed to let leKommemiyut לקוממיות Sette Fratelli continue to Haifa under its own power.
A British crew boarded leKommemiyut לקוממיות Sette Fratelli at the three mile limit, and steered her into Haifa, accompanied by HMS Childers.
The Maapilim were deported to Cyprus.
Narrative
On May 15, 1948, HMS Euryalus was responsible for the evacuation of the British High Commissioner, Lt. General Sir Alan Cunningham, from Haifa to England.
She was escorted out of Palestine waters by aircraft carrier, HMS Ocean, together with HMS Chevron, HMS Childers, HMS Volage, HMS Pelican and HMS Widemouth Bay.
Narrative
On January 6, 1949 SS Empire Comfort, HMS Verulam along with Tank Landing Ships Reginald Kerr, Frederick Clover and Humphrey Gale, loaded with tanks, military stores and equipment, formed a convoy headed for Aqaba at the invitation of the government of Transjordan, to deter Israeli force reported to be advancing towards Aqaba, with the presumed intention of severing communications between Egypt and the rest of the Arab world, while at the same time depriving Transjordan of it's outlet to the sea.
South West Maritime History Society cites: "five R.A.F. reconnaissance aircraft had been shot down by Israeli fire the previous day, so nothing was being left to chance. An aircraft came out of the North, passed over us, circled and came in low to land. A signal from (HMS) Childers told the force that General Glubb had arrived to meet the soldiers who were to support his Arab Legion."
SS Empire Comfort returned to Suez and embarked another load of soldiers and sailed back to Aqaba.
On the approach to Aqaba, the force was joined by HMS Childers.
Narrative
On September 22, 1963, HMS Childers arrived at the shipyard at La Spezia, for breaking up.
Web Links
| Type | Link/ Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Web Search | Empire Comfort July 1948 - October 1949, from South West Maritime History Society |