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9th September 1939
Cochranes of Selby
23 April 1940
August 1940
Dance
T109
35, 4 officers

Reciprocating steam
850
One
160 feet
28 feet
15 feet
11 knots
530 tons

One 4” gun, three 20mm anti-aircraft guns

1951
 

From Linda Bell:

I am only vaguely aware of the ship my grandfather was a crew member of during WW2.  He told me many years ago of some ships in a fleet all called after dances (I think) and his was HMS Foxtrot.   I know from my father he was on the Russian convoys and never spoke of his time at sea as it was such a traumatic experience. Is there any further information on this ship and her time in the convoys? I know he was the oldest crew member even though he was only in his 20’s and was therefore referred to at times as the “father” of the ship.  His name was Richard Stevens, and he came from Falmouth in Cornwall (later of St Ives, Cornwall).

Both grandfather and father are many years deceased now, but I have, as the granddaughter, come into possession of one of his medals  (imperial war service – the others are with an estranged family member).  I would very much like to piece together more of the history so I can put something down that my son (his great grandson) can have for posterity.

Any references would be appreciated so I can continue to research this missing section of my family history, and also ensure that the War Service medal is appropriately engraved with my grandfathers’ service history and not just his name as is the current case.

I can be contacted on :

Linda.bell@exeter.gov.uk

From Mike Parnell:

My Grandfather, Frank (Francis) Fry was the engineering officer on HMS Foxtrot for some part of WW2. He often spoke of the ship and his times on the arctic convoys to Russia.

I recall him telling me how the spray often caused risk of capsize through ice accretion on the gunwales and rigging. The crew used to chip it off with steam hoses and axes. He also recounted how a nearby ship ran into a mine, which exploded with not much noise but with a large puff of smoke.

He died at home in Hull in 1968. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of him to send.

Mike Parnell

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