War
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I
n 1940 'Fifrelin II' turned up in England, moored on the Hamble river. Her name was now 'Jaimie' and she had become the property of James Knights Trench and his new love Amy. His grown up son referred to the boat sarcastically as "HMS Impressive". But his honeymoon was short lived ...she was soon requisitioned by the War department... the boat that is, not Amy!
Warsash
Stripped out for active service and moored at Warsash quay as 'HMS Tormentor' The first vessel of the large base of that name to be established at Warsash. In due course, described as a 'Navigational Leader', she was constantly in use taking out flotillas of new landing craft with young cadets or escorting tankers into Dover harbour.
She was initially captained by Tony Carter and then by Jimmy Purdon and carried a crew of eight.
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Soon the Tormentor base was well established. The boat was eventually uprated. Her Atlas diesel engines were bulky and foreign and she was re-engined with petrol Hall Scott Invaders (appropriate) which gave her a greater speed and room to move in the engine room. She was back in action in 1943 as 'HMS Judith'. Armed with three Lewis guns and an Oerlikon machine gun turret on the fragile aft cabin roof...
The old wheel house partly replaced with a steel armoured bridge. She also carried wireless equipment and twin Asdic underwater echo sounders.
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These wonderful (and forbidden) snaps were taken by Jimmy while on duty..hidden for years in his photograph album.
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It is only rumour that she took part at Dunkirk. It seems very likely but not as a 'little ship'. because she was a ship already on active service and possibly unidentified. Her final heroic wartime role was to deliver the sailing orders to many of the assembled ships at Spithead on the eve of 'Operation Neptune' (D-day). The weather was very rough and repeatedly going alongside much larger ships tore off her deck railings and gunwales. Broken and bruised she ended her long night limping back to the Hamble. She was decommissioned the next day.
We met Tony Carter at the last Tormentor reunion held at Warsash and he recalled how she handled very well in coastal waters but might have been challenging at sea. Jimmy Purdon also travelled from Scotland to visit us at the boatshed. They both wrote to us with memories.
She lay on a mooring until 1946 and then offered back to her owner, Knights Trench, who sold her for scrap. In due course the engines went and also her copper water and fuel tanks. She was for sale as an empty hulk. They couldn't take her large bronze rudder, her steering and deck fittings and her Lloyds registration board inscribed 167284.
We met Tony Carter at the last Tormentor reunion held at Warsash and he recalled how she handled very well in coastal waters but might have been challenging at sea. Jimmy Purdon also travelled from Scotland to visit us at the boatshed. They both wrote to us with memories.
Tony Carter
Jimmy Purdon
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