Battle of Luzon 1945 - ships?

I wonder if anyone can tell me whether HMS Oceanway (landing ship dock) or HMS Calpe (Destroyer) were present in support of the Battle of Luzon in 1945?

Just trying to work out where an ancestor was. Thank you!

 

HMS Calpe did not took part in the the Battle of Luzon. In June/July 1945, she joined 14th Destroyer Flotilla, Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee. She was to support of landings in Malaya for Operation ZIPPER, but in the end she was not deployed.

Not sure about HMS Oceanway but I doubt it. It was sent to the Far East, sometime after operation Overlord, but my guess would be also for Operation ZIPPER or maybe for the planned invasion of Japan. I don't think there was any the Royal Navy involved in the operations in Philippines.

 

Thank you Sol, that's really helpful. I've attached the notes I'm working off, written on on the back of a photo. It mentions Pacific Luzon.... Any idea what else it could mean?

 

The landings started on 9 January 1945 and Wiki does not show any RN ships present. The RAN were present. From: Battle of Luzon - Wikipedia

There is a thread on our "cousin" website ww2f.com alas it refuses to load.

Well she did make East of Suez in 1945:

From: HMS Calpe, escort destroyer, WW2

See: MaritimeQuest - HMS Calpe L-71 Roll of Honour None in 1945. Yes, it may be a partial list. Check with cwgc instead?

Admiral Fraser, C.O. British Pacific Fleet, was aboard a USN ship when the landing in Luzon were made. Within: Armoured Aircraft Carriers

A thin Wiki for HMS Oceanway states:

From: HMS Oceanway (F143) - Wikipedia

She was not in the Far East, just the Med and afterwards refitting in Belfast (May-September 1945). From an officer account. See: Sub-Lieut James Kelly shares his story about his service from WWII – Palmerston North Boys' High School

 

From the link that David provided

To Belfast in Northern Ireland where the ship was refitted in preparation for going to the Pacific to assist in the war against Japan.

Possible intended to join the British Pacific Fleet for planned invasion of Japan but as war ended was never actually sent there. I must admit I do not have any clue why Luzon was mentioned as BPF was generally not using it as harbour. I can only guess that maybe he was said that they are going there.

 

Thanks Sol. The only thing the family know is that he returned suffering with what could have been PTSD and spent some time at Friern Barnet Hospital, his brother now deceased knew the campaign and that it was pretty brutal. Sadly he also disposed of his medals, so something had a devastating effect on him. Perhaps there was another ship he was on.....I think we're going to have to send off for his Service Papers.

 

This is great, thank you David. I'm going to spend some time right now checking onto your links....

 

I did find a FB entry for one ship, HMS Ariadne, a fast mine layer (used to carry troops) but could not access it.
That ship appears in: RN Ships in Hawaii alongside other ships, but she was not in the area in January 1945.

 

Sent a note to Otto about WW2F.

 

Searching for "Battle OFF Luzon" may get more results.

 

Opana,

Using "off" plus "Royal navy" came back with fictional incidents / gaming, but using "of" did identify a cruiser, ex-RN HMS Shropshire that was then with the RAN and present at Luzon. See: HMS Shropshire - Wikipedia and an officer's diary: UNSW Australians at War Film Archive - Ronald Frasa

 

Luck of the draw, that internet.

 

It seems that Oceanway did make it to the Far East / Pacific immediately post war. The book "The Royal Navy in Australia 1900-2000" has a photo of her from the Fleet Air Arm Museum Archive show her passing under Sydney Harbour Bridge on what is described as a "maintenance visit".

Another snippet. She dragged her anchors in a storm in Feb 1946 while off Spithead (Portsmouth) and collided with the brand new carrier Theseus.
http://l9020.foudre.free.fr/dec43b.JPG

In 1945 the build up of British amphibious forces was in the Indian Ocean not the Pacific. Oceanway's sistership, Highway was at Ceylon in Aug 1945 and participated in Operation Zipper, arriving off the beachhead on 9 Sept. At that point another sister, Northway was scheduled to leave the UK to join the East Indies Fleet.

Calpe did participate in Operation Zipper. She left Trincomalee on 4 Sept with the carrier force, switched to escort an assault convoy on the 6th and arrived of the beachhead on 9 Sept with assault convoy JME1F. She didn't stay long in Malayan waters as she was photographed sailing home from Malta on 6 Nov 1945. She was paid off in Reserve in Jan 1946.
HMS Calpe (L71) - Wikipedia

Note the flotilla number 18 on her funnel. Calpe was part of the 18th Destroyer Flotilla while East of Suez, not the 14th DF. The latter unit was in the Med in 1945, with the remaining J & K class destroyers

The RN made extensive use of San Pedro Bay at the north end of Leyte Gulf from March 1945 onwards for units of the BPF Fleet Train. TF57 spent a week there in late April replenishing. Later it became a stopping off point for ships routing between Manus and Hong Kong.

The submarine depot ship Maidstone and the 8th Submarine Flotilla transferred from Fremantle to Subic Bay on the west coast of Luzon north west of Manila in May 1945. She operated her boats from there until the end of the war. At the end of Aug 1945 they all moved to Hong Kong to assist in the reoccupation of the colony.

 

Wow, a lot of great information. Thank you Ewen. I'm going to spend some time going through but really helps me to build his story. I still don't know why he returned in such a mental state that he disposed of his medals - unless he had been on another ship. As I mentioned, his family said it was 'brutal' but whether that was the Pacific or elsewhere I don't know. I'm going to have to get his papers....it just takes so long! Thanks again, really appreciate your time and expertise here.

 

Brutality can happen anywhere in war and for some the effect is lifelong.

It can also not be met at first hand, so the knowledge that RN survivors were murdered can be one factor. See HMS Thanet thread recently.

From my glance at the site linked to this sentence in Post 4: Admiral Fraser, C.O. British Pacific Fleet, was aboard a USN ship when the landing in Luzon were made. It was the first time the RN witnessed kamikaze attacks. Could your subject have been on that RN party? Just a possibility.

 

Thank you David, it definitely is possible and very helpful to consider the alternatives you describe. We'll do out best to get to the bottom of his story. He was involved in D Day at the age of 18 so we hope to map out his full story. He died in 2016. Thanks again.

 

I've now received the Service Papers for Francis Louis Adams.

Can anyone tell me what the attached means please. Prize money?

Also, he enlisted in 1943 (at the age of 17) but was not discharged until January 1947. Was it unusual to be discharged so late?

 

Australian ships DID participate in Luzon

In January 1945, the Allies commenced the invasion of the Philippines’ largest island, Luzon, at Lingayen Gulf. Australia, repaired and operational after Leyte Gulf, Shropshire, Arunta and Warramunga formed part of the bombardment group, while Manoora, Kanimbla and Westralia once again transported and landed troops. The sloops HMAS Warrego (II) and HMAS Gascoyne, carried out escort and survey tasks.

The Allied ships came under frequent air attack, especially from kamikaze aircraft. Gascoyne and Westralia had near misses, and Arunta was damaged. Australia, however, was hit 5 times and severely damaged; 44 officers and sailors were killed. It continued to carry out bombardment duties until ordered to retire with Arunta on 9 January.

https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/history-milestones/pushing-north-philippines

 

During research of my Father's WWII Royal Navy service, Prize money was one subject I looked at.
The attached summerises what I found.

Hope that helps.

Best regards,

Steve

 

I'm going to move this to new post as I've now discovered that the person I'm researching was not involved in the Battle of Luzon.

Royal Navy Prize money ?