What was HMS Shrapnel

[john langton]

Can any body help
My dad was posted in WW2 as DEMS merchant navy
The ships name is HMS Shrapnel
From 9 th October 1944 to 18 th October 1944
Only 9 days. Can’t find any info regarding Shrapnel
Can you help please.

[Doc Vernon]

Was first known as Waltham Forest College for military trainees


"During World War II the college was used by the armed forces for providing technical training for personnel; first by the RAF in 1940, then by the army in 1941 and then by the navy in 1942, at which time it was reclassified as a ship and called HMS Shrapnel."

Plaque HMS Shrapnel.JPG

[john langton]

Many thanks for this info
Another problem solved

[Hugh]

It can be difficult to be exact on some of those 'stone frigates' as they were not always housed in the same place. They were accounting bases sometimes named with a suffix I, II, III etc.
Although Waltham Forrest has a plaque stating it was HMS SHRAPNEL, I don't think Waltham Forrest College for military trainees is correct with regard to your particular question.

HMS SHRAPNEL was a non-seagoing accounting base at Southampton part of the Portsmouth Command and amongst other things it was the Liaison Officer for Naval Reserve & Merchant Navy duties.
The other thing to consider is where he was posted around this time. If you look at his service records that you have posted elsewhere on this site, you will see that his previous posting was DEMS Southampton which more than likely was the same place.

Regards
Hugh

[john langton]

Would digs have been provided for stopovers at these establishments then as dad had quite a few of these in his records and this would have accounted for the periods at these establishments these being
DEMS Glasgow, Hull, London, Avonmouth, Londonderry, Liverpool and DEMS Southampton. Would there have been HMS bases for all the above maybe whilst waiting for the next posting.

[Hugh]

Hi John,
Yes, he was on duty so he would have been accommodated in or around the area. For example you asked in a previous post about DEMS Greenock. Greenock had its D.E.M.S. Headquarters on board the “City of Adelaide”
which was renamed “H.M.S. Carrick” when she was commissioned as a Naval Drill Ship in 1925, docked in the Great Harbour, Greenock – where she remained until 26th April 1948. She served out the Second World War primarily as an
accommodation ship. This was probably DEMS Glasgow too and infact it would have been for the whole of the West of Scotland. You will probably find if you search hard enough locations for all the other DEMS establishments and they may be named for 'stone frigates', HMS.
Hope that makes sense.

Regards
Hugh