Able Seaman C/SSX 33538 Harold Bassnett

Family details:
Son of Harry and Ann Jane Bassnett, of St. Helens, Lancashire.

Census details:
1939 Register. Unfortunately Harold is redacted. Widowed mother Ann J Bassnett born 01/01/1880 an Unpaid Domestic and brother Richard Bassnett born 05/01/1909 a Steel Erector - Acetylene Welder are living at 5 Bronte Street, St Helens.

Notes:
Aboard HMS Kittywake Lost at sea April 28 1942

[pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/HMS_Kittiwake_zps69a7300b.jpg[/pic][caption]HMS Kittiwake[/caption] HMS Kittiwake was the only ship in the RN to carry this name, She was a 'Kingfisher class patrol vessel. There were six ships in the class, Kingfisher - built by Fairfields, Mallard and Puffin by Stephens, Kittiwake and Sheldrake by Thornycroft's and Widgeon by Yarrow's, the class was followed by the very similar Shearwater class : Shearwater, Guillemot and Pintail. The design brief of the class came about due to the 1930 London treaty, provided a warship was below 600 tons they were not included in the treaty and thus did not reduce tonnage for other classes. This design produced a very small coastal patrol vessel with very limted capabilities, that being said they performed sterling service, however they were not pressed into rapid [production for WW2 service as they were just too small. L 243'03" B 26'06" Dr 8'00" Disp 520 tons standard and 745 tons full load machinery : twin screw Parsons s/r geared steam turbines, two Admiralty 3-drum o/f boilers, 3,600 shp 20 knots. Bunkers 170 tons oil Armament : a single 4" C45 MkV LA gun mounted fwds, later on this was modified to a HA/LA weapon, this very poor armament was later incremented by the addition of a Vickers quadruple .5" machine gun - these were hopeless weapons, and later still supplemented by two 20mm Oerlons, 60 depth charges with two throwers and two sets of rails. Crew 60 men At 19.00 hours on 20 September 1939 HMS Kittiwake (Cdr. E.R. Conder, RN) was damaged by a mine laid on 10 September by the German submarine U-26 near the Shambles Light vessel in position 5030'N, 0219'W. Five of the crew were killed. The ship was under repair at Sheerness until 18 Janaury 1941. Kittiwake was launched in late Novemeber 1936 and was sold out of the RN in 1946 becoming the Chinese merchant vessel Tuch Sing, her sistership the Sheldrake was sold to the same owners becoming the Tuch Loon [pic]imgs/WW2_memorials/ChathamMemorialpanel52.png[/pic][caption]The panel on the Chatham Naval Memorial bearing the inscription for Able Seaman Harold Bassnett [url=http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=11429.0]Image Courtesy Of Bobdonk[/url][/caption]