# Motor Mine Sweepers



## manowari (Feb 2, 2009)

I am looking for information / general pics of two MMS 1040 and 1070. Any information or pics of a similair vessel would be much appreciated..


----------



## Steve Woodward (Sep 4, 2006)

HI Manowari,
Images of these ships are very hard to come by unless you buy them from the Imperial War Museum.
MMS - Mickey Mouse Sweepers to quote their nick-name were of two type the MMS numbered 1 to 118 and 123 to 312 and the second larger batch called the Admiralty Motor Minesweeper 1001-1090, so your two ships fall into the larger AMS category.
Battleships and cruisers have some images of the type HERE.
details are :
Wood construction : L 140'00" B 27'11" draft 10'04" Disp 360- tons standard and 430 tons full load
Machinery : single screw Diesel 500 bhp 10 knots 54 tons fuel
Armament : two 20mm Oerlikons and four in a few ships
Crew 21 men
Due to there wood construction and thus low magnetic signature they were used to sweep for magnetic mines quite frequently
Steve


----------



## E.Martin (Sep 6, 2008)

*Moter Mine Sweepers.*



Steve Woodward said:


> HI Manowari,
> Images of these ships are very hard to come by unless you buy them from the Imperial War Museum.
> MMS - Mickey Mouse Sweepers to quote their nick-name were of two type the MMS numbered 1 to 118 and 123 to 312 and the second larger batch called the Admiralty Motor Minesweeper 1001-1090, so your two ships fall into the larger AMS category.
> Battleships and cruisers have some images of the type HERE.
> ...


Try the Royal Naval Patrol Service Website,if you get no joy there try Charles
at Buck House he served on on i believe.


----------



## manowari (Feb 2, 2009)

Thank you both for the information, its a start on an interesting project to detail the career of my ex boss who started a shipping company with these two vessels. Rgds Kevin


----------



## SallyAndKev (Oct 18, 2009)

manowari said:


> I am looking for information / general pics of two MMS 1040 and 1070. Any information or pics of a similair vessel would be much appreciated..


My Grandfather was a captain on various minesweepers in WW2, including MMS 1083. There are downloadable photos from my Grandma's album here:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/sallyandkev/MMS

There are some details of the ships you are interested in here:
http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship/show/422292
http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship/show/426394

I would be interested in any other information you find

Sally


----------



## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

MMS 1083 was built at the Wivenhoe Shipyard ltd
Launched 12/4/1944 completed 6/10/44 engineered by Roston 375/480 bhp

102nd flotilla 1944
208nd flotilla 1945
Sheerness 1946
Salcombe sold 1946

For deployment details you need to look in the National Archive at Kew in pieces ADM208/29 - ADM208/48 (Red Lists) 

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...ails.asp?CATID=2898341&CATLN=6&accessmethod=5

Movements may be in ADM 199/2577

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...CATID=8307067&SearchInit=4&CATREF=adm199/2577

Roger


----------



## japottinger (Jun 16, 2004)

*MMS 1040 and MMS1070*

first was completed in Aug. 1944 by F. Curtis at Par in Cornwall. 1946-47 French Navy as D344. 18.2.48 sold

next Vaughn St Andrews New Brunswick Canada on 25.10.44
5.45 -12.45 sold to French Navy as D345. 3.46 for sale


----------



## Wires Navy (Feb 25, 2010)

Ref MMS Hi Wires Navy here - ex wireman MS of mms 149 I wonder if there are any crew shipmates still about - worked out of Queenborough Sheerness sweeping around Kent coast meeting Dover sweepers half way for 15 repeat sweep. Old anchient Mariner now in 85th year


----------



## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello Wires Navy,
If you have any recollections, stories, anecdotes about your service on MMS 149, I am sure there are plenty of people on this site who would be interested in your memories. 

It's important that we record your experiences for the benefit of future generations.

Roger


----------



## Sailtie (Jan 23, 2008)

Only a vague association but my dad was the first commanding officer of MMS268, launched from Par and fitted out in Charlestown. Swept mainly out of Sheerness but also Dover and Newport.
Later commanded BYMS 2007 in the Far East.


----------



## KP_77 (Sep 25, 2021)

Sailtie said:


> Only a vague association but my dad was the first commanding officer of MMS268, launched from Par and fitted out in Charlestown. Swept mainly out of Sheerness but also Dover and Newport.
> Later commanded BYMS 2007 in the Far East.





Sailtie said:


> Only a vague association but my dad was the first commanding officer of MMS268, launched from Par and fitted out in Charlestown. Swept mainly out of Sheerness but also Dover and Newport.
> Later commanded BYMS 2007 in the Far East.


I appreciate you wrote this 10 YEARS ago, but if you happen to see my reply I’m interested in finding more information on BYMS 2007 as my grandfather served on this ship in 1946. I haven’t been able to find much on it. Any information you have would be great!


----------



## fruitbat (Jan 26, 2007)

Realise this is an old thread, but the excellent Wildfire III website contains a huge amount of information about British minesweepers during WW2, particularly the BYMS fleet.

BYMS 2007: 2007 (wildfire3.com) 
MMS 1083: MMS 1083 (wildfire3.com) 
MMS 268: MMS 268 (wildfire3.com) 
MMS 149: MMS 149 (wildfire3.com)


----------



## davidwheeler (6 mo ago)

Good morning
I did a bit of research into Wheeler Shipbuilding of New York, which built BYMS2007 in 1942.
I have a drawing of what purports to be BYMS2007. The ship was commanded by Lt N Symons RNVR between April - September 1945 on minesweeping duties in the Malacca Straights.


----------



## davidwheeler (6 mo ago)

Here, I hope, is a copy of a drawing entitled 'B.Y.M.S.- 2007 Singapore 1944'. The drawing is exquisite in detail, on extremely fine paper. It is I think the correct version of BYMS, as constructed by Wheeler Shipbuilding in New York. It has been carefully mounted, by hand. I do not know its provenance save that it was given to the ship's former commander Temp Sub.Lt K.N.Symons sometime after 1954. This may perhaps account for the date 1944 since, as I understand it, Singapore was still in enemy hands at that time. The drawing remained Mr Symons' possession - subsequently Commander CCF OBE - until his death in 2014. Apparently it rested on his desk.
The drawing was given to Mr and Mrs Symons by Harry, Rafe, Mark and Ross. I have been unabled to establish,through members of his family or otherwise, who these gentlemen were or how they were connected either to BYMS2007 or Mr Symons. If anyone can through light on this I would be interested to hear from him. Or her.


----------

