HMS Sibyl (P217)
Laid Down: 31 Secember 1940 "Of
all the branches of men in the Forces, there is none which shows more devotion
and faces grimmer perils than the submariner. "Only in attack does a submarine reveal herself, before creeping away to the concealment of the deep" I received several images of HMS Sibyl. I checked up on a listing of British Submarines and Sibyl is listed thus: Special Ops. Sometimes referred to as Sybil(?). Commanded by Lt. E.J.D. Turner, DSC, sailed 8-Nov-42 for a rendezvous on the south coast of France. Picked up seven staff officers and officials, including one woman, of General Giraud's staff. Took them to Algiers on 11-Nov. See also Seraph. Later in Eastern Fleet (Lt. H.R. Murray). An S3 class, pennant number P217; crew of 48. Launched at Cammell Laird Birkenhead on 1 April 1942 and ended her life as scrap on 1 Mar 1948.
Ship sunk by
gunfire from HMS Sibyl in the Malacca Straits. The Straits were a particularly
dangerous place for submarines, shallow waters and heavily patrolled
as it
Manning the machine gun - Sibyl
Manning the Main Gun
Sibyl at Sea
Sybil leaving harbour (or entering!)
Sybil in 1945
Email: Dec 2010: The witch Sybil was the handy work of Arthur Morris my father in law who was on the Sybil and a gunner, Arthur died in 2002 but we have most of the photos you show on your web site. Apparently Arthur was told not to paint this on the conning tower but did so anyway and it proved to be so popular it was retained as their emblem. Arthur was quite handy and later painted a sign for the Old Jack Pub in Calverhall Shropshire which was run by his parents. Ken Harding. (Ken, please contact Mike Caswell - see advert at base of page)
Left the original and right, censored Note: two hats – the number 3 has no hat badge; bushy haired guy under gun barrel seems to have beard; the distance of the shore line is also in sync. No 6 possibly photographer; note 7 people in each photo, only 6 semi-clad in second. The second pic was taken by either of the number 6 guys whilst the first was taken by the bloke fully clothed. Mike Caswell Jan 2009
From Matt
Gibb via email. I have been researching someone who
served on her in the Far East. Have you ever found any crew
lists or anything. This chap was likely to be the senior asdic
man. He was a Higher Submarine Detector rating, later at least a
PO or CPO. He had served right through the war in HM Submarines,
minelaying Norway, Greenland, Convoy Escorts based in Halifax
Canada, then Med, convoy escort, minelaying, supplying Malta,
then refit, to Far East. He must have transferred to Sibyl by
the time HMS Porpoise was lost, because he was on this, out of
HMS Depot Ship Forth. He was awarded the DSM while he was in HMS
Sibyl. Name of Hellings. Just wondered if you
or anyone you'd contacted had heard of him. I think he might be
the nco in the photo group of men around the deck gun on your
site. He would be the chap numbered 4. I have a photo of him
early in the war, a marriage photo and the same slightly
sticking out ears, larger nose and chin appear identical. Also
the rank is correct and there were not many CPO's on a
submarine. Regards Matt Gibbs. If you can help this person
please contact him on the following email replacing -at- eith
the normal @. Thank you.
matthew.gibbs.1 -at - btinternet.com
John Bonthron sent me this in Dec 2013:
thank you for all the info on your
website. He was in the
Submarine Service from age 18 until demob at age 24?
http://youtu.be/EHUx0ouAaPY
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