HMS Durban

Built by Scotts of Greenock in July 1917 and launched on the 29th May 1919 HMS Durban is a Danae-class light cruiser that was commissioned in 1921 so did not make voyage in the first World War.

Between the time of commission and World War Two HMS Durban was stationed in the east around China and the West Indies.

Just before the outbreak of World War Two HMS Durban was recommissioned and went into active service.

In 1939 HMS Durban first saw service as part of a convoy defense between Freetown and Cape of Good Hope before moving being transferred to China Station for service with 5th Cruiser Squadron where HMS Durban was deployed for defense of trade in the South China Sea.

The first quarter of 1940 saw HMS Durban carry out further trade defense in the East Indies before carrying out surveillance in the East Indies on German ships including SS Bitterfeld, SS Franken, SS Rheinland, SS Sonek and SS Wuppertal. In July of 1940 HMS Durban was sent to Singapore for a refit and came back into service in mid August 1940 where she was deployed on trade protection and surveillance duty in China Sea till September. In September HMS Durban joined HM Cruisers Canberra (RAN), Capetown and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser Westralia (RAN) in Hunting Group to search for the German raider Atlantis.

1941 saw HMS Durban carry out trade defense and convoy duties from Freemantle to Singapore.

1942 was a busy year for HMS Durban as she started the year by joining the striking force to reinforce the escort of military convoy DM1. This escort was the first of a series of convoys taking troops to reinforce the Singapore garrison after the Japanese invasion of Malaya.

In February 1942 HMS Durban provided escort for convoy MS3 before being relieved by HM Australian Cruiser Canberra off Christmas Island, south of Java. Throughout the rest of February 1942 HMS Durban came under air attack while evacuating RAF personnel, escorting coastal steamers carrying evacuees and escorting merchant ships.

March 1942 saw trade defense in the Indian Ocean although HMS Durban did intercept German SS Doggerbank laying mines off Capetown.

In April 1942 HMS Durban went into repair at a US Naval dockyard in New York. It was October before HMS Durban was able to rejoin active service.

In October 1942 HMS Durban became part of military convoy WS23 in Clyde and left this convoy in November on arrival at Durban. Throughout the rest of November and for the whole of December 1942 HMS Durban saw duty as trade defence in Indian Ocean.

1943 saw HMS Durban spend the first 3 months under refit in Bombay. In April 1943 Durban was deployed in the military convoy MS27 in the Indian Ocean before being redeployed for defence of Persian Gulf convoys on the 10th April. By the 28th April HMS Durban was in Bahrein.

June to September 1943 HMS Durban, based at Kilindini, resumed Indian Ocean convoy defence before being removed from active service in October for the rest of 1943.

In 1944 HMS Durban was refitted at Portsmouth for the special use to be sunk as part of 'GOOSEBERRY' No 5 off Ouistreham to form part of breakwater off Normandy for the D day landings.

By May 27th HMS Durban was at Oban with all other blockships ready to be scuttled as part of the D day breakwater. On 2nd June HMS urban took passage to the Channel ready for convoy but was diverted to Poole due to a 24 hour delay of the landings, this was caused because of the weather.

On 6th June HMS Durban took passge to Ouistreham before being sunk on 9th June to form part of No. 5 GOOSEBERRY breakwater in British Assault Area.

On August 3rd 1944 HMS Durban's hulk was hit by a Torpedo during attacks off Beachhead, although she was already scuttled at this point.

Personally I have a special love for HMS Durban as my grandfather was on active duty throughout World War Two on this ship.

Order of the Red Banner

The order of the red banner (Russian Орден "Крaсного Знамени") is the first order created by the USSR (Soviet Union). The order of the red banner originally appeared on 16th September 1918 but was not truly established until 1st August 1924.

The first person to ever recieve the order was Vasily Konstantinovich Blyukher (Russian: Василий Константинович Блюхер) on 28th September 1918 for his command of the 10,000-strong South Urals Partisan Army during the Russian civil war. In two months Vasily Blyukher marched his troops 1,500km while fighting the white forces.

Other famous individuals to have recevied the order of the red banner are

• Georgy Zhukov (3 times)
• British spy Kim Philby
• Sniper Vasily Zaytsev
• Joseph Stalin
• Marshal Semyon Timoshenko (5 times)
  

The order of the red banner was the highest decoration given for courage, honour and valour in military deeds even after other medals were created until the order of Lenin was established on April 6th 1930.

The order was worn on the left breast as a badge, a ribbon was later added that was red with a white central stripe and narrow white stripes on the outside edge of the ribbon.

In total an estimated five hundred and eighty thousand order of the red banner decorations have been given since its inauguration.

For collectors of USSR medals the order is a must but is difficult to get hold of. Even if one does become available they are generally very expensive to purchase because of how rare they are.

Antony Beevor - Stalingrad

The best book I have ever read about the battle of Stalingrad is that by Antony Beevor. While reading the books five hundred and twelve pages I was gripped and did not want to put the book down.

Every page in this book tells a story, with so much detail included in this book you feel like a Stalingrad historian by the time you have read it. The difference between Stalingrad by Antony Beevor and other Stalingrad books is that it holds much more information while still feeling like light and enjoyable reading.

Antony Beevors book Stalingrad is the international No 1 bestseller for history books on the Stalingrad battle. The book is also the winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize, Wolfson Price and Hawthornden Prize.


If your interested in the battle of the Eastern front during World War 2 and especially the battle at Stalingrad then this is certainly the book you need to read on the subject.

Bergen Belsen Liberation

Towards the end of World War Two the realization of some of the war crimes committed by the Nazi regime came to light when detention and concentration camps were found.

Among those camps was the infamous Bergen Belsen concentration camp. I visited Bergen Belsen in March 2007 as a pilgrimage to see what it must have been like as my late Grandfather was a liberating troop who found the camp in 1945, to read my pilgrimage click here.

My grandfather was stationed with the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars, although he had had his para training to gain an extra five bob a week in pay.

I know what he witnessed in the 2nd World War really shaped the person he was in life.

Below are his cap badges and dress badge.

SS Obertsturmbannführer Otto Baum

Otto Baum was born on November 15th 1911 in Stettin bei Hechingen, Hohenzollern. Otto Baum had fairly humble begginings as the son of a Merchant.

Otto Baum went to Agricultural school in Stuttgart, but it was after completing this schooling that Baums life was to change.

In 1934, fresh out of Agricultural school, Baum joined the SS and a year later in 1935 he completed his first classes in SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig, the school for SS officers.

Upon graduating as a SS officer Baum took command as a Zugführer with 5/Germania, this lasted for nearly three years before he became Zugführer with 12.Kompanie in the Regiment "Der Führer" in the year 1938. After a short stint with 12.Kompanie Otto moved to command 7.Kompanie der SS-"Leibstandarte".

While commanding 7.Kompanie der SS-"Leibstandarte" Otto Baum with his Kompanie was annexed to the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). The LSSAH along with Baum and the 7.Kompanie der SS-"Leibstandarte" fought in the invasion of Poland in 1939.

In early 1940 7.Kompanie der SS-"Leibstandarte" along with the rest of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler were moved to the Dutch border ready for the launch of Fall Gelb (Case yellow), the prelude to the invasion of France.

On the day the invasion was launched on the 10th May 1940 the LSSAH with Otto Baum and his 7.Kompanie der SS-"Leibstandarte" crossed the Dutch border and covered 290km in 5 days. On the 14th May after the Netherlands surrendered 7.Kompanie der SS-"Leibstandarte" became part of the reserve for Army Group B.

In March 1941 Baum became Battalionskommandeur for the "Totenkopf" Division where Baum won the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross after much success.

In 1943 Baum was promoted again, this time to command SS-Pz.-Gren-Regt. 5 "Totenkopf". It was during this command in battles through the first quarter of the year that Baum received his Oakleaves.

In March 1944 Baum had a rest in the reserves before commencing battle again in the June when he commanded the 17.SS-Pz.-Gren-Div. "Götz von Berlichingen" for two months. After this Baum took command of SS Das Reich (DR) after the death of SS-Obertsturmbannführer Christian Tychsen. Baum lead the SS Das Reich division until he was relieved by Lammerding. It was during his command of SS Das Reich that Baum was awarded the Swords.

Otto Baum ended the war commanding the 16.SS-Pz.-Gren-Div "RFSS" with the rank of Obertsturmbannführer.

Otto Baum

Born: Nov. 15, 1911 in Stetten-Hechingen
Died: 1998

Awards

Iron Cross 2nd Class: Sept. 12, 1939
Iron Cross 1st Class: June 8, 1940
German Cross in Gold: Dec. 26, 1941
Knights Cross: May 17, 1942
Oakleaves: August 22, 1943 (277)
Swords: September 2, 1944 (95)

Promotions

Untersturmführer: April 20, 1939
Oberstrumführer: June 1, 1940
Hauptsturmführer: November 9, 1941
Standartenführer: January 30, 1944
Sturmbannführer: April 20, 1944
Oberführer: September 17, 1944
Obertsturmbannführer: April 20, 1945

World War One U-Boat

I thought I would kick off one of my first posts by talking about a World War One U-Boat I found on Google Earth. This U-Boat is either UB122, U122 or U123 and sits on the mud flats of the Medway in Kent, England.

The U-Boat ended up in its location at the end of the first World War when it was sent to England with 25 others. It was either purposefully scuttled or accidently beached on its journey and is still in its resting place today due to its location being very isloated and dangerous to travel to.

I wrote a page on this U-Boat including further specifications on the possible U-Boats it could be. You can visit the page by clicking here.

Image Courtesy of Google Earth

Introduction

Hello!

Well I thought it was time to start writing my blog about World War 1 and World War 2. This may be true personal accounts I come across, war relics found around the world from bolts to full sized U-Boats and items I have collected to reviews on amazing books, documentaries and films.

Both World Wars shaped the societies of the world in which we live in today. I don't think there are many countries in this world that were not affected by the series of events that started and finished these two world wars.

While I do not condone war I feel we should remember the sacrifices that people gave for our freedom and liberty, we should also try to protect as many relics from this time for future generations to understand just what happened and the impact it had on the people of the time and society today.

I look forward to you taking this journey with me.