Imperial War Museum photo of HMS Algerine
During March 1942 the district of Aireborough which comprised of the towns of Guiseley, Yeadon and Rawdon held a ‘Warship Week’ and managed to raise the sum of £140,000 to build a minesweeper, this ship was ‘HMS Bramble’. A plaque was presented to the committee by members of the ships crew, and it was agreed by the Rector of Guiseley (Sidney Edward Lowe) that this be put into Guiseley Parish Church.
Built by Lobnitz and on 14 March 1942 was adopted by Wellingborough Urban District Council during Warship Week. She was launched on 29 September 1942 and completed in February 1943 with a displacement of 850 tons and a complement of 85. Her armament was one 4 inch and four 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. Four more 20 mm guns were added in the summer of 1944. Her Pennant was J 275. 1943-1944 saw service in the North Sea and Arctic waters. She was involved in the D-Day landings in June 1944. On 10 November 1944 she was damaged by a mine off Ostend, declared a constructive total loss and was eventually towed back to Sheerness. In 1947 she was broken up by T.W.Ward of Grays, Essex.
[Information courtesy of Eileen Blythe]
