HMS Herald

[Jordi Comas]

Hi all,

One last question:

Who was the captain of British surveillance ship Herald in WW2?

Just I know: E. R. Maples. Do you know his complete name?

Thank you very much
Jordi

[David H]

According to Charts and Surveys in Peace and War by R.O. Morris, the Herald was “…at Singapore, laid up and inactive, when Malaya was overrun”. Therefore there would have been no commanding officer.

The contemporary Navy Lists continued to list the Herald throughout the war and also show a Lieutenant E R Maples RNR as the sole officer, long after she had been lost. However, I cannot find anyone of that name in the relevant Navy List section.

I have found reference to an officer at Singapore named Ernest Reginald Maples … but he died in April 1941: the obituary in Straits Times claims he was an RNR officer and I suspect that he was the officer shown in the NL

[Jordi Comas]

Thank you David!

Regards

[Hugh]

I have Temp Proby Lt Ernest Reginald Maples at HMS TERROR II [Naval base, Singapore] for HERALD active service 14.9.1939. I have no doubt it is the same man referred to by David as having died April 27, 1941 in Singapore after a long illness - buried at sea.
Regards
Hugh

[Jordi Comas]

Thank you Hugh,

Regards