Albert Leslie Ward

CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL 72, 3.

HMS Harvester

HMS Harvester was an H-class destroyer originally ordered by the Brazilian Navy with the name Jurua in the late 1930s, but bought by the Royal Navy after the beginning of World War II. Almost immediately after being commissioned, in May 1940, the ship began evacuating Allied troops from Dunkirk and other locations in France. Afterwards she was assigned to the Western Approaches Command for convoy escort duties. Harvester and another destroyer sank a German submarine in October. She was briefly assigned to Force H in May 1941, but her anti-aircraft armament was deemed too weak and she was transferred to the Newfoundland Escort Force in June 1941 for escort duties in the North Atlantic. Harvester was returned to the Western Approaches Command in October 1941 and converted to an escort destroyer in early 1942.

The ship was refitted at Liverpool between 12 December and 11 February 1943. Whilst defending Convoy HX 228 on 3 March, Harvester forced U-444 to the surface and then rammed it. She was badly damaged by the ramming, but she rescued five survivors after the submarine sank. The next day, Harvester was torpedoed by U-432 and broke in half. Nine officers, including Sub Lieutenant Robert Thorne from Southwell, Nottinghamshire and 136 ratings, including Ordinary Seaman Frederick Moxon from Mansfield, Gunner George Padgham from Carrington, Nottingham, Leading Seaman Albert Ward from Mapperley, Nottingham and Ordinary Telegraphist Richard West from Retford, were lost. The French corvette Aconit rammed and sank U-432 and then rescued Harvester's few survivors. (Wikipedia)

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