Martyn Holloway at ‘Falklands 40’ in Hull
21 Jun 2022
Background
The elderly Ton class coastal mine countermeasures vessels (MCMVs) in service at the time of the Falklands war in 1982 were unsuited for the long passage and heavy seas expected in the South Atlantic. The first two of the new Hunt Class MCMVs were not yet operational so it was decided to requisition five deep sea trawlers from Hull and fit them with rudimentary minesweeping equipment. These vessels were commissioned into the Royal Navy and crewed mostly by the ships' companies of Ton Class MCMVs based at Rosyth: CORDELLA (HMS UPTON); FARNELLA (HMS WOTTON); JUNELLA (HMS BICKINGTON); NORTHELLA (HMS SOBERTON); and PICT (HMS BILDESTON). The group was designated the 11th Mine Countermeasures Squadron and sailed from Portland on 27 April 1982 with MCDOA member Martyn HOLLOWAY as Senior Officer in HMS CORDELLA.
The ships’ companies of the five minesweeping trawlers comprising the rapidly-formed 11th MCM Sqn had it tough. They endured rough weather, unreliable machinery and lack of proper self-defence armament, communications and navigation systems. Sailing to and fro on their various often clandestine missions carrying stores and personnel in the dark, with radar switched off and all lights extinguished for security, they frequently ran the risk of being rammed or fired on by both enemy and friendly forces. Apart from acting as guinea pigs in channels suspected of being mined and landing Special Forces raiding parties, they swept 10 of the 21 deadly moored mines laid by the Argentinians in the approaches to Port Stanley; the other mines having either broken adrift and floated away or failed to deploy properly. Astonishingly, Martyn Holloway, the relatively junior officer as a Lt Cdr who welded the makeshift squadron together as an effective force, led it 8,000 miles south, supervised its hazardous operations and then brought it home again four months later without its ships or men sustaining a single casualty received no public recognition for his feat.
More information and images in The Forgotten Few of the Falklands in the old MCDOA website.
11th MCM Sqn at anchor in the Forth after returning from the South Atlantic
‘Falklands 40’ in Hull
Falklands 40 veterans parading in Hull
Hull pulled out the stops to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands war over the weekend of 17-19 June 2022. Events included a parade by a Royal Marines band, veterans and cadets through the town and a service in the Minster as well as many reunions and dinners. Those who sailed in the minesweeping trawlers of the 11th MCM Squadron made a particular occasion of it. East Yorkshire Motoring Services even decorated one of its buses as shown here with Martyn standing next to a depiction of his old Command, HMS CORDELLA. The photo was taken by Sheila Elsson, an ex-Wren who served at HMS VERNON. She met Martyn later at Sunday’s commemoration service in Hull Minster.
Martyn pointing at depiction of HMS CORDELLA on East Yorkshire Motoring Services ‘Falklands 40’ bus
Martyn with ex-VERNON Wren Sheila Ellson in Hull Minster