Richard Hargreaves

Burnley Express and News, October 2, 1943

HARBOUR WATCHDOGS
THEIR AMBITION IS TO BAG A U-BOAT

CRAFT which played an important part in the recent Sicilian and Italian campaign of the North African landings were the Harbour Defence Motor Launches little wooden ships described as the most unpretentious of the Navy’s coastal forces.
Serving on one of these H.D.M.L.’s which has been in the Mediterranean right from the start of the North African campaign, is Seaman Richard Hargreaves, of 99, Burnley-road, Harle Syke, who with a colleague, is a key rating responsible for the upkeep and operation of devices for detecting underwater craft. The ambition, like that of all the ship’s crew, is to “bag” a U-boat.

OCEAN TEST
This H.D.M.L. has had its fair share of adventures, including dive-bombing by Stukas in a North African harbour, but. Perhaps, the greatest was the ocean passage from an English port to Gibraltar. This took eight days, and tested the ship and the crew to the full. The first three days in the Bay of Biscay were tough, and at times the crew wondered whether they would ever see “Gib.” But after that bad spell they had glorious weather and completed the voyage uneventfully.
Seaman Hargreaves was a weaver for the Harle Syke Mill Company before joining the Navy in August, 1940. He attended Haggate Chapel and played cricket in the Sunday school team. He has been aboard now for thirteen months.

Info kindly supplied by Kris Baxter