HMS Peterhead (J59)

HMS "Peterhead" was a reciprocating engined "Bangor" class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy named after the Scottish town of Peterhead.

She was built by Blyth Shipbuilding Company, of Blyth, Northumberland and launched on 31 October 1940.

Under the command of Lt Cdr David Croom-Johnson RNVR (later Lord Justice Croom-Johnson), she took part in Operation Neptune, the assault phase of the invasion of Normandy and was mined off Utah Beach on 8 June 1944. Croom-Johnson was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for "Peterhead"’s work in Operation Neptune. "Peterhead" was declared a total loss, and was sold for scrapping on 1 January 1948. She was broken up at Hayes, of Pembroke in May 1948.

References

*Colledge
* [http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3187.html HMS Peterhead at uboat.net]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2000/11/25/db01.xml Daily Telegraph Obituary for Sir David Croom-Johnson]