TWISS, William Willmott
| Service Number: | PA/V39 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 September 1939, Port Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 9 March 1915 |
| Home Town: | College Park, Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St Peters College, Adelaide University, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Commerce Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Kola Inlet, Russia, 17 February 1945, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom Panel 96 Column 1 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Pulteney Grammar School WW2 Honour Roll, Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College WW2 Honour Roll, Municipality of St Peters Citizens Who Have Enlisted Roll of Honour, St Peters All Souls Anglican Church Stained Glass Window WW2, St Peters Heroes War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 27 Sep 1939: | Involvement Lieutenant, PA/V39 | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 1939: | Enlisted Port Adelaide | |
| 27 Sep 1939: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant, PA/V39 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
Help us honour William Willmott Twiss's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by David Cree
P/V39P LIEUTENANT WILLIAM WILLMOTT TWISS RANVR
South Australian Lieutenant Twiss RANVR, was one of five hundred Australian Naval Reserves who served with the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
They were recruited under the Yachtman’s Scheme for training in England to serve as officers in the rapidly expanding Royal Navy. They would serve across all elements of the Royal Navy.
An only son, he was educated at St Peters College and Adelaide University. William enlisted in September 1939 for two months local training then not called up until October 1941. He sailed to England as an Ordinary Seaman where, after two months sailor
training, he joined the destroyer HMS Petard for six months sea experience. His ship escorted convoys to South Africa and Aden before joining the British Mediterranean Fleet.
In November 1942, with his Efficiency assessed as Superior, he was appointed Sub Lieutenant (On Probation) prior to three months concentrated officer training at Hove, Sussex.
On completion, he joined the Corvette HMS Petunia, remaining with her until May 1944. Over that period, Petunia escorted 26 South Atlantic convoys and he was awarded a Bridge Watch Keeping Certificate for Corvettes. This qualified him to take charge of the ship during watches at sea. In November 1943 he was promoted to Lieutenant.
Following several months ashore, in September 1944 William joined the Corvette HMS Bluebell, a member of the 8th Escort Group deployed on Atlantic convoys. Early in 1945 the Group briefly escorted English coastal convoys.
On 2 February, the Group sailed from Scotland with Arctic convoy JW64 for northern Russia. Four days later the convoy was strengthened by a cruiser, two escort carriers and their destroyers. The convoy survived two days of air attacks without loss before reaching Kola Inlet on 16th. There a sister corvette was torpedoed, then taken in tow by Bluebell until passed to a Russian tug.
On 17 February 1945 escort ships were deployed off Kola on anti-submarine patrols against U Boats known to be gathering to attack the return convoy. Around 1000 hrs the sloop HMS Lark was torpedoed. Five hours later Bluebell’s stern was hit by an acoustic homing torpedo, fired by U 711, causing its depth charges to detonate, sinking the ship in 30 seconds. Only one man survived.
Lieutenant Twiss left a wife and young son. William is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial, the
Adelaide World War 2 Wall of Remembrance and the Plymouth Naval Memorial for the Missing/Lost at Sea.
HMS BLUEBELL K80 Royal Navy Corvette “Flower Class” built 1940 Scotland.
From The Navy League of Australia South Australia Division
South Australia Division Newsletter – Spring 2023
https://navyleague.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/SPRING-23-NLA_SA-NEWSLETTER.pdf
Click images to start slideshow.