HMS Modest Korean Waters - Ship or Not a Ship??

[Peter Harvey]

Hi,

Attached a picture of a 1950's QE2 POMM cover 'Serving in Korean Water'. To the reverse sender gives his address as HMS Modest in Korean Waters....... I can not find any reference to this ship.

Any help appreciated, or was modest a way to get his record played by the BBC :-)

Peter

[Nick Colley]

He's mis-spelled, it, Pete: it's HMS Modeste - the French way, since we captured the original Modeste from the French in 1759. Anyway, the Modeste from where your item originated was a sloop, built at Chatham in 1944. She's the sixth vessel to bear that name in the RN. If you look at

https://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/un/gbhms_modeste.htm

you'll see she's on the list of vessels which served in the Korean theatre, although there's nothing entered for her on that page.

OK?

chrs
N

[Michael Dobbs]

Peter

I have a photocopied typewritten manuscript which came from the John Daynes collection on "British Commonwealth Naval Operations in Korea" in seven parts which JD bound into a single document.  It was clearly prepared by the Admiralty as "C.N.I. Department, Admiralty, S.W.12" and a date (some as early as March or August 1951) appears after this.  I wonder if it was a draft for a publication as the text is double spaced.

Part VI covers the period January-June 1953, but this part does not contain the Admiralty address and date.  However, it does mention HMS Modeste:-

"Among other inshore bombardments during May were those carried out by H.M.A.S. CULGOA, H.M.C.S. HAIDA and H.M.S. MODESTE."

Following the text there is a list of vessels under the heading "COMMONWEALTH WARSHIPS AND AUXILIARIES ENGAGED IN OR IN SUPPORT OF KOREAN OPERATIONS" and HMS Modeste is listed as part of Third Frigate Squadron under the command of Commander R D Ritchie MVO, RN.

The only other mention of HMS Modeste is in Part VII (June 1953 to end of hostilities) where it is listed under "The following are the records of steaming and boiler fuel consumption of UK HM Ships operating in the Far East during the period of the war:"

MODESTE:    2,400 FUEL (TONS)      17,300 MILES STEAMED

Mike  ;)

[Michael Dobbs]

Peter

I have also found this website about a sailor who served on HMS Modeste during its trip to the Far East:
http://www.billcook.co.nf/korea.html

Should give you plenty of information to write up your cover!

Mike  ;D