Berkeley Castle: Remembering VE Day
In the run up to the 75th Anniversary VE day on 8th May Berkeley Castle has been looking into its archives to find out about how it was involved in World War II and has found some interesting historical ties.
A Royal Navy ship was named after the historic Gloucestershire castle - the HMS Berkeley Castle. Launched in November 1943 she was one of the five Castle-class corvettes which served as a convoy escort until the end of the Second World War. The ship capsized in 1953 at Sheerness during the East Coast Floods but was re-floated, repaired and kept in reserve until 1956 when she was finally sent to be broken up and scrapped.
There was also an HMS Berkeley, which was a Royal Navy Destroyer and served in the Second World War. She was involved in the evacuation of British Embassy staff after the fall of France, and also escorted minelaying during operation SN32. During a 19 August 1942 air attack, she was hit by two bombs killing 13 and damaged beyond repair. She now lies at the bottom of the ocean.
Explore Gloucestershire
5 May 2020
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