HMS Jasmine

This copy of a cyclostyled ship's history belonged to James ('Jim') A Hingston, who served aboard her when an RNVR sub-lieutenant as her navigating officer between 20 March 1941 and 16 June 1943.

Produced under the constraints of war which led, for example, to rather oblique references to equipment such as radar and asdic, and to the wartime purposes of individual ships, it remains of value in offering an insight into the operational realities of life for a small escort vessel. After a particularly grim first few months in which they experienced drawing of HMS Jasmine from cover of ship historythe consequences of bombing of the home ports as well as U-boat and air attacks on the Liverpool - Gibraltar run, being sent south to Africa was an understandable relief. Certainly Jim Hingston looked back on his leaves spent in South Africa with great affection, though marred by the racial divisions which only a few years later were to be formalised under apartheid. It seemed to have been the happiest time in his war service and that shared spirit comes across in the history.

Though written in the first person the document bears no name of authorship. It seems to have been written by two or more wardroom officers, though there is no suggestion that Jim Hingston was amongst them.

bullet  The document: HMS Jasmine. Her Second Anniversary

bullet  The document's original cover

bullet  Copy of the wardroom Christmas menu for 1941 and 1942

bullet  'Crossing the Line' certificate This is dated 1 March 1942, but Jim Hingston had actually crossed the equator a number of times before, and the ceremony referred to in the ship's history took place in December 1941. Almost certainly the false date was inserted for security reasons, as in March 1942 HMS Jasmine was many miles from the position given, which is a plausible one neverless for the first crossing.

bullet  Wardroom description from Jim Hingston's pocket book

bullet  Information about convoy HG 73

bullet  Jim Hingston's war diary