GOSPORT BRANCH
Established 1981
President - Captain Chris Groves
Vice President - Les Catlin BEM
Chairman - Steve Thorpe MBE
Branch Chaplain - Rev Ralph Barber KHC RN
HMS Affray – 75th Anniversary of her Tragic Loss – Visit by Gosport Submariner's to the Alderney Memorial
Photos by David Nash
On the 16th April 1951 whilst conducting dived trials, it is believed that a defective Snort induction mast caused catastrophic, uncontrollable flooding resulting in the loss of the Submarine HMS Affray and all 75 men embarked at the time.
A brief but very poignant service of remembrance marking the 75th Anniversary of the tragedy was held at the Affray Memorial, sited at Braye Beach, on the Northern Channel Island of Alderney, on 16th April 2026.
Three Members from the Gosport and one from the Portsmouth Branch of the Submariners Association, along with two veteran Submariners from Alderney, members of the Alderney Branch of the RBL, some State members and the VIP guests, relatives of some of those lost on Affray were in attendance.
The Gosport Branch of the SA was paraded by the Branch Standard Bearer ,Colin Mould. A White Ensign was also paraded by a member of the Alderney Branch of the RBL.
After the Service which was led by former Submarine Captain Commodore David Cust, Commodore Cust, Relatives and SA branch members embarked on a chartered fishing boat with the intention of laying wreaths at sea at the site of the wreck of HMS Affray.
It was however ,with much regret ,that due to deteriorating and inclement weather conditions encountered approximately 5 miles out the decision was made to turn back to the relative calm of Braye Harbour.
To this day HMS Affray lies on the seabed, in 280 ft of water, on the edge of the Hurd deep, 17 miles NW of Alderney and is designated as a protected War Grave
RESURGAM
THE LOSS OF HMS AFFRAY
HMS Affray sailed in the early evening of April 15th, 1951, from the HMS Dolphin submarine base to take part in exercise ‘Spring Train’ in the western approaches. She dived off the Isle of Wight later that evening to make a dived passage west.
Her crew was reduced from 61 to 50 to accommodate a class of 21 trainee Engineering Officers and instructors on a training course and a detachment of 4 SBS Marines who were to carry out an exercise during her transit west. This made her complement 75.
She was lost with all hands some time between midnight on the 16th of April and 08.00 the following morning when she failed to send a routine signal.
Extensive searches for her were carried out over the following two months but it wasn’t until the 14 June that she was located lying in the Hurd deep just north of the island of Alderney.
RESURGAM