HMS Dragon_C1

Life History

Notes

• During World War 2 Arthur served onboard the HMS Dragon D46.
  During 2 weeks in February 1942 the ship was off the coast of Signapore, as part of the allied fleet attempting to stop the Japanese invasion.
  His hospitalized Brother Fred was captured on Signapore and taken as a POW.
  HMS Dragon D46
  Ship type: Light Cruiser
  Built by: Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. (Greenock, Scotland),
  Yard No 484
  Propulsion: Steam turbine 40000hp
  Tonnage: 4850 disp
  Length: 472 feet
  Breadth: 46 feet
  Draught: 14 feet
  Owner: Royal Navy
  Laid down: Jan 1917
  Launched: Saturday, 29 Dec 1917
  Commissioned: Aug 1918
  End service: 15 Jan 1943
  Polish manned 1943 onwards
  Status: Sunk 08 Jul 1944 - used as breakwater off Normandy Beaches
  HMS Dragon D46 Service History:
  1942
  January         Transferred to ABDA Command for convoy defence in Dutch East Indies area.
                 Escorted convoy taking reinforcement troops from Ceylon to Singapore.
         5th     Embarked Commander-in-chief Vice Admiral Geoffrewy Layton and staff officers at Singapore for passage to Batavia from Singapore.
                 Based at Batavia with ABDA ships.
         16th    Took passage from Singapore to Colombo.
         20th    Diverted during passage to join British China Force for escorted of military convoys between Sunda Strait and Singapore.
                 Deployed with HM Cruisers DANAE and DURBAN, six destroyers and RIN Sloops.
  February        Part of Western Striking Force based at Tanjong Priok with HM Australian Cruiser HOBART,
                 HMS DANAE, HM Destroyer SCOUT and HM Destroyer TENEDOS. Escorted Australian SJ/JS convoys to Sunda Strait.
         6th     Relieved HM Australian Cruiser CANBERRA with HMS DURBAN as escort for Convoy M53 to Singapore from Christmas Island.
         11th    Relieved HI Cruiser DORSETSHIRE with HM Destroyer ENCOUNTER as escort for Convoy JS2 to Oosthaven.
         15th    Deployed as part of Western Striking Force for defence duty off Western Java to intercept Japanese invasion craft.
         26th    Carried out Unsuccessful search in Banka - Bilintong area for invasion fleet.
         27th    Withdrawn from area and transferred to Colombo.
  http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1208.html
• Name: Arthur W Rippington
  Mother's Maiden Surname: Allen
  Date of Registration: Oct Nov Dec 1923
  Registration district: Newmarket
  Registration county: Cambridgeshire/Bedfordshire, Huntingtonshire, Northhamptonshire
  Volume Number: 3b
  Page Number: 693
• Name: Arthur W Rippington
  Death Registration Month/Year: 1960
  Age at death (estimated): 37
  Registration district: Southport
  Inferred County: Lancashire
  Volume: 10f
  Page: 653

Sources

• 1. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death
  • (primary evidence)
• 2. Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth
  • (primary evidence)