63’ HSL 132?

I have a hand written report from the red listsof the service of what is said to be HSL 132 which had been assumed to be  MASB 32 ( I think that makes sense) I now appreciate that they are different boats, the interesting thing is that I have a small bit of data regarding MASB 32 which says the completion date and pay off dates are the same but disposal date is different as is the date she was sent to Poole.

I am a bit sketchy on my info as it is at home, the annoying thing is from the little info I thought I had on her, I now have even less!

32 was laid down in 1939 by The British Power Boat Company at their Hythe yard. However she was not completed and launched until 24th September 1941. She was originally configured as a Motor Anti Submarine Boat, hence MASB and was given the Service Number 32. Her original Yard Number was, I think, 1571. She was subsequently configured for air sea rescue work. On page 139 of the June 1942 edition of The Motor Boat and Yachting 32 is shown with S32 painted on her foredeck. The accompanying article relates to a trip undertaken by journalists on several boats including S32. The text in part reads:

“These motor boats are now primarily employed by the Navy for rescuing airmen from the sea. They are of the by now familiar 63-ft Scott-Paine type, manned by two sub-lieutenants R.N.V.R. and eight naval ratings. Nearly half the hull is occupied by three Napier engines; the crew sleep aboard and the officers ashore. Working in conjunction with these craft are R.A.F. boats of the 60-ft type, their turns of sea duty alternating”

The article probably had to have been written in April or May to have made it into the June edition. So … it would appear that 32 had the prefix “S” very early on in her service life and whilst used for Air Sea Rescue work. I assume that this would have been before she might have been involved in any “Special Duties”. (Though to me, rescuing downed airmen was pretty special!!)

MASBs 22 to 32 were originally ordered as 70 foot boats with MASBs 7 to 21.

HSLs 122 to 133 were ordered as 64-ft boats in 1939 with the designation of High Speed Launch but were eventually built as 63 footers. (Thirty six 63-ft High Speed Launches were built at Hythe in 1941/1942)

In the year September 1939 to September 1940 BPBC produced 136 boats. From October 1940 to September 1941, 150 boats. October 1941 to September 1942, 112 boats. Peaking at 210 boats in the year October 1942 to September 1943.

The Pom