The BYMS [British Yard Minesweepers] class minesweepers were part of the Yard Minesweeper class of wooden-hulled vessels built for the US Navy; 150 of which were transferred to the Royal Navy under the terms of the Lend Lease Programme from 1941 to 1943. They displaced 270 tons, were 136 feet in length with a beam of 24 feet six inches and a draught of eight feet. The engines were General Motors 8-268A diesels running two prop shafts giving a speed of 15 knots. The crew consisted of 32 men and the vessels were armed with a 3 inch/.50 calibre gun and two 20mm cannons plus machine guns. Vessels of this class fought throughout the Second World War and the Korean War. BMYS 2254 was a YMS – 1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper laid down on 30 May 1942 at the Weaver Shipyard, Orange, Texas, USA.