Minesweepers; the forgotten service

The role of minesweepers has always fascinated me, mainly because my late father served on HMS Albacore at the back end of WW2. Joined up on his 17th birthday in 1944, went to HMS Raleigh and HMS Alfred for training. He saw active service in the Med, and was still on active duty post-war (1945-47 Minesweeping bar on his Naval GS medal). I know it’s not a glamorous branch of the service, but it would be good to get a bit more of an overview.
(Edit: I’ve just discovered a ship’s seal for Albacore amongst his things. That’s weird)
In common with most, he never talked much about his service; I know he was at the Big Bang at Heligoland, and he had a story about a run ashore in Naples that sounded fun, but little else. He was a phenomenal shot, though, impressing us as kids at fairgrounds by always winning the top prize, which he put down to learning by shooting mines to sink them (and not make them explode) off the back of a rolling and pitching ship.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoy the entire oeuvre; discovered WW2 and binged it, am now doing the same with WW1. So good to have proper history that doesn’t patronise me. Worth every penny of the sub

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