1 9 3
9
September
Under
conversion to WAIR at
Chatham
to
(Note:
The identity WAIR was used for
destroyers built during WW1 which were
to be
December
converted
for use as escorts with an improved
anti-aircraft capability.)
1 9 4
0
January
Under conversion.
to
Carried
out post refit harbour trials
March
(Note:
One source records ships as part of
escort for
outward Convoy OG24 on
formation
in SW Approaches. This is to be
confirmed as ship
was not in service.)
April
Commissioned
for trials.
May
Post
refit sea trials.
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to L93.
June
Commissioned
for operational service as convoy
escort in Rosyth Command..
July
Joined
Rosyth Escort Force and deployed for
convoy defence and patrol in
North
Sea.
August
North
Sea
convoy defence and patrol in
continuation.
to
October
November
1st During
escort of
convoy with HM Destroyer WATCHMAN and
HM Corvette PINTAIL off
Yarmouth
in action
with aircraft and hit by bomb in
bridge area.
11 members
of the ships company including the
Captain were killed and none wounded.
Towed
to Harwich
December
Under
repair
1 9 4
1
January
Under
repair
February
Post repair trials.
to
Resumed
North Sea convoy defence with Rosyth
Escort Force.
March
April
Rosyth Escort Force North Sea duties
in
continuation.
to
(For
details of service in this period see
STAND BY FOR ACTION by Cdr. Donald
October
and
THE BATTLE CF THE EAST
COAST
by J P Foynes)
November
18th
Escorted Convoy FS50 of 58 ships with
HM
Destroyers VESPER and WOLSEY of the
Rosyth
Escort Force.)
(Note: HM
Destroyers CAMPBELL, GARTH and
HAMBLEDON of the
21st
Destroyer
Flotilla, HM Corvettes KITTIWAKE and
WIDGEON from
Harwich.
were also
deployed as escort.
19th
In sustained action against E-Boats with
other escorts during which two of the mercantiles
and RFA WAR
MEHTAR were sunk.
December
North
Sea
convoy defence in continuation.
1 9 4
2
January
Rosyth duties in continuation.
February
Nominated
for detached service with Home Fleet.
Deployed for
screening duties with other
destroyers of Home Fleet.
March
Part
of screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN,
HM Battleships KING GEORGE V,
DUKE
OF YORK,
HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM
Cruisers BERWICK and KENYA
with HM
Destroyers ASHANTI,
BEDOUIN, ECH, ECLIPSE, FAULKNOR, FURY,
GROVE,
INCONSTANT, ICARUS, INTREPID, JAVELIN,
LANCASTER, LEDBURY,
LOOKOUT, ONSLOW,
PUNJABI, TARTAR, WELLS and WOOLSTON.
(Note:
These ships were providing Distant
Cover for passage of Russian Convoys
PQ12
and
the
returning QP9 because of the threat by
the German
battleship TIRPITZ then in North
Norway.
This was the first protective
deployment by a large number of Home
Fleet major
units.
For
details of all the Russian Convoy
operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA
Ruegg.
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield,
ARCTIC CONVOYS
by
R
Woodhead
and CONVOY! by
P
Kemp).
April
On
release from Home Fleet detachment
resumed East Coast convoy defence
duty.
May
East coast convoy defence based at
Rosyth in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4
3
East
coast convoy defence duties in
continuation.
(For
details of this type of service see
THREE CORVETTES by N. Monsarrat
and
THE
BATTLE OF THE NARROW
SEAS
by P Scott) .
1 9 4
4
East coast convoy
defence in continuation.
(Note:
This ship was not deployed for escort
duty in support of the
Normandy
landings.
(Operation NEPTUNE
- See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June
1944 (HMSO).)
1 9 4
5
January
East
coast convoy defence in continuation.
to
(Note: During this period German
minelaying and attacks by SCHNORKEL
fitted
May
submarines
in coastal waters were increased and
additional ships were
deployed to
reinforce escorts. See HOLD THE
NARROW
SEA
by P. Smith).
June
Paid
off and placed in Reserve after VE
Day.
to
August
