Admiralty W-Class Destroyer ordered from
Scotts at Greenock on 9th December 1916 with the 10th order
of the 1916-17 Programme. The ship was laid down in April 1917 and launched on
24th February. 1918. She was the 1st ship to bear this name. On completion on 18th April 1918 she joined the Fleet
and was present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet in November
1918. After the Armistice the ship served in the Baltic and was damaged in
action with Russian warships. She served in the 6th Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet in
1921 and later went into Reserve. As part of the re-armament programme in 1939
this ship was selected for conversion to an AA Escort and was taken in hand by
Devonport Dockyard before the outbreak of WW2.
B a t t l
e Honours
NORTH SEA 1940-43 - ENGLISH CHANNEL
1943
H e r a
l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, a Portcullis Gold.
Mo t t o
Pro populo et gloria: ' For the people and glory’.
D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c
e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 3 9
September Under conversion to AA
Escort Destroyer (WAIR).
to Pennant No
change to L40 from D45 to conform with use as a Escort Destroyer.
December Post conversion harbour
and sea trials
Commissioned
for trials..
Nominated for
convoy defence duty in North Sea. Joined Rosyth Escort Force.
1 9 4 0
January On completion of
trials and storing commissioned for service/
Passage to
join Rosyth Escort Force for North Sea convoy defence.
February Deployed in North Sea
to (For details of
East Coast convoy defence see THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by
March JP Foynes).
April Transferred to
Dover Command for convoy defence and for the support of military
operations.
May Assisted in
evacuation of Flushing.
20th Reinforced French
AA defences at Dunkirk (Operation FA).
Sustained
damaged after striking submerged wreck at Dunkirk.
Repair work
taken in hand at Dunkirk.
(Note: Last
ship to be repaired there before German invasion)
June On completion of
repair work resumed convoy defence in North Sea.
July Deployed for
convoy defence in North Sea
to
December
1 9 4 1
January North Sea convoy
defence in continuation.
to September
October
12th Carried out
attacks on E-Boats of 2nd German Flotilla with HM Destroyers WOLSEY
and COTSWOLD
in defence of Convoy FN31 during passage off Norfolk coast.
November North sea deployment in
continuation
to December
1 9 4 2
January Convoy defence
defence and interception patrol to prevent E- Boat attacks in North Sea.
to December
1 9 4 3
January Deployed in North Sea and English Channel for convoy
defence and E-Boat
to March interception patrol.
April In action against
E-Boats off Lowestoft with HM Corvette WIDGEON HM Motor Gunboats
88 and 91. See
THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott,
May North Sea
deployment in continuation
to December
1 9 4 4
January North Sea and Channel
deployment in continuation.
to December
1 9 4 5
January North Sea and Channel
duties in continuation
to May (Note : During this
period Atlantic convoys were rerouted through English Channel and
convoy defence
deployments were adjusted to meet this alteration with the new
escort ships
available. In addition an increase in minelaying activities by submarine
in Thames
estuary as well as E Boat attacks in Thames Estuary required additional
patrol
activities.)
June Withdrawn from
operational service and placed in Paid-off.
to August Reduced to Reserve
status.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS WESTMINSTER remained in Reserve and after the end of
hostilities with Japan. She was put on the Disposal List. in 1946 and sold to BISCO for demolition by
Metal Industries on 4th March 1947. The ship arrived in tow at the breakers’ yard in Charlestown, near
Rosyth during August 1948.
S p e c i a l Note
As this ship had been converted for use as an Escort and
fitted with suitable high angle 4in armament for AA defence she was retained for
protection of the vital East coast convoys and not deployed for other use such
as support of the allied landings in Normandy and service for escort of Russian
convoys. She was also fitted with other weapons for attacks on E-Boats as well
as with special radio equipment for communication with aircraft and other
escorts. Some ships deployed in the North Sea also had special radio receivers
for interception of E-Boat radio signals.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WESTMINSTER
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been
cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
01/02/40
|
01/02/40
|
MT 001
|
02/02/40
|
02/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
FS 0090
|
09/02/40
|
09/02/40
|
14/02/40
|
14/02/40
|
FS 0096
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
22/02/40
|
22/02/40
|
MT 016
|
23/02/40
|
23/02/40
|
23/02/40
|
23/02/40
|
FS 0103
|
25/02/40
|
25/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
FN 0104
|
29/02/40
|
29/02/40
|
23/03/40
|
23/03/40
|
FS 0127
|
25/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
23/03/40
|
23/03/40
|
MT 036
|
23/03/40
|
23/03/40
|
30/03/40
|
30/03/40
|
FS 0133
|
01/04/40
|
01/04/40
|
04/04/40
|
04/04/40
|
MT 044
|
04/04/40
|
04/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
FS 0142
|
12/04/40
|
12/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
MT 048
|
10/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
17/04/40
|
17/04/40
|
FS 0148
|
19/04/40
|
19/04/40
|
17/04/40
|
17/04/40
|
MT 053
|
17/04/40
|
17/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
FS 0154
|
26/04/40
|
26/04/40
|
05/05/40
|
05/05/40
|
FS 0163
|
07/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
02/08/40
|
02/08/40
|
FS 0239
|
03/08/40
|
03/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
FS 0247
|
11/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
16/08/40
|
16/08/40
|
FS 0254
|
18/08/40
|
18/08/40
|
27/08/40
|
27/08/40
|
FS 0264
|
29/08/40
|
29/08/40
|
03/09/40
|
03/09/40
|
FS 0271
|
05/09/40
|
05/09/40
|
06/09/40
|
06/09/40
|
FN 0274
|
08/09/40
|
07/09/40
|
12/09/40
|
12/09/40
|
FS 0279
|
14/09/40
|
15/09/40
|
15/09/40
|
15/09/40
|
FN 0281
|
17/09/40
|
17/09/40
|
21/09/40
|
21/09/40
|
FS 0288
|
23/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
24/09/40
|
24/09/40
|
FN 0290
|
26/09/40
|
26/09/40
|
29/09/40
|
30/09/40
|
FS 0294
|
unknown
|
30/09/40
|
01/10/40
|
01/10/40
|
FN 0296
|
03/10/40
|
03/10/40
|
09/10/40
|
09/10/40
|
FN 0304
|
11/10/40
|
11/10/40
|
17/10/40
|
17/10/40
|
FS 0312
|
19/10/40
|
19/10/40
|
20/10/40
|
20/10/40
|
FN 0315
|
21/10/40
|
22/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
FS 0320
|
28/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
29/10/40
|
29/10/40
|
FN 0322
|
31/10/40
|
31/10/40
|
03/11/40
|
03/11/40
|
FS 0327
|
05/11/40
|
05/11/40
|
06/11/40
|
06/11/40
|
FN 0328
|
08/11/40
|
08/11/40
|
15/11/40
|
15/11/40
|
FS 0336
|
17/11/40
|
17/11/40
|
18/11/40
|
18/11/40
|
FN 0337
|
20/11/40
|
20/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
FS 0343
|
25/11/40
|
25/11/40
|
26/11/40
|
26/11/40
|
FN 0343
|
28/11/40
|
28/11/40
|
06/12/40
|
06/12/40
|
FN 0352
|
08/12/40
|
08/12/40
|
14/12/40
|
14/12/40
|
FS 0361
|
16/12/40
|
16/12/40
|
21/12/40
|
21/12/40
|
FS 0367
|
24/12/40
|
24/12/40
|
04/01/41
|
04/01/41
|
FN 0375
|
06/01/41
|
06/01/41
|
12/01/41
|
12/01/41
|
FS 0386
|
14/01/41
|
14/01/41
|
23/01/41
|
23/01/41
|
FS 0394
|
25/01/41
|
25/01/41
|
26/01/41
|
26/01/41
|
FN 0392
|
28/01/41
|
28/01/41
|
29/01/41
|
29/01/41
|
FS 0399
|
31/01/41
|
31/01/41
|
02/02/41
|
02/02/41
|
FN 0398
|
04/02/41
|
04/02/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)