QUILLIAM-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered in
December 1940 with the 3rd Emergency Flotilla from J S White of Cowes IoW. The ship was laid down on 6th February 1941 and launched on 11th April 1942 as the first RN warship to carry the name. Completion was delayed until
30th September 1942 due to air raid damage in the shipyard. Build cost was £436,769 but excluded cost of equipment
supplied by the Admiralty such as armament, wireless and radar. After a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign during March 1942 she was adopted by the
civil community of St Pancras in Greater London. On completion this Fleet
Destroyer was transferred on loan to the Royal Australian Navy who manned the
ship.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1942 - ATLANTIC 1942 - SABANG
1944 -
OKINAWA 1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Barry wavy of
six White and Blue. a trident and a blacksmith's
hammer
in Saltire Black and a horseshoe interlaced Red.
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e a s H M A S Q U I C K M A T
C H
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 4 2
September
14th - Completed
Contractor's sea trials and commission for trials.
30th - Build
completion and commenced acceptance trials.
October
Passage to
Scapa Flow after completion of trials and storing. Carried out work-up in English Channel and SW Approaches.
Nominated for service with Force Q in
Mediterranean.
November
Deployed in
English Channel and SW Approaches
December
Detached for
escort duty in Atlantic.
20th - Escorted
HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS with HM Destroyers RACEHORSE and REDOUBT during passage in Atlantic to
Pacific for loan service with US Navy.
1 9 4 3
January
1st - Detached
from HMS VICTORIOUS with other Home Fleet escorts and took passage to resume Home Fleet duties.
Nominated for escort of military convoy WS26 during passage to
join 4th Destroyer Flotilla in Indian
Ocean.
31st - Joined
military convoy WS26 with HM Destroyers QUALITY, QUIBERON, RACEHORSE and REDOUBT as Ocean Escort during Atlantic
passage.
February
6th - Detached
from WS26 on arrival at Freetown.
9th - Rejoined
WS26 on departure with HMS QUIBERON.
25th - Detached
from WS26 on arrival at Durban.
March
Deployed at
Durban with HMS QUICKMATCH and QUALITY of Flotilla.
4th - Reinforced
HM Corvette NIGELLA and three trawlers in escort of Convoy DN21 with HMS RELENTLESS after series of
attacks by U160.
April to May
Deployed for convoy defence in Indian Ocean based at Durban.
June
Indian Ocean
deployment in continuation.
25th - Joined
military convoy WS30 on departure from Cape Town with HMS ROTHERHAM as escort in Indian Ocean.
30th - Detached
from WS30 with HMS ROTHERHAM during passage.
July
Transferred to
South Atlantic Command for convoy defence.
August
South Atlantic
deployment in continuation.
September
Resumed convoy
defence in Indian Ocean based at Durban.
October to December
Indian Ocean convoy defence in
continuation for traffic between East African Ports and Ade n. (Note: HM Destroyers QUENTIN, NIZAM,
NEPAL, QUIBERON AND QUALITY were also
deployed.)
1 9 4 4
January
Indian Ocean
deployment in continuation.
February
Transferred
with Flotilla to Eastern Fleet. Passage
to Trincomalee to join Eastern Fleet
March
Deployed with
Eastern Fleet Joined in Flotilla by
HM Destroyers QUADRANT, QUEENBOROUGH and QUILLIAM. (Note: Ship did not take part in Operation DIPLOMAT.)
April
Deployed in
Indian Ocean for Flotilla duties in Eastern Fleet including convoy defence. (Note: Did not take part in Operation
COCKPIT)
May
6th - Deployed
with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE, NAPIER, NEPAL, QUALITY QUIBERON and Dutch VAN GALEN in Force 65
as screen for HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH,
VALIANT, French RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers NEWCASTLE, NIGERIA and Dutch TROMP to provide cover for air
attacks on Soerabaya, Java by Force 66.
(Operation TRANSOM.
Note:
US aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA was part of Force 66. See references.)
15th - Refuelled
in Exmouth Bay. Western Australia with Force 65 ships.
17th - Deployed
with Force 65 screen during Force 66 air operations.
27th - Returned
to Trincomalee with RN ships of Forces 65 and 66.
June
Deployed for
Eastern Fleet screening duties.
19th - Joined
HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, French battleship RICHELIEU, HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruisers NIGERIA, KENYA
and CEYLON with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM,
QUALITY, ROTHERHAM of 4th Destroyer Flotilla and RACEHORSE, RELENTLESS, ROEBUCK, RAIDER of 11th
Destroyer Flotilla as Force 60.
21st - Deployed
as screen for major ships of Force 60 during air attacks at Port Blair, Andaman
Islands (Operation PEDAL. For details see WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO)
Volume IV.)
July
22nd - Joined
Force 62 with HM Destroyers RELENTLESS, ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE, RAIDER, ROEBUCK, ROCKET, RAPID, QUILLIAM, and
QUALITY as screen for HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH,
HMS VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, French RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers NIGERIA, KENYA, GAMBIA. CEYLON,
CUMBERLAND, PHOEBE and Dutch TROMP as
Force 62 to provide cover for air attacks on Sabang, Sumatra and bombardments
of shore targets (Operation CRIMSON. Note: Air attacks were made by HM
Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE and VICTORIOUS.)
25th - Detached
from Force 62 with Dutch cruiser TROMP and HM Destroyers QUILLIAM and QUALITY to form Inshore Force to attack
harbour installations at Sabang and shipping in harbour. Engaged by
shore batteries and sustained some damage with casualties. (Note: Torpedoes were fired into
harbour.)
27th - Return
passage to Trincomalee with Force 62
August to
October
Eastern Fleet deployment
in continuation (Note: Ship did not
take part in Operation BANQUET or Operation MILLET. Ship may have been under repair.)
November
22nd - Transferred
to British Pacific Fleet with Flotilla on formation at Trincomalee.
December
Passage to
Australia with Flotilla
10th - Arrived
at Sydney to prepare for service in SW Pacific under overall US Navy command.
24th - Deployed
in anti-submarine search operations off Sydney with US Submarine Chaser PCS97, HM Australian Corvettes BALLARAT,
GOULBURN, KALGOORIE and WHYALLA after
U862 had sunk US Freighter in approaches to Sydney.
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed with
BPF for exercises prior to operational duty with US 5th Fleet in SW Pacific. Nominated for special duty and detached
for escort of liner carrying the Governor General of Australia designate, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, to take up his
appointment. Deployed with HM
Destroyer QUIBERON and joined HM Cruiser SUFFOLK and HM Destroyer ULSTER in escort for liner during final
stage of passage from Trincomalee off Australian coast.
On completion resumed Flotilla duties.
February
Deployed with
Flotilla with BPF ships in further preparatory exercises.
28th - Took
passage with ships of BPF to Forward British Base at Manus, Admiralty Islands
to await instructions for joining US
Navy operations with ships of Task Force 113. (See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO), Appendix S.)
March
7th - Arrived
at Manus.
Carried out further
preparatory exercises with Task Force 113 whilst based at Manus.
18th - Took
passage from Manus to US Forward Base at Ulithi with Task Force 113.
20th - Arrived
at Ulithi with Task Force 113.
23rd - Sailed
from Ulithi as Task Force 57 to join ships of US 5th Fleet in operations off
Sakishima Gunto island Group (Operation
ICEBERG ONE). Note: After delay by
US Joint Chiefs of Staff in giving approval for use of RN ships in operations with USN in Pacific. See WAR
WITH JAPAN (HMSO) ,TASK FORCE 57 by
P Smith, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton. and CARRIER VICTORY by J M Ludley.)
British Pacific Fleet was designated Task Force 57 on departure
from Ulithi.
31st - Deployed
as screen for TG57 ships during renewed attacks. (For full details of ships involved see TF57 by P Smith, THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by John Winton,
CARRIER VICTORY by J M Ludley, Naval Staff History and above references).
April
1st - Under air
attacks with BPF ships during air operations. (Note: HMS INDEFATIGABLE and HM Destroyer ULSTER were damaged. See above references.)
11th - Detached
from operations off Sakishima-Gunto for deployment as screen for Task Force 57
during air attacks on North Formosa.
(Operation ICEBERG OOLONG – See references)
15th - Resumed
operations with screen for Task Force 57 off Sakishima-Gunto after refuelling.
19th - Passage
to Forward US Navy Base at Leyte for R&R.
May
1st - Sailed
from Leyte as part of screen for Task Force 57 ships.
4th - Deployed
as screen for BPF aircraft carriers during resumed joint air attack on the
Sakashima Gunto Group (Operation
ICEBERG TWO - See above references. Note: The battleships and cruisers of Task Force 57 had been detached
to carry out a bombardment of Miyako
Shima which had left the Carrier Force vulnerable to concentrated air attacks including KAMIKAZE. See above
references.)
9th - Under
further KAMIKAZE attacks.
25th - On
release from ICEBERG TWO took passage to Manus as part of screen for ships of
Task Force 57.
June
Deployed in
Australia for R&R
BPF
transferred to US 3rd Fleet and re-designated Task Force 37.
28th - Sailed
from Sydney as part of screen for Task Force 37.
July
4th - Arrived
at Manus.
6th - Sailed
for operational area off Japan to join US 3rd Fleet ships.
13th - Met
Refuelling Group for replenishment before starting operations.
16th - On
arrival in operational area deployed with screen during joint air attacks and
bombardments of targets in Japan. (Note: RN operations were restricted by
US Navy insistence on carrying out a major role. See references.)
Part
of screen for aircraft carriers during air raids on Tokyo-Yokohama area.
August
Deployment with
screen for carriers in continuation. (Note:
Joint air operations with Task Force 38 were carried out on shipping in North
Honshu and Hokkaido followed by
attacks in Tokyo area.)
13th - Returned
with TF37 ships to Manus because of lack of fuel from British tankers. (Note: HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS
INDEFATIGABLE, HMS GAMBIA, HMS NEWFOUNDLAND
and HM Destroyers BARFLEUR, NAPIER, NIZAM, WAKEFUL, TROUBRIDGE, TERMAGANT, TENACIOUS and TEAZER remained in Japanese waters and re-designated Task Group 38.5)
.
15th - After
cessation of hostilities returned to Sydney with BPF ships.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMAS
QUICKMATCH continued to serve on loan to the RAN after VJ Day and was deployed
in support of allied occupation
activities in Japan. The ship was permanently transferred to the RAN in June
1950 and was placed in Reserve.
Selected for conversion to a Type 15 Anti-submarine Frigate in 1951 on
completion in 1955 she was then re-commissioned..
Until 1963 she was deployed operationally until 1963 when withdrawn from service
and placed in
Reserve. Placed on the Disposal List later the ship was sold for breaking-up in
1972 and towed to Osaka, Japan for
demolition in July that year.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMAS
QUICKMATCH
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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|
|
|
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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|
|
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|
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27/11/42
|
01/12/42
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KMF 004
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06/12/42
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06/12/42
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10/01/43
|
11/01/43
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TMF 002
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unknown
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24/01/43
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14/09/43
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21/09/43
|
CM 045
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25/09/43
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27/09/43
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01/10/43
|
01/10/43
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AB 015
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08/10/43
|
08/10/43
|
12/10/43
|
12/10/43
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BA 050
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20/10/43
|
20/10/43
|
02/11/43
|
02/11/43
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AB 019
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06/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
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BM 074
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16/11/43
|
16/11/43
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17/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
CX 011
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20/11/43
|
20/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
XC 011
|
25/11/43
|
25/11/43
|
07/01/44
|
07/01/44
|
CM 048A
|
17/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
09/02/44
|
09/02/44
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BM 085A
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12/02/44
|
12/02/44
|
05/02/44
|
12/02/44
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KR 008
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14/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
21/01/44
|
21/02/44
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AB 028B
|
27/01/44
|
27/01/44
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24/04/44
|
24/04/44
|
US 024/1
|
28/04/44
|
28/04/44
|
04/07/44
|
04/07/44
|
AB 042A
|
10/07/44
|
10/07/44
|
21/08/44
|
21/08/44
|
BM 100
|
24/08/44
|
24/08/44
|
20/09/44
|
20/09/44
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ABF 004C
|
22/09/44
|
22/09/44
|
05/01/45
|
05/01/45
|
US 025
|
09/01/45
|
09/01/45
|
09/01/45
|
09/01/45
|
HB 001
|
14/01/45
|
23/01/45
|
|
|
|
|
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(Note on Convoys)
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