Type I HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered on 11th April 1939 from Alexander Stephen at Govan, Glasgow as part of the 1939 Programme with 9 other Type I. She was laid down as Admiralty Job No.1472 on 27th July 1939, the same day as sister ship HMS TYNEDALE in this shipyard. She was launched on 16th July 1940 as the first RN ship to bear the name of the Buckinghamshire fox-hunt. Build was completed on 28th February 1941.  Following a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 the ship was adopted by the civil community of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

NORTH SEA 1941-43 - SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - AEGEAN 1944 - ADRIATIC 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

On a Field, Red within a stirrup a  primrose Gold.

 

 

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 4 1

 

February                Contractors trials and commissioning.

                28th        Build completion and Acceptance Trials.

 

March                    Prepared for passage for working-up.

                                Worked-up for operational service.

 

April                       Joined Rosyth Local Escort for North Sea convoy defence and patrol duties.

 

May                        North Sea convoy defence in continuation.

                5th          Whilst at Hull during air raid sustained slight splinter damage.

                                (Note: This superficial damage was the only sustained during war service.)

 

June                        North Sea convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 2

 

                                Rosyth Escort force deployment in North Sea for convoy escort and patrol.

                                Nominated for foreign service in Mediterranean.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Deployed in North Sea.

 

February                Withdrawn from Rosyth Command and prepared for foreign Service.

 

March

                16th        Joined joint military convoy WS28 to Middle East and MCF28 to North Africa in

                                Clyde with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH, DOUGLAS, EGGESFORD and

                                GOATHLAND, Polish ORP KRAKOWIAK, HM Sloops WOODPECKER and

                                WREN for escort during Atlantic passage.

                21st         Detached with KMF28 Section and took passage to Gibraltar as escort.

                24th        Deployed with 60th Destroyer Division based at Gibraltar for convoy defence in

                                western Mediterranean.

 

April                       Mediterranean convoy defence in continuation.

to                            (Note: During May destroyers in Mediterranean were also deployed to establish

May                        blockade of Cape Bon area to intercept craft evacuating enemy personnel.

                                from North Africa (Operation RETRIBUTION).

 

June                        Deployed with HM Destroyers LAFOREY, LOOKOUT, LOYAL, JERVIS, TARTAR

                                and NUBIAN as screen for HM Cruisers AURORA, PENELOPE, ORION,

                                NEWFOUNDLAND and EURYALUS which provided cover for British landings on

                                Pantellaria (Operation CORKSCREW).

 

July                         Nominated for convoy escort and support during allied landings in Sicily and joined

                                Support Force East with ships of Division.

                7th          Deployed with Escort Group W as escort for Convoy SB5 from Sfax.

                10th        Arrived at BARK WEST beachhead with SB5 and deployed for naval gunfire support

                                and patrol during landings by XXX Corps SW of Syracuse.

                                (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and

                                Naval Staff History

                                Deployed for convoy defence, patrol and support during build-up.

 

August                  Based in Malta and nominated for escort and support of planned Allied landings

                                at Salerno

 

September               

                8th          Escorted convoy to assault area (Operation AVALANCHE. See above references).

                9th          Deployed for escort duties in support of allied landings.

                                Later released from AVALANCHE for convoy escort in central Mediterranean with ships

                                of Division.

 

October                 Convoy escort in central Mediterranean with ships of Division in continuation.

to                            Supported shore operations in Adriatic.

December             

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Adriatic and central Mediterranean deployment in continuation.

to                            Nominated for support of planned landings in South Frame, under US command.

June

 

July                         Prepared for planned operation.

 

August                  Took passage to Naples to join US warships for convoy escort.

                13th        Sailed from Naples as escort for SM2 Convoy during passage to the Assembly Area

                                with HM Destroyers ALDENHAM, BLACKMORE, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR,

                                EGGESFORD, LAUDERDALE and Greek destroyer PINDOS.

                                (Operation DRAGOON. See INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO)

                                and the above references.)

                15th        Arrived at Assembly Area.

                                Passage to Assault Area.

                22nd       Released from DRAGOON and reverted to RN control.

                                Took passage to Malta to resume duties with Division.

 

September             Deployed in Aegean in support of reoccupation of islands.

                                Carried out patrols to intercept evacuation craft and any Italian warships.

                24th        Engaged ex-Italian torpedo boats TA37, TA38 and TA39 in Straits of Otranto.

                                (Note: This was an inconclusive encounter.)

 

October                  Support of shore operations in Greece and Adriatic in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Under refit at Alexandria.

 

February                Took passage to Malta to resume duties on completion of post refit trials.

to                            Resumed Support and convoy escort duties with Division in Adriatic.

May

 

June                        Passage to Gibraltar for refit.

                5th          Taken in hand for refit.

                17th        On completion carried out post refit trials.

                                Retained at Gibraltar.                          

 

August                  Deployed at Gibraltar on VJ Day.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS WHADDON took passage to UK from Gibraltar on 29th September 1945. The ship was Paid-Off at Devonport and destored. After being reduced to Reserve status this destroyer was laid up in the Reserve Fleet at Plymouth. She remained there until 1954 when transferred to Cardiff in tow and placed on the Disposal  List in 1958. During the following year she was sold to BISCO for demolition by Shipbreaking Industries and arrived at the Breakers yard in Faslane during April 1959.

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS WHADDON

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

(Note on Convoys)