Ex USS WELLES (Type A - BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel, Quincy. The ship was laid down on 13th November 1918 and launched on 8th May 1919. Commissioned on 2nd September 1919 for US
naval service she was held in Reserve in 1939. She was transferred to the RN
under the UK/US Lend/Lease Agreement and commissioned as HMS CAMERON Halifax,
Nova Scotia on 9th September 1940.
This name was common to several towns in the USA
and a village in Fife, Scotland. It had not
been used for an RN warship previously.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, within an
annulet Blue charged in base
with a mullet White a sprig of oak proper.
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 0
September
8th Commissioned as HMS CAMERON at Halifax.
During
preparation for service and Atlantic passage taken in hand for repair
October Under
repair.
On
completion took passage to Belfast with call at St Johns, Newfoundland.
November Nominated
for refit and modification at Portsmouth.
7th Arrived at Belfast.
Passage to Portsmouth.
20th Taken in hand by
HM Dockyard for modifications to suit RN deployment as a convoy escort.
(Note: Some sources suggest ship may have been intended to
be converted for use as a Long
Range Escort because of her known limited boiler capacity.)
December Under
refit in No. 8 Dock.
15th Hit by bomb during
air raid on Portsmouth and set on fire.
Bodily
moved off supporting blocks and flooded by fire-fighting.
1 9 4 1
January Remained
in dock and unattended
February
23rd Salved and taken in hand for survey.
Later declared Constructive Total Loss.
S p e c i a l N o t e
Before being placed on the
Disposal List on 5th October 1943 this ship was extensively examined to
determine the effects on structure and machinery of a major explosion. She
remained hulked at Portsmouth until November 1944 when towed to Falmouth,
arriving on 26th of that month.. The ship was sold to TW Ward for demolition at
Falmouth and handed over on 1st December.
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