BAY Class Anti-aircraft Frigate ordered from
Charles Hill at Bristol in 1944 in place of
a LOCH Class Frigate to be named LOCH SEAFORTH
which had been cancelled on 27th November 1943. The change was made because of
a need for frigates of this type for deployment in the Far East where the main
threat was of attacks by by aircraft. The
prefabricated hull structure was identical with the LOCH Class but
the weapon fit differed (See General Information). The ship was laid down on
22nd November 1944 as Job No 602 (Yard No. 302). She was launched on 14th June
1945 and the first Royal Navy ship to carry this name. Her Build was completed
on 8th March 1946 and she was the last warship to be built by this shipyard.
G e o g r a p h i c D a t a
Location:
Small bay on the north coast of
Somerset, 4 miles west of Minehead.
Grid Reference:
SS8848.
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Note: Two Badges are known to have been used.
The original
'unofficial' one was
replaced in 1953.
Original Badge
On a rock proper, an
Eagle rising argent, wings azure.
Explanation: Arms of BLATHWAYT family, the
local squires.
Motto Virtute et Veritate: 'Virtue and truth'
Officially Approved
Badge
On a Field quarterly Gold and Red in base berry wavy of four white and
blue,
An oak tree fructed proper
Explanation: Oak tree alludes to the oak jug manufactured
in the town of Porlock
and peculiar to the area The
quarterly gold and red field is from
the
arms of Sir Simon FitzRoger who helped to build Porlock
Church in the 13th century
M a n n i
n g D i v i s i o n
Devonport
S u m m a r y o f 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 6
February Contractor's
trials.
8th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
14th
Commissioned for service on the America and West Indies Station.
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant DL Davenport, Royal Navy
(Later Rear Admiral, CB, OBE).
March Formal visit
to City of Bristol.
Ranging and weapon equipment trials at Portland
April Work-up
for operational service at
Portland.
(Note: During work-up ship visited Porlock and ship's company accorded generous
hospitality.).
May
On completion of work-up attached to Plymouth Local
Flotilla
to (Note:
Departure to West Indies delayed by post-war manning problems).
June
July Prepared
for foreign service.
22nd Sailed for
Bermuda with HM Frigate PADSTOW BAY.
August After call at
Azores sailed for Bermuda with a disabled Landing Craft (Headquarters) 50 in
tow.
During disengagement of tow on arrival ship involved in collision with the
landing craft and
sustained damage
to forward structure.
Taken
in hand for repair in drydock and could not sail with
Squadron for Autumn Programme of
visits to US ports.
(Note: This vessel was being returned to US Navy after Lease-Lend).
September After repair
prepared for programmed duty in Newfoundland and visits in Canada.
3rd Sailed
for St John's.
7th Arrived
at St Johns for stay during National Convention on political future of
the Colony.
13th Embarked
HE Governor of Newfoundland, Sir Gordon Macdonald at Argentia to carry
out an
official tour of isolated fishing settlements on south coast.
26th
Disembarked HE at Port Aux Basques on completion of tour.
31st After
visit to Halifax began programme of visits to ports on northern coast of
Newfoundland
including St. Anthony and Corner Brook.
October
10th Visited
mainland port including Bagotville, Quebec and Charlottetown.
15th At
Quebec.
21st Passage
to Halifax via Sydney, Cape Breton.
November
3rd Carried
cut exercises with RCN ships at Halifax.
7th Passage
to Bermuda with call at Saint John, New Brunswick.
14th Arrived
at Bermuda.
Taken
in hand for maintenance and refit by HM Dockyard Bermuda.
December Under refit.
(Note: As a result of alteration in policy relating to the command of
independent frigates on
foreign stations Commander F J Twiss assumed command. This was his first sea
command. On retirement as Admiral Sir Frank Twiss, KCB, KCVO, DSC he
became Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod).
On
completion resumed duties with Squadron at Bermuda.
31st Sailed
for patrol and visits to ports in Caribbean.
1 9 4 7
January Took part in
exercise with ships of America and West Indies Squadron.
to On
completion took passage to Vera Cruz with call at Kingston, Jamaica
March. Visited
Galveston, Mobile, Key West and Nassau.
Returned to Bermuda.
April Deployed
at Bermuda.
to
May
June
27th Took part
in exercises with Squadron.
July
1st Passage
to Nassau with Squadron.
3rd Took part in official
visits by HE the Governor of the
Bahamas to the Turks and Caicos
Islands
to as well
as others in the Bahamas.
13th
14th Detached
at Nassau on return and took passage to Kingston, Jamaica for visits to
ports in West
Indies.
21st Whilst at
Kingston despatched to Belize, British Honduras after Guatemalan threat
to colony.
24th Remained
in Honduras sea area.
to
31st
August Emergency
support duty in continuation without direct involvement.
7th Returned
to Kingston.
9th Resumed
visits and patrol programme.
Took
passage to Aruba with call in Colombia
at
Barranquilla.
18th Passage
to Trinidad from Aruba to refuel.
25th At
Trinidad.
September
1st Took
passage for Georgetown, British Guiana with calls at Tobago and Barbados.
12th At
Georgetown.
Early
termination of commission announced.
(Note: This decision was made because of economic measures which necessitated a
reduction
in
naval commitments.
The
West Indies are was considered to be politically safe and was therefore
vulnerable
to
such cuts.)
19th Passage
to Miami, Florida with call at Santiago, Cuba.
October At Miami.
4th Took
passage to Bermuda.
7th Arrived
at Bermuda after stormy passage in hurricane conditions.
16th On
completion of weather damage repair took passage to Devonport
November Passage to
Devonport
3rd Arrived at Devonport.
December Nominated for
service with Fishery Protection Squadron.
1 9 4 8
January Deployed in
Home waters for Fishery Protection
to.
Nominated for Reduction to Reserve.
December
1 9 4 9
January Reduced to
Reserve status at Devonport.
February Laid up at
Devonport in Reserve Fleet.
(Note: Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to F650.
P o s
t O p e r a t i
o n a l S e r v i
c e N o t e s
HMS PORLOCK BAY remained in Reserve until 1962, during which
period she was refitted twice.
Placed
on the Sales List she was sold to Finland for use as
a training ship and renamed MATTI KURKI.
The ship
was deployed in this role until 1975 when she was removed from the active list
and sold for
demolition
in September that year.
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