LOCH Class Anti-Submarine Frigate ordered from Harland
& Wolff at Belfast on 6th March 1943 and laid down on 24th October 1944 as
Job NO J3932 (Yard Number 1260). She was to be named LOCH GARASDALE but after a
policy change to satisfy the need for anti-aircraft escorts for service in the
Far East the contract was changed for completion to the revised design of a
BAY-Class Frigate. The ship was renamed WIGTOWN BAY when she was
launched on 26th April 1945 and was the first RN ship to carry this name. Build
completion date was 19th January 1946. See General
Information for details of design changes to the basic LOCH Class hull
structure.
G e o g r a p h i c D a t a
Bay of
south coast of Galloway 25 miles SE of Stranraer.
Grid Reference NX5249.
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 Blue, between 2
piles wavy White a spear erect
point upwards Gold.
(Note: Wigtown
means either the farm or village of Wigs or the spear
The field denotes the
sea.)
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 5
November Commissioned
for trials.
Commanding Officer: Lieut Cdr D Carson. (Appointed 28th August 1945.)
(Note: It was originally intended to place the ship in Category A Reserve
at Devonport but
this
was subsequently changed for Trooping duty with
the Mediterranean Escort Force
in
August 1945).
December Contractors
trials
1 9 4 6
January Contractors
sea trials
19th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
On
completion took passage to Portland for Ranging and weapon equipment trials.
February
During trials at Portland ship
grounded and bent port propeller.
(Source: Admiralty Acquaint SMBA 2785 and Letter NL 5912/46.)
After docking took passage to Malta with call at Gibraltar before joining 5th
Escort Flotilla.
Deployed for patrol duty in
Aegean area.
11th At
Piraeus.
13th
Arrived at Malta.
15th
Deployed for patrol duties.
25th
Visited Leghorn.
March
Nominated for visit to Istanbul
with a view to possible sale to Turkey.
14th
At Istanbul.
16th Return
to Malta.
April
Deployed for Flotilla duties and
exercises based in Malta.
May
Deployed for patrol in eastern
Mediterranean.
(Note: Mediterranean Fleet frigates and destroyers were deployed to intercept
mercantiles carrying illegal immigrants to Palestine.
14th At
Piraeus
Passage to Malta to rejoin Flotilla for exercises.
29th At
Gibraltar
June
Nominated for duty in Adriatic for duty as Guardship.
3rd
Passage to Trieste.
8th At
Trieste.
(Note: Some of ship's company visited Venice.)
Embarked passengers for passage to Civitavecchia.
July
Return passage to Malta after visit to Italian coast.
Took part in Fleet Regatta at Argostoli.
August Deployed
in eastern Mediterranean and visited Istanbul.
Return passage to Malta.
September Deployed at
Malta.
Under repair in Malta.
(Note: Structural defects as found in LOCH Class were noted.)
On
completion took passage for duty in Adriatic
October Returned
to Malta after Guardship duty.
Took passage form Malta for Interception patrol based at Larnaka.
November On relief
returned to Malta and resumed Flotilla duties
4th
Deployed in Corfu Straits after HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ and VOLAGE had been
badly damaged after having striking mines in this area during October.
December Deployed in
Malta with Flotilla.
Nominated for return to UK and to be reduced to Reserve status for use as a an
Accommodation Ship.
1 9 4 7
January Flotilla
deployment at Malta for Guardship and interception duties.
to
March
April
Passage to Devonport to pay-off.
May
Paid-off and de-stored.
June
Reduced to Reserve status and accepted into Reserve Fleet, Devonport.
Used as Living Ship for Reserve Fleet personnel.
F i n
a l P h a s e
HMS WIGTOWN BAY was laid-up in Reserve at Devonport and was
refitted in 1948 and 1951 to ensure her availability for operational use was
maintained. In April 1957 the ship was offered to Ceylon and to be refitted but
negotiations for sale failed. Placed on the Disposal List in 1958, the ship was
sold to BISCO for demolition by Metal Industries in October 1958 as part of the
reduction of the number of ships held in Reserve. She arrived in tow at the
breaker's yard at Faslane on 10th April 1959.
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