LOCH-Class Twin Screw Frigate ordered from Caledon SB at Dundee on 2nd February 1943 and laid down as Job No J11846 Yard No. 418) on 6th March 1944. The ship was launched on 3rd October and was the 1st RN ship to have the name. Build was completed on 24th February 1945. She was fitted with the improved Type 277 and SQUID anti-submarine mortar mountings..

 

G e o g r a p h i c   D a t a

There are two Lochs in the Highland Region with this name.

Research suggests the associated Loch is that in the estate

owned by The Duke of Westminster.

Grid References NC3237 and ND0745.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC   1945

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, a garb Gold, banded Red over

a fess wavy White

(Explanation: From the Arms of Grosvenor. The Duke of Westminster who

 owns the Loch More Estate, is also Baron Grosvenor.)

 

 

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 5

 

February                Contractor's trials and commissioned for service in 8th Escort Group.

                                Commanding Officer: Lieut. Commander R A D Cambridge DSC RNR.

                24th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

 

March                    Took passage to Tobermory on completion of trials and storing.

                3rd          Commenced work-up for operational service at Tobermory.

April                       On completion joined Group at Greenock.

                                Deployed for convoy defence in NW Approaches and Irish Sea.

                12th        Took part in attacks on U1024 with HM Frigates LOCH GLENDHU and LOCH ACHRAY.

                                Submarine forced to surface by depth charge attacks and engaged by surface

                                gunfire after which crew abandoned the submarine.

                                37 of the crew were rescued.

                                Placed Boarding Party en board and took U1024 in tow.

                13th        Tow parted when weather deteriorated during the night and the submarine sank in

                                position 53-39N, 05-03W. See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER’S U-BOAT

                                WAR Volume 2 by C Blair.

                                (Note: Boarding Party retrieved valuable documents.

                                Midshipman J R Watson RNR awarded MBE and ERA 3rd Class CA Baker, BEM.

                                Captain was Mentioned in Despatches.)

                25th        Deployed in Irish Sea and SW Approaches for convoy escort and support based at Milford Haven.

 

May                        Convoy defence in continuation until VE Day.

                                Nominated for service in East Indies.

                27th        Visited Belfast.

                28th        Deployed at Scapa Flow for escort of surrendered German submarines.

                                (Operation DEADLIGHT).

 

June                        Escorted submarines during passage to Loch Ryan.

                6th          Taken in hand for refit in Clyde shipyard.

                                (Note: Ventilation slightly improved and AA armament increased during refit.).

 

July                         Post refit trials and prepared for foreign service.

                17th        Sailed for Passage Alexandria.

                28th        At Port Said

 

August                  Passage to Colombo.

                12th        At Colombo.

                19th        Deployed at Trincomalee for escort of convoys prior to Malayan landings.

                                (Operation ZIPPER - See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton., WAR WITH JAPAN

                                (HMSO) and for information about all mercantiles and warships involved BRITISH

                                invasion fleets by J de Winser.)

                                (Note: This operation had been delayed several times due to problems related to the

                                repatriation of long serving service personnel in SEAC and US insistence.

 

September             Deployed as part of escort for ZIPPER convoys during passage to Beach Head in Malaya.

                                On release from ZIPPER took passage to Singapore.

                12th        Arrived at Singapore for support of military operations in Dutch East Indies.

                                Deployed for escort of convoys to Singapore carrying service and civilian personnel

                                released from Japanese detention (RAPWI).

                15th        Returned to Singapore.

 

October

                3rd          Took passage to Saigon as part of escort for convoy to collect civilians.

                7th          At Saigon.

                12th        Returned to Singapore with HM Frigate LOCH SCAVAIG as escort for HM Landing Ship

                                QUEEN EMMA.

                                (Note: This ship had been damaged.)

 

November              Resumed support duties in Sumatra and Java.

                19th        Deployed at Sourabaya as Guardship.

                31st         Returned to Singapore.

 

December              Singapore deployment in continuation

 

1 9 4 6

 

January                  Embarked stores in Singapore for delivery to Vizgapatam

                                Delivered stores and returned to Singapore

                10th        Embarked stores at Singapore and took passage to Bangkok

                12th        At Bangkok.

                                Deployed in Gulf of Siam.

                                (Note: LOCH Class Frigates were deployed during this period for air-sea duties in

                                Gulf of Siam.)

 

February

                4th          Returned to Singapore.

                7th          Took passage to Trincomalee.

                13th        At Trincomalee.

                17th        New Commanding Officer appointed: Lieut. Commander J Raban-Williams RN.

                22nd       Took passage to Bombay for special duties after RIN mutiny.

                24th        Deployed at Bombay with HM Cruiser GLASGOW during period of unrest.

 

March

                2nd         Visited Karachi on release from special duty at Bombay.

                                Returned to Singapore to resume military support duties

 

April                       Deployed at Singapore for support duties in Sumatra and Java.

 

May                        Deployed for duty at Bangkok.

 

June                        Nominated for return to UK to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve status.

                                Passage to Trincomalee with call at Rangoon.

                                Prepared for return to UK at Trincomalee.

                23rd        Took passage to UK.

 

July                         On passage to Sheerness.

                                Paid off on arrival and began reduction to Reserve status at Chatham

 

August                  Reducing to Reserve.

to                            Accepted into Reserve

December              Laid-up at Sheerness.

  

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS LOCH MORE was laid up in the Sheerness Division of the Reserve Fleet until 1950 when she was brought forward for service with the 5th Frigate Flotilla in the Mediterranean. After refitting she commissioned at Chatham in November that year and before sailing to the Mediterranean carried out A/S training at Londonderry.. The Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes was changed to F639. The ship joined the Flotilla in Malta during March 1951. Later that year she was deployed as Guardship at Aqaba and Port Said. She took part in the Fleet Exercise and Visits Programme with ships of the Flotilla including the NATO Exercise SYMPHONIE DEUX in October.

 

She was refitted at Gibraltar early in 1952 and rejoined the Flotilla in June to take part in the Fleet Summer Cruise Visits and Exercise Programme including Exercise LONGSTOP. After being nominated for reduction to Reserve she returned to UK and Paid-off at Chatham in February 1953. Although held in Reserve pending Modernisation this was never carried cut and the ship was preserved at North Shields before being laid-up at Hartlepool. She briefly re-commissioned in 1956 after a refit but returned to Reserve after sea trials. An offer made for sale to Ceylon was not accepted and the ship was placed on the Disposal List in May 1961. Sold to BISCO for demolition by  T W Ward in August 1963 she arrived in tow at Inverkeithing to be broken-up on 27th August that year.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS LOCH MORE

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)