H . M . S . W O O D B R I D G
E H A V E N (K 6 5 4 )
LOCH Class
Anti-Submarine Frigate ordered on 13th February 19*6 from Swan Hunter of Wallsend, Newcastle. She was laid down on 2nd May 1944 as
Job No J4840 (Yard Number 1790)) and intended to be named HMS LOCH TORRIDON.
The ship was launched on 13th January 1945 but by that date the requirement for
LOCH CLASS had lapsed and the ship was converted for use in the Far East as a
Depot Ship for Light Coastal Forces craft in the Far East. Build completion was
delayed by the changes needed for use in her new role and she was not accepted
into service till 10th October 1945, after VJ Day. She commissioned as HMS
WOODBRIDGE HAVEN and was the first RN ship to carry the name. As there was then
no need for a ship of this type in the Pacific she was placed in Reserve at
Harwich after acceptance from the builder. See General Information for details
of design changes to the basic LOCH Class hull structure.
M a n n
i n g Divisions
Chatham : 1946 to 1953
Portsmouth : 1955 till
centralised
G e o g r a p h i c D a t a
LOCH TORRIDON: Grid Reference NG7560. Sea Loch in Ross and
Cromarty.
WOODBRIDGE HAVEN: Grid Reference TM2749. Estuary of River Deben, Suffolk.
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue In front of an anchor White,
a fleur-de-lys gold.
D e t a i
l s o f S e r v i c e
1 9 4 5
September Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to P58.
October Contractors trials.
10th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
11th Commissioned for trials :
11 October 1945.
Commanding Officer : Commander K
Gemmell, DSO, DSC RNVR (30/08/45]
(Note : This officer was a well
known
MTB
Flotilla Commander 1940 -45).
November Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status at
Harwich.
December Accepted into Reserve at Harwich.
1 9 4 6
January Nominated for service as Despatch Vessel
for Flag Officer, Submarines and for use as a Submarine
to Target Vessel during exercises and
submarine training.
March (Note : The workshop facilities and
additional accommodation made her suitable
for this type of
deployment.
Prepared for service.
April
10th Re-commissioned. Post refit trials and
prepared for service.
May Deployed with 5th Submarine Flotilla at
Portsmouth and used by Flag Officer Submarines.
to Took part in Submarine Command and
Fleet exercises.
December
1 9 4 7
January Under refit at Devonport.
to
Nominated for transfer to 3rd Submarine Flotilla at
Rothesay.
April On completion of post refit trials took
passage to Rothesay.
May Deployed with Flotilla for training and
exercises in
Clyde area.
to
July
August
Visited
Portsmouth September
Passage to Barrow for visit.
(Note :During visit sustained
damaged in collision with HM Sloop CYGNET.
Docked for repair at Barrow 15th
New Commanding Officer appointed :
Lieut. Cdr .D A Mason, Royal Navy.
(Later Vice Admiral, CB)
October Under repair at Barrow.
6th On completion resumed duties at
Rothesay.
November Deployment with Flotilla at Rothesay in
continuation.
7th Passage to
Chatham for
electrical repair.
December Resumed duties at Rothesay.
1 9 4 8
January Deployment at Rothesay in continuation.
to Withdrawn after damage to propeller
shaft bearings.
February Passage to
Chatham
March Under repair by Ml Dockyard, Chatham.
to
Resumed Flotilla duties at Rothesay on completion of
post repair trials.
June
July Flotilla deployment in continuation.
Visited Barrow with
submarines.
August Flotilla duties in continuation.
September Flotilla duties at Rothesay and visit to
Barrow with submarines.
October Flotilla duties at Rothesay and visit to
Barrow with submarines.
November Flotilla duties at Rothesay in continuation.
December Passage to
Chatham for refit
1 9 4 9
January
Under refit at
Chatham.
to
February
March
18th On completion carried out post refit
trials.
Passage to Rothesay to resume
duties with Flotilla.
April Duties with Flotilla at Rothesay in
continuation.
Visited Campbeltown with
submarines.
May Flotilla duties at Rothesay in
continuation.
New Commanding Officer appointed :
Lieut Cdr P G Lachlan MBE RN.
June Flotilla duties at Rothesay in
continuation.
(Note : During the period 1949-50
used for support of experimental trials on
captured
U-Boat using HTP fuel)
July . Flotilla duties at Rothsay in
continuation.
25th Captain HF Bone DSO*, DSC* RNCaptain
3rd Submarine Flotilla assumed
Command.
(Note : HM Submarine Depot Ship
MONTCLARE was under refit)
August Flotilla deployment at Rothesay in
continuation.
to
September
October
9th Deployed at
Londonderry
with Flotilla for Joint Anti-Submarine School exercises.
14th Returned to Rothesay.
November Deployed at Rothesay for Flotilla duties.
to
December
1 9 5 0
January Complement reduced due to temporary
manning shortages
Rothesay deployment with Flotilla
in continuation.
February Rothesay deployment with Flotilla in
continuation.
to
March
April Under refit at
Chatham
May
7th On completion of post refit trials
resumed duties at Rothesay.
June
4th Deployed with Flotilla for Flag
Officer Submarines Sunroer War (Exercise
SWX5).
17th On completion of
SWX5 resumed
duties at Rothesay.
July Deployed at
Londonderry
with Flotilla for Joint Anti-Submarine School exercises.
Passage to
Chatham.
August
2nd Leave period and under refit at
Chatham
September Under refit
21st On completion of post refit trials
resumed duties at
Londonderry with Flotilla.
October
Londonderry
duties in continuation.
to
November
December Deployed at Rothesay with Flotilla.
Passage to
Chatham for Leave.
23rd Malicious damage suspected when sand
found in Steering Engine.
1 9 5 1
January Resumed Flotilla duties continuation.
Visited
Portland with submarines
February Deployed at Rothesay with Flotilla.
(Note: During this period further
malicious damage discovered in Anchor Winch).
March Docking and essential defect repair at
Chatham.
21st New Commanding Officer, Lieut Cdr B C
Longbottom RN appointed.
April Under repair.
May On completion resumed duties with
Flotilla at Rothesay.
June Took part in Flag Officer Submarines
Summer War (Exercise SW6).
July Deployed with Flotilla at Rothesay.
August Leave and refit at
Chatham
September Deployed for Home Fleet exercises with
Flotilla.
Passage to
Portland from Rothesay.
Took part in visits with submarines
to Karlskrona and
Copenhagen.
(Note : HM Submarine Depot Ship
MONTCLARE and HM Destroyer ZAMBESI in company.)
October Deployed with Flotilla at
Londonderry for JASS exercises.
November Deployed with Flotilla at Rothesay.
December Passage to
Chatham for leave period.
7th Court martial for sabotage offences.
Able Seaman Thomas Willetts found
Guilty on 6 charges.
Sentenced to 2 years 6 months
imprisonment and dismissed the Service.
(Note : Subject to confirmation).
1 9 5 2
January Passage to Rothesay to resume duties with
Flotilla.
February Rothesay deployment in continuation.
March Passage to
Chatham for Leave period and refit.
31st New Commanding Officer, Lieut. Cdr A
d'E T Sangster RN appointed.
April Under refit
to
May
June Passage to Rothesay to resume duties
with Flotilla after post refit trials.
June Deployed at Rothesay with Flotilla.
to
August
September Flotilla duties including exercises with Home
Fleet and visits to Lerwick and
Aberdeen with
to HM Depot Ship MONTCLARE and
submarines.
October
November Deployed at Rothesay and
Londonderry with Flotilla.
December Passage to
Portsmouth for repair
. Under repair and Leave period.
1 9 5 3
January Resumed duties at Rothesay with Flotilla.
31st Deployed to assist disabled ferry
PRINCESS VICTORIA adrift in
Irish Sea during a
violent storm.
(Note : Ferry had sunk by the time
rescue vessels had reached scene of disaster.
Only 44 survived out of 176 persons
on board.
Rescue operations severely limited
rescue work.)
February Rothesay deployment in continuation.
to Passage to
Chatham for routine docking and essential
defect repair.
April
May Passage to Rothesay to resume duties
with Flotilla.
Prepared for Coronation Review and
visits programme.
June Visited
Isle of Man on passage to
Spithead.
Took part in Coronation Review.
July Resumed duties at Rothesay.
Provided street lining party for
Royal visit to
Greenock.
August Leave period at
Chatham.
September Passage to Rothesay to rejoin Flotilla.
October Deployed at
Londonderry
with Flotilla for anti-submarine exercises.
to
November
December On release from exercises took passage to
Chatham
for Leave and refit.
1 9 5 4
January Under refit
Docking delayed.
February Under refit
to Future deployment under consideration
June
July To be reduced to Reserve status en
completion of refit
August Carried out post refit trials
September. Reducing to Reserve Status.
to
December
1 9 5 5
January Accepted into Reserve at
Chatham.
February Selected for conversion for service as
Support Ship for Coastal Minesweepers.
(See Conversion Notes).
Nominated for service in
Mediterranean.
1st Commanding Officer, Captain RE
Hutchins DSC RN appointed.
(Also Captain, Minesweepers,
Mediterranean).
March Under conversion at
Chatham.
to
June
July Post refit trials and prepared for
foreign service.
to Manning Port Division changed to
Portsmouth.
August Commissioned for duty with Mediterranean
Fleet.
(Note : This deployment was made to
provide support for military operations in
Cyprus
area
where sea patrols were to be
carried cut by minesweepers
to prevent smuggling of
weapons to terrorists).
September
9th Took passage from
Chatham to
Malta.
Headquarters element of 40 Commando
Royal Marines embarked for passage.
19th Joined 104th Minesweeping Squadron in
Malta.
October Deployed for support of minesweepers
carrying patrols off
Cyprus.
Based at
Famagusta
November Support duties in continuation and visited
Beirut
for R&R.
Deployed with Squadron
during minesweeping exercises.
December Deployed in
Malta
with Squadron.
1 9 5 6
January Deployed during minesweeping exercises
with Squadron in central
Mediterranean
to Visited Bizerta and
Messina.
February
March Deployed with Squadron in
Malta
to
April
May Deployed with Squadron during
minesweeping exercises in western
Mediterranean.
Visited
Sardinia.
June Deployed with Squadron in
Malta
to Prepared for operations against
Egypt
after Suez Canal nationalised.
August
September Deployed with Squadron in support of
operations in eastern
Mediterranean.
New Commanding Officer, Captain J H
Walwyn OBE RN appointed.
(Also Captain, Inshore Flotilla,
Mediterranean.
Later Rear Admiral CB, OBE RN)
October Took part in
Suez operations for support of Squadron.
to Based at
Famagusta. (Operation MUSKETEER)
November
December
24th Returned to
Malta with
Squadron on release from MUSKETEER.
1 9 5 7
January Deployed with Squadron in
Malta.
February Routine docking and essential repairs.
March Deployed in support of Squadron during
minesweeping exercises in the western
Mediterranean.
Visited
Monaco
and La Spezia.
April Deployed with Squadron in
Malta.
May Deployed for support of Squadron during
Anti-smuggling and gun-running Patrols
to Deployed with Squadron for
minesweeping exercises. Based at
Famagusta.
June
July Under refit in
Malta.
August On completion of post refit trials rejoined
Squadron.
September Deployed in support of Squadron during
minesweeping exercises in
Adriatic.
Visited
Trieste and
Bari with
snips of Squadron.
October Deployed in
Malta
with Squadron.
November Deployed at
Famagusta to support minesweepers carrying out
patrol duties off
Cyprus
Visited
Beirut for R&R.
22nd Assisted in salvage of ss AFRICAN PRINCE
(Note : Salvage payments made in
1960 varied between £62 and £1.50).
December Deployed with Squadron in
Malta
1 9 5 8
January Routine clocking and essential repair in
Malta.
to Resumed Squadron support duties on
completion.
February
March Deployed in support of ships of Squadron
during minesweeping exercises in western
Mediterranean.
Visited
Gibraltar and
Minorca.
31st New Commanding Officer appointed:
Captain J S Dalglish CVO RN.
(Also Captain, Inshore Flotilla,
Mediterranean.)
April Deployed in support of minesweepers
carrying out patrols off
Cyprus.
Based at
Famagusta
Provided support during
minesweeping exercise..
May &nb
