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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