Modified
BLACK
SWAN-Class Sloop ordered from Denny at
Dumbarton under 1941 Build Programme
on 12th August. 1942. This ship was laid
down on 5th April 1943 and was launched
on 1st September in 1944 by Miss
Stewart, as the eighth RN ship to carry
the
name, introduced in 1806. Build
was
completed 13th April 1945.
B a t
t l
e H o n o
u r s
CHINA
1900 - KOREA 1950-52*
(*Award
made for
service during Korean War with United
Nations naval forces)
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On
a Field Silver a heart, Red, winged
Gold.
(Note:
Alacrity
is defined as 'cheerful readiness')
M
o t t o
Adjuvare
Propero:
'I
hasten to help'
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
April
Nominated for service in Far East.
13th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
Passage to Tobermory after acceptance,
calibrations and storing.
May
Worked up at Tobermory.
Under repair of work-up defects and
prepared for foreign service.
June
19th
Took passage to Malta.
Exercised with ships of Mediterranean
Fleet to improve readiness for
operational
service.
July
Mediterranean Fleet exercises and repair.
Passage to Colombo
August
Arrived at Colombo after VJ-Day.
September
Passage to Hong Kong to join British
Pacific Fleet Escort Force.
19th
Arrived at Hong Kong.
October
Deployed for support, of repatriation
and protection of British flagged
mercantiles
during
passage off coast of China.
(Note: Ships on passage in Formosa
Strait were at risk of attack and
military
operations
by
Chinese Nationalist and Communist
forces.
French re-occupation of Indo China also
affected free movement of trade and the
deployments of warships in China Sea
area.)
Carried out Guardship duties at
Shanghai.
November
Escort Force duties in continuation.
Transferred to 32nd Escort Flotilla.
to
December
1
9 4 6
January
Deployed for Flotilla patrol and escort,
duties based at Hong Kong.
Nominated for refit in New Zealand.
February
Passage to Auckland
March
Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard
Auckland.
April
Under refit
May
Refit in continuation.
Nominated for service as Senior
Officer's ship, 1st Escort Force BPF.
June
On completion of Post-refit Trials took
passage to join Escort Force in Hong
Kong.
July
Deployed for patrol and escort duties
with Flotilla including Fleet exercises
and visits to
to
Japan and Malaya.
December
1
9 4 7 t
o 1 9 4 8
Escort Force duties in Far East Fleet in
continuation.
Escort Force redesignated 1st Escort
Flotilla
1
9 4 9
January
BPF patrol, escort and visits duties in
continuation with 1st Escort Flotilla.
to
April
May
1st Escort Flotilla redesignated 3rd
Frigate Flotilla on formation of Far
East Fleet and
previous duties in continuation.
June
Flotilla duties in continuation on Far
East Station.
to
(Note: Routine dockings and refits
for ships of Flotilla were carried out
at Hong Kong
December
and Singapore after dockyard was
operational.
1
9 5 0
January
Flotilla duties in continuation
to
May
June
After outbreak of war in Korea nominated
for duty with Commonwealth Naval Force
formed to assist united Nations
operations in Korean waters.
July
On completion of preparation for war
service took passage to Sasebo to join
UN Naval
Task Force under overall US Command.
August
Deployed for escort of military convoys
and patrol off west, coast of Korea.
to
(Note: UN Task Groups off Korean
coast provided support gunfire for
military operations and
December
landings.)
1
9 5 1
UN duties with Commonwealth Naval Force
in continuation.
(Note: R&R periods were spent
at Kure where work was carried out by
Japanese commercial
shipyards.
Ships of the Force returned periodically
to Hong Kong for longer periods and were
also
detached for support of military
operations against Communist insurgents
in Malaya.)
1
9 5 2
January
Far East Fleet, duties in continuation
with Flotilla for UN service and other
patrol duties in
to
protection of shipping or military
support.
July
Nominated for return to UK to reduce to
Reserve status.
August
Took passage from Hong Kong for
Portsmouth with calls at Singapore and
Malta.
September
During passage from Gibraltar diverted
to assist. British mercantile ATHELDUKE
after Master
reported mutinous activity by some of
crew.
Bearding Party placed on board and order
restored.
Escorted ATHELDUKE to Gibraltar before
resuming passage to Portsmouth.
October
Paid-off at Portsmouth and reduced to
Reserve status.
to
Laid-up in Reserve Fleet at Portsmouth.
December
F i n
a l P h a s e
HMS
ALACRITY was transferred to the Reserve
Fleet Sub-Division at Lisahally,
Londonderery,
Ulster
in 1953. She remained there in a state
of preservation until placed on the
Disposal List in 1956. She was then sold
to BISCO for demolition by WH Arnold
Young & Co at Dalmuir.
The ship arrived in tow at
the breaker's
yard on 15th December 1956.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
ALACRITY
by
Don Kindell
This
convoy list has not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
04/09/45
|
04/09/45
|
DM
007/2
|
10/09/45
|
10/09/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)