FLOWER-Class corvette ordered from Smith’s Dock, Middlesbrough on 31st August 1939 with six others of the Class by the French Government. This ship was laid down on 29th June 1940 and after the fall of France was transferred to the Royal Navy. She was launched as HMS VERBENA on 1st October that year and was the second RN ship to bear this name, previously used by a Sloop built in 1915 and sold in 1933. During WW1 a trawler hired for minesweeping also carried this name. Build was completed on 19th December 1940. After a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings Campaign in December 1941 this Corvette was adopted by the civil community of Billingham, County Durham. Further information about the service of this ship is given in ESCORT by DA Rayner.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r

 

ATLANTIC 1941

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field White a Verbena Flower proper with halo Gold.

 

M o t t o

Virtute bene donata:  'Well endowed with Valour'

 

 

S u m m a r y   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 0

 

December               Contractor's trials and commissioned for service.

                                Nominated for service with 12th Escort Group based at Londonderry

                                for convoy defence in Western Approaches.

       19th                  Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

      22nd                  On completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory to

                                work-up for operational service.

      23rd                  Commenced work-up.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                    

         4th                 Took passage to Greenock to refuel on completion of work-up.

                               Passage to join escort for outward convoy in NW Approaches.

         5th                 Joined convoy.

                               Detached from convoy with Local Escort and took passage to join

                               Escort Group at Londonderry.

       24th                 Deployed with ships of Group as escort for Convoy OB277.

       27th                 Detached from OB277 to join inward Convoy HX103 with HM

                               Destroyer WHITEHALL and ships of EG12.

       31st                 Detached from HX103 on arrival in Clyde and detached to assist

                               ss BOTUSK which had struck a mine near North Rona and rescued

                               11 survivors when ship sank.

 

February

         1st                 Landed survivors in Clyde and taken in hand for installation of

                               minesweeping equipment in commercial shipyard.

                               On completion joined Convoy OG53 with HM Corvette DELPHINIUM

                               as escort during passage to Gibraltar.

 

March                    On arrival taken in hand for Boiler Clean and on completion deployed

                              at Gibraltar for Local Escort duties.

       24th                Took passage from Gibraltar to resume duties with Group.

                              (Note: Approval to be retained at Gibraltar was denied as she was

                                           fitted for minesweeping.)

                              Joined escort for Convoy HG76 during passage in Atlantic for UK.

 

April                      Detached from HG76 on arrival and resumed deployment with Group.

                              Took passage to Liverpool for special duty.

                              Escorted ss EMILE BAUDOT from Liverpool to Iceland.

 

May

         6th                Detached on arrival in Iceland and resumed convoy defence duties with

                              Group which was deployed there

                              (Note: Ships with Group included HM Destroyers MALCOLM,

                                          BURNHAM and CHURCHILL.)

                              Escorted Convoys HX124 and SC130 during passage near Iceland.

                              Joined Convoy OB322 for three days before returning with ships of

                              Group to Iceland.

       19th                Despatched with Group to reinforce escort of Convoy HX126 which

                              had come under heavy and sustained attack by several U-Boats during

                              which three ships had been sunk.

       20th                Deployed with Group to re-assembly ships from HX126 and then

                              provided additional defence during further submarine attacks.

                              (Note: In all nine ships were sunk from HX126. See HITLER'S U-

                                          BOAT WAR, Volume 1 by C Blair.)

                              Detached to tow tanker ELUSA to Iceland after being hit by torpedo

                              and set on fire.

       21st                Carried out gun attack on U74 which was found on surface and forced

                              to submerge. Submarine was driven off by depth charge attacks with

                              HMS CHURCHILL (See above reference)

                              (Note: Tanker was sunk by U-Boat during tow.)

 

June                       Transferred to 8th Escort Group based at Londonderry and took

                                passage to join.

       12th                 Deployed with ships of Group for Escort of Convoy HX130.

       13th                 Under air attack off Ulster coast.

                               When detached joined inward convoy SC36 as escort to Clyde.

 

July                         Returned to Londonderry after arrival of SC36.

       27th                  Joined Convoy ON1 with ships of Group as escort for passage

                                 in NW Approaches.

 

August                   Joined escort for return convoy HX140 on release from ON1.

                                Part of escort with Group for outward ON6 and HX143

 

September               Nominated for refit at Grangemouth.

         4th                  Taken in hand for refit.

                                 (Note: Surface warning radar Type 271 was fitted.

                                            For details of development and use of radar in RN see

                                            RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)

 

October                   Nominated for foreign service on completion.

       11th                  Took passage to Londonderry to prepare for foreign service.

       20th                  Attached to 40th Escort Group.

                                 Joined HM Cutters LANDGUARD, GORLESTON, CULVER

                                 and LULWORTH, HM Destroyer STANLEY and HM Corvette

                                 FREESIA for escort of Convoy OS10 to Freetown.

       31st                   Under attack by U-Boats during which Dutch ss BENNEKOM

                                 was sunk.

 

November

         1st                  U-boat sighted from HMS LANDGUARD and detached with

                                HMS GORLESTON to carry out depth charge attacks.

                                (Note: This attack was unsuccessful. See U-BOATS

                                             DESTROYED by P Kemp. No sinking recorded.

                                             Three German and one Italian submarine are recorded

                                             as being in the area during this period.)

         4th                  Detached from OS10 to refuel at Ponta Delgada, Azores.

         6th                  Rejoined OS10

       14th                  Escort Group 40 ships detached on arrival of Freetown Local Escort but

                                remained with OS10.

                                Detached from convoy during passage due to fuel shortage.

       18th                  Arrived at Freetown with awnings rigged as sails.

       19th                  Deployed at Freetown for Local Escort and anti-submarine duty.

                                Carried out search for reported U-Boat with three other corvettes.

       28th                   Joined HM Destroyers SOUTHWOLD and DULVERTON, HM

                                 Sloop MILFORD, HM Corvette HOLLYHOCK and HM

                                 Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN as escort for military convoy

                                 WS12Z  during passage to Cape of Good Hope.

 

December                 Detached to refuel at Port au France and rejoined WS12Z.

       15th                   Detached from WS12Z and took passage to Simonstown.

                                 Retained in South Atlantic pending transfer to Eastern Fleet.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                    Deployed at Cape Town

         9th                   Provided Local Escort for military convoy WS14 with HMS

                                 HOLLYHOCK during passage in Cape area.

       10th                   Detached from WS14 and returned to Cape Town.

                                 (Note: WS14 was taking troops reinforcements to Singapore)

 

February                   Nominated for service in Indian Ocean as part of Eastern Fleet

         4th                   Sailed from Cape for Mauritius with call at Durban to refuel.

       16th                   Passage from Mauritius for Colombo with HM Corvette ASTER.

       22nd                  Arrived at Colombo to join Eastern Fleet.

 

March                       Deployed at Colombo for local convoy or single ship escort

       17th                   Escorted troopship STAFFORDSHIRE from Colombo to join

                                  Convoy KR1.

       21st                    Sailed from Colombo with HM Corvette MARGUERITE with

                                  ss SHENGKING and ss TAIPING as escort during passage to join convoy.

                                  Arrived at Addu Atoll with ss DEMOCLUS

 

April

       15th                   Deployed with HM Corvette TULIP as escort for Convoy MB1

                                 to Bombay from Colombo.

       20th                   Arrived at Bombay with MB1

                                 (Note: this was the first convoy between these ports.)

       25th                   Taken in hand for repair to Boiler defect by HM Dockyard, Bombay  and

                                 declared non-operational.

                         

May                          Under repair at Bombay

      to

December

 

1 9 4 3

January                     Post repair trials on completion.

 

February                   Prepared to resume operational service.

         6th                   Resumed convoy defence duties and returned to Colombo.

                                  Part of escort for Convoy BM41

 

March                       Part of escort for Convoy MB25 and return Convoy BM43 to Colombo.

 

April                         Deployed for escort of Convoy CX2 to and return XC1 from Addu Atoll

 

May                          Transferred to South Atlantic Command.

         5th                   Took passage to Kilindini to join Indian Ocean Escort Force.

       10th                   Refuelled at Addu Atoll

       18th                   Arrived at Kilindini after call at Seychelles on passage.

                                 Joined Escort Force.

       23rd                   Escorted Convoy MC7 from Kilindini to Durban

 

June   

        2nd                   Arrived at Durban.

                                 Deployed for escort of convoys in Indian Ocean.

                                 Escorted Convoys DN50, DN50A and DC36.

July                          Escorted EMPIRE ANVIL from Durban to Kilindini.

                                 Escorted Convoy DC40.

 

August                      Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation.

       26th                    Passage from Kilindini to Simonstown for refit.

 

September                 Under refit.

 

October                     Under refit

       30th                    On completion carried out post refit trials

 

November                 Passage to Durban to resume convoy defence duties.

       17th                    Nominated for return to Eastern Fleet for convoy defence

                                  based at Bombay.

                                  Passage to Aden with call at Kilindini.

December

         8th                    Deployed at Aden for local escort.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January

         1st                    Escorted Convoy AB26 to Bombay with HM Corvette NIGELLA.

         8th                    Detached from AB26 on arrival at Bombay.

 

February                   Bombay deployment in continuation.

        to                       Part of escort for Convoys in Arabian Sea to and from

April                          Aden including BA61, AB33, BA65, BA66, AB37 and BA68

 

May

       16th                    Deployed as escort for HM Submarine SPIRIT.

               to                (Note: Submarine may have been carrying out post refit

       20th                                trials or on special assignment requiring escort.)

                                  On completion deployed with Convoy AB39D as escort.

 

June

       10th                    Detached for convoy escort between Persian Gulf and Aden.

                                  Took passage from Bombay to Khor Kuwai

       13th                    Escorted Convoy PA 79 from Straits of Hormuz to Aden

                                  On arrival joined Convoy AB32 as escort

                                  Detached to join Convoy AP73 as escort during passage

                                  from Aden to Straits of Hormuz

July

        3rd                    Arrived at Straits of Hormuz with AP73.

        4th                    Took passage to return to Bombay.

                                 After arrival deployed as escort for Convoy BM96 to Colombo.

 

August                     Deployed at Colombo

        7th                     Passage to Chittagong for escort of convoy.

      15th                     At Chittagong for escort of  Convoy AM6 to Madras.

                                  On arrival made independent passage to Trincomalee.

                                  Deployed for escort of convoy JC59 from Trincomalee to Madras.

 

September                 Escorted Convoy CJ38 from Madras to Colombo

                                   Nominated for refit at East London.

      12th                     Sailed from Colombo as escort for Convoy CX32  during

                                  passage to Addu Atoll

      15th                     Detached from CX32 on arrival at Addu Atoll              

      16th                     Passage to East London with call at Mauritius

 

October

        4th                     Taken in hand for refit at East London.

 

November                 Under refit.

       to                        Transferred to East Indies Fleet

December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                      Under refit

 

February                   Post refit trials

        7th                     Refit work completed

                                  Took passage to Durban on completion of trials

 

March                       Deployed at Durban for convoy defence.

     18th                      Sailed from Durban with Floating Dock AFD39 in tow

                                  for passage to Trincomalee with calls at Majunga and

                                  Seychelles escorted by HM Frigate LOCHY

 

April                          Passage in Indian Ocean.

     29th                      Arrived at Seychelles.

 

May                           Passage from Seychelles to Trincomalee

     11th                      Arrived at Trincomalee with AFD39.

 

June                           Nominated for return to UK for reduction to Reserve.

                                   Prepared for passage to Plymouth.

     11th                      Sailed for UK via Mediterranean.

 

July                           Passage in Mediterranean after call at Aden.

     18th                      Called at Gibraltar.

                                   Nominated for escort of HM Tug HENGIST towing

                                   Dutch Dredger GELDERLAND to UK

     23rd                       Passage to Plymouth with HM Tug HENGIST

     28th                       Arrived at Plymouth

 

August                      Paid-off and commenced destoring.

                                   Allocated to Reserve Fleet at Milford Haven

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS VERBENA arrived at Milford Haven on 3rd September 1945 and reduced to Reserve status. The ship was placed on the Disposal List and sold to a Swedish shipping company AB Tore Holmes to be converted for use as a mercantile. After tow to Uddevala this work was not carried out and she remained in the Swedish port until 1951 when sold for breaking-up. On 1st October 1951 the ship arrived in tow at Blyth for breaking-up by Hughes-Bolcow. 

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS VERBENA

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)