W-Class
destroyer included in the 10th Order of
the 1916-17 Programme for build by
Doxford and
laid down in June 1917. This
ship was intended to be named HMS WHITBY
but, as the name was incorrectly
written
when selected, she was given
the name WHITLEY when launched on 13th
April 1918. She was the first RN
ship
to carry the name and build was
completed on 11th October that year.
During 1919-20 she served in the Baltic
for
operations against the Bolsheviks.
The ship was placed in the Reserve Fleet
by 1921 as part of the 9th Destroyer
Flotilla at Rosyth and did not
serve with the Fleet in the inter-war
years. As pert of the rearmament
programme in 1938 she was the first of
this
Class to be selected for conversion to
an AA Escort (WAIR) by HM Dockyard
Chatham. Her conversion began in August
1938 and on completion in 1939 she
commissioned for service.
B a
t t
l e H o n o u r s
None
are
recorded.
H e
r a
l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Red, the Mace of the Speaker
of the House of Commons.
M o
t t
o
'Silence
is
golden'
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 3 9
September
Deployed for defence of East Coast
convoys with Rosyth Escort Force.
to
(Note: Her conversion which included
installation of dual purpose twin 4in
guns ideally suited to
December
defence of convoys from air attack or by
E-Boats).
1
9 4 0
January
East Coast convoy defence in
continuation.
12th
During escort of Convoy FN12 from the
Thanes estuary to the Forth came under
air attacks which
which were driven off.
February
East coast convoy defence in
continuation.
to
April
May
Transferred to Dover Command.
Deployed under French naval control for
support to French shore operations.
(Operation FA).
19th
Damaged in dive bombing attacks 2 miles
off Nieuport.
Beached and later destroyed by gunfire
from HM Destroyer KEITH.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WHITLEY
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14/10/39
|
14/10/39
|
FS
0021
|
16/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
|
26/10/39
|
26/10/39
|
FS
0027
|
28/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
|
01/11/39
|
01/11/39
|
FS
0030
|
03/11/39
|
03/11/39
|
|
11/11/39
|
11/11/39
|
FS
0035
|
13/11/39
|
13/11/39
|
|
17/11/39
|
17/11/39
|
FS
0038
|
19/11/39
|
19/11/39
|
|
09/12/39
|
09/12/39
|
FS
0052
|
10/12/39
|
10/12/39
|
|
20/12/39
|
20/12/39
|
FS
0057
|
22/12/39
|
22/12/39
|
|
24/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
FS
0079
|
25/01/40
|
25/01/40
|
|
26/01/40
|
26/01/40
|
FN
0080
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
|
01/02/40
|
01/02/40
|
FS
0084
|
03/02/40
|
03/02/40
|
|
06/02/40
|
06/02/40
|
FN
0086
|
09/02/40
|
09/02/40
|
|
10/02/40
|
10/02/40
|
FS
0092
|
12/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
|
13/02/40
|
13/02/40
|
FN
0093
|
15/02/40
|
15/02/40
|
|
20/02/40
|
20/02/40
|
FS
0101
|
22/02/40
|
22/02/40
|
|
20/02/40
|
20/02/40
|
MT
015
|
20/02/40
|
20/02/40
|
|
02/03/40
|
02/03/40
|
FS
0110
|
04/03/40
|
04/03/40
|
|
07/03/40
|
07/03/40
|
TM
021
|
08/03/40
|
08/03/40
|
|
09/03/40
|
09/03/40
|
FS
0117
|
11/03/40
|
11/03/40
|
|
23/03/40
|
23/03/40
|
FS
0127
|
25/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
|
23/03/40
|
23/03/40
|
MT
036
|
23/03/40
|
23/03/40
|
|
30/03/40
|
30/03/40
|
FS
0133
|
01/04/40
|
01/04/40
|
|
10/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
FS
0142
|
12/04/40
|
12/04/40
|
|
10/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
MT
048
|
10/04/40
|
10/04/40
|
|
22/04/40
|
22/04/40
|
FS
0153
|
24/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
|
22/04/40
|
22/04/40
|
MT
057
|
22/04/40
|
22/04/40
|
|
04/05/40
|
04/05/40
|
FS
0162
|
06/05/40
|
06/05/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
