HMS Bicester postwar, Type II sister-ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

return to Contents List 

Type II HUNT Escort Destroyer ordered from John Brown, Clydebank in the 1939 War Emergency Programmeon 4th September 1939. The ship was laid down as Job Number J1569 on 12th February 1940 and launched  on 23rd October that year. She was the first RN warship to carry the name and her Build was completed on 17 February 1941. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 the ship was adopted’by the civil community of Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

Battle  Honours

ATLANTIC 1942-43 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941-42 - LIBYA  1941-42 - SIRTE  1942 - NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 - ADRIATIC  1944 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1943-44

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field barry wavy of four White and Blue on a roundel Red,

within a stirrup White, an escallop Gold.

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

1 9 4 1

February                Contractors trials and commissioned for service.

                17th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.

                                Nominated for service in Western Approaches Command with Irish Sea Force.

March                    Worked-up at Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet.

April                       Deployed with Irish Sea Force for convoy defence in Irish Sea and NW Approaches.

May                        Nominated for service at Gibraltar.

                                Passage to Gibraltar.

June                        Deployed at Gibraltar for convoy defence with HM Escort Destroyers ERIDGE and

                                FARNDALE

July                         Nominated for deployment as part of escort for Malta relief convoy GM1 during passage

                                in western Mediterranean (Operation SUBSTANCE)

                17th        Joined military convoy WS9C with HM Destroyer NESTOR , HMS ERIDGE and HMS

                                FARNDALE for escort of troopship PASTEUR carrying troops for service at Gibraltar.

                                (Note: These ships were designated as Convoy GM1and had troops embarked for landing

                                at Gibraltar before taking passage to Malta.

                                WS9C also included troopship LEINSTER which detached later with separate

                                escort. The other six ships of WS9C did not enter Gibraltar and were escorted into

                                the western Mediterranean by other Home Fleet ships supplemented by ships of

                                Force H from Gibraltar

                                ss LEINSTER did not rejoin as she ran aground on departure from Gibraltar.

                                For details see Naval Staff History (HMSO), MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman

                                and THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre.)

                20th        Sailed from Gibraltar to join GM 1 and joined HMS EDINBURGH, HMS MANCHESTER, HMS

                                ARETHUSA. HM Cruiser MANXMAN, HM Destroyers COSSACK, MAORI, SIKH, NESTOR

                                (RAN), Destroyers of Force H based at Gibraltar and HMS ERIDGE and HMS FARNDALE as

                                Force X for escort during passage through Sicilian Narrows to Malta.

                                Escort for passage of convoy through Sicilian Narrows to Malta.

                23rd        Under air attacks from Sardinia during which both HMS MANCHESTER and HM Destroyer

                                FEARLESS were damaged and withdrawn from operation.

                                Detached from GM1 for escort of damaged cruiser during return passage to Gibraltar

August                  Deployed for convoy defence at Gibraltar

September

                2nd         Deployed with escort for Convoy HG72 During initial stage of passage from Gibraltar to Liverpool

                                with HM Destroyers NESTOR (RAN), BROKE and HM Sloop DEPTFORD).

                                Nominated for service in eastern Mediterranean and took passage to Alexandria via Cape of Good

                                Hope.

                                Detached from HG72 and returned to Gibraltar

                                Sailed from Gibraltar to join5th Destroyer Flotilla at Alexandria.

October                  On passage in Indian Ocean.

November              Joined Flotilla at Alexandria

                                Deployed for support of Tobruk garrison

                                (See Naval Staff History (HMSO-2002)

                27th        Deployed with HM Sloop PARRAMATTA (RAN) as escort for mercantile HANNE taking

                                ammunition to Tobruk

                                Under attack by U559 which torpedoed and sank HMAS PARRAMATTA

                                Rescued the only 20 survivors

                30th        Escorted Convoy AT1 to Tobruk with HM Escort Destroyer HEYTHROP

                                (Note: Convoy comprised HM Armed Boarding Vessel CHAKDINA and mercantile

                                KIRKLAND a petrol carrying petrol

December

                2nd         Arrived at Tobruk with AT1

                5th          Sailed from Tobruk with HM Escort Destroyer FARNDALE and HM Whaler THORNGRIM

                                (SAN) as convoy TA1

                                Under air attacks during which CHAKDINA sunk.

                                (Note: CHAKDINA was carrying Prisoners of War . Those rescued by HMS FARNDALE

                                included General Ravenstein of the Afrika Korps.)

1 9 4 2

January                  Tobruk support duty in continuation..

February                Deployed with HM Destroyers SOUTHWOLD, BEAUFORT, DULVERTON, HURWORTH,

                                ERIDGE and HEYTHROP of Flotilla for convoy defence in eastern Mediterranean.

                12th        Part of escort for Convoy MW9A with HM Cruiser CARLISLE, HM Destroyers LANCE,

                                HEYTHROP and ERIDGE.

                13th        Under heavy and sustained air attacks. For details see above references.

March

                20th        Joined escort for Convoy MW10 to Malta with HMS CARLISLE and ships of 5th Destroyer

                                Flotilla covered by cruisers and destroyers of Mediterranean Fleet.

                22nd       Under dive bombing attacks and threat of surface action with Italian heavy units including

                                battleship LITTORIO and three cruisers.

                                Sustained damage during air attacks and further damage after being involved in collision.

                                (Note: The subsequent engagement by the covering force was able to prevent an attack on the

                                convoy – 2nd Battle of Sirte. See references.)

                29th        Nominated for return to UK for repair.

                                Deployed as escort for damaged cruiser HMS AURORA during passage from Malta to

                                Gibraltar

April                       Passage from Gibraltar to Falmouth for repair .

                                Taken in hand in commercial shipyard.

May                        Under repair

to

June

July                         Carried out post repair trials and took passage to work-up for operational service.

                                Nominated for service Western Approaches Command for defence of convoys to and from

                                West Africa.

August                  On completion of work-up joined Western Approaches Command for convoy defence.

to                            Transferred to Freetown in continuation

September             Passage to Freetown

October                  Atlantic convoy defence in continuation based at Freetown.

                20th        Joined military convoy WS23 on departure from Freetown with HM Cruiser DURBAN, HM

                                Armed Merchant Cruiser CARTHAGE and Greek destroyer KANARIS as escort during part

                                of passage to Cape of Good Hope.

                23rd        Detached from WS23 when relieved by HM Sloop MILFORD and HM Cruiser DESPATCH.

                                Returned to Freetown.

                                Passage to Gibraltar for escort of military convoys during passage prior to allied landings in

                                North Africa (Operation TORCH).

November              Joined Central Naval Task Force for support of landings at Oran.

                                (Operation TORCH - For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, Naval

                                Staff History and RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute.)

                8th          Deployed with Task Force for support of landings.

                                On release transferred for convoy escort duties.

December              Deployed for convoy defence and support of military operations in North Africa.

1 9 4 3

January                  Transferred to 59th Destroyer Division and joined HM Escort Destroyers CALPE,

                                FARNDALE and PUCKERIDGE based at Gibraltar for convoy defence in western

                                Mediterranean.

                29th        Sustained major damage bit torpedo in air attack.

                                Whole of bow structure destroyed.

                                After section towed to Gibraltar by HM Escort Destroyer BICESTER.

February                Temporary repair carried out to ensure safe passage under tow for permanent repair.

                                Passage deferred till suitable convoy available and tow arranged.

March                    Deployed at Gibraltar awaiting tow.

to

May

June

                25th        Passage to UK under tow as part of Convoy MKS15.

July

                7th          Arrived in UK.

                22nd       Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard Chatham.

August                  Under repair

to                            Forward structure rebuilt.

December

1 9 4 4

January                  Under refit

to                            Ship nominated for transfer to Royal Hellenic Navy and to be renamed HHelMS AEGAION

March                    (Note: This was never implemented due to the mutinous conduct of Greek personnel manning

                                units at Alexandria under RN overall command.,)

April                       Carried out post repair harbour trials

                14th        Dockyard work completed and commenced sea trials.

May                        On completion of trials and storing worked-up for operational service.

                                Nominated for convoy escort during planned allied landings in Normandy.

                                (Operation NEPTUNE – For details of naval activities bore and during landings see

                                LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION NEPTUNE by K

                                Edwards and D DAY SHIPS by J de Winser)

June                        Deployed at Portsmouth as part of Force L.

                6th          Sailed from Solent with escort of Follow-up Convoy L1 from Nore with HM Trawler

                                DAMSAY and 143rd MMS Flotilla

                                For details see LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, JUNE 1944 (HMSO).

                                Detached from LI and deployed for convoy defence.

                                (Note: As No Battle Honour NORMANDY 1944 was awarded it is assumed that the ship was

                                never deployed off the beach head.)

July                         Deployed for convoy defence

                                {Note: It is presumed this was in Home waters based either at Portsmouth or Harwich)

August                  Under repair in Tyne commercial shipyard.

                                Nominated for service with 22nd Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean.

                                On completion of repair took passage to join Flotilla at Alexandria.

                                (Note: It is assumed passage was made through Mediterranean and not via Indian Ocean.).

September             Deployed with Flotilla in eastern Mediterranean

to                            (Note: Did not participate in operations in defence of Cos and Leros. See WAR IN THE

October                  AEGEAN by P Smith and E Walker. Several other operations to occupy islands

                                when Italy surrendered and escort of convoys to Greece was necessary.)

                                Transferred to Adriatic for convoy defence, patrol and support of shore operations.

November

                1st           During deployment with HM Escort Destroyer WHEATLAND engaged German surface craft

                                south of Lussino.

                                Torpedo Boat TA20, Corvettes UJ202 and UJ208 were sunk in position 44.36.5N, 14.32E.

                                Some survivors were rescued.

                                (Note: Operation EXTERMINATE to carry out landings on Pag Island. All these ships may have

                                been involved.)

December              Nominated for service in East Indies after refit.

                                Took passage to UK

1 9 4 5

January                  Joined 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich pending refit prior to foreign service.

to                            Refit arranged at Taranto, Italy

February                Passage to Taranto

March                    Taken in hand for refit.

April                       Under refit.

May                        On completion returned to UK to Pay-off and re-commission for foreign service.

June                        Re-commissioned and prepared for foreign service.

July                         Carried out work-up for operational service in Mediterranean

August                  Deployment cancelled and returned to UK to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve status.

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

HMS AVON VALE Paid-off at Devonport and was laid-up in Reserve at Plymouth on 10th December 1945. She was transferred to Sheerness Reserve Fleet after refit at HM Dockyard Sheerness in 1949. When Sheerness Division closed she was transferred to Hartlepool and laid-up there until placed on the Disposal List.  Sold to BISCO in 1958 for demolition by TA Young at Sunderland. she arrived in tow at the Breaker’s yard on 15th May that year.

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS AVON VALE

by Don Kindell

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

(Note on Convoys)