Type IV HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered en 28th July 1940 from Thornycroft of Woolston under the 1940 War Emergency Programme. This ship was built to a Thornycroft design and laid down as Job J6069 (Yard No 1290) on 27th February 1941 (See General Information). She was launched on 27th June 1942 as the first RN ship to carry this name. Build was completed on 18th December 1942. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil community of Brecon, then in the Welsh county of Brecknock, now in Powys.

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

ENGLISH CHANNEL 1943 - SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - MEDITERRANEAN 1944 -  AEGEAN 1944 - ATLANTIC 1945

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Barry wavy of four Blue and White,

a trumpet, gold

M o t t o

'By luck and good guidance'

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

1 9 4 2

December              Contractors trials and commissioned for service with 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.

                18th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

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

1 9 4 3

January                  Worked up with ships of Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

February                Joined Flotilla for convoy escort and Fleet duties in NW Approaches and North Sea.

March                    Home Fleet deployment in continuation.

to

April

May                        Nominated for service in support of allied landings in Sicily.

                                (Operation HUSKY - For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C

                                Barnett), Naval Staff History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.).

June                        Detached from Home Fleet for escort of military convoy.

                                Prepared for foreign service in Mediterranean to support planned allied landings in Sicily

                                (Operation HUSKY)

                21st         Joined joint military convoy WS31/KMF17 with HM Destroyers ARROW, LEDBURY,

                                BLENCATHRA, BRISSENDEN, HAMBLEDON, MENDIP, VICEROY, WALLACE,

                                WITHERINGTON and WOOLSTON as escort during passage to Gibraltar.

                26th        Remained as escort for KMF17 with HMS UGANDA during passage to Gibraltar when

                                WS31 detached for passage to Cape of Good Hope.

July                         Passage to Oran to join Support Force E for escort and patrol duties.

                7th          Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers BLANKNEY, BRISSENDEN and BRISSENDEN

                                as Escort Group V.

                                Nominated for escort of Assault Convoy KMF18.

                                Departure delayed.

                9th          Passage to Beach Head with KMF18

                10th        After arrival deployed for convoy defence and interception patrol.

August                  Transferred to Destroyer Division 58 for deployment in Mediterranean.

                                Nominated for escort and support of allied landings at Salerno.

                                Joined Northern Attack Force (Task Force 85) with ships of Flotilla.

                                (Operation AVALANCHE - See above references).

September             Passage to Bizerta

                3rd          Nominated for escort of Assault Convoy FSS2.

                6th          Sailed from Bizerta with escort for FSS2.

                9th          Detached from FSS2 on arrival and provided gunfire support with HM Cruisers

                                MAURITIUS, UGANDA, ORION, AURORA US cruisers USS PHILADELPHIA, USS

                                BOISE, HM Monitor ROBERTS, HM Destroyers LOOKOUT, LOYAL, TARTAR,

                                NUBIAN, QUANTOCK and EGGESFORD during landings.

                                On completion of assault phase deployed for escort, support and patrol duties.

                                Involved in minor collision with HM Destroyer LAFOREY.

October                  Escort and patrol in Western and Central Mediterranean.

to

December

1 9 4 4

January                  Nominated for support of allied landings at Anzio in Northern Attack Force Peter.

                21st         Deployed at Naples with H M Cruisers ORION, SPARTAN, HM Anti-aircraft Ship

                                ULSTER QUEEN, HM Destroyers JERVIS, JANUS, LAFOREY, LOYAL, INGLEFIELD,

                                TENACIOUS, URCHIN, KEMPENFELT, BEAUFORT, WILTON and TETCOTT for

                                convoy escort and support.

                                (Operation SHINGLE - See above references).

                23rd        Sailed from Naples for Beach Head at Anzio.

                                On arrival deployed for support and patrol.

February                Escort and support of military operations in continuation.

March                    Took part in sinking U450 off Anzio with HM Escort Destroyers BLANKNEY, EXMOOR

                                and BLENCATHRA In position 40.11N, 12.27E.

                                Some survivors were rescued.

                                For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.

April                       Transferred to 18th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy escort and patrol. in Mediterranean.

May                        Flotilla duties in continuation.

to

June

July                         Nominated for escort of military convoys during planned allied landings in South France

                                under overall US Navy command.

                                (Operation DRAGOON (Formerly ANVIL). See above references)

                                Preparation for service with US warships.

August                  Passage to Naples for DRAGOON.

                                Nominated for escort of Follow-up Convoy SM3

                20th        Arrived at Beach Head with SM3

                                On release from DRAGOON reverted to RN control by CinC Mediterranean.

September             Eastern Mediterranean patrol and convoy defence in continuation.

                19th        Took part in the sinking of U407 south of Melos in position 36.27N 24.33E with HM

                                Destroyers TERPSICHORE, TROUBRIDGE, ZETLAND and Polish ORP GARLAND.

                28th        Took part in bombardment at Pegadio, Scarpanto with HM Destroyers LIDDESDALE

                                and ZETLAND.

October                  Deployed in British Aegean Force to cover occupation of Aegean Islands and Greek

                                mainland after withdrawal of German troops.

                                Joined HM Escort Carriers HUNTER, STALKER, EMPEROR, ATTACKER, SEARCHER,

                                PURSUER, KHEDIVE, HM Cruisers ORION, AJAX, ROYALIST, BLACK PRINCE,

                                AURORA and COLOMBO with HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TERMAGANT,

                                TERPSICHORE, TEAZER, TUSCAN, TUMULT, HM Escort Destroyers CALPE,

                                CATTERICK, CLEVELAND, LIDDESDALE, ZETLAND and Greek Escort Destroyers.

                                Carried out operations to intercept evacuation craft and provided gunfire support for

                                landing parties.

November              Nominated for return to UK to prepare for service in East Indies.

December              Passage to UK.

1 9 4 5

January                  Joined HM Escort Destroyers BLEASDALE, CATTISTOCK, COTTESMORE,

to                            COWDRAY, CROOME, EGGESFORD, FERNIE, HAYDON, HOLDERNESS, MENDIP

March                    MIDDLETON, PYTCHLEY and French Escort Destroyer LA COMBATTANTE in 21st

                                Destroyer Flotilla based at Sheerness.

                                (Note: This deployment was necessary because of the need to increase defence of

                              convoys and patrol because of the extensive operations by SCHNORKEL fitted

                                submarines for attacks on coastal convoys and minelaying)

                                Deployed for defence of re-routed Atlantic convoys in Channel and SW Approaches.

                                (For details see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann and HOLD THE NARROW SEA by

                                P Smith).

April                       Nominated for refit to prepare for service in Eastern Fleet.

                                Took passage to Malta

                                Under refit at Malta.

May                        Post refit trials and passage to UK to give leave before foreign service.

June                        Prepared for foreign service.

                10th        Took passage to join 18th Destroyer Flotilla at Colombo.

July                         On arrival prepared for support of landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER).

August                  East Indies Fleet escort duties In continuation.

                                (Note: ZIPPER LANDINGS were delayed by US insistence and implementation of

                                PYTHON Release scheme for return of long serving servicemen to UK from

                                SEAC. See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO), The Final Report of Supreme

                                Commander SEAC and THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton.)

September

                4th          Sailed from Colombo as part of escort for Convoy JMG2

                                Joined Convoy JMA25 on passage to Beach Head.

                8th          Replenished during passage to Singapore to attend Final Surrender.

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

HMS BRECON was allocated to 29th Destroyer Flotilla on 29th August and was present at the surrender of Japanese forces in Malaya at Singapore on 9th September. The ship returned  to Portsmouth on 12th December 1945 to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve status. She remained in Reserve until 1956 when placed on the Disposal List. After de-equipping the hulk was not sold to BISCO for breaking up until August 1961. She arrived at Faslane in tow for demolition by Shipbreaking Industries on 12th September 1962.

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of  HMS BRECON

by Don Kindell

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

(Note on Convoys)