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Type I HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from John Brown, Clydebank on 21ST March 1939 under 1939 Programme and laid down on 8thJune 1939. She was launched on 9th January 1940 as the first RN ship to carry the name, that of a fox-hunt in Leicestershire. Build was completed on 29 May 1940. In February 1942 she was  adopted very appropriately by Market Harborough, Leicestershire after a successful National Savings WARSHIP WEEK Campaign.

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

ENGLISH CHANNEL 1940-44 - NORTH SEA 1941-45 - DIEPPE 1942 - NORMANDY 1944

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field White upon a saltire couped Red,

 two foxes brushes in saltire Gold.

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

1 9 4 0

May                        Contractors trials and commissioned for service

                29th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

June                        Took passage to work-up after completion of trials and storing.

                                Diverted for service in English Channel.

                9th          Deployed for support of evacuation of troops and personnel from French Channel ports

                                (Operation CYCLE – For details see BEF SHIPS by J de Winser.)

                                (Note: This operation included St Malo, Brest, St. Nazaire and La Pallice.

                                On completion resumed work-up at Scapa Flow

July

                10th        Escorted ships of Minelaying Squadron during lay of first section of Northern Mine Barrage

                                north of North Rona with HM Cruiser COVENTRY, HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN,

                                HM Escort Destroyers HAMBLEDON and ATHERSTONE (Operation SN1).

                                (For details of all Minelaying operations see Naval Staff History (Mining)).

                                On completion of work-up took passage to join 1st Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth for coastal

August                  Deployed for convoy defence with Flotilla.

                7th          In action against E-Boats attacking convoy CW9 (Southend to Solent).

                22nd       Laid smoke screen to protect convoy against shore battery fire in the Straits of Dover.

September

                11th        Under heavy air attack against convoy CW11 in Channel.

                                (Note: Sister destroyer HMS ATHERSTONE, part of escort was damaged.)

October                  Coastal convoy escort in North Sea and English Channel in continuation.

to

December

1 9 4 1

January                  Channel and North Sea duties in continuation.

to

February

March

                22nd       Detached to escort HM Minelaying Destroyers INTREPID, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE with HM

                                Escort Destroyers TYNEDALE and CLEVELAND during minelaying between Le Havre and

                                Cherbourg (Operation JN)

April                       Channel and North Sea escort and patrol duty in continuation.

to

December

1 9 4 2

January                  Flotilla duties in Channel and North Sea for patrol and escort in continuation.

February

                15th        Carried out unsuccessful search for German warships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU which

                                were making eastward passage through the English Channel. to Wilhelmshaven from Brest.

                                (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History.)

March

                13th        Detached for interception of German raider MICHEL and E-Boat escort known on passage in

                                westward in English Channel to Atlantic for attacks on shipping..

                                (For details see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith, THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW

                                SEAS by P Scott and Naval Staff History.)

April                       Channel and North Sea patrol and escort duty in continuation.

to

May

June                        Nominated for support of planned Commando attack on Dieppe (Operation JUBILEE)

                                Modified for use as Reserve HQ ship for Dieppe raid.

July                         Took part in preparatory exercises for JUBILEE

August

                19th        Part of escort for landing craft engaged in Dieppe landings.

                                Subjected to heavy and sustained air attack off beaches with HM Escort Destroyers

                                ALBRIGHTON, BERKELEY, BLEASDALE and CALPE.

                20th        Escorted returning remnants after failure of Operation JUBILEE.

                                (For details see THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE

                                CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff History).

                                Resumed Flotilla escort duties on release from JUBILEE

September             Flotilla convoy defence duties in continuation.

October                  Detached for special operation with Coastal Forces units

                13th        Deployed as part of Force B formed to intercept convoy which included a German raider

                                (KOMET), during westward passage to the Atlantic.

                                Joined in attack on convoy escorts after raider had been sunk.

                                (See BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by Peter Scott for full details.)

                                Resumed Flotilla duties on release.

November              Deployed at Portsmouth with Flotilla for convoy defence and patrol.

to December

1 9 4 3

January                  Transferred to 21st Destroyer Flotilla based at Sheerness

                                Passage to Sheerness.

February                Deployed for convoy defence in North Sea.

to

December

1 9 4 4

January                  Coastal convoy escort and interception duties with 21st Flotilla in continuation.

to

March

April                       Flotilla duties at Sheerness in continuation.

                                Nominated for escort duty in Escort Group 131 during assault phase of planned allied

                                landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).

May                        Took part in preparatory exercises

                                Joined Group with HM Corvette KINGCUP and two Motor Launches.

June                        Passage to Milford Haven with Group.

                3rd          Escorted Convoy ETC1 from Bristol Channel to Isle of Wight with HM Corvettes KINGCUP,

                                WALLFLOWER, PRIMROSE and HM Trawler BERN.

                4th          Operation delayed by 24 hours and passage reversed temporarily

                5th          Arrived in Solent and detached from ETC1.

                                Joined Convoy EWC1B.

                6th          Escorted Convoy EWC1B from Solent to beachhead with same ships.

                                Returned to Solent

                8th          Escorted Convoy ETC3 from Solent with HMS KINGCUP and Escort Group 133

                                (Note: Others ships in EG131 comprised HM Destroyer WALPOLE HM Corvette ORCHIS

                                and two Motor Launches).

                9th          Passage to Nore for escort of Build-up Phase convoys.

                                (For details of naval activities prior to and during NEPTUNE see Operation NEPTUNE by K

                                Edwards, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO) and for record o ships involved

                                see D DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.)

July                         On release from NEPTUNE resumed Flotilla duties at Sheerness..

August                  Escort and patrol duty in North Sea and Channel in continuation.

to

December

1 9 4 5

January

                19th        Took part in rescue of crew of ss SAMVERN mined off Dutch coast.

                                (Note: Extensive minelaying and attacks by submarines, submersibles and E-Boats were taking

                                place in southern North Sea and extra escorts were deployed in area to protect shipping

                                to Belgian and Dutch ports. See HOLD THE NARROW SEA, ENGAGE THE ENEMY

                                MORE CLOSELY and SEA AND STRIKE by W Hackmann.

                                Atlantic convoys to east coast ports had also been re-routed through Channel since the

                                air threat from French bases had been removed by allied advance.)

February                Coastal convoy escort and interception patrol in continuation.

to

April

May                        Deployed in Nore Command for support of military re-occupation and general duties.

to                            Designated for future duty as an Aircraft Target Ship with reduced complement.

July

August                  Disarmed and converted for future deployment.

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

HMS FERNIE was used as an Air Target Ship until 1947 when Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status. The ship was laid-up at Harwich but in 1953 moved to Barrow in when the Harwich Division closed.. Placed on the Disposal List in 1955 she was sold to BISCO the next year for demolition by Smith and Houston at Port Glasgow on the Clyde. The ship arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard on 7th November 1956.

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS FERNIE

by Don Kindell

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

(Note on Convoys)