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Ex USS
WELLES (Type A -
BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel, Quincy.
The ship was laid down on 13th November 1918 and
launched on 8th May 1919. Commissioned on 2nd
September 1919 for US
naval service she was held in Reserve in 1939.
She was transferred to the RN
under the UK/US Lend/Lease Agreement and
commissioned as HMS CAMERON Halifax,
Nova Scotia on 9th September 1940.
This name was common to several towns in the USA
and a village in Fife,
Scotland. It had not
been used for an RN warship previously.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None
H e r a l
d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field White, within an
annulet Blue charged in base
with a mullet
White a sprig of oak proper.
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 4 0
September
8th
Commissioned as HMS CAMERON at Halifax.
During
preparation for service and Atlantic passage
taken in hand for repair
October
Under
repair.
On
completion took passage to Belfast with call
at St Johns, Newfoundland.
November
Nominated
for refit and modification at Portsmouth.
7th
Arrived at Belfast.
Passage to Portsmouth.
20th
Taken in hand by
HM Dockyard for modifications to suit RN
deployment as a convoy escort.
(Note: Some
sources suggest ship may have been intended to
be converted for use as a Long
Range Escort because of
her known limited boiler capacity.)
December
Under
refit in No. 8 Dock.
15th
Hit by bomb during
air raid on Portsmouth
and set on fire.
Bodily
moved off supporting blocks and flooded by
fire-fighting.
1
9 4 1
January
Remained
in dock and unattended
February
23rd
Salved and taken in hand for survey.
Later declared
Constructive Total Loss.
S p e c i a
l N o t e
Before
being placed on the
Disposal List on 5th October 1943 this ship
was extensively examined to
determine the effects on structure and
machinery of a major explosion. She
remained hulked at Portsmouth until November
1944 when towed to Falmouth,
arriving on 26th of that month.. The ship was
sold to TW Ward for demolition at
Falmouth and handed over on 1st December.
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