HMS Clare in 1941 (CyberHeritage, click to enlarge)

Ex USS ABEL P. UPSHUR (Type A - BURNHAM-Class). Built by Newport News SB Company The ship was launched 14th February 1920 and completed on 20th May 1920. She was held in Reserve in 1939and  transferred to Royal Navy service under the Lease Lend Agreement in 1940. In common with other destroyers of this type transferred the selected name is also that of a town in Suffolk and one in Michigan, USA. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National savings campaign in February she was adopted by the civil community of Canterbury, Kent.

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

ATLANTIC 1941-43 - NORTH AFRICA 1942 -43 - SICILY 1943

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, a key Gold and a sword point downwards White.

pommel and hilt also Gold, in saltire enfiled by a mural crown also

Gold, charged with a hurt thereon a mullet White.

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

1 9 4 0

September             Prepared for transfer to RN

                9th          Commissioned at Halifax as HMS ABEL P UPSHUR and prepared for early departure.

                                (Note: Selected RN names had not then been announced.)

                10th        Selected RN Names announced and nominated as HMS CLARE.

                                Passage to Plymouth with call at St Johns Newfoundland.

                26th        Arrived at Plymouth

                                Nominated for service with 17th Destroyer Flotilla in Western Approaches Command.

                                Taken in hand for modifications by HM Dockyard Devonport to suit RN deployment as

                                a convoy escort

                                (Note: This must have been limited due to early requirement for operational service and

                                did not include all changes required

October                  Passage to Liverpool

                2nd         Assumed new name and became HMS CLARE

                9th          Joined Flotilla and deployed on convoy escort in NW Approaches.

November

                17th        Withdrawn from service after defects.

                                Under repair in Liverpool.

                                Transferred to Portsmouth for completion of repair work by HM Dockyard.

December              Under repair

1 9 4 1

January                  Under repair.

February

                18th        On completion began post refit trials.

                21st         In collision with mercantile PETERTON

                                Transferred to HM Dockyard Devonport for conversion to Long Range Escort.

                                (Note: This decision suggest damage caused by the collision was significant and would

                                enable ship to be fully modified for RN service.

                                Passage to Plymouth.

March                    Under repair and conversion.

to                            (Note: Work undertaken included removal of 4in guns mounted abeam and 3 torpedo tube

September             mountings .

.                               Close Range AA armament fitted

                                See also General Information on TOWN Class Destroyers.

October                  Nominated for service in 41st Escort Group for defence of West African convoys.

                14th        On completion took passage to Liverpool to join Escort Group.

                                Deployed with ships of Group for escorted of Outward OS Convoys to Sierra Leone

                                and returning convoys in SL series.

                                (Note: Other ships in Group were HM Sloops IBIS, ABERDEEN, ENCHANTRESS,

                                HARTLAND and WALNEY also deployed for this route were part of 41st Escort Group.

November              Deployment with Group in continuation.

to

December

1 9 4 2

January                  Continued convoy escort with Group

to

September

October                  Under Refit.

                                (Note: This included installation of HEDGEHOG Ahead Throwing Anti-submarine weapon

                                prior to rejoining 41st Escort Group for defence of convoys from UK to Gibraltar for

                                planned allied landings in North Africa

                                (Operation TORCH - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett,

                                Naval Staff History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser for details

                                with movement of all ships involved.).

November              Continued escort duty with Group for convoys to and from Gibraltar.

to

December

1 9 4 3

January                  Deployment continued on Gibraltar route with 41st Escort Group.

to

June

July                         Detached for escort of military convoys for planned allied in Sicily and nominated for service

                                in support Force East..

                                (Operation HUSKY – See above references for details.)

                8th          Deployed with ships of Support Force East during landing of 1st Airborne Division SW of

                                Syracuse.

                                When released deployed for escorted of GUS convoy from Gibraltar to USA.

September             Joined escort for return Convoy UT1 from Argentia to UK.

                                On arrival took passage to Cardiff for refit in commercial shipyard.

October                  Under refit.

to

December

1 9 4 4

January                  Damaged by fire on board which delayed completion.

February                Under refit and repair to fire damage.

to                            Future deployment for use as Air Target Ship decided.

May

June                        On completion converted for new duty

                                (Note: Armament removed and any weapon equipment no longer required in due role.)

July                         Deployed at station in Irish Sea as target for training of aircrew in attacks on shipping..

1 9 4 5

January                  Irish Sea deployment in continuation.

to                            Nominated for reduction to Reserve status.

July

August                  Paid-off and de-stored.

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

HMS CLARE was laid up in the Reserve Fleet at Barrow and placed on the Disposal List and sold to West of Scotland Shipbreakers on 25th August that year. The ship arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in Troon, Ayrshire on 18th February 1947. 

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS CLARE

by Don Kindell

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

(Note on Convoys)