Ex-USS
DORAN (Type C - ANNAPOLIS-Class) built
by Newport News SB Co. The ship was laid
down on 11th May 1918 and launched on
19th October that year. Build was
completed on 26th August 1919. She was
held in Reserve and when another ship
was selected to carry
the name DORAN, the ship was renamed
BAGLEY. After transfer to the RN under
the
US/UK Lend Lease Agreement IN 1940 she
was renamed HMS ST MARY'S at Halifax on
23rd September 1940 when commissioned in
the RN. This name is common to several
towns in both USA and UK and had not
previously been
borne by a British warship. She was not
adopted by a civil community
in UK
following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign
during 1941-42.
B a
t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942 - NORTH SEA
1943
H e
r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge
:
On a Field White, a fleur-de-Lys
Blue charged with a
mullet White.
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
Prepared for transfer and took passage
to Halifax.
23rd
Commissioned as HMS ST MARY'S at Halifax.
Prepared for passage to UK.
29th
Sailed to Newfoundland.
October
Atlantic Passage to Plymouth.
14th
Taken in hand by HM Dockyard Devonport
for refit and modification to suit RN
use as
convoy escort.
November
Nominated for service with 1st
Minelaying Squadron.
1st
Carried out poet refit trials on
completion of dockyard work.
(Note : One source suggests this refit
was limited and may because of service
recommended.
Took passage to Kyle of Lochalsh to join
Squadron.
(Note : Ship may have worked-up in SW
Approaches before leaving.)
12th
Part of escort for HM Auxiliary
Minelayers AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS
during lay
of minefield in North Channel, NW
Approaches (Operation SN43).
13th
Escort for HM Auxiliary Minelayers
AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, PORT NAPIER and
SOUTHERN PRINCE in continuation of North
Channel minelay
(Operations SN4 and SN5).
For details of all minelaying activities
see Naval Staff History (Mining.).
17th
Joined military convoy WS4B in Clyde as
Local Escort during passage in NW
Approaches with
HM Destroyer BATH, HM Canadian
Destroyers OTTAWA, SAGUENAY, SKEENA, and
ST LAURENT.
18th
Detached from WS4B with HMS BATH and
returned to Clyde.
December
Taken in hand for refit and completion
of modifications to suit RN use.
1 9 4 1
January
Under refit.
February
On completion of refit carried cut post
refit trials and took return passage to
to Kyle of
Lochalsh to resume Squadron duties.
March
Deployed for escort of HM Auxiliary
Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, PORT
QUEBEC and SOUTHERN PRINCE during
minelays for Northern Barrage in NW
Approaches.
11th
Operation SN68B.
19th
Operation SN69.
28th
Operation SN4.
April
Minelaying escort in continuation for
Northern Barrage.
6th
Operation SN8.
15th
Operation SN71.
(Note : HMS AGAMEMNON did not take
part.)
May
6th
Operation SN9A.
24th
Operation SN9B
(Note : HMS SOUTHERN PRINCE did not take
part in either Operation.)
31st
Joined military convoy WS8X in Clyde
with HM Destroyers BRIGHTON, SHERWOOD,
WILD SWAN, LEGION (RCN), SAGUENAY (RCN),
VANSITTART, WIVERN, and Polish
destroyer ORP PIORUN.
June
3rd
Detached from WS8X during passage and
returned to Clyde.
10th
Operation SN64A3B
16th
Operation SN66.
(Note : Only HMS AGAMEMNON and HMS
MENESTHEUS took part in both
Operations.)
July
Deployed at Kyle of Lochalsh and
detached as required for Local convoy
escort.
August
Detached service for mercantile convoy
defence in continuation.
20th
Collided with as ROYAL ULSTERMAN and
sustained structural damage during
escort of
Convoy SD10 from Iceland.
September
Taken in hand for repair at Liverpool in
commercial shipyard.
October
Under repair
to
November
December
15th
On completion of post refit trials took
passage to resume Squadron duties.
1 9 4 2
January
Deployed at Kyle of Lochalsh.
19th
Escorted HM Cruiser Minelayer ADVENTURE
during minelay off Cape Wrath.
(Operational SN15B).
February
9th
Escorted HMS PORT QUEBEC during Northern Barrage minelay in NW Approaches.
(Operation SN5B).
March
15th
Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayers
AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS,. PORT
QUEBEC and
SOUTHERN PRINCE during Northern Barrage
minelay in NW Approaches
(Operation SN81).
April
15th
Joined military convoy WS18 in Clyde
with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH,
GEORGETOWN,
LANCASTER, LAUDERDALE, BOADICEA and
SALISBURY as Local Escort for passage in
NW Approaches.
19th
Detached from WS18 with Local Escort and
returned to Clyde.
May
10th
Joined military convoy WS19 in Clyde
with HM Destroyers KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON,
VOLUNTEER and CASTLETON as Local Escort
during passage in NW approaches.
15th
Detached from WS19 and returned to
Clyde.
June
Resumed Squadron duties for escort of
minelayers.
1st
Part of escort for HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS
MENESTHEUS and HMS PORT QUEBEC for
minelay in Denmark Strait (Operation
SN72).
20th
Detached for duty with Home Fleet.
Part of escort of HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS
MENESTHEUS and HMS SOUTHERN
PRINCE to form diversionary convoy
during passage of Russian Convoy PQ17.
(Operation ES).
July
Resumed Squadron minelaying escort
duties.
11th
Part of escort for HM Auxiliary
Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, PORT
QUEBEC and SOUTHERN PRINCE during
Northern Barrage Minelay
(Operation SN3C).
August
Deployed at Kyle of Lochalsh and
detached as required for Local Escort
duties.
to
November
Sustained structural damage after
grounding off Lerwick.
December
Re-floated after three days
Passage to Leith for repair
1 9 4 3
January
Under repair at Leith
February
Nominated for work-up at Tobermory
before rejoining Squadron.
17th
Took passage to Tobermory on completion
of Post Refit Trials.
March
3rd
Rejoined Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh
after completion of work-up.
17th
Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayers
AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC and
SOUTHERN PRINCE with destroyers of
Squadron during Northern Barrage minelay
in NW
Approaches (Operation SN3C).
April
Deployed at Kyle of Lochalsh.
May
5th
Escorted HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS MENESTHEUS
and HMS FORT QUEBEC during
minelay in NW Approaches to extend
Northern Barrage (Operation SN111A).
13th
Escorted HMS AGAMEMNON during Northern
Barrage minelay off Faeroes.
(Operation SN123A)
Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayers
AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS and PORT QUEBEC for
continuation of the Faeroes minelay in
Northern Barrage
Operation SN123B).
June
11th
Escorted same ships as SN123B in
continuation of Faeroes minelay.
(Operation SN123C.
29th
Faeroes minelay escort in continuation
with same ships as 3J123A.
(Operation SN222A).
July
Deployed at Kyle of Lochalsh.
August
Part of escort for same ships as SN123A
during Northern Barrage minelay in
Denmark
Strait (Operation SN74).
September
Transferred to Rosyth Escort Force when
1st Minelaying Squadron disbanded.
October
Deployed at Rosyth for escort of East
Coast envoys.
November
Passage to Newport for refit
6th
Taken in hand at commercial shipyard.
December
Refit work delayed.
1 9 4 5
January
Withdrawn from service following survey.
To be reduced to Reserve statue.
February
Passage to Tyne to de-store.
Paid off and de-stored.
March
Laid-up in Tyne.
to
July
August
Placed on Disposal List.
September
Remained in Tyne to lay-up whilst
awaiting dale for demolition.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January
Laid-up in Tyne.
to
February
March
20th
Sold to Metal Industries for demolition
April
Awaiting tow in Tyne.
to August
P o s t W a r N
o t e s
HMS
ST MARY'S was towed from Tyne
to the breaker’s yard at Rosyth in December
1945.
This destroyer completed in 1919 and
discarded by the US Navy in 1935 had a
most creditable record compared with
many others of this type loaned for RN
service in 1940.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
ST MARY'S
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/04/41
|
10/04/41
|
DS
001
|
11/04/41
|
11/04/41
|
14/04/41
|
14/04/41
|
SD
001
|
16/04/41
|
16/04/41
|
25/06/41
|
25/06/41
|
SD
006
|
27/06/41
|
27/06/41
|
21/07/41
|
21/07/41
|
DS
008
|
24/07/41
|
24/07/41
|
26/07/41
|
26/07/41
|
SD
008
|
28/07/41
|
28/07/41
|
19/08/41
|
19/08/41
|
SD
010
|
21/08/41
|
21/08/41
|
20/12/41
|
20/12/41
|
SD
018
|
23/12/41
|
23/12/41
|
28/12/41
|
28/12/41
|
DS
019
|
30/12/41
|
30/12/41
|
01/01/42
|
01/01/42
|
SD
019
|
04/01/42
|
04/01/42
|
11/02/42
|
11/02/42
|
DS
022
|
15/02/42
|
15/02/42
|
16/02/42
|
16/02/42
|
SD
022
|
19/02/42
|
19/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
DS
023
|
28/02/42
|
28/02/42
|
03/03/42
|
03/03/42
|
SD
023
|
07/03/42
|
07/03/42
|
03/05/42
|
03/05/42
|
SD
026
|
05/05/42
|
05/05/42
|
24/05/42
|
24/05/42
|
DS
027
|
26/05/42
|
26/05/42
|
27/05/42
|
27/05/42
|
SD
027
|
29/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
12/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
DS
028
|
14/06/42
|
14/06/42
|
15/06/42
|
15/06/42
|
SD
028
|
17/06/42
|
17/06/42
|
20/06/41
|
20/06/42
|
DS
006
|
22/06/41
|
22/06/41
|
23/07/42
|
23/07/42
|
DS
030A
|
25/07/42
|
25/07/42
|
26/07/42
|
26/07/42
|
SD
030A
|
28/07/42
|
28/07/42
|
28/11/42
|
28/11/42
|
DS
034
|
01/12/42
|
01/12/42
|
03/12/42
|
03/12/42
|
SD
034
|
05/12/42
|
05/12/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|