LOCH-Class Twin Screw Fast Frigate ordered on 2nd February 1943 from Harland and Wolf at Belfast and laid down on 28th December 1943 as Job No. J3397 (Yard No. 1247.). The ship was launched on 18th June 1944 as the 1st Royal Navy ship to carry the name. Build was completed on 19th December 1944. This ship was adopted by the civil community of Kingsbridge and Salcombe Urban District, Devonshire in place of HM Fleet Minesweeper LEDA which was sunk in the Barents Sea on 20th September 1942 by U435. HMS LEDA had previously been adopted after a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942.

 

G e o g r a p h i c   D a t a

Inland Loch in Isle of Islay. Grid Reference NS2365

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

None

 

H era l d i c   D a t a

 Badge: On a Field Blue, upon a saltire couped white two sprigs

of bell heather slipped and leaved proper.

(Explanation: Bell heather is one of the Badges of the McDonald clan in whose

country was the island. The saltire is a general Scottish motif.

Note: The 'Scottish Clan' map shows the Loch to be in Clan Macdonnel

territory, but the Clan may be 'inferior’ to Clan Macdonald whose

Chief is The Lord of the Isles).

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   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 4

 

October                  Transferred from builder's yard in Belfast to Fitting Out Base at Dalmuir in the

                                Clyde for completion of work.

                                (Note: Two specialist bases were set up in 1944 specifically for this purpose.

                                The other site was on the River Tees at Sunderland for LOCH Class built

                                at shipyards on the East coast of UK)

                25th        Commanding Officer: Lieut. Cdr R Johnston DSC RNR appointed.

 

November              Fitting out at Dalmuir.

 

December              Contractors trials and commissioned for service in 23rd Escort Group.

                18th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  On completion of work-up joined Group at Londonderry.

 

February                Deployed with Group in NW Approaches for defence of Atlantic convoys.

                                Nominated for modification to hull structure.

                                (Note: This was to provide additional stiffening required in all LOCH Class.

                                A design fault had been reported by ships in service and those which

                                were not modified during build were taken in hand when available.).

 

March                    Taken in hand for modification in Tyne shipyard.

 

 

April                       On completion rejoined Group for anti-submarine patrol and convoy defence.

                                Deployed In NW Approaches and North Sea.

 

May                        After VE Day joined escort for Convoy RN1 taking Norwegian Government officials

                                to Oslo (Operation DOOMSDAY).

                                Visited ports in Norway during return passage.

                                Escorted surrendered U- Boats from Norway to UK for destruction

                                (Operation DEADLIGHT).

                                Nominated for service in East Indies Escort Force.

 

June                        Under refit and prepared for foreign service at Londonderry.

                                New Commanding Officer: Lieut. Cdr. H Vernon RNR appointed.

 

July                         On completion took passage to join Eastern Fleet and called at Gibraltar.

 

August                  Passage in continuation with call at Aden.

                15th        VJ Day.

                                Joined Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee and nominated for escort of assault convoys to

                                Malaya. (Operation ZIPPER).

                                (Note: The planned assault landings near Port Swettenham were delayed due to the

                                insistence of the US Government and problems in defence departments in London

                                about implementation of the PYTHON Scheme to return. long service SEAC

                                personnel.

.                               See Final Report by Supreme Commander South East Asia ,THE FORGOTTEN

                                FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).).

 

September             Deployed for escort of convoys from Bombay to Malacca Straits.

                                On release from ZIPPER deployed at Singapore for support of military operations in

                                the Dutch East Indies and the repatriation of allied personnel including civilians (RAPWI)

                                from Java and Sumatra.

 

October                  Support and repatriation duties in continuation.

                                (For details of the work of LOCH Class frigates in the East Indies see SEAGULLS IN

                                MY BELFRY by CC Anderson).

 

November              Deployed at Sourabaya as Guardship.

 

December              Passage to Ceylon.

                                Involved in minor collision at Colombo with sister ship HMS LOCH LOMOND

 

1 9 4 6

 

January                  Passage to Singapore to resume support duties with call at Galle, Ceylon.

                                Deployed for escort of craft carrying refugees from Batavia to Singapore.

                                Passage to Vizgapatan and Karachi.

 

February                Return passage to Singapore.

                                Deployed as Guardship at Batavia.

                                New Commanding Officer: Lieut. Cdr T E Edwards RNR appointed.

 

March                    Passage to Semarang as escort for troopship with Gurkha soldiers embarked.

                                Returned to Singapore.

                                Embarked Governor to Christmas Island and Cocas Islands for visit.

                                Grounded on reef on approach and damaged propeller.

                                Carried out anti-piracy patrol in Malacca Strait.

 

April                       Nominated for return to UK to pay off.

                                Passage to Colombo with call at Trincomalee.

                                Docked at Colombo.

                                (Note: This routine docking for inspection of underwater fittings is to be confirmed.)

May                        Returned to Trincomalee to prepare for return passage to UK.

                                Sailed for Aden after call at Colombo to refuel.

 

June                        Passage in Red Sea and Suez Canal transit.

                                Called at Malta and Gibraltar.

 

July                         Arrived at Devonport

                                Paid-off and de-stored

 

August                  Reduced to Reserve status and laid-up in Reserve Fleet, Plymouth.

 

F i n a l   P h a s e

 

HMS LOCH GORM was selected for modernisation in 1951 but this was never implemented, presumably due to financial constraints. She remained in Reserve and after her machinery had been preserved went to Glasgow in 1954 for the installation of dehumidification equipment. The ship then joined other ships in Reserve at Barrow, although it had been planned for her to to be laid-up at Gibraltar. In 1956 she was offered for sale to Portugal but this never materialised and the ship went on the Disposal List.  Placed on the Sales List during 1960 she was sold in April 1961 to Kavounides Shipping Ltd and converted by Canaan Laird for use as a passenger ferry  Renamed ORION, she was sold in 1966 and broken up in Yugoslavia.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS LOCH GORM

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)