Modified BLACK
SWAN-Class Sloop ordered from Denny at Dumbarton under 1941 Build Programme
on 12th August. 1942. This ship was laid down on 5th April 1943 and was launched
on 1st September in 1944 by Miss Stewart, as the eighth RN ship to carry the
name, introduced in 1806. Build was
completed 13th April 1945.
B a t
t l e H o n o
u r s
CHINA 1900
- KOREA 1950-52*
(*Award made for
service during Korean War with United Nations naval forces)
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Silver a heart, Red, winged Gold.
(Note: Alacrity
is defined as 'cheerful readiness')
M o t t o
Adjuvare Propero:
'I
hasten to help'
S u m m
a r y 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 5
April
Nominated for service in Far East.
13th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
Passage to Tobermory after acceptance, calibrations and storing.
May Worked
up at Tobermory.
Under repair of work-up defects and prepared for foreign service.
June
19th Took
passage to Malta.
Exercised with ships of Mediterranean Fleet to improve readiness for operational
service.
July
Mediterranean Fleet exercises and repair.
Passage to Colombo
August Arrived at
Colombo after VJ-Day.
September Passage to
Hong Kong to join British Pacific Fleet Escort Force.
19th
Arrived at Hong Kong.
October Deployed
for support, of repatriation and protection of British flagged mercantiles
during
passage off coast of China.
(Note: Ships on passage in Formosa Strait were at risk of attack and military
operations by
Chinese Nationalist and Communist forces.
French re-occupation of Indo China also affected free movement of trade and the
deployments of warships in China Sea area.)
Carried out Guardship duties at Shanghai.
November Escort Force
duties in continuation. Transferred to 32nd Escort Flotilla.
to
December
1 9 4 6
January Deployed
for Flotilla patrol and escort, duties based at Hong Kong.
Nominated for refit in New Zealand.
February Passage to
Auckland
March Taken in
hand for refit by HM Dockyard Auckland.
April Under
refit
May Refit
in continuation.
Nominated for service as Senior Officer's ship, 1st Escort Force BPF.
June On
completion of Post-refit Trials took passage to join Escort Force in Hong Kong.
July
Deployed for patrol and escort duties with Flotilla including Fleet exercises
and visits to
to
Japan and Malaya.
December
1 9 4 7 t o 1 9 4 8
Escort Force duties in Far East Fleet in continuation.
Escort Force redesignated 1st Escort Flotilla
1 9 4 9
January BPF
patrol, escort and visits duties in continuation with 1st Escort Flotilla.
to
April
May 1st
Escort Flotilla redesignated 3rd Frigate Flotilla on formation of Far East Fleet
and
previous duties in continuation.
June
Flotilla duties in continuation on Far East Station.
to
(Note: Routine dockings and refits for ships of Flotilla were carried out at
Hong Kong
December and
Singapore after dockyard was operational.
1 9 5 0
January Flotilla
duties in continuation
to
May
June After
outbreak of war in Korea nominated for duty with Commonwealth Naval Force
formed to assist united Nations operations in Korean waters.
July On
completion of preparation for war service took passage to Sasebo to join UN
Naval
Task Force under overall US Command.
August Deployed
for escort of military convoys and patrol off west, coast of Korea.
to
(Note: UN Task Groups off Korean coast provided support gunfire for military
operations and
December landings.)
1 9 5 1
UN
duties with Commonwealth Naval Force in continuation.
(Note: R&R periods were spent at Kure where work was carried out by Japanese
commercial
shipyards.
Ships of the Force returned periodically to Hong Kong for longer periods and
were also
detached for support of military operations against Communist insurgents in
Malaya.)
1 9 5 2
January Far East
Fleet, duties in continuation with Flotilla for UN service and other patrol
duties in
to
protection of shipping or military support.
July
Nominated for return to UK to reduce to Reserve status.
August
Took passage from Hong Kong for Portsmouth with calls at Singapore and Malta.
September During
passage from Gibraltar diverted to assist. British mercantile ATHELDUKE after
Master
reported mutinous activity by some of crew.
Bearding Party placed on board and order restored.
Escorted ATHELDUKE to Gibraltar before resuming passage to Portsmouth.
October Paid-off
at Portsmouth and reduced to Reserve status.
to
Laid-up in Reserve Fleet at Portsmouth.
December
F i n
a l P h a s e
HMS ALACRITY was transferred to the Reserve Fleet Sub-Division at Lisahally, Londonderery, Ulster
in 1953. She remained there in a state of preservation until placed on the
Disposal List in 1956. She was then sold to BISCO for demolition by WH Arnold
Young & Co at Dalmuir. The ship arrived in tow at
the breaker's yard on 15th December 1956.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
ALACRITY
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been
cross-checked with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No. |
Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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04/09/45
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04/09/45
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DM 007/2
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10/09/45
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10/09/45
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(Note on Convoys)
