FLOWER-Class
corvette
ordered from Harland and Wolff, at Belfast
on 19 September 1939. She was
laid
down on 21st March 1940 and was launched on
2nd July 1940 as the first RN warship to
bear this
name.
Build was
completed on 22nd August 1940. The ship was
adopted by the civil community of
the
Rural District Dartford, Kent after a
successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings Campaign in
February 1942. (Note: This ship, built to
the original design with a short foc’sle,
was fitted for minesweeping using
wire sweeps and
also had fittings to enable towing
operations to be undertaken.)
B
a t t l e H
o n o u r
ATLANTIC 1940-44 - MALTA CONVOYS
1941 - SPARTIVENTO 1940 - LIBYA
1941-42 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1945
H
e r a l d i c
D a t a
In
common with many other warships commissioned
for
service
during
WW2 and which carried a name not previously
borne by
a
warship
no formal approval was given by the
Admiralty for use
of
a
Ships Badge. Many ships did however use an
informal Badge.
S
u m m a r y
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
August Contractor’s
trials and
commissioned for service
Commanding Officer:
Lt. Cdr. A J C Pomeroy, RNVR.
22nd
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
27th On
completion of Acceptance Trials and
storing took passage Tobermory.
September
7th
Completed work-up and took passage to
joined Liverpool Escort force for convoy
escort
in
Western Approaches.
13th Deployed
with Liverpool Escort Force.
17th
Part of escort for Convoy HX71 during
inward passage to Clyde.
24th
Part of escort for outward convoy OB218.
25th Under
attack by U14 during which tanker
ss STRATFORD was sunk and ss ASHANTIAN
damaged
after being torpedoed.
Searched
for survivors from these ships with HM
Trawler WOLVES.
26th
Rescued 54 survivors from STRATFORD
and ASHANTIAN.
Escorted ss
ASHANTIAN to Belfast and carried out
anti-submarine search on passage.
October
Deployed with escort for Outward
convoys OB218, OB 226, OB233, SL49 and
inward HX81in
NW Approaches. Experienced
heavy weather during passage.
November
Nominated for
transfer to Mediterranean for convoy escort.
2nd Returned
to Liverpool after detaching from HX81
16th Took
passage to Gibraltar with HM Corvettes HYACINTH, PEONY and SALVIA to join
10th
Corvette Group based in Malta for convoy
defence in the Mediterranean.
23rd Arrived
at Gibraltar
25th Deployed
as Close Escort for ss CLAN
FORBES, ss CLAN FRASER and ss NEW ZEALAND
STAR.
during passage to
Malta, covered by ships of Force H
(Operation COLLAR)
(For details see THE
BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre,
MALTA
CONVOYS
by R Woodman and Naval Staff History.)
26th
HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON
deployed with Close Escort.
(Note: These two
ships had embarked troops at Gibraltar for
passage to Malta.)
27th On
approach of Italian Battle Group including
2 battleships, six cruisers and screen of 14
destroyers,
joined by HM Cruisers MANCHESTER,
SOUTHAMPTON and COVENTRY,
HM Destroyers
DEFENDER, DIAMOND, GALLANT, GREYHOUND
, HOTSPUR and
HEREWARD
as escort for
mercantiles when ships of Force H from
Gibraltar and Force D from
Alexandria
detached to engage enemy warships.
28th Under
night attack by Italian torpedo
boat CALLIOPE during transit of Sicilian
Narrows
but
torpedoes failed to hit any ship.
29th
Detached with cruiser escort, CLAN
FRASER and CLAN FORBES for passage to Malta.
After
disembarkation of troops from cruisers took
passage as escort for Convoy ME4
with
Mediterranean
Fleet ships.
(Note:
ss NEW
ZEALAND STAR joined ME4 for passage to
Alexandria.)
Formed
10th Escort Group with the other three
Corvettes.
December Detached
from ME4 off Crete
and took passage to Alexandria.
Deployed
with 10th Escort Group for
convoy escort in Eastern
Mediterranean based at
Alexandria.
Escorted Convoys
AN10 and AN 11 to Piraeus from Egypt
(Operation LUSTRE –
Provision of military aid to Greece. See
following references)
(Note: LL
minesweeping equipment was fitted for
operations against magnetic mines)
1
9 4 1
January Passage
from Suda
Bay with HM Corvettes HYACINTH, PEONY and
SALVIA to join
Convoy MW5 ˝ as
part of escort.
7th
Joined HM Cruiser CALCUTTA, HM Destroyers
DEFENDER and DIAMOND in Force C
as
escort for supply ship HMS BRECONSHIRE and
ss CLAN FRASER during passage to
Malta covered by ships of Mediterranean
Fleet as Force A
(Operation EXCESS – See above
references.)
10th Detached
from MW5 ˝ on arrival
off Malta and joined Convoy ME6 as escort
for passage to
Alexandria. Part of Operation EXCESS)
(Note: This convoy
comprised 6 empty mercantiles and had been
routed to the south of the
main
EXCESS Convoy ME5 ˝.)
11th HM
Cruisers SOUTHAMPTON and GLOUCESTER with HM
Destroyer DIAMOND sent to
provide
AA defence for ME6 came under heavy and
sustained air attacks during which HMS
SOUTHAMPTON was hit and had to be sunk when fires became uncontrolled.
(Note: This
additional protection was provided following
the attacks by German aircraft
on
HM
Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS and ships of
Mediterranean Fleet escorting
ME5 ˝ on 10th.
See references.)
ME6 came under air
attack but no ship was damaged.
16th
Detached
from ME6 on arrival in Egypt and returned to
Suda Bay.
February
Eastern Mediterranean escort for
convoys between Egypt and Piraeus.
March
4th Deployed
with HM Cruiser COVENTRY, HM Destroyers
HEREWARD, HOTSPUR and
STUART (RAN) for
escort of Convoy AN7 during passage from
Egypt to Greece.
(Operation LUSTRE
– See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett and
Naval
Staff History).
6th
Under sustained daylight air attacks
until 7th.
23rd Return
passage to Alexandria.
April
1st Part
of escort for Convoy AN24 to
Pireaus with HM Destroyer NUBIAN and other
Fleet
destroyers.
4th
Carried out attack on submarine with HMS
NUBIAN, 170 miles south of Scarpanto, during
escort of AN24 to
Piraeus. Assessed as
probable destruction.
On arrival
deployed for minesweeping off Piraeus and
detonated five magnetic mines.
9th
Minesweeping gear damaged with ss CLAN
FRASER was hit and blew up during air raid.
24th
Took part in the evacuation of allied
troops from Greece.
(Operation DEMON
– See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
Naval Staff
History.)
Deployed with HM
Corvette SALVIA at Nauphlia
and Rafti.
25th
Part of escort for evacuation convoy
AG13 taking troops to Suda Bay.
28th
Evacuated troops from Kapsali Bay, Kithera
with HM Sloop AUCKLAND and HMS
SALVIA.
700
personnel were rescued.
29th
Part of escort for evacuation convoy
GA15 from Suda
Bay to Alexandria.
May
Nominated for
escort of planned military
convoys for relief of Malta
(Operation
MD4)
5th
Deployed with HM Cruisers CARLISLE, COVENTRY, HM Tug ST ISSEY and
HM
Whaler SWONA as escort
for military convoy MW7B during passage
from Alexandria.
covered by ships
of Mediterranean Fleet (Operation TIGER –
See above references).
6th
Convoy MW7B merged with following
Convoy MW7A.
8th
Detached
from escort with ships of MW7B
off Malta.
Under unsuccessful attack by
Italian submarine
SETTIMO.
9th
Carried out minesweeping to clear
entrance to Grand
Harbour Malta after extensive
mining
by aircraft had prevented any entry or
departure relating to passage of
military
convoy from
Gibraltar to Egypt carrying tanks for 8th
Army (Operation TIGER – See
above
references.)
(Note: Twelve
mines were detonated and enabled ships of
Convoy MW7A and MW7B
to enter and
destroyers of 5th Flotilla to
leave harbour.)
16th
Sustained
damage after detonating acoustic mine during
mine clearance
operation off
Malta
Awaiting repair
by HM Dockyard, Malta
June
Retained in Malta pending repair which was
delayed by extensive air
attacks on the
dockyard whose
reduced facilities were already
overstretched
by existing commitments
July
Deployed in Malta.
17th
Sustained further structural damage
after grounding.
August
Under repair by HM Dockyard
Malta when work load allowed.
to
Close range AA
armament increased to improve defence
against air attacks.
October
November
Deployed in Malta for local minesweeping
operations
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
Resumed operational duties
as convoy escort.
17th
Sailed from Malta with ships of Force K and
detached and took passage
to Tobruk later.
18th
Diverted on passage to assist supply
ship ss THERMOPYLAE which had detached from
Convoy MW8A
after machinery defects and was being
escorted to Benghazi by HM
Cruiser
CARLISLE, HM Destroyers ARROW, GRIFFIN,
HASTY and HERO
19th
Under air attack after joining escort
for THERMOPYLAE
which was sunk.
Detached from
escort and took passage to Tobruk.
20th
Passage to Alexandria with survivors from HM
Destroyer GURKHA which had
been
sunk off Derna by
a U-Boat on 13th
21st.
Arrived at Alexandria to join Inshore
Squadron
25th
Deployed for escort of supply and
reinforcement convoys between Egypt
and Tobruk.
(Note: Carried
stores and personnel and provided AA and A/S
defence to ships on
passage
along North African coast.)
February Tobruk
convoy deployment in continuation.
11th
Towed HM Escort Destroyer FARNDALE to
Mersa Matruh after being disabled in air
attack
on 9th off North African coast.
12th
Part of escort for Convoy ME10
bringing HMS BRECONSHIRE and empty supply
ships to Alexandria
from Malta.
(Note: Increasing
difficulties of ensuring
passage of convoys to and from Malta in
early 1942 is
fully described in the references.)
March
Tobruk
convoy escort in continuation.
29th
Carried out anti-submarine
operations in defence of convoy on passage
to Tobruk.
April
Transferred for Levant
convoy escort
Commanding
Officer: Lt. AF Harkness, OBE, DSC, RN
7th
Escorted ss
TONELINE and other mercantiles to Tobruk
10th
Returned to Alexandria with HM Corvette
ERICA.
16th
Deployed for escort of convoys
between Alexandria,
Haifa and Cyprus.
May
Levant escort and
patrol duties in
continuation.
June
1st
Resumed convoy defence and support
of Tobruk garrison.
(Note: Did
not take direct part in escort of Convoy
MW11 (Operation VIGOROUS)
Ship
remained on Tobruk escort duty. See
references.)
16th
At Tobruk
during heavy air raids.
Took passage
to Alexandria with HM Escort Destroyer
TETCOTT and HM Corvette
SALVIA.
19th
Redeployed for escort of
Levant
convoys.
July
Levant convoy
defence and patrol in continuation.
August
16th
Carried out attack on submarine
in position 31.47N
34,21E after sonar contact.
23rd
Carried out anti submarine
operations with HM Trawler SOUTHERN MAID
(SANF)
after aircraft
reported attack on submarine
September
Eastern Mediterranean
convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
October
18th
Shot down Me109 aircraft with
20mm fire off Sfax, Tunisia.
November
Eastern Mediterranean
deployment in continuation.
(Note: Malta convoy operations were no
longer required and escort
was carried
out to Tobruk or
Malta when taken over by ships based there
or in
Gibraltar
for passages in western Mediterranean.)
December
Carried out maintenance,
boiler cleaning and essential defect repair
at Port Said.
1
9 4 3
January
25th
Resumed operational duties in Eastern
Mediterranean based at Alexandria.
February
17th
Deployed to assist HM Destroyer
PALADIN which had captured U205 after
depth charge
attacks NW of Derna.
Took submarine in tow
but this failed when it sank on passage.
March
North African coast
convoy defence including passages to Malta
continued
April
16th
Taken in hand for refit
May
20th
Resumed operational convoy defence.
June
Deployed for escort
of North African coastal convoys
to
August
September Transferred
to 49th Escort
Group based at Gibraltar for convoy defence
in
Atlantic and
western Mediterranean for US military
convoys to and from USA
with other
routine traffic to Tunisian and Algerian
ports.
Part of escort for
military convoy MKS24 from UK
and UG17 from USA.
October Part
of escort for
Convoys UG17, MKS27 AND MKS29.
Commanding
Officer Lt. M C English, RNR.
November
Part of escort for Convoys
GUS21 to Gibraltar and in Atlantic and UGS23
from USA.
December Part
of escort for Convoys
UGS23, GUS24 and KMS35.
1
9 4 4
January Part
of escort for Convoys
MKS37 and KMS39.
Commanding
Officer: Lt. D Perry, DSC, RNR.
February
Part of escort for
Convoys KMS29 and GUS31
March
Part of escort for
Convoy UGS33.
April
Part
of escort for Convoy
KMS46
(Note:
Radar Type 271 for surface warning had been
fitted by this period.)_
May
Part of escort for
Convoy MKS50.
June
Part
of escort for Convoys KMS52 and
GUS44.
July
Part of escort
for Convoys GUS44, UGS45 and MKS56.
August
Part of escort for
Convoys KMS58 and GUS50.
September
Part of escort for UG51 and
GUS53.
October
Part of escort for
Convoys UG54 and MKS65.
November
Part of escort for Convoy
KMS67.
25th
Transferred for service with 37th
Escort Group based at Brindisi for convoy
defence
between Brindisi,
Ancona and Bari in Adriatic.
December
Convoy defence with Group
in continuation.
1
9 4 5
January Adriatic
deployment
with Group in continuation.
to
Nominated for
return to UK
February
March
3rd
Took passage to Portsmouth with call at
Gibraltar
10th
At Portsmouth
Nominated
for convoy defence in English
Channel.
(Note:
German SCHNORKEL fitted submarines were
concentrating attacks on
focal assembly
points in Channel for attacks on
shipping including
Atlantic
convoys re-routed after removal of air
threat from French
bases.)
April
Channel deployment
based at Portsmouth in continuation.
May
After
VE Day future deployment under
consideration.
24th
Withdrawn from service and took
passage from Portsmouth to Aberdeen for
visit
prior to
reduction to reserve status.
June
Passage
to Grangemouth
to Pay-off and complete de-storing.
prior to
reduction to
Reserve
status.
June
Passage to lay-up
in Reserve Fleet at Rosyth.
6th
Paid-off and reduced to
Reserve.
July
Laid-up at
Grangemouth
to
August
P
o s t W a r
No t e s
HMS
GLOXINIA remained at
Grangemouth and was placed on the Disposal
List. Sold to BISCO in 1947
for
demolition by Chicks at Purfleet, Essex
where she
arrived in tow on 15th July that year.
Addenda
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
GLOXINIA
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
13/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
OB
213
|
unknown
|
18/09/40
|
05/09/40
|
16/09/40
|
HX
071
|
20/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
24/09/40
|
24/09/40
|
OB
218
|
26/09/40
|
29/09/40
|
27/09/40
|
unknown
|
SL
049
|
unknown
|
17/10/40
|
09/10/40
|
09/10/40
|
OB
226
|
12/10/40
|
12/10/40
|
23/10/40
|
23/10/40
|
OB
233
|
27/10/40
|
27/10/40
|
16/10/40
|
27/10/40
|
HX
081
|
01/11/40
|
02/11/40
|
25/11/40
|
25/11/40
|
COLLAR
|
28/11/40
|
28/11/40
|
05/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
MW
007B
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
27/01/42
|
27/01/42
|
TA
020/M
|
29/01/42
|
29/01/42
|
29/01/42
|
29/01/42
|
TA
021/M
|
31/01/42
|
31/01/42
|
08/02/42
|
08/02/42
|
AT
027/M
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
20/02/42
|
20/02/42
|
AT
029/M
|
23/02/42
|
unknown
|
23/02/42
|
23/02/42
|
TA
022/M
|
25/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
02/03/42
|
02/03/42
|
AT
032/M
|
04/03/42
|
04/03/42
|
04/03/42
|
04/03/42
|
TA
025/M
|
06/03/42
|
06/03/42
|
16/03/42
|
16/03/42
|
AT
034/M
|
18/03/42
|
18/03/42
|
18/03/42
|
18/03/42
|
TA
029/M
|
20/03/42
|
unknown
|
06/04/42
|
06/04/42
|
AT
037/M
|
08/04/42
|
08/04/42
|
09/04/42
|
09/04/42
|
TA
032/M
|
11/04/42
|
11/04/42
|
16/04/42
|
16/04/42
|
AT
039/M
|
18/04/42
|
18/04/42
|
18/04/42
|
18/04/42
|
TA
035/M
|
19/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
08/06/42
|
08/06/42
|
TA
047/M
|
09/06/42
|
09/06/42
|
17/06/42
|
17/06/42
|
TA
049/M
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
27/07/43
|
18/08/43
|
UGS
013
|
23/08/43
|
23/08/43
|
04/09/43
|
04/09/43
|
MKS
024
|
13/09/43
|
13/09/43
|
05/09/43
|
22/09/43
|
UGS
017
|
01/10/43
|
03/10/43
|
04/10/43
|
06/10/43
|
MKS
027
|
14/10/43
|
14/10/43
|
20/10/43
|
20/10/43
|
KMS
029
|
31/10/43
|
31/10/43
|
07/11/43
|
08/11/43
|
GUS
021
|
18/11/43
|
05/12/43
|
04/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
UGS
023
|
01/12/43
|
01/12/43
|
06/12/43
|
07/12/43
|
GUS
024
|
17/12/43
|
03/01/44
|
21/12/43
|
21/12/43
|
KMS
035
|
01/01/44
|
01/01/44
|
10/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
MKS
037
|
22/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
MKS
037G
|
23/01/44
|
23/01/44
|
28/01/44
|
28/01/44
|
KMS
039
|
06/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
GUS
031
|
22/02/44
|
18/03/44
|
13/02/44
|
03/03/44
|
UGS
033
|
12/03/44
|
12/03/44
|
06/04/44
|
06/04/44
|
KMS
046
|
16/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
19/05/44
|
20/05/44
|
MKS
050
|
31/05/44
|
31/05/44
|
06/06/44
|
06/06/44
|
KMS
052
|
15/06/44
|
16/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
25/06/44
|
GUS
044
|
01/07/44
|
18/07/44
|
12/06/44
|
01/07/44
|
UGS
045
|
07/07/44
|
07/07/44
|
18/07/44
|
19/07/44
|
MKS
056
|
29/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
02/08/44
|
02/08/44
|
KMS
058
|
11/10/84
|
12/08/44
|
23/08/44
|
24/08/44
|
GUS
050
|
30/08/44
|
18/09/44
|
13/08/44
|
02/09/44
|
UGS
051
|
08/09/44
|
08/09/44
|
22/09/44
|
24/09/44
|
GUS
053
|
28/09/44
|
17/10/44
|
12/09/44
|
03/10/44
|
UGS
054
|
09/10/44
|
10/10/44
|
16/10/44
|
17/10/44
|
MKS
065
|
28/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
02/11/44
|
06/11/44
|
KMS
067
|
12/11/44
|
12/11/44
|
16/04/45
|
16/04/45
|
WVC
124
|
17/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
BTC
131
|
20/04/45
|
20/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
VWC
129
|
18/04/45
|
18/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
TBC
131
|
20/04/45
|
20/04/45
|
22/04/45
|
22/04/45
|
VWC
134
|
23/04/45
|
23/04/45
|
08/05/45
|
08/05/45
|
BTC
152
|
11/05/45
|
11/05/45
|
14/05/45
|
14/05/45
|
TBC
158
|
17/05/45
|
17/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)