FLOWER-Class
corvette
ordered from Smith’s Dock, Middlesbrough on
31st August 1939 with six others of the
Class by the French
Government. This ship was laid down on 29th
June 1940 and after the fall of France was
transferred to the Royal Navy. She was
launched
as HMS VERBENA on 1st October that year and
was the second RN ship to bear this
name, previously used by a Sloop built in
1915 and sold in 1933. During WW1 a
trawler hired for minesweeping also carried
this name. Build was completed on 19th
December
1940. After
a
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings Campaign in
December
1941 this Corvette was adopted by the civil
community of Billingham,
County Durham. Further information about
the
service of this ship is given in ESCORT by
DA Rayner.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r
ATLANTIC
1941
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field White a Verbena Flower proper
with
halo Gold.
M
o t t o
Virtute
bene donata:
'Well endowed with Valour'
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
December Contractor's
trials and
commissioned for service.
Nominated for
service with 12th Escort Group based at
Londonderry
for convoy
defence in Western Approaches.
19th
Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials
22nd
On completion of trials and
storing took passage to Tobermory
to
work-up for
operational service.
23rd
Commenced work-up.
1
9 4 1
January
4th
Took passage to Greenock
to refuel on completion of work-up.
Passage to join escort
for outward convoy in NW Approaches.
5th
Joined convoy.
Detached from
convoy with Local Escort and took passage to
join
Escort Group at Londonderry.
24th
Deployed with ships of Group
as escort for Convoy OB277.
27th
Detached
from OB277
to join inward Convoy HX103 with HM
Destroyer WHITEHALL
and ships of EG12.
31st
Detached from HX103 on arrival
in Clyde and detached to assist
ss
BOTUSK which had
struck a mine near North Rona
and rescued
11 survivors
when ship sank.
February
1st
Landed survivors in Clyde
and taken in hand for installation of
minesweeping
equipment in commercial shipyard.
On completion
joined Convoy OG53 with HM Corvette
DELPHINIUM
as escort during
passage to Gibraltar.
March
On arrival taken in hand
for Boiler Clean and on completion deployed
at Gibraltar for
Local Escort duties.
24th
Took passage from Gibraltar
to resume duties with Group.
(Note: Approval
to be retained at Gibraltar was denied as
she was
fitted for
minesweeping.)
Joined escort for
Convoy HG76 during passage in Atlantic for
UK.
April
Detached from HG76 on
arrival and resumed deployment with Group.
Took passage to Liverpool
for special duty.
Escorted ss
EMILE BAUDOT from Liverpool
to Iceland.
May
6th
Detached on arrival in Iceland and resumed
convoy defence duties with
Group which was
deployed there
(Note: Ships with
Group included HM Destroyers MALCOLM,
BURNHAM and CHURCHILL.)
Escorted Convoys HX124
and SC130 during passage near Iceland.
Joined Convoy
OB322 for three days before returning with
ships of
Group to Iceland.
19th
Despatched with Group to
reinforce escort of Convoy HX126 which
had come under
heavy and sustained attack by several
U-Boats
during
which three ships
had been sunk.
20th
Deployed with Group to
re-assembly ships from HX126 and then
provided
additional defence during further submarine
attacks.
(Note:
In all nine ships
were sunk from HX126. See HITLER'S U-
BOAT
WAR, Volume 1 by C Blair.)
Detached to tow
tanker ELUSA to Iceland after being hit by
torpedo
and set on fire.
21st
Carried out gun attack on U74
which was found on surface and forced
to submerge.
Submarine was driven
off by depth charge attacks with
HMS
CHURCHILL (See above
reference)
(Note: Tanker was
sunk by U-Boat during tow.)
June
Transferred
to 8th Escort Group based at Londonderry and
took
passage
to join.
12th
Deployed with ships of Group
for Escort of Convoy HX130.
13th
Under air attack off Ulster
coast.
When detached
joined inward convoy SC36 as escort to
Clyde.
July
Returned to Londonderry after arrival of SC36.
27th
Joined Convoy ON1 with ships
of Group as escort for passage
in NW Approaches.
August Joined
escort for return
convoy HX140 on release from ON1.
Part of escort
with Group for outward ON6 and HX143
September
Nominated for refit at Grangemouth.
4th
Taken in hand for refit.
(Note: Surface
warning radar Type 271 was fitted.
For
details of development and use of radar in
RN see
RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
October
Nominated
for foreign service
on completion.
11th
Took passage to Londonderry to prepare for foreign service.
20th
Attached to 40th Escort
Group.
Joined HM Cutters
LANDGUARD, GORLESTON, CULVER
and LULWORTH, HM
Destroyer STANLEY and HM Corvette
FREESIA for escort of
Convoy OS10 to Freetown.
31st
Under attack by U-Boats
during which Dutch ss
BENNEKOM
was sunk.
November
1st U-boat
sighted from HMS
LANDGUARD and detached with
HMS GORLESTON
to carry out depth charge attacks.
(Note: This
attack was unsuccessful. See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.
No sinking recorded.
Three
German and one Italian submarine are
recorded
as being in the
area during this period.)
4th
Detached from OS10 to refuel
at Ponta Delgada,
Azores.
6th
Rejoined OS10
14th
Escort Group 40 ships
detached on arrival of Freetown Local Escort
but
remained with
OS10.
Detached from convoy
during passage due to fuel shortage.
18th
Arrived at Freetown with awnings rigged as
sails.
19th
Deployed at Freetown
for Local Escort and anti-submarine
duty.
Carried out search for
reported U-Boat with three other
corvettes.
28th
Joined HM Destroyers
SOUTHWOLD and DULVERTON, HM
Sloop MILFORD, HM Corvette HOLLYHOCK and HM
Battleship
ROYAL SOVEREIGN as escort for military
convoy
WS12Z during
passage
to Cape of Good Hope.
December
Detached to refuel at Port au
France and rejoined WS12Z.
15th
Detached from WS12Z and took
passage to Simonstown.
Retained in South
Atlantic pending transfer to Eastern
Fleet.
1
9 4 2
January Deployed
at Cape Town
9th
Provided Local Escort for
military convoy WS14 with HMS
HOLLYHOCK during passage
in Cape
area.
10th
Detached from WS14 and
returned to Cape
Town.
(Note: WS14
was taking troops reinforcements to
Singapore)
February
Nominated for service in Indian Ocean as
part of Eastern Fleet
4th
Sailed from Cape
for Mauritius with call at Durban to
refuel.
16th
Passage from Mauritius
for Colombo with HM Corvette ASTER.
22nd
Arrived at Colombo
to join Eastern Fleet.
March
Deployed at Colombo for local convoy or
single ship escort
17th
Escorted troopship
STAFFORDSHIRE from Colombo to join
Convoy KR1.
21st
Sailed from Colombo with HM Corvette
MARGUERITE with
ss
SHENGKING and ss
TAIPING as escort during passage to join
convoy.
Arrived at Addu
Atoll with ss
DEMOCLUS
April
15th
Deployed with HM Corvette
TULIP as escort for Convoy MB1
to Bombay from
Colombo.
20th
Arrived at Bombay with MB1
(Note: this
was the first convoy between these ports.)
25th
Taken in hand for repair to
Boiler defect by HM Dockyard, Bombay
and
declared
non-operational.
May
Under repair at Bombay
to
December
1
9 4 3
January
Post repair trials on
completion.
February
Prepared to resume
operational service.
6th
Resumed convoy defence
duties and returned to Colombo.
Part of escort
for Convoy BM41
March
Part of escort for
Convoy MB25 and return Convoy BM43 to
Colombo.
April
Deployed for escort of
Convoy CX2 to and return XC1 from Addu
Atoll
May
Transferred
to South Atlantic Command.
5th
Took passage to Kilindini
to join Indian Ocean Escort Force.
10th
Refuelled at Addu
Atoll
18th
Arrived at Kilindini
after call at Seychelles
on passage.
Joined Escort Force.
23rd
Escorted
Convoy MC7 from Kilindini
to Durban
June
2nd
Arrived at Durban.
Deployed for escort of
convoys in Indian
Ocean.
Escorted Convoys DN50,
DN50A and DC36.
July
Escorted EMPIRE ANVIL
from Durban to Kilindini.
Escorted Convoy DC40.
August
Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation.
26th
Passage
from Kilindini
to Simonstown
for refit.
September
Under refit.
October
Under refit
30th
On completion carried out
post refit trials
November
Passage to Durban to resume convoy defence
duties.
17th
Nominated for return to
Eastern Fleet for convoy defence
based at Bombay.
Passage to Aden
with call at Kilindini.
December
8th
Deployed
at Aden
for local escort.
1
9 4 4
January
1st
Escorted Convoy AB26 to Bombay
with HM Corvette NIGELLA.
8th
Detached from AB26 on
arrival at Bombay.
February
Bombay
deployment in continuation.
to
Part of escort for
Convoys in Arabian Sea to and from
April
Aden including BA61, AB33, BA65, BA66, AB37
and BA68
May
16th
Deployed as escort for HM
Submarine SPIRIT.
to
(Note: Submarine may have been
carrying out post refit
20th
trials or on
special assignment requiring escort.)
On
completion deployed with Convoy AB39D
as escort.
June
10th
Detached for convoy escort
between Persian
Gulf
and
Aden.
Took
passage from Bombay to Khor
Kuwai
13th
Escorted Convoy PA 79 from
Straits of Hormuz to Aden
On arrival
joined Convoy AB32 as escort
Detached to
join Convoy AP73 as escort during passage
from Aden to
Straits of Hormuz
July
3rd
Arrived at Straits of
Hormuz with AP73.
4th
Took passage to return to Bombay.
After arrival deployed
as escort for Convoy BM96 to Colombo.
August Deployed
at Colombo
7th
Passage to Chittagong
for escort of convoy.
15th
At Chittagong for escort of
Convoy AM6 to Madras.
On arrival
made independent passage to Trincomalee.
Deployed for escort of
convoy JC59 from Trincomalee
to Madras.
September
Escorted Convoy CJ38 from Madras to Colombo
Nominated for
refit at East London.
12th
Sailed from Colombo as escort for Convoy CX32
during
passage to Addu
Atoll
15th
Detached
from CX32 on arrival at Addu
Atoll
16th
Passage to East London with call at Mauritius
October
4th
Taken in hand for refit at
East
London.
November
Under
refit.
to
Transferred to East Indies Fleet
December
1
9 4 5
January
Under refit
February Post
refit trials
7th
Refit work completed
Took
passage to Durban on completion of trials
March Deployed
at Durban for convoy defence.
18th
Sailed from Durban with Floating Dock AFD39
in tow
for
passage to Trincomalee
with calls at Majunga
and
Seychelles escorted by HM Frigate LOCHY
April
Passage in Indian Ocean.
29th
Arrived at Seychelles.
May
Passage
from Seychelles to Trincomalee
11th
Arrived at Trincomalee
with AFD39.
June
Nominated for return
to UK for reduction to Reserve.
Prepared for
passage to Plymouth.
11th
Sailed for UK via Mediterranean.
July
Passage in Mediterranean after call at Aden.
18th
Called at Gibraltar.
Nominated for
escort of HM Tug HENGIST towing
Dutch Dredger
GELDERLAND to UK
23rd
Passage to Plymouth with HM Tug HENGIST
28th
Arrived at Plymouth
August Paid-off
and commenced destoring.
Allocated to
Reserve Fleet at Milford Haven
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
VERBENA arrived at
Milford Haven on 3rd September 1945 and
reduced to Reserve status. The ship was
placed on
the Disposal List and sold to a Swedish
shipping company AB Tore Holmes to be
converted for use as a mercantile. After tow
to Uddevala
this work was not carried out and she
remained in the Swedish port until 1951
when sold for breaking-up. On 1st October
1951 the ship arrived in tow at Blyth
for breaking-up by Hughes-Bolcow.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS VERBENA
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
22/01/41
|
22/01/41
|
OB
277
|
26/01/41
|
27/01/41
|
15/01/41
|
27/01/41
|
HX
103
|
unknown
|
01/02/41
|
15/02/41
|
15/02/41
|
OG
053
|
24/02/41
|
01/03/41
|
15/03/41
|
15/03/41
|
HG
056
|
16/03/41
|
02/04/41
|
24/03/41
|
24/03/41
|
HG
057
|
11/04/41
|
11/04/41
|
30/04/41
|
14/05/41
|
HX
124
|
14/05/41
|
20/05/41
|
10/05/41
|
21/05/41
|
HX
126
|
23/05/41
|
28/05/41
|
19/05/41
|
29/05/41
|
SC
032
|
07/06/41
|
07/06/41
|
01/06/41
|
15/06/41
|
HX
130
|
20/06/41
|
20/06/41
|
01/07/41
|
13/07/41
|
SC
036
|
18/07/41
|
19/07/41
|
26/07/41
|
27/07/41
|
ON
001
|
31/07/41
|
09/08/41
|
22/07/41
|
02/08/41
|
HX
140
|
06/08/41
|
06/08/41
|
11/08/41
|
13/08/41
|
ON
006
|
15/08/41
|
24/08/41
|
05/08/41
|
17/08/41
|
HX
143
|
20/08/41
|
20/08/41
|
25/10/41
|
26/10/41
|
OS
010
|
18/11/41
|
18/11/41
|
17/03/42
|
17/03/42
|
KR
001
|
20/03/42
|
20/03/42
|
15/04/42
|
unknown
|
MB
001
|
unknown
|
26/04/42
|
06/02/43
|
06/02/43
|
BM
041
|
12/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
17/02/43
|
17/02/43
|
MB
025
|
22/02/43
|
22/02/43
|
01/03/43
|
01/03/43
|
BM
043
|
05/03/43
|
07/03/43
|
08/03/43
|
17/03/43
|
OW
005/1
|
18/03/43
|
18/03/43
|
15/04/43
|
15/04/43
|
CX
002
|
18/04/43
|
18/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
XC
001
|
27/04/43
|
27/04/43
|
23/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
MC
007
|
02/06/43
|
02/06/43
|
20/11/43
|
20/11/43
|
CB
006
|
29/11/43
|
29/11/43
|
01/01/44
|
01/01/44
|
AB
026A
|
08/01/44
|
08/01/44
|
10/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
BA
061
|
17/02/44
|
17/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
02/03/44
|
AB
033
|
10/03/44
|
10/03/44
|
12/03/44
|
12/03/44
|
BA
065
|
21/03/44
|
21/03/44
|
21/03/44
|
21/03/44
|
BA
066
|
28/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
07/04/44
|
07/04/44
|
AB
037
|
14/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
25/04/44
|
25/04/44
|
BA
068
|
02/05/44
|
02/05/44
|
22/05/44
|
22/05/44
|
AB
039D
|
28/05/44
|
28/05/44
|
14/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
PA
079
|
22/06/44
|
22/06/44
|
26/06/44
|
unknown
|
AP
073
|
03/07/44
|
03/07/44
|
26/06/44
|
26/06/44
|
AB
042
|
08/07/44
|
08/07/44
|
20/07/44
|
20/07/44
|
BM
096
|
25/07/44
|
25/07/44
|
15/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
AM
006/1
|
18/08/44
|
18/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
21/08/44
|
CJ
038
|
26/08/44
|
27/08/44
|
12/09/44
|
12/09/44
|
CX
032
|
15/09/44
|
15/09/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)