LOCH-Class Twin Screw Frigate ordered from Burntisland
SB on. 2nd February 1943 and laid down as Job Number J11832 (Yard
Number 285) on. 29th May 1941. The ship was launched on 18th October
1944 and was the 1st R N ship to bear the name. Build was completed on 23rd
February 1945.
G e o g r a p h i c D a t a
Inland Loch
in Sutherland.
Grid
Reference: NC 6233
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Black, per fess
wavy Black a Pale Gold and barry wavy
of six White and Black
(Explanation: Based on the meaning of Loch Glendhe (The Lake of the Dark Glen.)
The upper part
represents the Glen, the lower the water.)
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 5
February
Contractor's trials. and commissioned for service in 8th Escort Group.
23rd Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
Commanding Officer: Lieut. Cdr. E G B Knapton RN
On completion of trials and storing took passage
to Tobermory
March
5th Commenced work-up at Tobermory.
25th Joined
Group at Greenock.
April
Deployed ir. NW Approaches and Irish Sea for anti-submarine operations.
12th Detected U1024 and took
part in attacks with HM Frigate LOCH ACHRAY.
Submarine forced to surface and abandoned by crew.
37
survivors were rescued
(Note: U1024 was boarded by party from HMS LOCH ACHRAY and taken in tow.
Later submarine broke adrift in deteriorating and sank.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp for details,).
May After
VE Day deployed for escort, of surrendered U-Boats during passage between
Scapa
Flow and Stranraer (Operation DEADLIGHT).
Nominated for service ir. East Indies after refit.
June
8th Taken
in hand for refit at Troon.
(Note: Work done included modification of Ventilation equipment and fit of
additional
20
mm AA armament fitted to improve defence against air attack.)
July
23rd Took passage to Join East
Indies Fleet at
Colombo.
August
15th
Deployed at Aden.
17th Took
passage to Massawa.
18th
Escorted damaged Fighter Direction Ship PALOMARES from Massawa to Aden after a
fire in the Red Sea (Aug 1945).
23rd Took
passage to Colombo for briefing prior to operational service.
New Commanding Officer appointed:: Commander HL Hayes, OBE, RN.
30th
Arrived at Colombo.
September
6th
Deployed for escort of military convoys for landings in Port Swettenham area.
(Operation ZIPPER. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winter, and Naval Staff History)
Based at Singapore and joined Singapore Escort. Force to support of military
operations
in
Java and Sumatra and for escort of craft evacuating PoW and Internees (RAPWI)
to
Singapore.
October Deployed
for support, and escort duties based at Singapore
November Deployed as
Guardship at Sourabaya,
December
9th
Returned to Singapore.
26th
Embarked RN Commando unit for passage to Morotai in the Moluccas.
1 9 4 6
January
2nd At
Morotai.
(Note: Japanese PoW were held under Australian Army guard to await passage to
Japan.
Guardship was responsible for inspection of mercantiles used.
6th Took
passage from Morotai via Macassar and Karaurota to Singapore.
12th
Arrived at Singapore.
February Singapore
escort and patrol duty in continuation
2nd
Deployed as Guardship at Batavia.
12th
Escorted U181 (Japanese 107) to position Malacca Straits with
HMS
LOCH LOMOND
(Note: The submarine was towed by HM Tug GROWLER from Singapore for sinking.
Admiralty record for this ships states U862 was also towed for sinking by HM Tug
ASSIDUOUS at the same time and other sources record escort by HMS LOCH
LOMOND for U862.)
On
completion took passage to Colombo.
March Under
refit at Colombo.
April Return
passage to Singapore after post refit trials.
May Resumed
support and escort duties at Singapore.
Deployed at Batavia as Guardship.
Recaptured two Japanese Submarine Chasers taken by Insurgent forces from Segal,
Java
with assistance from IJN officers embarked under guard.
June
Guardship duty in continuation.
6th
Agreement reached with Indonesian insurrectionist forces at meeting on board.
26th At
Cheribon for negotiation with Insurrectionists.
July
Returned to Trincomalee
(Note: General Service Medal with Clasp awarded for services in SE Asia.)
Despatched from Trincomalee to assist, HM Cruiser NORFOLK at Abadan after civil
unrest.
(Note: HMS NORFOLK was having habitability problems due to hot weather.)
23rd
Arrived at Abadan after encountering exceptionally heavy weather.
Starboard anchor had to be re-secured and extensive internal flooding caused on
forward messdecks.
Deployed for patrol in southern Gulf including visit to Khor Kuwai.
August
12th Took over Guardship duty
at Abadan
September
9th
Visited Muscat.
23rd
Arrived at Colombo for refit
October New
Commanding Officer joined: Commander H L Hayes OBE, RN.
November On
completion of post refit trials embarked personnel for clearance of Japanese
explosives from the Andaman Islands.
Deployed at Port Blair, Port Stewart, Katar and Port Nicobar.
December On
completion took passage to Singapore.
Spent Xmas period at Singapore.
1 9 4 7
January Deployed
at Singapore.
Took passage to Colombo prior to for Indian Ocean patrol and visits programme
February Deployed
for patrol with calls at Lindi, Tanga, Mombasa and Mogadiscio.
March Passage
to Aden with call at Berbera.
Resumed Persian Gulf patrol.
Passage to Abadan via Muscat and Bahrain.
22nd Arrived
at Abadan.
April
Passage to Karachi escorting five Royal Indian Navy Motor Launches
27th
Arrived at Karachi with Motor Launches.
May Passage
to Singapore.
Taken in hand for refit
June Under
refit.
July On
completion of post refit trials embarked consignment of rice for delivery
to
Nancowry in. Nicobar Islands
Resumed duties in Persian Gulf with calls on passage at Trincomalee and Muscat.
August Deployed
at Bahrain.
23rd Took
part in recovery of victims of BOAC PLYMOUTH Flying Boat which crashed
whilst landing at Bahrein.
(Note: Ten passengers were killed but only eight bodies were found.)
September Persian Gulf
patrol with visits to Kuwait, Sharjah, Gwardar, Bandar Abbas and
to
Basidu.
October
November Took passage
to Colombo.
December Maintenance
Period at Colombo.
1 9 4 8
January On
completion deployed at Trincomalee.
February Deployed
for patrol duty in Persian Gulf based at Bahrain.
to
March
April
Passage to Colombo to join RIN exercises.
Called at Cochin.
Passage to Singapore for refit.
28th
Arrived at Singapore.
May Under
refit.
to New
Commanding Officer: Commander D J A Heber-Percy RN appointed.
October Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes changed to F619.
November Refit
completion after delay.
Carried out Post refit trials.
December
2nd Took
passage for Trincomalee.
8th
Arrived at Trincomalee.
28th Took
passage to Aden prior to Indian Ocean patrol and visits.
1 9 4 9
January Indian
Ocean patrol with calls at Aden, Assab. Djibouti, Mogadiscio and Mombasa.
February Patrol in
continuation with calls at Zanzibar, Kiwa, Kisiwani, Landi and Seychelles.
March
8th
Returned to Trincomalee.
April
7th
Sailed from Trincomalee for west coast India patrol with call at Cochin.
26th At
Colombo.
(New Commanding Officer: Commander H B Acworth OBE RN appointed.)
May
Returned to Trincomalee.
5th At
Trincomalee.
Nominated for detached duty at Singapore following the Yangtse incident which
involved HM Sloop AMETHYST.
Took passage to Singapore.
21st
Deployed at Singapore.
June On
release from detached service deployed for patrol in Indian Ocean.
27th Sailed
from Singapore.
July
Deployed for patrol in Indian Ocean. Visited Penang, Nancowry, Car Nicobar, Port
Blair and Port Cornwallis.
16th
Arrived at Trincomalee.
August Passage to
Colombo.
2nd
Arrived at Colombo.
September Deployed for
exercises and returned to Colombo.
27th
Passage to Trincomalee.
October
1st Took
passage to Mogadiscio.
7th
Deployed as Guardship at Mogadiscio to provide aid to civil power.
(Note: British army units were stationed in this former Italian colony.)
24th Took
passage for Indian Ocean patrol from Mogadiscio.
31st At
Mombasa and diverted to return to Mogadiscio.
November
3rd
Released from requirement and took passage to Seychelles.
11th
Arrived at Trincomalee from Seychelles.
21st
Sailed from Trincomalee for refit at Singapore.
28th Taken
in hand for refit on arrival at Singapore. Un
1 9 5 0
January Under
refit.
to
March
April
6th
Sailed for Trincomalee after completion of post refit trials.
12th
Arrived at Trincomalee.
25th Sailed
from Trincomalee for Cocos Is arriving on 26th.
May
4th
Returned to Trincomalee.
14th Took
passage for Indian Ocean patrol with calls at Seychelles, Mawara,
June Patrol
in continuation with calls at Undi, Kiwa Kisiwani, Tanga and Mombasa.
July
Patrol in continuation. Called at. Apalepa, Corgados Carajos,
Rodrigues.Mauritius,
and Diego Garcia.
27th
Returned to Trincomalee.
August Sailed for
Colombo arriving on. 12th.
September Deployed off
west, coast of India and took part in Exercise JET.
to
Visited Karachi and Bombay
December .Returned to
Karachi
1 9 5 1
January Deployed
in Bay of Bengal.
to
February
March Under
refit at Singapore
to
April
May On
completion deployed for patrol and visits in Indian Ocean
to
Visited Zanzibar, Seychelles and Cocos Islands.
August On
completion returned to Colombo for routine docking.
September Deployed for
patrol in Persian Gulf with call at Karachi on passage.
to
Towed water-lighter from Bombay to Bahrein.
December New
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander R S Brookews DSC RN
(Note: Period of foreign service extended during 1951.)
1 9 5 2
January Persian
Gulf deployment in continuation.
February Returned
to Trincomalee.
March Took part
in Indian Navy exercises.
April Under
refit at Singapore
to
Completion delayed to complete
June
Additional work agreed.
July
Escorted HM Landing Ship TRACKER from Aden to Colombo or, passage to Montebello
for Atom Bomb Tests.
August
Deployed in.
Bay of Bengal and visited Madras.
to
September
October Carried out- patrol and
visits programme in
Indian Ocean.
to
Calls made at Diego Garcia and Mauritius.
November
December Returned to
Colombo for Docking Period.
1 9 5 3
January Deployed
in Indian Ocean, and visited Mombasa.
February
Transferred to Persian Gulf for patrol duties
March Based at.
Bahrain for patrol duties.
to
Visited Abadan and Kuwait.
June
Returned to Colombo.
August
Maintenance Period at Colombo.
September Deployed at
Trincomalee for patrol duty In Bay of Bengal and west coast of India.
Visited Madras and Cochin.
Nominated for return to UK and to reduce to Reserve status.
October Deployed
in Persian Gulf for patrol.
November Passage from
Karachi to Aden,.
17th Sailed
from Aden, for return passage.
New Commanding Officer: Lieut Commander V C Freeland RN appointed.
December
7th
Arrived at Portsmouth.
Paid Off and prepared to destore.
F i n
a l P h a s e
HMS LOCH GLENDHU completed
reduction early in. 1954 and was laid up at Portsmouth
in Category U Reserve. The ship
was placed on the Disposal List, in 1956 and sold to BISCO for demolition
by Clayton and Davie for breaking-up at Durston. She arrived at the breaker’s Yard in tow on 14th November 1957.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
LOCH
GLENDHU
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
17/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
ON 297
|
18/04/45
|
02/05/45
|
27/04/45
|
28/04/45
|
OS 125KM
|
01/05/45
|
01/05/45
|
17/05/45
|
19/05/45
|
OS 129KM
|
20/05/45
|
21/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)