RIVER-Class Frigate
ordered from Fleming and Ferguson of Paisley
on 30th September 1941
under the
1941 Build Programme and laid down on 12th
June 1942 as Job Number 1507
(Yard
Number 597), The ship was launched on 22nd
April 1943 as the
first RN ship to bear this name and she had
been adopted by the civil
community of Doncaster Rural District after a
successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings
campaign in February 1942. Build was
completed on 28th July 1943. As shown in in
the
record below she never received particular
mention for convoy defence
during
her service in the Atlantic. However this is
by no means unusual since,
as recorded in post war
records, only two out of every twenty allied
convoys were successfully
attacked.
Much publicity was given to the losses by
U-Boat attacks but little was
reported about those Atlantic convoys which
arrived without incident.
Over 90%
of Atlantic convoys had uneventful crossings
and their escorts had
little opportunities
to demonstrate the extent of the rigorous
training and their defence
capabilities.
The contribution made by these unsung ship's
companies to the safe and
timely arrival
of convoys was still one of the factors which
enabled the allied navies
to win
the Battle of the Atlantic. After the end of
hostilities in Europe she
was
deployed in the Far East but having survived
the war she was wrecked in
the
South China Sea. whilst on passage to return
to UK.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1943-45
H
e r
a l d i c D a
t a
No
mention is made of an Official Crest in the
Admiralty Heraldic
Crest
Record, but this is by no means unusual for
ships entering
service
during WW2, except those carrying a name
previously used
and
for larger warships.
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 3
July
Contractor's Sea Trials and commissioned for
service
28th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
August
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Tobermory.
September
Passage from Tobermory to join Western
Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy
defence on completion of work-up for
operational service..
October
Deployed for Atlantic convoy escort in
continuation
to
December
1 9 4 4
January
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
to
(Note: Not detached for support of allied
landings in Normandy)
December
1 9 4 5
January
Joined 8th Escort Group and prepared for
service in Arctic with Russian convoys.
February
Deployed in NW Approaches with Group but not
deployed for escort or support
of convoys to and from Kola Inlet.
March
Deployed for convoy defence NW Approaches and
for coastal convoy defence
to
April
May
Nominated for service in East Indies Fleet
after end of hostilities in Europe.
June
Under Refit for convoy defence in Eastern
Fleet.
July
Passage to
Ceylon.
August
Joined East Indies Escort Force after VJ Day
and not deployed operationally
P
o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
AIRE was transferred to
British Pacific Fleet in late 1945. and after
arrival
in Hong Kong she was used as an Accommodation
Ship. Renamed
HMS TAMAR in March 1946 she carried out this
role until shore
accommodation became available
in December that year and then reverted to her
original name. Whilst on
passage
to UK to Pay off she ran aground on Bombay
Reef, south of Hainan, on
20th
December 1946. The ship's company was saved by
HM Depot Ship BONAVENTURE but the ship became
a total loss.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS AIRE
by
Don Kindell
This
convoy list has not been cross-checked with
the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
27/08/43
|
28/08/43
|
OS
054KM
|
08/09/43
|
08/09/43
|
08/09/43
|
08/09/43
|
KMS
025G
|
10/09/43
|
10/09/43
|
10/09/43
|
11/09/43
|
KMS
025
|
13/09/43
|
21/09/43
|
15/10/43
|
31/10/43
|
UGS
021
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
MKS
031
|
23/11/43
|
23/11/43
|
29/11/43
|
29/11/43
|
KMS
033
|
09/12/43
|
09/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
GUS
025
|
28/12/43
|
17/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
KMS
036
|
13/01/44
|
13/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
21/01/44
|
MKS
038
|
01/02/44
|
01/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
OS
067
|
26/02/44
|
26/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
02/03/44
|
SL
151
|
14/03/44
|
14/03/44
|
25/03/44
|
25/03/44
|
OS
071
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
11/04/44
|
11/04/44
|
SL
155
|
23/04/44
|
23/04/44
|
04/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
OS
075
|
14/05/44
|
14/05/44
|
17/05/44
|
17/05/44
|
SL
159
|
30/05/44
|
31/05/44
|
11/06/44
|
11/06/44
|
OS
079
|
21/06/44
|
21/06/44
|
01/07/44
|
01/07/44
|
SL
163
|
11/07/44
|
11/07/44
|
23/07/44
|
23/07/44
|
OS
083
|
03/08/44
|
03/08/44
|
09/08/44
|
09/08/44
|
SL
167
|
19/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
03/09/44
|
03/09/44
|
OS
087
|
13/09/44
|
13/09/44
|
18/09/44
|
18/09/44
|
SL
171
|
30/09/44
|
30/09/44
|
10/10/44
|
10/10/44
|
OS
091
|
19/10/44
|
19/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
SL
175
|
08/11/44
|
08/11/44
|
10/01/45
|
13/01/45
|
MKS
076G
|
18/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
(Note
on Convoys)