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)