Type
II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered
from
Yarrow's at Scotstoun.
Glasgow
on 4th September 1939 in the 1939 War
Emergency Programme and laid down as Job No
J1850 on 7th June 1940. She was
launched on 17th October 1941 as the 1st RN
warship to carry the name, that of
a fox-hunt in Wiltshire. Build was completed
on 18th February 1942. This ship
was initially allocated for adoption by the
civil community of the New Forest
Urban District in Hampshire after a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in March 1942, but later this was
changed to East Retford
in Nottinghamshire.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1942 -
MALTA
CONVOYS 1942
-
NORTH AFRICA 1942-43
-
SICILY
1943 - AEGEAN 1943
-
MEDITERRANEAN
1944 - ADRIATIC
1944
- NORTH
SEA
1945
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field
White, an
eagle's head erased Green
gorged with a chain pendant therefrom
a bugle horn Gold.
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
2
February
Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for
service with 8th Destroyer flotilla, Home
Fleet.
18th
Build completion date and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
Took passage to Scapa Flow on completion of
trials and storing.
March
Worked-up for operational service with ships
of Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
On completion of work-up joined Flotilla at
Scapa Flow and deployed for escort
and patrol in
NW Approaches.
April
4th
Part of Western Local Escort for Russian
Convoy PQ14 with HM Trawlers NORTHERN WAVE
and CHILTERN.
12th
Detached from PQ14
and returned to
Scapa Flow with ice damage.
For details of all Russian Convoy operations
see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg,
CONVOY! by P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B
Schoefield and ARCTIC CONVOYS
by R Woodman).
22nd Taken
in hand for repair in Thames commercial
shipyard.
May
Under repair
19th
Rejoined Flotilla on completion of post refit
trials.
21st
Convoy defence and patrol duties in
continuation.
June
1st
Detached for escort of HM Auxiliary Minelayers
MENESTHEUS, AGAMEMNON,
SOUTHERN PRINCE and HM Minelaying Cruiser
ADVENTURE of 1st Minelaying
Squadron with HM Destroyers ST MARY'S, NEWARK
and INTREPID during minelay of a
section of the Northern Barrage in Denmark
Strait
(Operation SN72 - See Naval Staff History
(MINING).
30th
Part of the Ocean escort for Russian Convoy
PQ17 with HM Destroyers FURY, KEPPEL,
LEAMINGTON, LEDBURY, OFFA, HM Corvettes
DIANELLA, LA MALOUINE, LOTUS
and POPPY.
July
4th
Detached with Ocean Escort when convoy was
scattered on Admiralty order and took
passage
to join Home Fleet cruisers providing cover
for PQ17 and returning QP13.
23rd
Escorted Fleet Auxiliary BLACK RANGER during
operation to refuel Home Fleet destroyers
taking ammunition and stores to
North Russia.
29th
Joined military convoy WS21 in Clyde with HM
Destroyer BRAMHAM as part of escort
during
Atlantic passage
August
2nd
Detached from WS21 and joined escort for WS21S
during passage to
Gibraltar.
(Operation PEDESTAL - For details see PEDESTAL
by Peter Smith, THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D
Macintyre,
MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman and Naval Staff
History.)
10th
Part of Close Escort (Force X) for passage
with convoy through Sicilian Narrows
to
Malta.
11th
Under attack by submarine during which HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE was sunk.
12th
Detached with HM Escort Destroyers BICESTER
and DERWENT to escort damaged cruiser
HMS NIGERIA to Gibraltar
after being torpedoed by the Italian submarine
AXUM.
17th
Passage to rejoin Flotilla at Scapa Flow for
Home Fleet duties.
September
Deployed with Flotilla in NW Approaches
9th
Escorted FM Escort Carrier AVENGER with H M
Escort Destroyer WHEATLAND for air
operation during passage of Russian Convoy PQ
18 and return Convoy QP14.
Detached from PQ18 with HMS AVENGER, HM
Cruiser SCYLLA and Fighting Escort'.
Joined escort for PQ 14 in continuation.
20th
Detached from QP14 as escort for HM Cruiser
SCYLLA and HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier AVENGER with HM Escort Destroyers
WHEATLAND and WILTON
because of increasing threat of submarine
attack
(Note: Flag transferred to HM Destroyer
MILNE.)
October
Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla.
Nominated for detached service in support of
allied landings in North Africa.
(Operation TORCH - For details see Naval Staff
History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS
by J de Winser fir information about all ships
involved)
Took passage to
Gibraltar
with FMS WHEATLAND.
November
2nd
Joined 57th Destroyer Division at Gibraltar
and prepared for escort and support
of landings at
Algiers.
8th
Deployed to provide inshore escort during
assault operation.
9th
Under attack by torpedo and weapon passed
beneath ship.
10th
Provided inshore escort for landings at
Bougie.
12th
Deployed for escort of follow up convoys for
North African military operations.
December
Convoy escort and patrol in continuation.
1 9 4
3
January
Mediterranean Convoy escort and patrol in
continuation.
February
Participated in search for U443 off Algiers with HM Escort Destroyers BICESTER,
LAMERTON and WHEATLAND in defence of military
Convoy KMF10A.
(Note: This submarine was later sunk in
position 36.55N 02.57E without survivors).
March
Convoy defence and support in continuation.
to
April
May
Deployed for interception of escaping enemy
craft evacuating troops from Cape
Bon area
(Operation RETRIBUTION -See above references).
Bombarded enemy positions at Kelebia.
June
Convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
Nominated for escort of assault landings in
Sicily.
(Operation HUSKY - See above references).
July
Joined Escort Group X with HMS WHEATLAND as
part of Support Force East.
Passage to Algiers
7th
Part of escort for assault convoy from Algiers
to Beach Head in Sicily
10th
After arrival deployed for convoy defence in
central Mediterranean.
August
Mediterranean convoy defence in continuation.
to
(Note: No Battle Honour ANZIO awarded but ship
may have taken part in defence
November
of convoys to Salerno Beachhead between
September and October).
December
Under repair.
1 9 4
4
January
Detached for duty with Northern Attack Force
Peter for Anzio landings.
(Operation SHINGLE - See above references and
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY.)
21st
Deployed in support of landings with HM Escort
Destroyers BEAUFORT and BRECON of
to
Northern Attack
Force).
29th
Subjected to air and submarine attacks.
February
On release from SHINGLE resumed convoy defence
role in Central Mediterranean.
March
Central Mediterranean deployment in
continuation based in Naples.
29th
Took part in search for U223 with HM
Destroyers LAFOREY and TUMULT.
Carried out series of depth charge attacks.
30th
Detached from search operation.
Carried out series of depth charge attacks.
April
Transferred to Adriatic and supported military
operations off Albania
to
September
October
Deployed in support of capture of Corfu and
Sarande. Provided naval gunfire to support.
4th
Provided naval gunfire support during military
operations
to
8th
November
Adriatic military support and patrol in
continuation.
December
3rd
Deployed with three other destroyers and MTB's
in support of attack on Uissinpicolo.
Base for explosive motor boats used for
attacks on shipping was destroyed.
17th
Carried out bombardment of Fort Asino.
1 9 4
5
January
Deployment in Adriatic and Aegean for military
support, interception patrol and convoy
defence in continuation.
February
Nominated for return to UK for
defence of coastal convoys.
March
Passage to Sheerness to join 21st Destroyer
Flotilla.
(Note: During this period there had been a
significant increase in minelaying
in Nore
Command by E-Boats and submarines requiring
additional destroyers in the
Thames estuary for patrol and defence of
convoys to the continent).
April
Deployed with Flotilla in North Sea.
May
After VE Day remained in Nore Command for
support of re-occupation operations.
June
Nominated for service in East Indies and
transferred to Plymouth Command.
To be refitted in Simonstown prior to foreign
service.
July
Passage to South Africa.
August
Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard,
Simonstown.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS WILTON completed refit in January 1946 and
returned to UK
to Pay-off and reduce to
Reserve at Plymouth in
February 1946. The ship remained in the Reserve
Fleet at Plymouth
until 1949 when she re-
commissioned for
service in the 4th Training Flotilla. Later this
destroyer was
disarmed and used as an Air Target ship. She
was again placed in Reserve and laid up at Cardiff
in 1953 for five years.
Placed on the Disposal List in 1959 the ship
was sold to Shipbreaking
Industries for demolition at Faslane.
She arrived at
the breaker’s yard in the Clyde on 4th December 1959 and her scrap value was
£22,900.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS WILTON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
26/03/42
|
08/04/42
|
PQ 014
|
12/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
27/06/42
|
30/06/42
|
PQ 017
|
04/07/42
|
04/07/42
|
02/09/42
|
09/09/42
|
PQ 018
|
17/09/42
|
21/09/42
|
13/09/42
|
17/09/42
|
QP 014
|
20/09/42
|
26/09/42
|
26/10/42
|
06/11/42
|
KMF 001
|
08/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
18/11/42
|
18/11/42
|
TE 003A
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
27/11/42
|
06/12/42
|
KMF 004
|
07/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
MKF 004Y
|
12/12/42
|
24/12/42
|
18/12/42
|
18/12/42
|
ET 006
|
19/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
MKS 004
|
23/12/42
|
06/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
14/01/43
|
TE 013
|
15/01/43
|
15/01/43
|
19/01/43
|
19/01/43
|
MKS 006
|
22/01/43
|
01/02/43
|
03/03/43
|
03/03/43
|
TE 017
|
05/03/43
|
05/03/43
|
06/03/43
|
06/03/43
|
ET 013
|
08/03/43
|
09/03/43
|
11/03/43
|
11/03/43
|
ET 013X
|
13/03/43
|
13/03/43
|
01/04/43
|
03/04/43
|
TE 020
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
ET 017
|
09/04/43
|
09/04/43
|
22/04/43
|
22/04/43
|
MKS 012
|
26/04/43
|
04/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
GTX 001
|
28/05/43
|
04/06/43
|
08/06/43
|
11/06/43
|
GTX 002
|
14/06/43
|
19/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
MKS 016A
|
06/07/43
|
09/07/43
|
28/06/43
|
07/07/43
|
KMF 018
|
unknown
|
11/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
KMS 019T
|
24/07/43
|
24/07/43
|
17/10/43
|
17/10/43
|
MKF 025
|
21/10/43
|
04/11/43
|
25/11/43
|
25/11/43
|
VN 010
|
27/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
05/12/43
|
05/12/43
|
VN 011
|
07/12/43
|
07/12/43
|
24/01/44
|
24/01/44
|
VN 017
|
25/01/44
|
25/01/44
|
04/02/44
|
04/02/44
|
VN 019
|
06/02/44
|
06/02/44
|
04/06/44
|
04/06/44
|
VN 044
|
05/06/44
|
05/06/44
|
13/06/44
|
13/06/44
|
VN 046
|
14/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
26/06/44
|
26/06/44
|
VN 049
|
27/06/44
|
27/06/44
|
06/07/44
|
06/07/44
|
VN 051
|
07/07/44
|
07/07/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|