BAY Class Anti-Aircraft Frigate initially ordered
from Harland and Wolff at
Belfast
on 2nd May 1943
for build as a LOCH Class Anti-submarine
Frigate, but for which the order was
changed in 1944. Originally to have been
named LOCH ARNISH she was laid down on 31st
August 1944 and launched as TREMADOC BAY
at Belfast
on 29th March 1945.
First RN ship to carry this name she was
completed on 11th October 1945
after the end of hostilities with Japan.
G e o g r
a p h i c
L o c a t i o n
Grid
Reference TL2632:
Tremadog
Bay, Caernarvonshire,
Wales
B
a t t l e
H o n o u r s
None
H
e r a l d i
c
D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue barry
wavy of 4
in base Blue and white,
three
escallops conjoined in fess, Gold..
Explanation:
The
escallops allude to the poet Shelley, a friend
of Mr
W A Madocks,
a local resident who name the
area.
M a n n i n g
P o r t
Devonport
S
u m m a r
y o
f 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
October
Commissioned for service in place of CAPTAIN
Class Frigate being returned to USA.
Commanding Officer: Lieut. Cdr. FD Cole.
Contractors trials.
11th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials in Clyde area.
November
Completed acceptance and shakedown trials in
Belfast
Passage to Portland for ranging and weapon
calibrations.
On completion took passage to Lisahally,
Ulster to tow Type XXI German submarine U3035
to
Libau in Latvia (Operation CABAL).
(Note: Submarine was being handed-over to
Soviet Navy in accordance with policy agreed
in 1945)
24th
Deployed with HM Frigate NARBROUGH which was
towing U3041 and sailed from
Lisahally for northern passage to North Sea.
28th
Diverted to Rosyth after steering and tow
problems in submarine.
December
7th
Sailed from Rosyth to Libau with U2025 in tow.
13th
Tow parted and submarine used main engines for
remainder of passage.
14th
Arrived at Libau.
Took passage from Libau to Plymouth after
hand-over.
1
9 4 6
January
Nominated for transfer of German submarines to
French Navy (Operation THANKFUL)
Passage from Plymouth to Lisahally
February
At Lisahally
5th
Sailed from Lisahally for Cherbourg with Type
XXIII submarine U2326 in company
with HM Tug BUSTLER towing Type XXI submarine
U2518.
(Note: RN passage crews were provided for the
two submarines.)
7th
After taking shelter in Dublin
Bay due to towing
problems and defect in heavy weather
conditions went into Kingstown Harbour.
(Note: Considerable interest was shown by
civil population and special permission
given for RN Personnel to attend Rugby
International.)
10th
Sailed from Eire to Cherbourg with tow.
12th
Sick man from U2518 transferred to local
vessel in Lyme
Bay
13th
Arrived at Cherbourg with tow.
15th
Took passage to Plymouth after visit by French
Admiral.
(Note: U2326 was lost in a diving accident at
Toulon in December 1946 with loss of 17
lives.)
March
Deployed for training and emergency destroyer
duties with Plymouth Local Flotilla.
Escorted mercantile carrying dangerous cargo
to Bay of Biscay for scuttling.
April
Local Flotilla duty in continuation.
Towed Landing Ship (Tank) from Appledore to
Barry, Glamorgan for scrapping.
May
Deployed for Oceanic Measurement Trials in
Azores area and visited Terceira.
June
6th
Carried out official visit to Bristol with HM
Frigate BURGHEAD BAY
Official reception, shore entertainment and
open to visitors.
11th
Took passage to return to Plymouth.
July
Plymouth Local Flotilla duties in
continuation.
Visited Falmouth.
August
Visited Preston, Lancashire.
September
Deployed for escort of mercantiles from Barry,
during passage for scuttling in Bay of
Biscay.
October
Local duties at Plymouth in continuation
November
5th
New Commanding Officer, Lieutenant DJ Godden
appointed.
December
27th
Deployed as Emergency Destroyer in search for
survivors from French aircraft south
of Start Point.
Returned to Plymouth when search abandoned.
1
9 4 7
January
Under repair by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
February
Nominated for reduction to Care and
Maintenance due to manning shortages.
25th
Laid-up in River Fal.
March
Lay-up in continuation.
April
Resumed operational service with Plymouth
Local Flotilla after routine docking.
May
Deployed at Portland for Anti-submarine
training
June
Local Flotilla duties at Plymouth including
embarkation of Sea Cadets for sea
experience.
July
Local Flotilla duties in continuation.
27th
Escorted ss EMPIRE LARK under tow by HM Tug Dextrous during
passage from
Barry, Glamorgan for scuttling in Bay of
Biscay.
August
Nominated for detached service and took
passage with HMS BURGHEAD BAY to Gibraltar.
September
Deployed in Mediterranean with HMS BURGHEAD
BAY.
Escorted ss OCEAN VIGOUR, SS EMPIRE RIVAL and
ss RUNNYMEDE PARK from Port
Duboc near Marseilles to Gibraltar.
(Note: These ships were taking Jewish
immigrants detained from SS PRESIDENT
WARFIELD during passage to enter Palestine.)
October
Passage from Gibraltar to Plymouth after arrival of
ships at Gibraltar.
Resumed Local Flotilla duties.
November
Under refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
to December
1
9 4 8
January
Under Refit.
February
20th
Refit completion and commenced post-refit
trials.
March
Deployed at Plymouth for training and
Emergency Destroyer duties
to May
June
Under repair at Devonport
New Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander R
Gabbett-Mulhallen
appointed
July
Resumed Plymouth Local Flotilla duties.
August
Visited Torbay.
September
Deployed at Plymouth for training and
Emergency Destroyer duties.
Under repair.
October
Resumed local duties.
to December
1
9 4 9
January
Deployed at Plymouth for training and
Emergency Destroyer duties.
February
New Commanding Officer, Lieutenant R Smith
appointed.
Under repair.
March
Resumed local training duties
to December
1
9 5 0
January
Local training duties in
continuation.
to December
1
9 5 1
January
Training and Emergency Destroyer duties in
continuation.
to
Nominated for reduction to Reserve status
March
April
Paid off and de-stored.
to
Accepted into Reserve Fleet at Devonport.
December
Laid-up at Devonport
P
o s t S e r v i
c e N o t e s
HMS TREMADOC BAY remained at
Devonport until 1953 when
she was refitted by Silley
Cox at Falmouth. On
completion she was nominated for transfer to
the Reserve Fleet Sub-Division at
Gibraltar and towed there to lay-up in
Reserve. In 1958 she was placed on the
Disposal List as part of the reduction in the
number of ships in Reserve required by
the Defence Review. Sold to an
Italian shipbreaker
in 1959 she arrived at Genoa in
tow on 18 September that year for demolition.
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