LOCH
Class Anti-Submarine Frigate ordered from Ailsa SB
Co
at Troon on 24th January 1943 and laid down as Job
No J1826 on 30th November 1943.
First of two ships of this Class built by this
builder and the largest built by
the Company up to date of laying down. The ship was
launched on 19th October
1944 and was the first RN ship to bear the name.
Build was completed on 22nd
February 1945 and took somewhat longer than the
period under construction than
the average for this type of warship. This may have
been due possibly to lack
of experience in dealing with the requirements
necessary for assembly of units
prefabricated elsewhere and delivered to the
shipyard, as well as to increased
standards for the installation of many new types of
equipment. She was for
example fitted with the improved radar Type 277 and
a SQUID Anti-Submarine
Mortar Outfit comprising two sets of three mortar
units.
G
e o g r a p h i
c D a t a
Sea
Loch on Isle of
Jura. Grid Reference NR5481
B
a
t t l e H o n o u r s
None
(Note:
Although no Battle Honour is appropriate, those
serving on board
during
the
support of military operations in the Dutch East
Indies were
entitled
to the Naval General Service Medal with Clasp SE
Asia 1945-46)
H
e
r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field White, a dexter hand couped above
the
wrist erect proper
grasping
a
cross crosslet fitches, Blue.
De
t a i l s o f
S e r v i c e
(Note:
Dates are
taken from Admiralty PINK List and may not have been
maintained.
Most of the post-war dates are from a record
compiled by Mr A Raper of
Bradford who
served
on board as a Signals rating.)
D
e t a i
l s 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
February
Contractors trials and commissioning for service in
12th Escort Group.
Commanding Officer: Lieut. Commander BW Harris, DSC
RNVR.
22nd Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials in Clyde
area.
March
Delayed at Troon for repair of defects found on
trials.
On completion of repairs and storing took passage to
Tobermory from
Gourock
(Note: Commanding Officer sick on shore and relieved
by the First Lieutenant.
Lieutenant D G Matthews RN).
25th
Commenced work-up at Tobermory for operational
service
April
Work-up in continuation.
16th
Arrived at Liverpool to join 12th Escort Group on
completion of work-up.
(Note: Commanding Officer resumed command.)
Deployed for anti-submarine patrols and escort of
convoys on UK-Gibraltar route.
(Note: Enemy submarine activities were concentrated
on coastal convoys in
SW Approaches and Irish Sea. See SEEK and STRIKE by
W Hackmann
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC by W Hackmann and
HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR, Volume II by C Blair.)
May
Western Approaches deployment in continuation..
7th
Returned to Liverpool for special deployment for
escort of surrendered
German submarines in NW Approaches (Operation
DEADLIGHT).
(Note: Submarines had been ordered to fly a Black
Flag and when located were
taken to Londonderry or Scapa Flow dependent upon
their position on
interception. See references and Naval Staff
History.)
8th
VE (Victory in Europe) Day.
9th
Passage in execution of DEADLIGHT.
12th Escort Group sailed for Operation DEADLIGHT.
Ship allocated Blue Route
(North West Approaches) to locate surrendering
U-Boats.
(Note: Subsequently escorted one U-Boat (believed to
be U244) to Lisahally.
First Lieutenant as Boarding Officer.)
June
Western Approaches deployment in continuation.
Nominated for service in East Indies based at Ceylon
after refit in commercial
shipyard.
6th
Arrived at Liverpool for refit including
modifications to suit intended service.
11th Taken
in hand for refit.
(Note: This included some modifications to
ventilation and fit of additional
close range 20mm weapons to improve AA defence.).
July
On completion of refit work carried out post refit
trials and storing for foreign service.
Nominated for escort of HM Monitor ROBERTS with
sister ship HMS LOCH
SCAVAIG during passage to Ceylon.
23rd New
Commanding Officer appointed: Lieut. Cdr WS Thompson
OBE RNR.
27th Took
passage from Liverpool to join HMS ROBERTS for
escort to Gibraltar.
30th HMS
LOCH SCAVAIG joined after delay for repair at
Liverpool.
August
1st
Arrived at Gibraltar
3rd
Independent passage from Gibraltar in western
Mediterranean
(Note: HMS ROBERTS and HMS LOCH TRALAIG were on
separate passage.)
7th
Arrived Malta.
12th
Sailed Malta
15th
Arrived Port Said.
17th
Passage to Aden.
20th HMS
ROBERTS sighted on independent passage in Red Sea.
(Note: HMS LOCH SCAVAIG parted company on 18th.)
21st
Arrived at Aden.
22nd Passage in
Indian Ocean to Ceylon.
(Note: One source records ship encountered swarm of
locust like insects which
were still on board some days later.)
27th
Arrived at Colombo.
(Note: During this period Lieut. Cdr D G Matthews RN
took Command when Lieut. Cdr
W S Thompson RNR left the ship to return to UK for
release from the Service.)
Lieutenant Commander D G Matthews was granted the
rank of Acting Lieutenant
Commander from 5th December 1945 until 4th March
1946 when wartime acting
ranks were cancelled. Lieutenant DG Matthews RN
remained in Command until ship
Paid-off at Portsmouth on 12th May 1946.)
September
Deployed at Colombo to prepare for service on East
Indies Station.
(Note: Planned landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER)
had been delayed but
the majority of East Indies Fleet were deployed in
Penang area to support
re-occupation after Japanese had surrendered.
Nominated for escort of HM Boom Defence Vessels
BARRANCA, BARBERRY and
BARNWELL, HM Tug EMINENT and six Motor Fishing
Vessels (MFV) during passage
Deployed at Colombo to prepare for service on East
Indies Station.
(Note: Planned landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER)
had been delayed but
the majority of East Indies Fleet were deployed in
Penang area to support
re-occupation after Japanese had surrendered.
Nominated for escort of HM Boom Defence Vessels
BARRANCA, BARBERRY and
BARNWELL, HM Tug EMINENT and six Motor Fishing
Vessels (MFV) during passage
10th Took
passage to Port Swettenham from Colombo with vessels
in transit.
19th
Arrived at Port Swettenham with escorted craft after
tedious journey due to defects
which involved tow of disabled vessels.
On release from escort took passage to Singapore in
company with HMS LOCH GLENDHU
21st
Returned to Port Swettenham after visit to
Singapore.
(Note: This visit may have been to brief ship’s
officers on the intended
deployment in the Dutch East Indies in support of
the military operations
against dissident groups opposed to the possibility
of a return to Dutch
colonial rule and also defence of convoys evacuating
military and civil
personnel from ports in Java and Sumatra (Returning
Prisoners of
War and internees - RAPWI)
22nd Deployed at
Port Swettenham for patrol and supervision of
convoys from Dutch
East Indies ports.
(Note: Passage into Singapore and other ports was
rendered dangerous by mines
and embarkation involved protection against local
population elements.)
Several LOCH Class Frigates were similarly
deployed.)
October
Port Swettenham deployment in continuation.
10th
Released from support duties for routine docking and
self-maintenance at Singapore.
Passage to Singapore.
11th
Arrived at Singapore.
19th
Docked in KGV Graving Dock for routine maintenance
including boiler clean.
27th
Resumed operational service at Singapore for support
duties.
31st
Embarked Major General Mansergh and staff officers
of 7th Indian Division for
passage to Batavia to command operations against
insurgents.
(Note: The Brigade with HM Landing Ship (HQ) BULOLO
and a convoy of Landing
Ships (Infantry) with other craft were also on
passage covered by HM Cruiser
SUSSEX, HM Destroyers CAESAR, CARRON and CAVALIER.
November
2nd
Disembarked Major General Mansergh and staff officer
and took passage to
Sourabaya for Guardship duties.
(Note: These included providing food to RAPWI and
providing support parties as
needed ashore. Other warships were providing naval
gunfire support to the
military operations. Ship received commendation by
CS5 for the work in
support of the evacuation of RAPWI.)
7th
Salvaged disabled LST199 whose steering gear had
been damaged by a mine.
15th Took
passage to Singapore on relief as Guardship.
Deployed as escort for nine Tank Landing Craft of
74th LCT Flotilla and with HM
Tug ASSIDUOUS for passage to Singapore.
21st
Arrived at Singapore with ASSIDUOUS in tow and three
other Landing Craft also
under tow.
23rd
Sailed from Singapore with HM Frigate TAFF and took
passage to Colombo after
release from support and patrol duties based at
Singapore.
28th
Arrived at Colombo after call at Sabang in Sumatra.
December
Deployed at Colombo and nominated for Air Sea Rescue
duties
5th
Sailed from Colombo to take up duty at Air Sea
Rescue Station in Indian Ocean area.
(Note: Ships of the East Indies Fleet were deployed
to carry out these duties
in Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean in case of any
assistance being required
by aircraft taking personnel from duty in SEAC to
UK. This duty was
carried out by several LOCH Class Frigates.)
22nd On release
from ASR duty took passage to Cocos Islands for
visit.
25th At
Cocos.
26th Took
passage from Cocos for Trincomalee.
(Note: Admiralty records show the appointment of
another officer to command
on 15th December. Clearly this must have been
cancelled later.)
1 9 4 6
January
1st
Arrived at Trincomalee and commenced routine
maintenance and repair work with
Station Leave granted at Dyatalawa Rest Camp.
(Note: Whilst at Trincomalee several of the ship’s
company left the ship under
the Release Scheme for demobilisation of Hostilities
Only personnel
and Regular Engagements which were extended during
WW2.)
Nominated for further period of support duties based
at Singapore
23rd On
completion of repair and leave resumed operational
service and sailed independently
from Trincomalee for Cochin, India.
25th
Arrived at Cochin.
28th
Sailed Cochin escorting 14 Motor Fishing Vessels for
passage to Singapore.
30th
MFV1512 sank at 1206, crew picked up by ship and
taken to Colombo, before
rejoining convoy.
February
12th
Arrived at Penang with MFV.
(Note: Length of passage time was due restricted
speed possible, continual breakdowns
requiring towage and need to supply fresh meat,
bread and water each
forenoon of the voyage to craft in company.)
17th
Sailed from Penang to take up duties at Singapore.
18th MFV
reported sighting floating mine, which was sunk by
ship.
20th Took
MFV in tow.
21st
Arrived at Singapore for military support duties in
Sumatra.
(Note: One source records MFV were escorted during
passage to Singapore.
This is at variance with PINK List record which
indicates ship escorted
Landing Craft with RAPWI into Singapore. To be
confirmed.)
27th
Deployed at Palembang as Guardship.
(Note: Special agreement with military authorities
had been given to use armed
Japanese army personnel to assist in maintaining law
and order. No specific
record of involvement of ship by provision of shore
parties is known but
records for other LOCH Class Frigates suggest this
was not uncommon and
at least one rating from another ship was killed
during duty ashore.)
March
Nominated for return to UK to pay off into Reserve
at Portsmouth.
8th
Took return passage to Singapore on release from
Guardship duties.
10th
Arrived at Singapore and prepared for return passage
to UK.
12th Took
passage to Trincomalee with call at Penang.
17th
Arrived at Trincomalee.
25th
Sailed from Trincomalee.
April
Passage in Red Sea and Suez Canal transit
25th At
Gibraltar
May
Arrived at Portsmouth and Paid-off
June
On completion of reduction to Reserve status laid-up
with Reserve Fleet at Portsmouth
P
o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
LOCH TARBERT remained in Reserve and never
recommissioned for service. During the period she
was laid-up at Portsmouth in 1949 she was refitted
but
two years later her Reserve Status was reduced from
Category A to Category B. Before the ship was
transferred to lay-up at Gibraltar dehumidification
equipment was fitted to ensure preservation of
exposed
armament equipment .In 1956 whilst at Gibraltar on
offer sale was made to Portugal but this was not
taken up
and the ship was reduced to Extended
Reserve category which had replaced Category C. She
was placed on
the Disposal List in 1958 as part of the policy to
reduce the number of ships in the Reserve Fleet.
After
sale to an Italian shipbreaker she was taken in tow
to Genoa and arrived at the Breaker’s Yard for
demolition on
18th September 1959.
A
c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
To
Mr A Raper
for most of the post-war details in this record
which were invaluable and which, in addition to
giving information not previously known also
confirmed data recorded earlier.
To
Commander D G Matthews Royal Navy for helpful
advice,
providing details of Mr Raper’s record and his
additional research since the first issue of this
record which have all contributed to a significant
improvement of this record of service.