H . M . S
. V A L E N T I N E (i) (
L 6 9 )
Admiralty “V” Class Destroyer
ordered in July 1916 from Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
under the 9th Order for destroyers in the 1916-17
Programme and laid down on 7th August
1916. The five ships in this order were designated as “Half Leaders”
and the tender cost for those built by Cammell Laird was £218,300. The ship was launched on 24th March 1917 as
the 2nd RN ship to carry this name, introduced in 1418. Her build was completed on 27th June that year and after
completion was modified to carry mines. She was deployed in Home waters until the end of WW1. After 1918 she
remained in service until transferred to Reserve at Rosyth and in 1927 was
refitted. During 1939 before the outbreak of WW2 this
destroyer was selected for conversion into an AA Escort as part of the
re-armament programme.
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1940
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Crest
: On a Field Blue, a swan’s head Silver,
collared and chained
Gold.
M
o t t o
Valens et volens : 'Fit and willing'
D
e t a i l s o f W a r
S e r v I c e
1 9 3 9
September Under
conversion to AA Escort (WAIR) by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
to December
1 9 4 0
January Conversion
in continuation and contractors trials.
to March
April Acceptance trials and worked-up for
operational service.
On
completion deployed in Nore Command for convoy defence.
May Transferred to Dover command in continuation
Deployed
off Dutch coast for AA support to military operations.
(Note
: Ship use for evacuation of civil and military personnel to
be
confirmed.)
15th Sustained
major damage from dive-bombing attacks and beached
near
Terneuzen in Schelde estuary. Abandoned by ship’s company.
Position
51.20N 03.49E.
20th Taken in tow to Mersey for survey after
salvage operations.
June Awaiting
survey and repair at Liverpool.
to July (Note : Work was delayed by
priority work on warships damaged during
evacuation
operations in Channel area and off Norway.)
August Repair work after survey ceased and ship was placed
in Reserve.
P
o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS VALENTINE never
re-commissioned and was placed on the Disposal List after WW2. Sold to BISCO she was broken-up
in 1953. This name was reintroduced in September 1943 when given to a Fleet
Destroyer, but when this new ship was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1944 she was renamed
HMCS ALGONQUIN. Before transfer the ship gained three
Battle
Honours to add to that achieved by her predecessor.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS VALENTINE
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed as
escort arrived
20/04/40 20/04/40 FS 0151 22/04/40 22/04/40
01/05/40 01/05/40 FS 0160 03/05/40 03/05/40
08/05/40 08/05/40 FS 0166 10/05/40 10/05/40
(Note
on Convoys)
