H .  M .  S .   W O O L S T O N   ( L 4 9 )

 

Thornycroft W-Class destroyer included in the 10th Order of the 1916 - 17 Programme for build by Thornycroft at Woolston. She was laid down on 25th April 1917and launched on 27th January 1918 as the first RN snip to carry the name which had been chosen as a compliment to this shipbuilder who had been associated with the design and build of destroyers since 1874. Build was completed on 28th June that year. After service with the Fleet during WW1 she was part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet in 1921 .Later the Flotilla transferred to the Mediterranean before being placed in Reserve. During 1938 she was selected for conversion to an AA Escort by HM Dockyard Chatham. After a successful 'WARSHIP WEEK' in March 1942 this ship was 'adopted' by Congleton, Cheshire.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC   1941 - ARCTIC   1942 - NORTH SEA  1941-43 - SICILY  1943

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge : On a Field Black, a Roman galley, Silver.

 

M o t t o

Quo majores ducunt :   'Where our forefathers lead we follow'

 

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 refit and conversion for use as an AA Escort (WAIR).

                                (For details of conversion see V&W DESTROYERS 1917-45 by A Preston).

                                (Note : Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to that used by Escort

                                Destroyers.)

 

October                  Post refit trials and commissioned for service.

 

November              Joined Nore Command for convoy defence in Channel and North Sea.

 

December              Convoy Defence in Nore Command in continuation.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Deployed for convoy defence and patrol in North Sea and Channel.

to                            (Note : Not involved in evacuation of troops from Dunkirk bur retained on convoy.

December              defence and anti-invasion patrol duties).

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Nore Command deployment in continuation.

to                            (Note : Detached for defence of Atlantic convoys in Western Approaches).

December              For details of North Sea convoy duties see THREE CORVETTES by N Monsarrat) .

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Nore Command deployment in continuation.

 

February                Nominated for detached service with Home Fleet.

                                Passage to join Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

 

March                    Part of destroyer screen for HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE OF YORK,

                                HM Battlecruiser RENOWN. HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS. HM Cruisers BERWICK

                                and KENYA with HM Destroyers ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ECHO, ECLIPSE, FAULKNOR,

                                FURY, GROVE, ICARUS, INCONSTANT, INTREPID, JAVELIN, LANCASTER, LEDBURY,

                                LOOKOUT, ONSLOW, PUNJABI, TARTAR, VERDUN and WELLS, covering passage

                                of Russian Convoy PQ12 and returning Convoy PQ8.

                                (For details of all Russian convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg

                                ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield

                                and CONVOY ! by P Kemp).

                                On release from Home Fleet duties resumed convoy defence in Nore Command.

 

April                       North Sea convoy defence in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  North Sea convoy defence in continuation.

to

May

 

June                        Nominated for detached service in Atlantic for defence of military convoys prior to allied landings

                                in Sicily (Operation HUSKY).

                20th        Passage to Clyde to join escort for military convoy WS31 during passage to Gibraltar.

                21st         Deployed with HM Destroyers ARROW, BLANKNEY, BLENCATHRA, BRECON, BRISSENDEN,

                                HAMBLEDON, LEDBURY, MENDIP, VICEROY, WALLACE and WITHERINGTON as part of

                                WS31 Ocean Escort.

                26th        Detached from WS31 on arrival at Gibraltar.

 

July                         Passage to Bone

                                Nominated for service with Eastern Support in Escort Group V.

                7th          Sailed from Bone as part of military convoy KMF18 during passage to beach head.

                9th          Detached from KMF18 to refuel in Malta.

                10th        Passage to join Escort Group to provide AA defence in anchorage of beach head and for interception

                                patrol in support of landing operations.

                                (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Bamett and Naval

                                Staff History).

                                (Note : Major ships in Support Force included H M Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND, UGANDA,

                                MAURITIUS, ORION, CARLISLE, COLOMBO and DELHI).

 

August                  On release from HUSKY took passage to resume duties in Nore Command..

 

September             Coastal convoy defence in North Sea in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  North Sea coastal convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

to                            (Note : Not deployed in support of allied landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).

 December             See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO).

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  North Sea deployment in continuation.

to                            (Note : During this period German minelaying and SCHNORKEL submarine activities

April                       greatly increased and additional patrols were made to ensure safe passage of convoys

                                including those to Belgium)

                                (See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith).

 

 

May                        After VJ Day deployed for escort of minesweepers.

                14th        Provided escort with HM Destroyer WOLFHOUND during clearance of minefields prior to

                                re-occupation of Stavanger.

 

June                        North Sea deployment in support of military re-occupation of European countries.

to

August 

 

Special   Note

 

This destroyer, modified in 1939 to provide AA defence for convoys, was another of the many unsung heroines of the continuous struggle against both enemy and weather to ensure safe passage of East coast convoys. Little publicity was given of actions against E-Boats and aircraft nor of dangers faced and met with great courage. It should be remembered that many convoys arrived without loss.

 

Post  War  Notes

 

HMS WOOLSTON was Paid-off and was reduced to Reserve status after VJ Day and was not redeployed.  She was placed on the Disposal List in 1946 and sold to BISCO on 18th February 1947 for demolition by G Brunton at Grangemouth The ship arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard on the Forth later that year.

 

---

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS WOOLSTON

by Don Kindell

 

Date convoy         Joined convoy      Convoy No.             Left convoy           Date convoy

sailed                     as escort                                                                                arrived

 

03/11/39            03/11/39                  FS 0031                    05/11/39              05/11/39

09/11/39            09/11/39                  FS 0034                    11/11/39              11/11/39

15/11/39            15/11/39                  FS 0037                    17/11/39              17/11/39

19/11/39            19/11/39                  FS 0039                    21/11/39              21/11/39

23/12/39            23/12/39                  FS 0058                    24/12/39              24/12/39

26/12/39            26/12/39                  FN 0059                    28/12/39              28/12/39

03/01/40            03/01/40                  FS 0063                    05/01/40              05/01/40

26/01/40            26/01/40                  FS 0082                    28/01/40              28/01/40

05/02/40            05/02/40                  FS 0088                    07/02/40              07/02/40

25/02/40            25/02/40                  FS 0105                    27/02/40              27/02/40

08/03/40            08/03/40                  FS 0116                    10/03/40              10/03/40

11/03/40            11/03/40                  FN 0118                    13/03/40              13/03/40

15/03/40            15/03/40                  FS 0122                    17/03/40              17/03/40

18/03/40            18/03/40                  FN 0123                    20/03/40              20/03/40

18/03/40            18/03/40                  FN 0124                    20/03/40              20/03/40

28/03/40            28/03/40                  FS 0132                    30/03/40              30/03/40

04/04/40            04/04/40                  FS 0138                    06/04/40              06/04/40

07/04/40            07/04/40                  FN 0140                    09/04/40              09/04/40

19/04/40            19/04/40                  FS 0150                    21/04/40              21/04/40

26/04/40            26/04/40                  FS 0156                    28/04/40              28/04/40

09/06/40            09/06/40                  FS 0191                    11/06/40              11/06/40

12/06/40            12/06/40                  FN 0194                    14/06/40              14/06/40

17/06/40            17/06/40                  FS 0197                    19/06/40              19/06/40

20/06/40            20/06/40                  FN 0200                    22/06/40              22/06/40

23/06/40            23/06/40                  FS 0203                    26/06/40              26/06/40

27/06/40            27/06/40                  FN 0206                    29/06/40              29/06/40

05/07/40            05/07/40                  FS 0215                    07/07/40              07/07/40

08/07/40            08/07/40                  FN 0217                    09/07/40              10/07/40

09/07/40            09/07/40                  FN 0218                    11/07/40              11/07/40

12/07/40            12/07/40                  FS 0221                    14/07/40              14/07/40

16/07/40            16/07/40                  FN 0224                    17/07/40              18/07/40

19/07/40            19/07/40                  FS 0226                    21/07/40              21/07/40

22/07/40            22/07/40                  FN 0229                    24/07/40              24/07/40

31/07/40            01/08/40                  FS 0238                    02/08/40              02/08/40

03/08/40            03/08/40                  FN 0241                    05/08/40              05/08/40

07/08/40            07/08/40                  FS 0245                    09/08/40              09/08/40

14/08/40            14/08/40                  FS 0252                    16/08/40              16/08/40

28/08/40            28/08/40                  FN 0265                    30/08/40              30/08/40

01/09/40            01/09/40                  FS 0269                    03/09/40              03/09/40

04/09/40            04/09/40                  FN 0272                    06/09/40              06/09/40

11/09/40            11/09/40                  FS 0278                    14/09/40              14/09/40

14/09/40            14/09/40                  FN 0280                    16/09/40              16/09/40

17/09/40            17/09/40                  FN 0283                    19/09/40              19/09/40

20/09/40            20/09/40                  FS 0286                    21/09/40              21/09/40

22/09/40            22/09/40                  FN 0288                    24/09/40              24/09/40

03/10/40            03/10/40                  FN 0298                    05/10/40              05/10/40

08/10/40            08/10/40                  FS 0304                    11/10/40              11/10/40

11/10/40            11/10/40                  FN 0306                    13/10/40              13/10/40

16/10/40            16/10/40                  FS 0311                    19/10/40              19/10/40

19/10/40            19/10/40                  FN 0314                    20/10/40              20/10/40

27/10/40            27/10/40                  FS 0321                    30/10/40              30/10/40

30/10/40            30/10/40                  FN 0323                    01/11/40              01/11/40

10/11/40            10/11/40                  FN 0331                    12/11/40              12/11/40

14/11/40            14/11/40                  FS 0335                    16/11/40              16/11/40

17/11/40            17/11/40                  FN 0336                    19/11/40              19/11/40

26/11/40            26/11/40                  FS 0346                    28/11/40              28/11/40

30/11/40            30/11/40                  FN 0347                    02/12/40              02/12/40

04/12/40            04/12/40                  FS 0353                    08/12/40              08/12/40

09/12/40            09/12/40                  FN 0355                    11/12/40              11/12/40

13/12/40            13/12/40                  FS 0360                    15/12/40              15/12/40

25/12/40            25/12/40                  FS 0371                    28/12/40              28/12/40

10/01/41            10/01/41                  FS 0385                    13/01/41              13/01/41

26/01/41            26/01/41                  FS 0396                    28/01/41              28/01/41

29/01/41            29/01/41                  FN 0395                    31/01/41              31/01/41

04/02/41            04/02/41                  FN 0399                    06/02/41              06/02/41

10/02/41            05/03/41                  SL 065                      07/03/41              08/03/41

12/03/41            12/03/41                  OB 297                     17/03/41              17/03/41

05/03/41            17/03/41                  HX 113                     20/03/41              21/03/41

27/03/41            27/03/41                  OG 057                     01/04/41              11/04/41

27/04/41            28/04/41                  OB 316                     29/04/41              05/05/41

03/08/41            07/08/41                  OS 002                      10/08/41              22/08/41

24/07/41            10/08/41                  SL 082                      15/08/41              15/08/41

01/10/41            01/10/41                  BB 083                      02/10/41              02/10/41

20/10/41            20/10/41                  BB 091                      22/10/41              22/10/41

01/03/42            unknown                PQ 012                      unknown            12/03/42

28/06/43            28/06/43                  MKF 017                  30/06/43              30/06/43

13/06/43            02/07/43                  UGS 010                   06/07/43              10/07/43

28/06/43            07/07/43                  KMF 018                  10/07/43              11/07/43

22/07/43            22/07/43                  GUS 010X                25/07/43              13/08/43

26/07/43            29/07/43                  MKS 019Y               31/07/43              31/07/43

31/07/43            31/07/43                  MKF 020                  04/08/43              11/08/43

31/07/43            31/07/43                  MKS 020                  04/08/43              10/08/43