H . M . S
. G A R L A N D ( H 3 7 )
GREYHOUND-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered from Fairfield's, Govan under the 1933 Programme in March 1934. The ship was laid down on 22nd
August that year and launched on 24th October 1933 as the 16th RN warship to
carry the name which dates from 1242 and was last used for a 1913 destroyer
sold in 1921. Build was completed on 3rd March 1936 at a cost of £250,664
(excluding equipment supplied by Admiralty such as guns, ammunition and radio
communication equipment. She served within the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in
Mediterranean Fleet before the outbreak of war. This ship was transferred to
Poland in 1940 but retained her RN name. In view of this transfer she was not
adopted by a civil community in UK following any WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign during 1941-42.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
DOVER
1652 - KENTISH
KNOCK 1652 - LOWESTOFT 1665 - BUGIA
1671 - VELEZ
MALAGA 1704 - CAPE PASSARO 17187 - JUTLAND 1916 - ATLANTIC 1940-43 - ARCTIC 1942
- MEDITERRANEAN 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field White, a laurel
wreath Green with Gold berries.
M o t t
o
Dui meruit ferat :
‘Let him bear it who has deserved it '.
D e t a i l s o f W
a r S e r v i
c e
1 9 3 9
September On return
passage from Aden to Suez after service in
Red Sea.
6th Deployed
for contraband control and escort in eastern Mediterranean.
17th Sustained
structural and machinery damage by premature explosion of depth charges.
Towed
to Alexandria for temporary repair.
October Under survey
to assess extent of damage.
Repaired to allow passage to Malta under
tow.
10th Arrived
in Malta for repair by HM Dockyard.
November Under repair.
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Repair in
continuation.
to
Possible loan service to Polish Navy under consideration.
March
April Carried
out Post refit trials.
Transfer to Poland as ORP
GARLAND approved.
May
3rd
Transferred to Polish Navy.
(Note
: This was carried out on the Anniversary of Poland's Constitution).
___________________
S e r v i c e u n d e r P o l i s
h C o m m a n d as O R P G A R L A N D
May
8th Deployed
on convoy escort duty in Eastern Mediterranean.
(Note
: Unattached to a Mediterranean Fleet Flotilla.)
June Convoy
defence deployment in continuation.
to
July
August
Nominated for return to
UK for service in Western Approaches.
30th Deployed
with H M Destroyers DECOY, ILEX, IMPERIAL, JANUS, NUBIAN, VAMPIRE
(RAN)
and VENDETTA (RAN) as screen for BM Aircraft Carrier
EAGLE, HM Battleships
MALAYA and
WARSPITE, HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, KENT, LIVERPOOL, ORION
and
SYDNEY (RAN) to
provide Distant Cover for passage of Convoy MS to from
Alexandria to Malta.
(Operation MB3 -Part of Operation HATS to pass reinforcements to Mediterranean
Fleet
based
at Alexandria See THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre for
details of warships which included HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS and HM
Battleship
VALIANT.)
31st
Sustained damage during Italian air attacks.
September Passage from
Malta to
Gibraltar
14th Took
passage to UK from Gibraltar to join 10th Escort Group for Atlantic convoy
defence.
October Deployed
with Group for Atlantic convoy escort.
November Detached for
duty with 13th destroyer Flotilla.
13th During
escort of HM Battleship REVENGE in Atlantic sustained major structural
damage in
storm
and lost two men overboard.
Returned to Clyde.
17th Taken in
hand for repair of storm damage at Govan shipyard
December Under repair by
Harland and Wolff.
26th On
completion of post repair trials nominated for fit of ASDIC equipment.
1 9 4 1
January
4th Taken in hand for refit
by Barclay Curie shipyard in
Clyde.
February
14th On
completion of post refit trials rejoined Group for Atlantic convoy defence.
March Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
April Nominated
for transfer to 14th Escort Group at
Greenock.
14th Joined
Group In continuation of convoy defence duty.
May Deployed
for Atlantic convoy defence.
to
June
July Detached
for escort duty with Home Fleet.
August Deployed for
escort and screening duties with Home Fleet in NW Approaches.
Escorted tanker for support of Spitzbergen landing operations.
September On release from
Home Fleet joined 3rd Escort Group for Atlantic convoy
defence.
17th Detached
for escort of Malta convoy WS11X (Operation HALBERD).
Joined HM Destroyers LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, ORIBI, HEYTHROP, Dutch ISAAC
SWEERS and
Polish ORP PIORUN as screen for H M Battleships PRINCE OF
WALES
and
RODNEY, HM
Cruisers EDINBURGH,
EURYALUS, KENYA and
SHEFFIELD for
escort of WS11X from Clyde
to
Gibraltar.
24th Joined
Force A with HM Destroyers DUNCAN, GURKHA, LEGION, LANCE, LIVELY,
FURY,
ISAAC SWEERS and
ORP PIORUN as screen for HM Battleships NELSON,
PRINCE OF WALES
and HM Aircraft Carrier
ARK ROYAL to provide cover in western
Mediterranean for
passage of WS11X to
Sicilian Narrows.
27th Under air
attacks during which HMS NELSON vas torpedoed but remained with Force
until
relief convoy ships were detached to complete passage with escort.
28th Escorted
damaged HMS RODNEY back to Gibraltar.
30th Arrived
at Gibraltar
October Returned to
UK with Horns Fleet ships detached for HALBERD and rejoined Group.
November Atlantic convoy
defence with Group in continuation.
to (Note :
During this period the Group escorted Convoys ON45, HX164 and ONS53.
December
1 9 4 2
January Deployed
with Group for Atlantic convoy defence.
February Nominated for
refit.
28th Taken in
hand for refit by Smiths Dock Middlesbrough.
March Under refit.
to April
May Post refit
trials and prepared for work-up.
Nominated for detached service with Home Fleet.
6th Worked
up fbr operational service.
22nd Joined
Home Fleet on completion for work-up.
23rd Deployed
with HM Destroyers ACHATES, ASHANTI, MARTIN and VOLUNTEER, HM
Corvettes
HONEYSUCKLE, HYDERABAD,
STARWORT and French ROSELYS as Ocean
Escort for Convoy PQ16
to
North Russia.
HM AA
Ship ALYNBANK provided defence against air attack and ships
of Home Fleet
gave
cover with a cruiser force and battleships including the
US
battleship USS
WASHINGTON.
27th Under air
attack by Ju88 dive bombers and sustained serious damage from near miss which
exploded on starboard bow forward.
25 of
ship's company ware killed and one
missing with 43 wounded.
Forward armament and fire control director wrecked.
Ship
detached to proceed independently to Murmansk.
(Note
: This was the largest Russian convoy since start of the Arctic convoys to
Murmansk
and
Archangel. For details of this and all other Russian convoys see CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman,, CONVOY 1 by
P
Kemp and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield.)
29th Taken In
hand for repair on arrival at Murmansk.
June Under
repair.
26th On
completion joined Ocean Escort for returning Convoy QP13 with HMS ACHATES and
HMS VOLUNTEER.
(Note
: Others ships in escort included the four corvettes and HMS ALYNBANK)
July
7th Detached
from QP13 and took passage to Troon for repair in commercial shipyard.
August Under repair.
September Post refit
trials and prepared for. work-up prior to resuming Atlantic duties..
21st
Worked-up.
October Rejoined 3rd
British Escort Group on completion of work-up.
to (Note :
During this period convoys escorted by the Group included ONS136, SC106, HX215
December
and ON157).
For details of weapons and tactics used in the
Battle of the Atlantic see SEEK
AND
STRIKE by W Hackmann and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO).)
1 9 4 3
January Atlantic
convoy defence with Group in continuation.
16th Part of
escort for Convoy SC117 with HM Frigate SWALE, HM Corvettes NARCISSUS.
ORCHIS, French corvettes ROSELYS, LOBELIA and ACONIT.
22nd Under
attack by U413 which sank mercantile.
February
1st Under
repair at Greenock.
26th On
completion rejoined Group
March
6th Joined
inward Convoy HX228 with HM Destroyers HARVESTER and ESCAPADE, Polish
destroyer BURZA, HM Corvette NARCISSUS, Free French corvettes ACONIT,
RENONCULE and
ROSELYS of Group.
10th Under
attack by U-Boats of NEULAND Group.
11th Submarine
attacks in continuation during which HMS HARVESTER sank U444 by
ramming and later was torpedoed and sunk by U432 whilst carrying out rescue of
survivors from a
mercantile sunk during the onslaught. (For
details of this battle see THE
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D. MacIntyre
THE
ECHO OF A FIGHTING FLOWER
by
Peter Coy and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
April Atlantic convoy defence
with Group in continuation.
May Taken in
hand for refit at Clyde shipyard.
June Under
refit.
to (Note :
HEDGEHOG anti-submarine mortar fitted . See SEEK AND STRIKE.
August Nominated for
service with 8th Escort Group on completion.
September Carried out
Post refit trials.
8th On completion worked-up
for operational service.
Joined Group on completion.
October Deployed
with HM Escort Aircraft Carrier FENCER, HM Destroyers VISCOUNT,
WHITEHALL, WRESTLER and Polish BURZA of Group for escort of Escort Carriers
supporting the passage of military convoy to the
Azores.
(Operation ALACRITY - To establish allied base for defence of Atlantic convoys.)
28th Deployed
in support role with Group for defence of Convoy SC145.
November
5th Taken in
hand for repair in Clyde shipyard.
December Nominated for
convoy defence based at Freetown.
2nd On
completion took passage to West Africa for escort of convoys to Gibraltar.
1 9 4 4
January Deployment
at Freetown in continuation.
to
Nominated for service in Eastern Mediterranean.
March
April Passage
to Alexandria to Join 14th Destroyer Flotilla.
May Joined
Flotilla for convoy defence and anti-submarine patrol duties.
June Eastern
Mediterranean duties with Flotilla in continuation.
to (Note :
During this period destroyers based at Alexandria were deployed in support of
the
August re-occupation
of islands in the Aegean which were being evacuated by German
troops.
September
18th During
patrol south of Milos sighted U-Boat SCHNORKEL and attacked with
HEDGEHOG.
Lost contact and
carried out anti-submarine search operations with HM Destroyers
TROUBRIDGE, TERPSICHORE, BRECON
and ZETLAND.
19th U407
forced to surface after depth charge attacks lasting several hours.
Crew
abandoned submarine after setting scuttling charges.
47
survivors were rescued.
21st At
Alexandria for repair of damage caused by depth charge explosions.
October Rejoined
Flotilla in support of the reoccupation of
Aegean Islands.
Provided naval gunfire support at Kassandra and in Cyclades.
November Nominated for
return to UK.
20th Took
passage to Plymouth for refit.
December Taken in hand
for refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
1 9 4 5
January Under refit.
to
February
March Harbour
trials
Nominated for service with 8th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth on completion.
31st Refit
work completed.
April Carried
out Post refit trials and worked-up for operational service.
15th Escorted HM Battlecruiser RENOWN to Rosyth with HM
Destroyer SCOURGE.
May After VE
Day embarked relied stores for delivery to ports in Holland and Belgium.
June Joined
23rd Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.
to
Deployed for Flotilla duties including support of military re-occupation in
German ports.
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
ORP GARLAND transferred to the 17th Destroyer Flotilla after VJ
Day. She was deployed as escort for U-Boats being scuttled in NW Approaches (Operation DEADLIGHT) and later
joined the Polish Squadron based at Rosyth. In July
1946 the loan to Poland was terminated and the ship returned to the RN. Placed
on the Disposal List she was first
de-equipped and sold on 14th November 1947 to the Dutch Navy for use as a
training tender. In 1950 she was conversion for use as an A/S Frigate and renamed
MARNIX in 1950 Until 1961 she was deployed mainly for training and the removed from the active list and
demolished after 28 years service.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS GARLAND
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed as
escort
arrived
07/09/39 13/09/39 GREEN 1 16/09/39 18/09/39
05/09/39 13/09/39 RED 1 16/09/39 27/09/39
28/06/40 28/06/40 AS 001/1 02/07/40 02/07/40
03/09/40 19/09/40 SL 046 23/09/40 23/09/40
24/10/40 05/11/40 SC 009 09/11/40 09/11/40
04/12/40 04/12/40 OB 254 07/12/40 08/12/40
14/02/41 20/02/41 SLG 001A 22/02/41 22/02/41
10/03/41 26/03/41 SC 025 29/03/41 29/03/41
10/04/41 16/04/41 TC 010 19/04/41 19/04/41
24/06/41 04/07/41 HG 066 09/07/41 09/07/41
24/09/41 25/09/41 HALBERD 27/09/41 27/09/41
17/10/41 17/10/41 CT 004 23/10/41 23/10/41
04/11/41 04/11/41 TC 014A 12/11/41 12/11/41
22/11/41 22/11/41 CT 007 02/12/41 02/12/41
11/02/42 11/02/42 NA 003 19/02/42 19/02/42
25/02/42 25/02/42 CT 011 01/03/42 09/03/42
03/05/42 12/05/42 HX 188 13/05/42 16/05/42
21/05/42 23/05/42 PQ 016 27/05/42 30/05/42
26/06/42 26/06/42 QP 013 07/07/42 07/07/42
03/10/42 09/10/42 ON 136 16/10/42 26/10/42
16/10/42 23/10/42 SC 106 03/11/42 05/11/42
15/11/42 18/11/42 ON 146 29/11/42 08/12/42
05/12/42 11/12/42 HX 218 19/12/42 21/12/42
27/12/42 29/12/42 ON 157 08/01/43 15/01/43
12/01/43 20/01/43 SC 117 30/01/43 03/02/43
14/02/43 16/02/43 ON 167 28/02/43 08/03/43
28/02/43 06/03/43 HX 228 14/03/43 15/03/43
20/03/43 22/03/43 ON 174 02/04/43 08/04/43
01/04/43 08/04/43 HX 232 15/04/43 16/04/43
30/04/43 01/05/43 ON 181 12/05/43 18/05/43
13/05/43 19/05/43 HX 239 27/05/43 28/05/43
03/10/43 03/10/43 UA 003 09/10/43 09/10/43
24/10/43 29/10/43 SC 145 02/11/43 07/11/43
16/12/43 17/12/43 KMF 027 24/12/43 30/12/43
26/12/43 26/12/43 RS 013 02/01/44 02/01/44
03/02/44 03/02/44 ST 079 05/02/44 06/02/44
19/02/44 19/02/44 SR 010 27/02/44 27/02/44
01/03/44 01/03/44 RS 015 08/03/44 14/03/44
19/03/44 19/03/44 TS 058 22/03/44 22/03/44
26/03/44 26/03/44 SR 012 03/04/44 03/04/44
29/03/44 06/04/44 KMF 030 09/04/44 12/04/44
03/09/44 06/09/44 MKF 034 unknown 14/09/44
16/11/44 25/11/44 MKF 036 30/11/44 30/11/44
15/05/45 21/05/45 MKS 101G 22/05/45 22/05/45
31/05/45 01/06/45 TA 208A 01/06/45 06/06/45
Note on Convoys)