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H . M . S . C H E S T E R F I E L D ( I 2 8 )
Ex USS WELBOURN C WOOD (Type
A - BURNHAM Class) built by Newport
News SB Co and launched on 6th March 1920. Transferred under Lease
Land Agreement and commissioned at Halifax into the RN on 9 September 1940 as HMS WELBOURNE.. Renamed HMS
CHESTERFIELD on 3rd October she was the fourth RN
warship to carry this name, first used in 1713. In common with other TOWN Class
ships the name is shared by the town in Derbyshire and three in the USA .
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
MINORCA 1756 - HAVANA 1762 - ATLANTIC 1941-3
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Green. three ears of wheat enfiled by a mural
crown
Gold.
The crown charged with
a hurt
thereon a mullet White.
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
September
8th
Commissioned into RN service as HMS WELBOURNE C WOOD
10th In
collision with HM Destroyer CHURCHILL at Halifax.
Arrived at St Johns, Newfoundland with defects and returned to Halifax for
repair.
October Under repair
at Halifax.
2nd Renamed
HMS CHESTERFIELD.
Passage to St Johns.
22nd On arrival
at St. John's held in quarantine at St. John's due to a case of
diptheria.
November When released took passage to UK.
Arrived at Davenport and transferred to HM Dockyard Chatham for refit and
modification for RN
escort duty.
26th Taken in
hand at Chatham.
December Under refit.
1 9 4 1
January Nominated
for service with 11th Escort Group.
25th On
completion of dockyard work took passage to Devonport for post refit trials.
26th Carried
out trials.
February Worked-up for
service and took passage to join Group.
27th In
collision with HM Submarine H32 but remained operational.
March Deployed in
NW Approaches with Group.
April
Transferred to Iceland with
Group and then joined 3rd Escort Group.
Deployed on mid Atlantic convoy escort and for
Denmark Strait patrol duties.
Sustained structural damage due to weather conditions and had to return to UK
for repair.
May Under
repair in Clyde commercial shipyard.
June On
completion of repair transferred to 18th Escort Group in Newfoundland Escort
Force, based at
St
John's, Newfoundland.
July
Re-deployed with 23rd Escort Group at
St. John's.
August Escorted
convoy HX142 September Escorted convoy SC13.
6th
Sustained alight damage in collision with HM Destroyer BURNHAM.
Escorted HX150 with mixed group.
October
8th Taken in hand for refit at Portsmouth.
November Under refit
to Nominated for duty with 26th Escort Group.
December
1 9 4 2
January
17th On
completion worked-up for service at Tobermory.
February Deployed with
Group for Atlantic convoy defence.
March Atlantic
escort duty in continuation.
29th Taken in
hand for repair in Clyde commercial shipyard.
April Under
repair.
to
May
June
23rd Resumed
convoy defence duty on completion
July Joined
7th British Escort Group in continuation.
August Deployed for
Atlantic convoy defence in NW Approaches.
28th Joined
military convoy WS22 in Clyde as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches
with
Polish destroyer BLYSKAWICA, HM Destroyers BICESTER, BULLDOG, KEPPEL, ZETLAND
and
BEVERLEY.
September
1st
Remained with HMS BEVERLEY and Ocean Escort of WS22 when other RN destroyers of
Local
Escort detached.
2nd Detached
from WS22 and took passage to return to Clyde.
(Note : HM
Cruiser AURORA, HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CARTHAGE, HM Destroyers
PARTRIDGE and
QUIBERON were deployed as Ocean Escort)
October
Taken in hand for refit in
Hull shipyard.
November Under refit
to (Note :
Improved Sonar outfit (ASDIC) fitted.
December For details of A/S equipment see SEEK and STRIKE by P
Hackmann..
Surface Warning Radar Type 271 fitted and other
Stage 2 modifications carried out
(See RADAR AT SEA by D Howe for details of development and use of radar by RN.)
1 9 4 3
January On
completion of post refit trials rejoined Group for Atlantic convoy defence.
Joined escort for inward Convoy HX222 with HMS VANSITTART, HMCS ST CROIX and
five
RCN
corvettes.
17th Under
attack by U268. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.
Sustained damaged from explosion of 'shallow
set’' depth charges.
22nd Detached
from HX222 on arrival at Liverpool and took passage to Humber for repair.
February
to Under
repair in Hull commercial shipyard.
November Future
deployment under consideration.
Withdrawn from Atlantic convoy defence.
Nominated for deployment as an Air Target Ship for aircrew training in attacks
on shipping
Converted for new role and armament removed.
December Deployed as Air Target Ship
at station in North Sea.
1 9 4 4
January Air Target
Ship duty in continuation.
to
Withdrawn from service for repair.
February Passage to
Dundee.
March Under repair
in commercial shipyard.
to
October
November Repair work
suspended as considered no longer economic in view of the number of new Escorts
becoming available for service.
December Future use
under consideration.
1 9 4 5
January Ship to be
paid off and reduced to Reserve status.
15th Arrived
at Rosyth to Pay-off and de-store
February Reduced to
Reserve status and Laid-up at Rosyth.
March Laid-up at
Rosyth
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS CHESTERFIELD remained at Rosyth after VJ Day and in was placed
on the Disposal List after the end of hostilities. The ship was sold to BISCO
on 4th March 1947 for demolition by Clayton
and Davey at Dunston on Tyne. She arrived at the
breaker’s yard in tow on 3rd December 1948.
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