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H . M . S . R E A D I N G ( G 7 1 )
Ex USS BAILEY (Type A - BURNHAM Class) built by Bethlehem Steel at Squantum and launched on 5th
February 1919. Build was completed on27th August 1919 and the ship was held in
Reserve in 1939.. Transferred under the Lease/Lend Agreement in 1940 she was
commissioned at Halifax into the RN on 26th November 1940. This ship was the
1st RN warship to carry the name. In common with other ships in transferred in
1940, the name chosen was shared by the Berkshire town and one in Philadelphia,
USA. After a successful "WARSHIP WEEK" National Savings campaign in
March 1942 she was 'adopted’ by the civil community of Chingford, Essex.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r
ATLANTIC 1941 -42
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Blue, a
female head affronte, couped
proper in front
of two swords in saltire, also proper pommels
and hilts Gold.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
November Prepared for
transfer
26th
Commissioned into RN service as HMS READING and prepared for passage.
December Took passage to
Plymouth.
17th On
arrival taken in hand for refit and modification for RN service by HM Dockyard
at
Devonport.
1 9 4 1
January Under refit
to
Nominated for convoy defence in Western Approaches Command
February
March
17th On
completion of post refit trials took passage to Liverpool.
Deployed for North Atlantic convoy escort duty.
April
3rd Returned
to Liverpool and taken in hand for repair of defects.
May
11th On
completion joined 8th Escort Group for Atlantic convoy escort duty.
June Deployed
with Group for defence of Atlantic convoys.
(Note
: Part of escort for four convoys.)
Nominated for transfer to Newfoundland Escort Force with 23rd Escort Group based
at
St Johns.
29th Joined
military convoy WS9B in Clyde with m Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers MAORI,
CASTLETON, ST FRANCIS, VANQUISHER, WINCHELSEA,
WOLVERINE, Polish destroyers
ORP
PIORUN and ORP GARLAND as Local Escort for passage in
NW Approaches.
July
2nd Detached
with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
Took passage to
Newfoundland for escort of Atlantic
convoys to and from Mid-Ocean
Meeting Point
with
new Group.
Took
passage to St. Johns, Newfoundland.
7th Joined
23rd Escort Group on arrival.
Deployed for escort of convoys to Western Meeting Point for transfer to. or
collection from,
ships
of Western Approaches Command.
August Nominated for
duty at Placentia Bay during Atlantic Charter meeting.
5th Passage
with HM Destroyer RIPLEY to join escort of HM Battleship PRINCE OF WALES
during their passage with Prime Minister Winston Churchill for meeting with US
President
Franklin D Roosevelt.
9th Deployed
at Placentia Bay with RN and US Navy warships for guardship duties during
meetings.
13th On
release from guardship duties resumed convoy defence with Group.
September Newfoundland
convoy defence with Groups in western Atlantic.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Western
Atlantic Convoy defence with Group in continuation.
to
March
April Withdrawn
from escort duty in Newfoundland
because of recurrent defects.
Took
passage to Londonderry
May
2nd Arrived
at Londonderry and
On
survey refit arranged in London.
Passage to London for refit in commercial shipyard,
June Under
refit in London shipyard.
to
September
October On
completion of post refit trials took passage to work-up with ships of Home
Fleet.
Worked-up for service.
Nominated for service as an Air Target Ship
(Note
: This suggest performance during work-up was not satisfactory.)
Converted for use as Air Target Ship.
(Note
: Main armament removed and other equipment not essential for new role.
See
Note below for date confirmation.)
November On completion
of conversion took up station in Moray Firth as Air Target Ship for training of
aircrew in torpedo attacks on shipping.
December Deployment in
Moray Firth in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Air Target
Ship in Moray Firth service in continuation and in Western Approaches Command
area.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Air Target
Ship duty in continuation
February Transferred
to Rosyth Command from Western Approaches
(Note
: This date is subject to confirmation and if correct the ship may have been
converted
at a
later date than that shown above..)
March Air Target
Ship duty in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Air Target
Ship duty in continuation
to
June
July
11th Paid off
and placed on Disposal List at Grangemouth.
24th Sold for
breaking up at Inverkeithing by T W Ward Ltd. |
