H , .M . .S . F O L K E S T O
N E L 7 2 )
HASTINGS-Class Sloop ordered under the 1928
Programme from Swan Hunter on 26th February 1929 and laid down on 21st May of
that year. The ship was launched on 12th February 1930 as the 6th RN ship to
carry the name which was introduced in 1704 for a 5th Rate and last used for a
ship hired as a minesweeper during WW1. She was completed on 25th June 1931 and
deployed in the Persian Gulf until August 1931 when she went to the China
Station. After almost 8 years serving in the Far East she was selected for use
as an unarmed Survey Ship in New Zealand but the conversion in HM Dockyard at
Hong Kong had not been completed in September 1939. Following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign during March 1942 she was
adopted by the civil community of Folkestone, Kent..
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1940-44
H e
r a l d i c D
a t a
Badge : On a Field Blue, an
antique ship Gold on wavelets Silver and Green.
M o t t o
In portu quies:
'Rest in harbour'
.D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September At Hong Kong
being converted for use as an unarmed Survey Ship..
3rd Ship’s
company transferred to man local minesweeper.
Taken in hand by HM
Dockyard Hong Kong for
conversion for anti-submarine escort use.
October Under
conversion.
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Nominated
for convoy defence duty in Home waters.
On
completion of post conversion trials took passage to UK,
February On passage.
14th Arrived
at Portsmouth and prepared for convoy defence duties.
March Passage to
Liverpool top join Western Approaches Command.
Deployed in Western Approaches for convoy escort.
April Irish Sea
and W. Approaches convoy defence duties in continuation
to Pennant
Number for visual signalling use changed to U22.
May
June
4th Damaged
in collision with mercantile ss RIVER HUMBER which sank.
8th Under
repair at Cardiff.
July Resumed convoy defence
duties after completion of repair.
August Convoy escort
duty in W. Approaches.
to
November
December Part of escort
for Convoy HX90 in NW Approaches.
Under
refit at Liverpool.
1 9 4 1
January On
completion rejoined Western Approaches Command for convoy escort duty.
February Convoy
defence duty in continuation.
to
March
April Under
refit in Liverpool.
(Note: Modified RAF ASV Mk II radar (RN Type 286M) fitted for detection of
surface ships
and
aircraft. For
details of development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT
SEA by
D
Howse).
May On
completion resumed convoy escort in Western Approaches.
June Convoy
escort duty in continuation.
July During
escort of convoy in fog reported U-Boat radar contact at 2.25 miles using
the very
basic
Type 286M equipment.
August Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation.
to
September
October Part of 42nd
Escort Group with HM Sloops WESTON, LONDONDERRY, WELLINGTON,
HM
Cutters SENNEN and TOTLAND and deployed on defence of Freetown route convoys
November Sustained
damage in collision.
December Under repair.
1 9 4 2
January Rejoined
42nd Escort Group and resumed Freetown route.
February Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation.
to
March
April Under
refit at Cardiff.
to (Note :
HEDGEHOG A/S mortar and British design centimetric surface warning radar
June (Type
271) fitted.
For more details of
development of anti-submarine weapons and tactics see SEEK
AND
STRIKE by W Hackmann).
July Resumed
Atlantic convoy defence duties.
August
Deployment for convoy defence on
Freetown route in continuation.
to (For
details of development of convoy defence tactics and U-Boat deployments in
September the Atlantic
during 1942 see THE BATTLE CF THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre and U-BOAT
WAR
IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO).)
October Under refit
at Londonderry.
to (Note :
Radar Type 291 for air warning fitted.)
November On completion
resumed Atlantic convoy escort duties.
to
November
December Resumed
Atlantic convoy defence with 44th Escort Group.
1 9 4 3
January Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
February Part of
escort for tanker convoy (UC1) from Caribbean with HM Frigate NESS and HM
Cutter TOTLAND.
See
above references and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
23rd Under attack by U-Boats of
ROBBE group which have several successes.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
March Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
April Under
repair in commercial shipyard at Grimsby.
to
May
June On
completion transferred to West African Command for convoy defence based at
Freetown.
July Deployed
on convoy escort of Atlantic and coastal convoys.
to
August
September Passage to UK
for refit.
October Under refit
at Liverpool.
November
13th Boiler
explosion during refit but no consequential delay.
December
On completion of post
refit trials took passage to resume
Freetown duties
21st During
passage assisted in rescue of troops from ss STRATHALLAN which had been
torpedoed by U654 off the Algerian coast and was on fire.
1 9 4 4
January On arrival
at Freetown deployed for Atlantic coastal convoy escort.
to
February
March Transferred
to 56th Escort Group at Freetown
in continuation.
April West
Africa Command escort duties in continuation.
to
Nominated for return to UK.
August (Note :
Reduced operational availability of this ship due to defects may have made
this
necessary and U-Boat activities in
Atlantic were reducing
See
above references and HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith.)
September Passage to
UK and
withdrawn from operational service for survey
October Found beyond
economic maintenance and repair
Paid-off and de-stored
November Reduced to
Reserve status and Laid –up at Milford Haven.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Laid-up at
Milford Haven.
to
August
P o s
t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
FOLKESTONE was placed on the Disposal List after VJ Day but before being taken
to the breakers yard was used for bombing trials. In May 1947 the ship was sold
to BISCO for demolition by Howells at Milford Haven, She arrived in tow at the
Breaker’s yard later that year.
