H. M. S. T A M A R I S K ( K 2 1 6 )
Ordered from Fleming and Ferguson at Paisley under 1940 Programme
on 24
October 1940 as RIVER Class Frigate to be
named ETTRICK. Order later changed to FLOWER Class Corvette and laid down
on 10th February 1941. The ship was launched
on 26th August 1941 and build completed on
28.12.41. Radar Type 271 was fitted during build. Following a National Savings
WARSHIP WEEK campaign in March 1942 this corvette was ‘adopted. by
the civil community of Pontypridd, Glamorgan.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942-43
Note Records of Battle Honours awarded to RN
ships after transfer to allied navies
including commonwealth countries are
not included in the official list
compiled after WW2.
H e r a l d i c D at a
Note: Many corvettes and Frigates built
during WW2 had “unofficial”
Badges
which were never formally
recognised unless they had previously introduced
under approved Seal for a ship
using the same name.
D e t
a i l s of W a r S e r v i c e u n d e r
R N C
o m m a n d
1 9 4
1
December Contractors trials and commissioned
for service
Nominated for convoy defence in South Atlantic with HM Corvette GENISTA to
be stationed
at
Freetown.
28th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials in Clyde area.
29th On completion took passage to Tobermory to work-up for operational service
30th Commenced work-up at Tobermory.
1 9 4
2
January
15th Took passage to Clyde on completion of work-up
16th. Prepared for foreign
service in Clyde.
30th Joined escort for OSC18 in Clyde with HMS GENISTA and later
detached for repair of radar at
Londonderry.
(Note: SCC18 formed in Clyde to join SC18 assembling at Oversay.)
February
1st Rejoined escort for merged Convoy OS18
comprising HMS GENISTA and ships of 43rd
Escort Group HM Sloops ROCHESTER, SCARBOROUGH and LEITH.
(Note: HM Destroyer BRADFORD joined later.)
Under air attack by FW Kondor aircraft which
was shot down
(Note: This destruction is claimed by the ship.)
6th Detached from escort to join HMS
ROCHESTER for in depth charge attacks on U82 which was
sunk
in position 44.10 23.52W. There were no
survivors.
(Note: 45 depth
charges were expended by ship and 78 by HMS ROCHESTER.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
Remained in area to
ensure submarine did not resurface.
7th Rejoined SC18 escort and refuelled
from tanker ss BRITISH HUSSAR.
Remained with convoy escort
during passage to Bathurst where ships of EG43 detached
Part of Local Escort for SC18 to Freetown with HMS GENTIAN and ships
of Freetown Escort
Force.
20th Arrived at Freetown with SC18
and joined Local Escort Force.
28th Joined inward Convoy SC19 and escorted
ships destined for Takoradi for onward passage.
March
7th Detached from SC19 ships on arrival
at Takoradi.
Took return passage
to Freetown as escort for HMS ROYAL ULSTERMAN.
12th At Freetown.
14th.
Sailed from Freetown with HM Destroyer WIVERN as Local Escort for
outward Convoy SL103
during
initial stage of passage to Liverpool.
15th Deployed with Local Escort for inward
military convoy WS23 from Clyde during passage into
Freetown.
Detached before arrival and deployed for escort of two mercantiles to Takoradi
On
return from Takoradi deployed for escort of inward
convoy from South Africa.
20th After detaching from SL103 joined inward Convoy OS21 for passage to Freetown.
24th Detached from SC21 on arrival at Freetown.
29th Joined Convoy CF 7 escorted by HM
Cruiser SHROPSHIRE.
April Withdrawn from operational
service for boiler cleaning.
28th Resumed service with Escort Force and
deployed for escort of coastal convoys
May Escorted Convoy ST21 to Takoradi and Convoy LS6 Freetown from Lagos. with
Free
French Flower Class Corvette COMMANDANTE DROGU (Ex HMS
CHRYSANTHEMUM)
11th Deployed for Local Escort to Bathurst
15th Arrived at Freetown as Local Escort from Bathurst.
18th Sailed from Freetown with HM Corvettes AMARANTHUS
and HYDRANGEA to carry out Local
Escort for Convoy ST 23 during passage from Takoradi
21st Detached to join inward Convoy OS27
as Local Escort for passage into with same ships.
24th Arrived at Freetown with OS27
and detached.
28th Deployed as escort for Convoy LS6
from Lagos
June
1st Arrived at Freetown with LS6
and detached.
10th. Deployed with HM Corvette HYDRANGEA
for Local Escort of inward Convoy OS29 into
Freetown.
11th Detached from OS29 on arrival.
Deployed as escort for coastal convoy ST23 to Takoradi
with HMS HYDRANGEA and two
Motor Launches.
21st Returned to Freetown.
July
4th Deployed for Local Escort of inward
Convoy OS32 during passage into Freetown.
8th Arrived at Freetown with OS32 and
detached.
25th Sailed from Freetown with Local Escort for outward Convoy SL
117 during initial stage of
passage
to Liverpool.
28th After detaching from SL11t joined inward
Convoy OS34 for Local Escort into Freetown.
30th Detached from OS34 and provided
escort for Cable Ship JOHN MACKAY during special
operation.
August Passage
to Lagos to provide escort for ss
THYSVILLE during passage from Lagos to Takoradi
On completion returned to Freetown.
September Deployed
at Freetown including period for boiler cleaning.
October Passage
to Takoradi
6th Deployed as escort for HM Monitor
ROBERTS and coastal Convoy TS21 during passage to
Freetown
13th Arrived at Freetown with HMS
ROBERTS and TS21 and detached.
(Note: HMS ROBERTS had been nominated for service in support of planned
allied landings
in North Africa (Operation TORCH) and had been deployed in th
Mediterranean
It may
therefore be presumed that the ship was on passage via Cape of Good Hope
to Gibraltar.)
November
2nd
Detached from CF7 on arrival at
Freetown.
Deployed for Convoy Local Escort
(Note: These comprised only one or two ships and included
CF8 during outward passage to Cape of
Good Hope. with HMS HYDRANGEA,
TS26 to Freetown from Takoradi with HM
Whaler SOUTHERN GEM and
Free French Corvette COMMANDANTE DETROYAT (Ex HMS IRIS.)
FT4 to Freetown with HM
Sloop Milford.
December Local
Escort duties at Freetown in continuation
20th Carried out unsuccessful attack on
submarine with HM Sloop MILFORD in defence of
coastal Convoy to Freetown from Takoradi.
Detached from
Freetown Escort Force for escort of Tanker convoy to Trinidad with HMS
MILFORD and HM
Trawler YESTOR.
Took passage from Freetown.
27th Arrived at Trinidad.
Retained
in West Indies for escort of floating Dock
across South Atlantic with MILFORD.
and
HM Trawler YESTOR.
1 9 4
3
January Took passage from Trinidad to New Orleans.
16th Arrived at New Orleans
Took passage to Morgan City, Louisiana
. (Note: Morgan City is about 100 miles WSW of New Orleans and some distance from the
Gulf of
Mexico.)
February At Morgan City
21st Sailed as escort for Admiralty
Floating Dock 24 during passage to Freetown.
March
8th Arrived at Trinidad.
25th Sailed from Trinidad for Freetown with AFD24
April
28th. Arrived at Freetown with AFD 24.
May At Freetown for boiler
cleaning and maintenance.
10th Resumed duties with Freetown Escort
Force
(Note: Convoys escorted included
ST65
to Takoradi from Freetown
TS41 to Freetown from Takoradi
ST68
to Takoradi from Freetown
TS44 to Freetown from Takoradi.
June Nominated for return to UK for refit
28th Joined escort for ocean convoy SL132
to return to UK for refit
July
21st Detached from SL132 on arrival at Liverpool.
August Paid-off and future service to
be considered.
Taken
in hand for refit in commercial shipyard.
September Under refit
to (Note: Changes made
included fit of antisubmarine mortar
equipment (HEDGEHOG-)
October For details of
development of this weapon and later improved outfits see SEEK
AND
STRIKE by W Hackmann. Additional 20mm Oerlikon mountings were
also installed to improve defence against close range air
attacks.)
Ship
was therefore up-dated to Modified FLOWER Class standard.
November Refit in continuation
20th Transfer to Royal Hellenic Navy
approved and to be renamed HHM Ship TOMPAZIS.
December Under refit
Greek naval crew
began to arrive.
Allocated for
service in Western Approaches Command for Atlantic
convoy defence,
1 9 4 4
January
Contractors trials and commissioned for Greek naval service as HHMS
TOPAZIS.
3rd Shipyard work completed
Carried out post refit trials in Irish Sea,
5th Arrived at Tobermory
to commence work-up for operational service.
22nd Withdrawn from work-up for repair of
defects
February Under repair at Liverpool in
commercial shipyard.
14th On completion of repair resumed
work-up.
March
Deployed in NW Approaches for convoy escort.
to (Note: Part of escort
for inward Convoy HX282 which arrived at Liverpool on 29th March
May Part of escort for outward
Convoy ON225 which sailed from Liverpool on 4th
May.
Nominated for detached service in Force G as part of Escort Group 126
for support of
planned
landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE.
Took part in preliminary exercises with ships of Force G in Channel.
(For
details of naval activities prior to and during execution of NEPTUNE see LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards and D DAY
SHIPS by J de Winser.)
Nominated for escort of Convoy G13
June Deployed with Force G in
Escort Group 126 and based at Portsmouth.
(Note: Other ships
in Group were HM Trawler VICTRIX and HM Corvette BURDOCK)
4th Operation delayed by 24 hours.
6th Sailed from Solent with Group as escort for G13 during
passage through Swept Channel
to GOLD beach head.
(Note: G13 comprised 27 LCT Mk. 3, LCT Mk 3, one Landing Ship (Tank), HM
Fighter
Direction Tender 113, eight Landing Craft (Personnel) and two Motor
Launches.
Detached from G13 on arrival and returned to Solent.
Escorted
Build-up convoys with two Motor Launches.
July On
release from Channel duties resumed service in Western Approaches with Escort
to Group B5 for Atlantic
convoy defence.
August
Nominated for foreign service in Mediterranean in 38th Escort Group based
at Gibraltar
for convoy escort in western Mediterranean and Atlantic.
September Released from Western Approaches
Command and prepared for foreign service.
20th Deployed as part of escort for
joint Convoy OS90 (For Freetown) and Convoy KMS64
(for Mediterranean
ports)
October
1st Detached from joint convoy when Freetown section split and took passage to Gibraltar as
escort
for KMS 64 ships during passage to Gibraltar.
2nd Arrived at Gibraltar with KMS 64 and
detached from escort.
Nominated for
service with 48th Escort Group based Pireaus.
14th Passage to Taranto refit prior to active deployment
16th Arrived at Taranto.
November Under
refit at Taranto
to
December
1 9 4 5
January
14th On completion took passage to Pireaus.
26th Deployed for convoy defence in
eastern Mediterranean with Group based at Piraeus.
Escorted convoy to Alexandria.
(Note: Ships was under RN operational control)
February
Returned to Piraeus as part of escort during
passage from Alexandria.
March Deployed
at Piraeus for support of military operations and
local patrol.
to May
June Piraeus
deployment in continuation.
July
Transferred to Royal Hellenic Navy control.
August
Deployed in Greek coastal waters.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HHMS TOPAZIS served with the Hellenic Navy until March 1962 when
she was removed from the active List and
returned to RN at Pireaus.
The ship was not re-commissioned for service and placed on the Disposal List
for local
action. Sold to Marine Craft Constructors for
demolition on 20th March 1963 she was taken in tow during
September that year for passage to the ship breakers’ at Perama
