HMS Veryan Bay (K651)
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HMS ''Veryan Bay'' was a
anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
of the British Royal Navy, named after Veryan Bay on the south coast of Cornwall. In commission from 1945 until 1957, she saw service in the Pacific, Mediterranean, and
Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...
s, in the West Indies and in the South Atlantic.


Construction

The ship was ordered from
Charles Hill & Sons Charles Hill & Sons was a major shipbuilder based in Bristol, England, during the 19th and 20th centuries. Background Established in 1845 from the company Hilhouse, they specialised mainly in merchant and commercial ships, but also undertook the ...
of Bristol on 6 March 1943 as Admiralty Job No. J600, and laid down on 8 June 1944 as the ''Loch Swannay''. However the contract was then changed, and the ship was completed to a revised design as a Bay-class anti-aircraft frigate. ''Veryan Bay'' was launched on 11 November 1944, and completed on 13 May 1945.


Service history


Pacific Fleet

''Veryan Bay'' was commissioned for service on 15 May 1945 under the command of Lieutenant-Commander J.S. Brownrigg. After completing her sea trials, training, and weapons tests she sailed to join to the Escort Group of the British Pacific Fleet. She was at Malta engaged in exercises when the war ended in August, not joining the fleet at Singapore until October. She remained with the Escort Group, based at Hong Kong, into 1946, carrying out patrols in the South China Sea. She visited
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the Spanish Navy and subsequently the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. The base was 262 square miles, about the size of Singapore. Th ...
in the Philippines in March, and travelled to HM Dockyard, Cockatoo Island, Sydney, for a refit in May and June, before visiting the Solomon Islands in August, and in November was deployed off
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
to support military operations against nationalists opposed to the resumption of Dutch colonial rule. In early 1947 she was deployed with the Flotilla for local patrols and exercises with the Fleet, and made a visit to Japan in March.


Mediterranean Fleet

On 21 March 1947 ''Veryan Bay'' was transferred to the
Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...
, sailing via the Indian Ocean and
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
, and arriving on 2 May to join the 2nd Escort Flotilla. A new Commanding Officer, Captain R.S. Wellby, was appointed three days later. The ship was then deployed to prevent the
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
of European Jews to
Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
. She sailed to Leghorn on the west coast of Italy to watch for the ship SS ''President Warfield'', now renamed , then sailed to Piraeus in June, before returning to Malta. After a refit at Gibraltar Dockyard in July, she returned to the Palestine Patrol, based at Haifa, in August. In November she sailed to Trieste to act as guardship until January 1948. After local exercises at Malta in February, and then a refit (at which time her
pennant number In the Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant number (an internationalisation of ''pendant number'', which it was called before 1948). Historically, naval ships flew a flag that iden ...
was changed to F651), ''Veryan Bay'' was deployed to patrol in the Red Sea in April and May, before returning to the Palestine Patrol, based at Cyprus, then to Trieste for further guardship duty. On 13 December Captain H.C.N. Rolfe assumed command of the ship, and early in the new year a complement of Boy ratings joined for training. After guardship duty at Aqaba in January and February 1949, she returned to Malta for exercises and a new Commanding Officer, Captain G.T. Lambert, in April. ''Veryan Bay'' remained at Malta taking part in Flotilla and Fleet exercises and visits, with further spells of duty as guardship at Trieste and Aqaba, until April 1950. Under her new commanding officer, Commander J.F.R. Crews, she was transferred on loan with the Royal New Zealand Navy, along with
sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
, exchanging with the frigates and . She arrived at Auckland on 3 July to join the 11th Frigate Flotilla. There she made visits to various ports and carried out exercises with other RNZN ships, eventually leaving on 28 October, and arriving back at Malta on 4 January 1951.


Home Fleet

After a refit in February and March at HM Dockyard, Malta, the ship was transferred to the 7th Frigate Flotilla,
Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...
, arriving at Plymouth on 21 April. After Fleet exercises at Invergordon, she took part in convoy defence exercises in the English Channel, and visited
Cherbourg Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...
,
Penzance Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated ...
and
Swanage Swanage () is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck and one of its two towns, approximately south of Poole and east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil ...
. In September the ship called at
Holyhead Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is ...
while en route to
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for joint anti-submarine exercises in the North West Approaches. In December, after her annual inspection, she sailed to Plymouth to refit.


West Indies Squadron

In January 1952 command was assumed by Commander R. Horncastle. She then sailed to Bermuda, arriving on 18 February, to join the West Indies Squadron. She was promptly despatched to the Falkland Islands to act as guardship at Port Stanley, arriving in early April. In June she left the islands, taking a cargo of
penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
s, destined for Vancouver Zoo, to
Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
for air transport to Canada. She spent August–September deployed in the West Indies for Flotilla duties and exercises, and in October returned to the UK and was paid-off to refit. ''Veryan Bay'' was recommissioned on 5 March 1953 for service in the 7th Frigate Squadron in the West Indies, under the command of Captain R.G.W. Hare. She arrived at Bermuda on 30 April, and in June was at
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...
for ceremonies for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The ship then visited
Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
, Barbados,
Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...
,
Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello () is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State, about 210 km west of Caracas. As of 2011, the city had a population of around 182,400. The city is home to the largest and busiest port in the coun ...
, Trinidad, Recife and
Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
while en route to the Falklands for another tour as guardship, arriving on 22 July. After patrols around the islands, she left on 14 October, arriving at Kingston on 19 November to embark troops, and the next day was stationed for Air-Sea Rescue duty during the Royal Flight to Bermuda from the UK. At Bermuda in December she carried out ceremonial duties during the summit meeting between U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the British and French Prime Ministers
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
and Joseph Laniel, to discuss relations with the Soviet Union following the death of Stalin and their development of a hydrogen bomb. In January 1954, after exercises with off
Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas *Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 *Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...
, ''Veryan Bay'' sailed to Palm Beach and Jacksonville, Florida to exchange calls with the civil authorities and the U.S. Navy. She returned to Bermuda on 4 February, then sailed to the UK, arriving at Plymouth on the 18th to be paid-off and then refitted at the Devonport Dockyard. In May the ship was recommissioned for service on West Indies under the command of Commander L.R.P. Lawford, and after trials and exercises, she sailed for Bermuda, arriving on 17 August. In September she sailed once more to the Falklands for guardship duty, calling at Antigua, Trinidad, Georgetown in
British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first European to encounter Guiana was S ...
, and Belém and
Salvador Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ( ...
in Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro, before arriving at Port Stanley on 23 October. ''Veryan Bay'' visited
South Georgia South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east ...
, and also Tristan da Cunha and the South Shetland Islands, reinforcing Britain's territorial claims, which were disputed by both Argentina and Chile. On 24 February 1955 the Commander-in-Chief of the
America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the t ...
arrived at Port Stanley, flying his flag in the cruiser . In March ''Veryan Bay'' returned to Bermuda, by way of the west coast of South America, calling at Punta Arenas,
Puerto Montt Puerto Montt (Mapuche: Meli Pulli) is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region, 1,055 km to the south of the capital, Santiago. The commune spa ...
, and Antofagasta in Chile,
Mollendo Mollendo is a town bordering the Pacific Ocean in southern Peru. It is located in the Arequipa Region and is the capital of both the Islay Province and the Mollendo District. Mollendo was the main port in the Peruvian southern coast until Matar ...
in Peru, and La Libertad, Ecuador, before transiting the Panama Canal. From May to July she was deployed at Bermuda for exercises and visits programmes, and in August returned to the UK to refit at Devonport. The ship was recommissioned on 15 October for further service with 7th Frigate Squadron, under the command of Commander J. Bitmead. After trials and exercises in January and February 1956 ''Veryan Bay'' sailed from Devonport on 12 March, arriving at Bermuda on the 24th. On 4 April she sailed for the Falklands for guardship duty, routed down the west coast of South America, calling at
Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...
, Peru, and Antofagasta and Talcahuano, Chile, before transiting the
Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pass ...
, and arriving at Port Stanley on 17 May for local patrols and exercises. In June she visited to South American Atlantic ports, and in July was deployed on the South Shetland Patrol. In early August she began a programme of visits, first calling at
Puerto Belgrano Port Belgrano Naval Base ( es, Base Naval Puerto Belgrano - BNPB) is the largest naval base of the Argentine Navy, situated next to Punta Alta, near Bahía Blanca, about south of Buenos Aires. It is named after the brigantine ''General Belgr ...
, Argentina, then
Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" is a s ...
, before sailing 190 miles up-river to
Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...
. She called at
Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, Uruguay, before returning to Port Stanley on 8 September. After local patrols and exercises she sailed once again to Argentina in late September, calling at
Río Gallegos Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...
and Puerto San Julián, returning to Port Stanley on 11 October to prepare to return to Bermuda. The ship left Stanley on 17 October and was at Santos, Brazil, when she received orders to transfer to the South Atlantic.


South Atlantic Squadron

''Veryan Bay'' arrived at Simon's Town, South Africa, on 19 November. After a series of visits to East African ports, the ship was nominated for transfer to the Reserve. On 19 January 1957 she sailed for the UK, calling at Lobito in Portuguese West Africa, Boma in the Belgian Congo, and sailed up the Congo River to Matadi. She then called at
Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inh ...
in French Equatorial Africa, São Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea, Lagos, Nigeria, Monrovia, Liberia, and Freetown, Sierra Leone. ''Veryan Bay'' arrived at Plymouth on 11 March, paid-off and was reduced to Reserve status.


In reserve and disposal

She remained in the Reserve Fleet at
Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...
until 1959 when she was placed on the Disposal List. The ship was sold to BISCO for demolition by Metal Industries and arrived in tow at the breaker's yard in Charlestown near Rosyth on 1 July 1959.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Veryan Bay 1944 ships Bay-class frigates