Dates: 1936 - 1957

BITTERN-Class Sloop ordered from William Denny of Dumbarton under 1933 Programme and laid down on 19th June 1935. She was launched by Mrs Edges on 21st April 1936 as the 9th ship to carry the name, which dates from 1652. The ship was completed on 10th September 1936 and as she was to be used as a Survey Ship this vessel was fitted ’For but not with" the armament for a BITTERN Class Sloop. The guns could be fitted without major changes when the ship was required for escort duty. Her pre-war service was carried out entirely in the Far East, based at Singapore. On return to UK in early 1939 she was taken in hand for refit at Devonport during which, in view of the current possibility of war, she was prepared for service as a Sloop and the armament was fitted. In February 1942 the ship was adopted by the civil communities of Grimsby and Cleethorpes , Lincolnshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign.

P o s t W a r

HMS STORK did not complete work-up and preparation for foreign service until after the end of the hostilities in the Far East and was reduced to Reserve at Portsmouth in September 1945. The ship was brought forward for further service within six months and commissioned as Senior Officer’s ship in the Fishery Protection Squadron in January 1946. Two years later she again Paid off into the Reserve Fleet and surprisingly was not brought forward in 1950-51 when many ships were re-commissioned because of the outbreak of war in Korea. Until 1954 she was laid-up at Portsmouth and then transferred to the Reserve Fleet at Londonderry. No longer in a high stat e of readiness for service was placed on the Disposal List in late 1957 and sold to BISCO for demolition by West of Scotland Shipbreaker’s at Troon, Ayrshire. The ship arrived at Troon in tow on 3rd June 1958.

Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Stork

"Sorry. Of course, I should have written HMS Stork and HMS Starling. Clearly, I"m a Canuck, as my dad was."

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