Dates: 1945 - 1963
HMS Finisterre (D55) was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy (RN). She was was built by Fairfield Shipbuilder & Engineering Company of Govan on the Clyde and commissioned on 11 September 1945. Complement: 232.
She first joined the Home Fleet on commissioning. After being in the Far East for some time, in which she performed a variety of duties there, Finisterre returned to the UK via the Mediterranean.
In January 1950, Finisterre took part in the rescue attempt of the submarine HMS Truculent, which had sunk after colliding with a Swedish merchant ship Divina in the Thames Estuary. The collision had resulted in the loss of 64 of those on board. The following year Finisterre became the Gunnery Training Ship, based at Whale Island, Portsmouth as part of HMS Excellent.
In 1953, Finisterre took part in the 1953 Coronation Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
The following year she was placed in Reserve. After her sister-ship Hogue collided with an Indian cruiser in 1959, Finisterre replaced her in the 1st Destroyer Squadron when they returned to Home waters in 1960. Finisterre, as part of that squadron, subsequently saw service with the Home and Mediterranean Fleets.
She was sold for scrap in 1965, being broken-up two years later at Dalmuir.
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Finisterre
" I am an Ancient Mariner and one of the things about my time (9 years) in the Navy was being drafted to my first ship HMS Finisterre Battle Class Destroyer ( they were fine ships)..Max Speed 40 knots etc ( they don’t build them like that anymore). But what sticks out in my memory and probably ..."
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" hi im the son of william james brown who served in the royal navy between 1947 to 1949,my dad was at hms victory for a while before joining hms finisterre sometime in 1947>1948,he then went onto hms mull of kintyre 1948>1949 ,he left the navy sometime in 1949 serving only 18 months or so.im doing a ..."
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" hi im the son of william james brown who served in the royal navy between 1947 to 1949,my dad was at hms victory for a while before joining hms finisterre sometime in 1947>1948,he then went onto hms mull of kintyre 1948>1949 ,he left the navy sometime in 1949 serving only 18 months or so.im doing a ..."
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"hms finisterre hms dampier anyone remember me "
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"Raymond Rowe, HMS Finisterre 1960/62, S/G (C*)"
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