Dates: 1944 - 1945
H.M.S. Cam (K264)
Built by George Brown & Co., Greenock
Laid Down: 30th June 1942
Launched: 31st July 1943
Commissioned: 31st January 1944
Paid Off: 22nd June 1945
Fate: Badly damaged during a coordinated depth charge attack on a possible submerged U-boat on 18th July 1944 off St. Catherine’s Point, injuring 46 crew. Towed by HMCS Cape Breton (K350) to Yarmouth, then by tug to Portsmouth. Declared to be total loss and scrapped at Sunderland in July 1945
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
Notes on River Class Frigates
The River class frigate was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-sub Marine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic.
The majority served with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy, with some serving in the other Allied navies; the Royal Australian Navy, the Free French Navy, the Royal Netherlands Navy and, post-war, the South African Navy. Ten ships built in Canada were assigned to the United States Navy to cover for a shortage of suitable convoy escorts until American built ships became available. In the event, only two were commissioned in the UNITED STATES NAVY, the remaining eight were commissioned in the RN and RCN.
After World War II they found employment in many other navies the world over; several RCN ships were sunk as breakwaters.
River class ships were designed by naval engineer William Reed to have the endurance and anti-submarine capabilities of the Black Swan class sloops, while being quick and cheap to build in civil dockyards using the machinery (eg reciprocating steam engines instead of turbines) and construction techniques pioneered in the building of the Flower-class corvettes.
The River class design was used as the basis for the United States Navy’s Tacoma class (known to the Royal navy as the Colony class frigate), and the hull design was later elaborated into the Loch class frigate, and subsequently the Bay class frigate.
Other River Class Frigates and their fates.
Royal Navy (Group I)
H.M.S. Ballinderry (K255)
Built by: Blyth Shipbuilding & Drydock, Blyth.
Laid Down: 6th November 1941.
Launched: 7th December 1942
Commissioned: 2nd September 1943
Paid Off: 1945
Fate: Transferred to Norway as Glomma 1946, scrapped 7 July 1961 by Ward Barrow.
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Bann (K256)
Built by: Charles Hill & Sons Ltd., Bristol
Laid Down: 18th June 1942
Launched: 29th December 1942
Commissioned: 7 May 1943
Paid Off: 5th December 1945
Fate: Transferred to India as HMIS Tir (K256). Broken up 1979
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Chelmer (K221)
Built by George Brown & Co., Greenock
Laid Down: 29th December 1941
Launched: 27th March 1943
Commissioned: 29th September 1943
Fate: Torpedoed 11th December 1943, damaged beyond repair. Scrapped in August 1957
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Dart (K21)
Built by Blyth Shipbuilding & Drydock, Blyth
Laid Down: 8th September 1941
Launched: 10th October 1942
Commissioned: 13th May 1943
Paid Off: Sold for scrap in November 1956
Fate: Scrapped in 1957 by Cashmore Newport
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Derg (K257)
Built by Henry Robb Ltd., Leith
Laid Down: 16th April 1942
Launched: 7th January 1943
Commissioned: 10th June 1943
Paid Off: Transferred in 1951 to RNVR as drill ship Wessex, later Cambria
Fate: Scrapped in September 1960 at Cashmore
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Derg (K257) was one of the ships of the Allied navies of World War II present in Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day (2 September 1945) when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed on board the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63).
H.M.S. Ettrick (K254)
Built by John Crown & Sons Ltd., Sunderland
Laid Down: 31st December 1941
Launched: 22nd February 1943
Commissioned: 11th July 1943
Paid Off: Transferred to RCN on 29th January 1944 as HMCS Ettrick (K254). Returned to RN on 30th May 1945
Paid off 2: 30th May 1945
Fate: Scrapped June 1953
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
Compliment: 8 O
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Cam
" HMS Camperdown 1958/59 HMS Barrage 1959/61 HMS Bulwark 1961/65 Anyone out there on the above ships and remembers me please do get in touch. "
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" ROYAL NAVY DOES QUEEN Royal Navy sailors have made a spoof version of the Queen classic hit Bohemian Rhapsody. Officers and staff on HMS Campbelltown produced the hilarious video during their spare time while on patrol in the Indian Ocean. It follows the Army Dragoon Guard’s own ..."
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" Syd …I have only been on the Routemaster buses a couple of times so I don’t know them very well. They must have been pretty good to have lasted all this time, I believe some of them will be used as tourist buses, not sure though. My favourite was the trolley bus and I was sorry to see them ..."
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" when i joined RALEIGH in 1957. we used to have a drink in the harbour lights torpoint, then go into town to the BEDFORD then onto the UNION bar.useually ending up in the NAAFI.before heading back to the ferry.when i was hms CAMBRIDGE.it used to be the first and last(first)then the BEDFORD ..."
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" Aircraft Carriers. Ship Name, Launch Date, Displacement, Total Crew. HMS Invincible 1977--22,000--1051. HMS Illustrious 197--22,000--1051. HMS Ark Royal 1981--22,000--1051. Amphibious Assault Ships Ship. HMS Ocean 1995--20,700--265. HMS Albion 2001--18,500--363. HMS Bulwark ..."
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