Dates: 1944 - 1972
HMS Cavalier was the Royal Navy’s last operational Second World War destroyer and is now preserved at Chatham as a memorial to the 143 British destroyers and over 11,000 men lost at sea during the war.
Her first Commission in January 1945 as R73, started when she joined the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet and took part in three operations (“Selenium” a strike on enemy shipping, ”Shred” to provide fighter cover for a mine laying flotilla and “Groundsheet” a aircraft mine-laying strike served in Norwegian waters. She was one of three destroyers sent from Scapa to re-inforce convoy duties Russian waters (including RA64 from which the Battle Honour “Artic 1945” was awarded) left Kola Inlet on 17 February and been attacked by U-boats and enemy aircraft, scattered during gales. She joined the convoy on the evening of 23rd February : 31 of the 34 ships arrived safely in the Clyde on the 1st March
At the end of the war in Europe on the 8th May 1945, she then joined the Western Approaches Command which enabled her to spend three days in August 1945 at her adoptive town of South Shields, Co Durham. She immediately left to relieve the 11th Destroyer Flotilla and join the British Pacific Fleet and spent a year on the East Indies Station, visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Java (with Ghurkas embarked), Australia and India (to control the Indian Navy mutiny), returning to Portsmouth in mid June 1946 prior to being put into the reserve fleet. ” However, she had been at sea with her ship’s company prior to this, when on 28th December 1944, conducting trials under the Red Ensign of her builders, her Captain responded to the torpedoing of the troopship Empire Javelin off Cape Barfleur on the North East coast of France and radioed C-in-C Portsmouth that he was proceeding at high speed with trials crew embarked, to the scene and with the efforts of all concerned, casualties amounted to only six men, all other passengers and crew being saved. Between 1955 and 1957 Cavalier was modernised. She was taken to the Thorneycroft yard at Woolston where a modern Daring Class open bridge was fitted (which she still has), X gun removed, a new gunnery Mk6M Director installed, a single 40mm Bofors mounting either side of the Bridge and one twin 40mm Bofors aft, one bank of four torpedo tubes and twin squid anti submarine mortars all fitted, as well as an update on radar equipment.
Refit @ Gibraltar took place; 7thSeptember 1947 until the 26th June 1948
Lt. Cdr. F. O. Winder RN (Commanding Officer)
2nd Commission 1957-59 Cdr. J T Cartwright RN
Her second Commission saw a pennant number to D73 painted on the ship’s side, which she kept for the rest of her life. In July 1957 she left reserve and joined the 8th Destroyer Squadron on the Far East Station, working up off Malta en route. Helping with the troubles in Borneo, taking part in the Atomic Bomb tests at Christmas Island and working in the Persian Gulf and Singapore areas as well as Fiji and Hong Kong. The Commission concluded in Singapore on the 1st January 1959, when her crew flew back to England.
3rd Commission 1959-60 Cdr. J D Hope RN
The new commission had flown out on the aircraft that had bought the second commission home and the Commissioning Ceremony took place on the 4th January 1959. Following the obligatorily work up, she sailed via Hong Kong to carry out Royal Escort duties around Australia and then on to Penang, Singapore and Saigon as well as Japan, Australia and Tasmania, fitting in many exercises en route to the various locations, finally returning to Singapore on May 13th 1960 to hand over to a new crew.
4th Commission 1960-61 Cdr G I Pritchard RN
The Commissioning took place on the 24th June 1960 after the new crew were all flown ou
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Cavalier
" HMS CAVALIER 1970/72 COMMISSION , ENGINEERING DEPT. PLANNING TO HOLD A BRANCH REUNION IN GIBRALTAR SOMETIME WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO DEPENDING ON REPONSE . DETAILS CAN BE GOTTEN FROM EX LMEM STAN STANFIELD OR VIA CAVALIER ASSOCATION WHO WILL FORWARD , EX DEPT MEMBERS NOT ON LINE ARE REQUESTED TO SUPPLY ADDRESSES TO ASSOC. IF INTERRESTED. STAN. "
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" Alright keith, I wish it was from my own resourses but I’m afraid it’s from the ’net. HMS TROUBRIDGE was originally built as a ’T’ class destroyer (1,730 tons) built and laid down by John Brown on 23rd September 1942 and was completed in 1943. (Ship adopted by ..."
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" A new search engine from HMS Cavalier Association can be found here at http://www.hmscavalier.org.uk for anyone interested in finding out information about family or friends lost on destroyers during WW2, we hope you find it interesting,and it answers some distant questions administratorRon [hmscavalier.gif]"
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" Maybe Pa Broon will try and flog HMS Belfast and HMS Cavalier and HMS Ocelot off to some foreign buyer.... "
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" Quoting: robert wells just for you david two more names, rear admiral sam salt, 60/62 commish, vice admiral hill north, 60/62 commish, you,ve got to admit david, not bad going for a small ship, but there again even prince philip praised the old destroyers, glad they kept one, i def will ..."
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