HMS St Brides Bay

HMS St Brides Bay was originally laid down as the Loch Class frigate 'Loch Achilty' in May 1944 and was built by Messrs. Harland and Wolff at Belfast. While building she assumed the name of St Brides Bay, and was launched as such in January, 1945 - too late to take any part in the war. After working up at home she was sent to the Mediterranean, where she spent some time engaged on patrols stopping illegal immigrants returning to Israel. In 1949 she left the Mediterranean astern and went to the Far East, where she remained until late 1961. Her duties were many and varied, including patrols in support of operations against bandits during the Malayan emergency, escort work off Korea, patrols off the Yangste for the protection of British shipping, and again off the Pearl River when an incident occurred there; between times she cruised, visited, exercised, refitted and then started again. Designed as an anti-aircraft frigate for the Second World War, she became out-paced by modern construction and her useful days drew to a close. When she returned to the United Kingdom in December 1961 she had steamed many thousands of miles during her twelve years in the Far East, and was remembered in the many ports and outposts that she visited long after she had gone into honourable retirement.

When HMS St Brides Bay berthed alongside Fountain Lake Jetty, Portsmouth Dockyard, in December 1961 after 17 years on Foreign Service, incredibly, apart froma a brief call into Devonport to store and ammunition ship, it was the first time this Royal Navy ship had ever been to England!

HMS St Brides Bay Association, 1944 - 1961