Colin, between second and third officer from the right recalls Ali Barber (5th from right bottom row), Rod Burdett, Geoff Holmes and Peter Cannon

Off Junk Bay, Hong Kong, having just painting ship, 1955

Note 'canvas dodgers ' under bridge wing - later to be plated-in to
form the Buffer's Store and workshop on the starboard-side.
(Port side became midshipman's cabin).

5th Commission
1954 - 1956

October 1954 saw St Brides Bay with a new crew, and a new commanding officer Commander I F Somerville RN. A news clipping exists, probably from the Singapore Times, which reads 'FLYING SAILORS ON THE WAY'. Fifty-six sailors are flying to Singapore from Britain in a chartered aircraft to replace the crew of the Royal Navy frigate St Brides Bay. The present crew members have served in the Far East for six year [wrong]. The aircraft is due in Singapore tomorrow. The sailors are the second batch of replacements. The first group of 40 arrived in Singapore last Sunday. A third batch is arriving on Tuesday to complete a total replacement of about 160 for the St Brides Bay.

This appears to be the first time that crews had changed over in this way. From the various barracks the groups went to London and stopped overnight at Googe Street underground station [an old wartime shelter]. At that time they were loaned civilian clothes for the flight as they would not be welcome in uniform at some of the overnight stops. [This practice ceased after a while and servicemen wore their own clothing]. On arrival at Singapore they first went to HMS Terror before eventually joining the ship in the dockyard. It should be noted that the previous commission had a faster journey home than when they went out to join the ship. They flew home rather than going by troopship or on another RN ship. Most were pleased about this but there was one disadvantage in that a weight limit was placed on accompanied baggage. This meant some presents and the remainder of kit had to follow on by sea.

After doing a work-up in the usual spot around Paula Tioman, during October/November she went to Hong Kong and followed this with visits to Kure, Sasebo, Pyongyang Do back to Kure and then returned to Hong Kong.

From December ’54 until March ’55 a lot of time was spent either in Hong Kong, Japan Korea or on Formosan patrols. Whilst on one of these patrols the weather was atrocious, bitterly cold with gale force winds, and at one stage the sea boat was smashed to bits, and as can be seen from the following photograph, needed to be replaced.

This incident hopefully can be dated from the ships chronology as it states the ship having left Kure Japan for Hong Kong on the 19th February 1955 arrived on the 25th after a stormy passage encountering snow and force 9/10 winds. One Association member writes

“If my memory serves me right the ship suffered huge amounts of damage in a typhoon in the Formosa Straits. So much so the whaler and various lockers on deck were smashed to bits, water down the funnel causing damage below.

HMS Newcastle was dispatched from Hong Kong to come to our assistance, and boy we needed it. When she met us we were limping along on one engine. When we arrived in Hong Kong she looked as if we had been in a big battle.

The local press ran the Headline story next day “THE FIGHTING 600 RETURNS“. After this incident repairs were carried out in the dockyard and after completion we went just around the corner to Junk Bay for a complete repaint”

March started by going to Guam and then Borneo where some R N ships were being deployed because of incidences of piracy, a frequent occurrence in this area, and the activities of pro-Indonesian elements. The ship then returned to Singapore for refit, which started in April, with the ship’s company moving into HMS Terror. She undocked in May but for some reason re-docked.

July was a work-up period with visits to Japan before sailing to Hong Kong. There was a notable incident whilst the ship was on passage from there to Singapore. On the 18th September the ship’s bell and a name plate was lost overboard, It has also been mentioned that steel helmets from a gun position had also gone over the side at the same time. A board of enquiry was held re these losses on the 26th of the month on return to Singapore (result not known).

Part of October was spent on Malayan coast patrols (for interception of terrorists and support military). She called at several ports before returning to Singapore and then going on to Hong Kong. Christmas 1955 was spent in Hong Kong with some time being spent as Guardship and on General Duties.

On January 12, 1956 the chronology states the ship took passage to Kure, ensuring entry of Hydralock into Foochow on the 14th. An entry in the Times on the 16th had the following item “CHINESE NATIONALISTS STOP BRITISH SHIP. FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. Hong Kong Jan 15th

A Royal Navy statement today says that a steamship Hydralock was prevented by a Chinese Nationalist gunboat from entering Foochow yesterday. HMS St Brides Bay (Commander I F Somerville) was sent to prevent interference with British shipping on the high seas, and the Hydralock entered Foochow at 10 o’clock this morning without incident. Although St Brides Bay had long gone from that area, it's worth noting that a further item appeared on March 12th stating that Hydralock had been fired on from batteries on White Dog Island 80 miles north east of Amoy. The ship did not suffer any damage, casualties or injuries and continued on to Foochow. I mention this to demonstrate the continuing problem in the area which continued even when the Communist had control of all the mainland and the Nationalist were left with just Taiwan.

St Brides Bay started her visit to Japan at Kure, visited seven different ports and carried out exercises with other naval ships. Whilst returning to Hong Kong the ship carried out the normal surveillance in the Formosa Straits, and it is stated that 4” shells were fused as a precaution in view of the current political unrest in the area between the Nationalist and Communist Chinese.

After a last call into Hong Kong she returned to Singapore ready for another crew change.

One event of note during this period was that at sometime during this commission the ships crest was changed.

The next change of crew was in 1956 March

Compiled by Eric Wyatt