Commission Outline

HMS St Brides Bay recommissioned on Wednesday, August 21, 1957 at Singapore Naval Base. Three days later she sailed for Pulau Tioman, the attractive tropical island, from which ships of the Far East Fleet normally carry out their work-up programme.

However, in St Brides Bay's case she was not to he allowed an undisturbed work-up. August 31 was Merdeka Day, that is the day upon which Malaya became a self-governing dominion, and her presence was required at Malacca to assist with the ceremonies and bring the retiring Resident Commissioner back to Singapore. Having completed this task successfully the first half of September was occupied completing the work-up and with the exception of a three day visit to Port Dickson, was spent in the vicinity of Singapore.

On September 17, the ship sailed for Hong Kong. It should have been only a five-day passage but on the third day St Brides Bay was ordered to keep to the south as a typhoon named Gloria was threatening the colony. Gloria in fact passed within fifty miles of Hong Kong, the first typhoon to do so since 1946. St Brides Bay's arrival was delayed by twenty-four hours.

The next two months were passed enjoying the delightful autumn weather and other non-seasonal attractions of Hong Kong. Two or three days a week were spent at sea exercising with aircraft and during one period, with a submarine. Towards the end of November, St Brides Bay took part with considerable success, in the Fleet Regatta.

On November 30, St Brides Bay sailed from Hong Kong, her destination being Sandakan in North Borneo, the passage being made through the Sulu Sea and the Philippines. A company of the South Wales Borderers had been exercising there and it was our task to return them to Singapore. After a short stop, she sailed again, this time for Jesselton, the capital of North Borneo, the passage being made through the Mallawalle channel, a coastal route which considerably shortens the journey. The ship stayed at Jessleton for twenty-four hours before sailing for Singapore where she arrived on December 8.

It had been hoped to make a short visit to Penang before going into refit, but trouble in Indonesia had caused a large number of Dutch ships to take refuge in Singapore and instead, several days had to he spent at anchor in the Roads, providing support for the marine police, who expected possible trouble.

Immediately after Christmas, the main refit started and for the next ten weeks, St Brides Bay remained in dockyard hands. However, by March 24 she was ready to sail again and after a fortnight's work up in the vicinity of Singapore, set forth for Japan. After a twelve-day journey, which included a two-day fuelling stop in Hong Kong. St Brides Bay arrived at Sasebo. She was joined by HMS Alert, with the CinC on hoard, and HMS Modeste. After a two-day visit to this American naval base, the squadron sailed for Inchon, South Korea, where they remained for a further two days. On completion of this visit, HMS Alert sailed for Manila, while St Brides Bay and and Modeste, having spent a day at the Korean Islands of Pyong Yong Do and Yong Pyong Do, returned to Sasebo.

Having refuelled at Sasebo, St Brides Bay and Modeste sailed in company for Beppu, a seaside resort in the Inland Sea. The passage only took sixteen hours and was made through the Straits of Hirado and Shimonoseki. On May 8, the ships sailed for Nagoya, a large industrial city on Honshu and from there, after a three-day stay, went to Yokosuka, the large American naval base in Tokyo Bay. On May 19 St Brides Bay and Modeste sailed from Japan for Hong Kong, arriving at this port six days later. For the remainder of May, all of June and the first week of July, St Brides Bar was duty ship at Hong Kong. Towards the end of June she was joined by Cardigan Bay and just before sailing for Singapore, was inspected by Captain F3. It is interesting to note that this was the first occasion that St Brides Bay and Cardigan Bay had been together in the same port during the commission.

St Brides Bay arrived at Singapore on July 12 and two days later started a three-week self refit. On July 13, the King and Prime Minister of Iraq were assassinated and although at the time this seemed to be no more than an interesting item of world news, it soon became apparent that this event was to have an important effect on our movements. On July 14, as units of the Far East Fleet proceeded at full speed to the Middle East, St Brides Bay was brought to 8 hours notice for steam. A few days later when it became obvious that the political situation was not going to deteriorate any further, St Brides Bay was allowed to continue her self refit, but was warned that she would probably have to relieve Modeste in the Aden area sometime during August.

The self refit was completed on August 4th and on the 7th she paid her third visit to Palau Tioman. Or, August 19, St Brides Bay sailed for Aden. It is 3,660 miles from Singapore to Aden and it was expected the voyage would take thirteen days. In fact the ship made good speed and anchored off Aden on the night of the 31st, having been at sea for twelve and a half days. It was the longest sea voyage that many of the ship's company had made.

It had been expected that the ship would remain in Aden for a week before proceeding on patrol; however on the evening of September 4, St Brides Bay was ordered to the assistance of an Inshore Minesweeper which had broken adrift from its tow to the south of Socotra. The IMS was reached on the morning of the 6th and a tow passed that evening. The two ships arrived in Aden two days later.

The next day, St Brides Bay sailed for Muscat, where her patrol was to be carried out, however, on the evening of the 12th, orders were received to return to Singapore. The next morning news was received that two tankers were in collision some eighty miles to the south west of her position, so once more plans were changed as St Brides Bay went to their assistance. The next five days were spent carrying out towing and salvage operations and it wasn't until the 17th that St Brides Bay was once more able to proceed towards Singapore. On the 22nd a four-hour fuelling stop was made at Trincomalee and on September 27, St Brides Bay arrived at Singapore. The ship had been at sea for eighteen days. During the previous thirty-eight days, thirty-four of which had been spent at sea, the ship had steamed ten thousand miles.

After a fortnight in Singapore, during which time repairs were carried out on the damage received during the towing operation, St Brides Bay sailed for Hong Kong, arriving there on October 12.

At the moment of writing, two months before the end of the commission, St Brides Bay is once again enjoying the delightful autumn weather and many non seasonal attractions of Hong Kong. Two or three days a week are spent at sea exercising with aircraft. There are no submarines here this year. If our expected programme should be fulfilled, perhaps a rash supposition after our experiences of the last three months, we should stay here until early January, spending most of December self refitting. On leaving Hong Kong, we will have a short cruise to Borneo before returning to Singapore to recommission on January 30.