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January 18th 1945 sailed for Malta arriving on 25th. After having several crews, did not return to U.K. until
17th September 1954, entering Chatham and paying off. 1955, 12th May sailed for Singapore, stayed in Far East as Captain ‘D’, of the 8th. Destroyer Squadron, British Far East Fleet, until 1960, when it went into reserve at Portsmouth. (Eventually being scrapped in 1962 at Inverkeithing, Scotland). We have some 140 members in the Association and hold reunions every year plus newsletters every quarter. Contact Vic Denham at vic@denham546.fslife.co.uk for details..
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“A word from the Stoker’s messdeck...” By Eddy Smith, as was. She was all engines really? -Two boiler rooms with the standard Admiralty three drum boilers, fired by FFO. (Furnace Fuel Oil). 45,000 hp., from her twin sets of Parsons HP and LP steam turbines, with massive reduction gear boxes, (2). She had W. H. Allen Turbo Generators and a standby Paxman Diesel generator. Plus diesel driven compressors for the weapons systems. Hydraulic steam driven steering gear, in the tiller flat. Three, (originaly), 4.5” (Single barrel) Open Gun turrets and STAG anti aircraft bofors. (She won the AA trophy in 1958-59). Plus a set of four torpedo tubes, ‘aft of, amidships’). Thus, guns and torpedoes were her main armament. (She could do 38 knots; while the Engineer officer still had his own teeth?) -Ships have not gone any faster since WW1. (Except for gas turbine powered (Brave class) fast patrol boats, etc.) Truly this class of Destroyer were the originators of the expression, ‘Greyhounds of the fleet’. She had a compliment of around 200 most of the time, and I never did get to sleep below decks. -I stashed my camp bed wherever I could, and moved into the passageways when it rained? Rugged, but fast, that was the point?
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