HMS WILTON
Type Escort destroyer
Class Hunt (Type II), Pennant L 128, Built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Scotstoun, Glasgow, Ordered 4 Sep 1939, Laid down 7 Jun 1940, Launched 17 Oct 1941, Commissioned 18 Feb 1942, Propulsion: steam turbines, twin screw, 29 knots, Tonnage: 1050 tons displ, Length: 260 feet
Scrapped at Faslane on 30 November 1959.
Type II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Yarrow's at Scotstoun. Glasgow on 4th September 1939 in the 1939 War Emergency Programme and laid down as Job No J1850 on 7th June 1940. She was launched on 17th October 1941 as the 1st RN warship to carry the name, that of a fox-hunt in Wiltshire. Build was completed on 18th February 1942. This ship was initially allocated for adoption by the civil community of the New Forest Urban District in Hampshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942, but later this was changed to East Retford in Nottinghamshire.
War History – August 1942
2nd - Detached from WS21 and joined escort for WS21S during passage to Gibraltar.
10th - Part of Close Escort (Force X) for passage with convoy through Sicilian Narrows to Malta.
11th - Under attack by submarine during which HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE was sunk.
12th - Detached with HM Escort Destroyers BICESTER and DERWENT to escort damaged cruiser HMS NIGERIA to Gibraltar after being torpedoed by the Italian submarine AXUM.
17th - Passage to rejoin Flotilla at Scapa Flow for Home Fleet duties.
HMS WILTON completed refit in January 1946 and returned to UK to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve at Plymouth in February 1946. The ship remained in the Reserve Fleet at Plymouth until 1949 when she re- commissioned for service in the 4th Training Flotilla. Later this destroyer was disarmed and used as an Air Target ship. She was again placed in Reserve and laid up at Cardiff in 1953 for five years. Placed on the Disposal List in 1959 the ship was sold to Ship-breaking Industries for demolition at Faslane. She arrived at the breaker’s yard in the Clyde on 4th December 1959 and her scrap value was £22,900.
Sources: Wikipedia. The Hunts by John English – WSS.
http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4665.html.
http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DE-Wilton.htm. http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/v ... sp?id=1135.
Information Mr P Crichton.