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Allied Warships

HMS Woolston (L 49)

Destroyer of the Admiralty V & W class


HMS Woolston as seen early in the war.
Photograph with thanks to Ian Dayment.

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassAdmiralty V & W 
PennantL 49 
Built byThornycroft (Southampton, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down25 Apr, 1917 
Launched27 Jan, 1918 
Commissioned26 Jun, 1918 
End service 
Loss position
 
HistoryReconstruction to Fast Escort completed on 9 October 1939.

Sold to be broken up for scrap on 18 February 1947.

Commanding Officers:
Lt.Cdr. Walter John Phipps, RN
September 1939 – 24 April 1941

Lt.Cdr. Kenneth Walter Michell, RN
24 April 1941 – September 1942

Lt. Frederick William Hawkins, RN
September 1942 – October 1943

Lt. Jack Broughton Cox, RN
October 1943 – May 1945
Promoted to A/Lt.Cdr. on 1 May 1945

Lt. John Valentine Brothers, RN
May 1945 – still in command in July 1945 according to the Navy List

HMS Woolston is not listed in the October 1945 Navy List 


Noteable events involving Woolston include:

Note the ineffective .5" machine guns later to be replaced by 20mm Oerlikons.

Twin 4" AA gun turret.

Photographs with thanks to Ian Dayment whose granfather Albert Hodder (see last photo) served on board Woolston during the war.

21 Oct, 1939
HMS Woolston (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Phipps, RN) picks up 4 survivors from the British merchant Orsa that was sunk after hitting a mine about 15 miles 150° from Flamborough Head. The mine was laid on 5 September 1939 by the German submarine U-15.


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