Allied Warships
HMS Weston (L 72 / U 72)
Sloop of the Falmouth class
HMS Weston at Portishead Dock in March 1933. Photo courtesy of Robin Craig Collection.
Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Sloop |
Class | Falmouth |
Pennant | L 72 / U 72 |
Built by | Devonport dockyard (Plymouth, U.K.): Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. (Scotstoun, Scotland) |
Ordered | 16 Mar 1931 |
Laid down | 7 Sep 1931 |
Launched | 23 Jul 1932 |
Commissioned | 23 Feb 1933 |
End service | |
History | HMS Weston is not listed as active unit in the October 1945 Navy List Sold 22 May 1947. |
Commands listed for HMS Weston (L 72 / U 72)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
Commander | From | To | |
1 | Cdr. (retired) Alastair Gordon Davidson, RN | 8 Sep 1939 | 12 Jan 1940 |
2 | Lt.Cdr. Seymour Charles Tuke, RN | 12 Jan 1940 | 6 Sep 1940 |
3 | Cdr. (retired) John Gilbert Sutton, RN | 6 Sep 1940 | 24 Aug 1942 |
4 | Cdr. Leonard Francis Durnford-Slater, RN | 24 Aug 1942 | Jun 1943 |
5 | Lt. Alan Hume Young, RNR | Jun 1943 | 7 Jul 1943 |
6 | Lt.Cdr. Ernest Gleave, RNR | 7 Jul 1943 | 22 Feb 1945 |
7 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. William Pennock Chipman, RCNVR | 22 Feb 1945 | mid 1945 |
You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.
Notable events involving Weston include:
24 Sep 1939
HMS Thistle (Cdr. R.W. Stirling-Hamilton, RN) departed from Dover bound for Dundee. Escort is provided by HMS Beagle (Lt.Cdr. R.H. Wright, RN). Later Beagle is relieved by HMS Weston (Cdr. (retired) A.G. Davidson, RN). The next day Thistle is taken up in convoy FN 10 that is escorted by the above mentioned HMS Weston as well as HMS Pelican (Cdr. L.A.K Boswell, RN). (1)
24 Feb 1940
HMS Weston (Lt.Cdr. S.C. Tuke, RN) picks up 27 survivors from the British merchant Royal Archer that sank off the Firth of Forth in position 56°06'N, 02°55'W on a mine laid on 4 November 1939 by German U-boat U-21.
31 May 1940
On 31 May 1940 U-13 was lost in the North Sea about 12 nautical miles south-east of Lowestoft, in position 52°26'N, 02°02'E, by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Weston (Lt.Cdr. S.C. Tuke, RN).
9 Oct 1940
HMS Weston (Cdr. J.G. Sutton, RN (retired)) picks up 5 survivors from the British merchant Confield that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-58 about 90 nautical miles west of Barra Head in position 56°48'N, 10°17'W.
6 Feb 1941
HMS H 43 (Lt. I.L.M. McGeogh, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Egret (A/Capt. E.M. Haes, RN) and HMS Weston (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN). (2)
20 Sep 1941
German U-boat U-111 torpedoed and sank the British merchant Cingalese Prince east-south-east of St.Paul Rocks in position 02°00'S, 25°30'W.
HMS Weston (Cdr. J.G. Sutton, RN (retired)) later picks up 1 survivor.
23 Sep 1941
HMS H 50 (Lt. N. Marriott, DSC, RN) conducted exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Weston (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN). (3)
15 Oct 1941
Convoy SL 90
This convoy departed Freetown on 15 October 1941 for Liverpool where it arrived on 6 November 1941.
The convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Abosso (11330 GRT, built 1935), Alphacca (Dutch, 5759 GRT, built 1928), City of Rangoon (6635 GRT, built 1914), Dahomian (5277 GRT, built 1929), Dalhanna (5571 GRT, built 1930), Director (5107 GRT, built 1926), Empire Success (5988 GRT, built 1921), Kalewa (4389 GRT, built 1940), Katha (4357 GRT, built 1938), Kattegat (Norwegian, 4245 GRT, built 1936), King Edwin (4536 GRT, built 1927), Kiruna (Swedish, 5484 GRT, built 1921), Kohistan (5884 GRT, built 1930), Langleetarn (4908 GRT, built 1929), Lieutenant St. Loubert Bie (6126 GRT, built 1911), Mafuta (Belgian, tanker, 6322 GRT, built 1920), Martaban (4161 GRT, built 1934), Moanda (Belgian, 4621 GRT, built 1937), Stad Haarlem (Dutch, 4518 GRT, built 1929), Temple Yard (5205 GRT, built 1937) and Warfield (6070 GRT, built 1917).
Escort was initially provided by the destroyers HMS Brilliant (Lt.Cdr. A.G. Poe, RN) (15-18 October), HMS Vansittart (Lt.Cdr. R.L.S. Gaisford, RN) (15-20 October), HMS Gurkha (Cdr. C.N. Lentaigne, RN) (15-22 October), HMS HrMs Isaac Sweers (Cdr. J. Houtsmuller, RNN) (15-22 October), corvettes HMS Armeria (T/Lt. H.N. Russell, DSC, RNR) (15-20 October), HMS Aster (Lt.Cdr. E. Hewitt, RD, RNR) (15-18 October), HMS Clover (Lt.Cdr. F.A. Shaw, RNR) (15-18 October), HMS Crocus (Lt.Cdr. E. Wheeler, RNR) (15-18 October), HMS Cyclamen (Lt.Cdr. H.N. Lawson, RNR) (15-18 October).
HMS Gurkha and HrMs Isaac Sweers both parted company with the convoy on 17 October to fuel at Barhurst. They rejoined the convoy on the 18th but left on the 22nd and then proceeded to Gibraltar where they arrived later the same day.
On 18 October three sloops joined, these were; HMS Folkestone (A/Cdr. D.E.G. Wemyss, RN) (18 October – 6 November), HMS Londonderry (Cdr. J.S. Dalison, RN) (18 – 29 October) and HMS Weston (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN) (18 October – 6 November).
No ships were lost from this convoy.
17 Nov 1941
HMS H 44 (Lt. J.S. Stevens, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Folkestone (A/Cdr. D.E.G. Wemyss, RN), HMS Weston (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN) and HMS Boadicea (Cdr. H.P. Henderson, RN). (4)
18 Nov 1941
HMS H 44 (Lt. J.S. Stevens, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Wellington (Lt.Cdr. W.F.R. Segrave, RN), HMS Weston (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN), HMS Londonderry (Cdr. J.S. Dalison, RN) and HMS Man o' War (T/Lt. W.W. Creber, RNR). (4)
18 Jan 1942
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.S. Stevens, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Weston (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN) and HMS Folkestone (A/Cdr. D.E.G. Wemyss, RN). (5)
13 Mar 1942
HMS H 50 (Lt. H.B. Turner, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Weston (Cdr. (Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN). (6)
11 May 1942
HMS H 28 (Lt. R.E. Boddington, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Honeysuckle (Lt. H.H.D. MacKillican, DSC, RNR), ORP Garland (Lt.Cdr. H. Eibel, ORP), HMS Totland (Lt.Cdr.(Emgy.) S.G.C. Rawson, RN) and HMS Weston (Cdr. (Retd.) J.G. Sutton, RN). (7)
21 May 1942
HMS Weston (Cdr. J.G. Sutton, RN (retired)) picks up 7 survivors from the British merchant New Brunswick that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-159 about 140 nautical miles east-south-east of Santa Maria, Azores in position 36°53'N, 22°55'W.
9 Sep 1942
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Weston (Cdr. L.F. Durnford-Slater, RN) and HMS Hyderabad (Lt. S.C.B. Hickman, DSC, RNR). (8)
23 Feb 1943
HMS Weston (Cdr L.F. Durnford-Slater, RN) picks up 50 survivors from the British tanker Athelprincess that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-522 south of the Azores in position 32°02'N, 24°38'W.
15 Apr 1943
HMS H 50 (Lt. G.S.C Clarabut, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Weston (Cdr. L.F. Durnford-Slater, RN), HMS Gorleston (Cdr.(Retd.) R.W. Keymer, RN), HMS Wellington (Lt.Cdr. J.T. Jones, RD, RNR), HMS Exe (A/Cdr. M.A.O. Biddulph, DSC, RN), HMS Leith (Lt.Cdr. E.C. Hulton, RN) and HMS Coreopsis (T/Lt. B.C. Hamilton, RNR). (9)
16 Aug 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. R.H. Bull, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Weston (Lt.Cdr. E. Gleave, RNR) and HMS Northern Pride (T/Lt. A.L.F. Bell, RNR). (10)
28 Dec 1944
HMS Upright (Lt. J.A.L. Wilkinson, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Bermuda with HMCS Penetang (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A.R. Hicks, RCNVR) and HMS Weston (Cdr. E. Gleave, RNR). (11)
11 Mar 1945
HMS Unruly (T/Lt. D.J. Palmer, RNVR) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Prompt (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.K. Hart, RANVR), HMS Jaseur (T/Lt. R. Kell, RNVR), HMS Loch More (Lt.Cdr. R.A.D. Cambridge, DSC, RD, RNR) and HMS Weston (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.P. Chipman, RCNVR). (12)
12 Mar 1945
HMS Unruly (T/Lt. D.J. Palmer, RNVR) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Loch More (Lt.Cdr. R.A.D. Cambridge, DSC, RD, RNR), HMS Weston (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.P. Chipman, RCNVR) and HMS Aire (A/Lt.Cdr. L.A., DSC, RNR). (12)
Sources
- ADM 173/16184
- ADM 173/16769
- ADM 173/16793
- ADM 173/16787
- ADM 173/17209
- ADM 173/17271
- ADM 173/17201
- ADM 173/17217
- ADM 173/17827
- ADM 173/17927
- ADM 173/19287
- ADM 173/20143
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.