USS Welles was renamed HMS Cameron and placed in commission on 9 September 1940 by Lt.Cdr. P.G. Merriman, RN. Her sailing from Halifax for Britain was delayed whe she had some problems with a generator. After finally getting underway, the destroyer made port at Plymouth on 13 November. Shifting to Portsmouth three days later, HMS Cameron was placed in dockyard hands to receive her first major overhaul since coming under the White Ensign. During this refit on 5 December 1940, German Luftwaffe bombers struck Portsmouth while HMS Cameron lay defenseless in drydock no. 8. A high explosive bomb severely damaged the ship, capsizing her. Deemed unsuitable for return to active sea service, HMS Cameron was eventually refloated on 23 February 1941 and allocated for use as a hulk. The Royal Navy conducted shock tests on the hulk between July 1942 and September 1943. HMS Cameron was paid off on 5 October 1943. HMS Cameron remained in dockyard hands at Portsmouth until towed to Falmouth in November 1944, where she was subsequently broken up for scrap.