Allied Warships

HMS Caprice (R 01)

Destroyer of the Ca class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Ca
Pennant	R 01
Built by	Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. (Scotstoun, Scotland)
Ordered	16 Feb 1942
Laid down	28 Sep 1942
Launched	16 Sep 1943
Commissioned	5 Apr 1944
End service
History	Scrapped at Queensborough starting November 1979.
Former name	HMS Swallow

Commands listed for HMS Caprice (R 01)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. Gordon Wylie McKendrick, RN	4 Mar 1944	mid 1946

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Notable events involving Caprice include:

1 May 1944
HMS Otway (Lt. M.B. St. John, DSC, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area with HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN) and HMS Jan van Gelder (Lt. P.D. O'Driscoll, RNR). These included night exercises. (1)

20 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Loch Killin (Lt.Cdr. S. Darling, RANVR) and HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN). (2)

21 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN). (2)

22 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN) and HMCS Orangeville (Lt. F.R. Pike, RCNVR). (2)

24 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Stork (Cdr.(Retd.) G.W.E. Castens, DSO, RN) and HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN). (2)

25 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Stork (Cdr.(Retd.) G.W.E. Castens, DSO, RN), HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN) and HMS Loch Killin (Lt.Cdr. S. Darling, RANVR). (2)

1 Aug 1944
HMS Malaya (Capt. E.W. Bush, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Scapa Flow during which she was escorted by HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN). (3)

8 Aug 1944
HMS Malaya (Capt. E.W. Bush, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Scapa Flow during which she was escorted by HMS Meteor (Lt.Cdr. D.J.B. Jewitt, RN and HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN).

On completion of these exercises she departed for Greenock escorted by the two destroyers until off the North Minches. The destroyers then proceeded to Stornoway. (4)

17 Sep 1944
HMS Scythian (T/Lt C.P. Thode, RNZNVR) conducted attack exercises at Scapa Flow during which HMS Indefatigable (Capt. Q.D. Graham, CBE, DSO, RN) served as target. The carrier was escorted by HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN) and HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Biggs, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN). (5)

18 Sep 1944
HMS Scythian (T/Lt C.P. Thode, RNZNVR) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN). (5)

10 Jan 1959
Recommissioned after lengthy refit and modernisation at Yarrow's yard. Left the UK in March for deployment to the Far East Station. Commanding Officer was Commander H.J. Startin. (6)