Allied Warships

HMS Dovey (K 523)

Frigate of the River class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeFrigate
ClassRiver 
PennantK 523 
Built byFleming & Ferguson Ltd. (Paisley, Scotland) 
Ordered24 Jan 1942 
Laid down23 Mar 1943 
Launched14 Oct 1943 
Commissioned25 Feb 1944 
End service 
History

Scrapped 2 November 1955.  

Commands listed for HMS Dovey (K 523)

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and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1T/A/Lt.Cdr. Thomas William Fearne Bolland, RNR1 Dec 194315 Jan 1946

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Notable events involving Dovey include:


15 Mar 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Leeds Castle (A/Lt.Cdr. J. Mackay, RNR), HMS Lochy (Lt.Cdr. W.J.P. Roberts, RNR), HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Loring (Lt. A.d'E.T. Sangster, RN). (1)

22 Mar 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with FFS L'Escarmouche, FFS L'Aventure, HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Loring (Lt. A.d'E.T. Sangster, RN). (1)

23 Mar 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Leeds Castle (A/Lt.Cdr. J. Mackay, RNR), HMS Oxford Castle (T/Lt. H.E. Holden, DSC, RNR), HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Loring (Lt. A.d'E.T. Sangster, RN). (1)

11 Apr 1944
HMS H 34 (Lt. R.L. Jay, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Campbeltown with HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR), HMS Radiant (T/Lt. C.S.R. Shapland, RNVR) and HMS Valena (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A. McKinlay, RNR). (2)

30 Dec 1944
HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived off Durban with convoy MC 14. The convoy and its escort went into Durban.

HMS Valiant was joined by the frigates HMS Test (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.B. Collinson, RD, DSC, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR) which were to escort her to Capetown. However a few hours after joining HMS Test was relieved by the frigate HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR). (3)

2 Jan 1945
HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN), HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR) arrived at Capetown. (4)

8 Jan 1945
HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Capetown for Freetown. She is escorted by the frigates HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR). (4)

19 Jan 1945
HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN), HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR) arrived at Freetown. (4)

21 Jan 1945
The battleship HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Freetown for Plymouth. She is still escorted by the frigates HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR).

Around 1350A/27 they were joined by the sloop HMS Leith (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.W. Preston, RN) and the corvettes HMS Anchusa (T/Lt. R.A. Baker, RNVR) and HMS Convolvulus (A/Lt.Cdr. R.F.R. Yarde-Buller, RNVR).

At 0930A/31, the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Cdr. Douglas Eric Holland-Martin, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) and HrMs Van Galen (Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN) joined as additional escorts.

HMS Valiant and her escorts arrived at Plymouth on 1 February 1945. (4)

1 Feb 1945
Around 1015A/1, the (damaged) battleship HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) and her escorts, the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Cdr. Douglas Eric Holland-Martin, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HrMs Van Galen (Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN), sloop HMS Leith (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.W. Preston, RN), frigates HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR), HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR) and the corvettes HMS Anchusa (T/Lt. R.A. Baker, RNVR) and HMS Convolvulus (A/Lt.Cdr. R.F.R. Yarde-Buller, RNVR) arrived at Plymouth. (5)

Sources

  1. ADM 173/19326
  2. ADM 173/18494
  3. ADM 53/120686
  4. ADM 53/122435
  5. ADM 53/122436 + File 2.12.03.1619 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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