HMS KIRKLISTON

SHIP'S LOG

 

1953
02 Feb Laid down at Harland and Wolff, Belfast.

1954
18 Feb Launched.
21 Aug Completed.

1956
14 Aug Renamed Kilmorey as tender to Ulster division RNR.

1960
Jul Reverted to Kirkliston

1962-1964
At Portsmouth. First of fifteen ships to be converted to minehunter

1964-1965
Oct - Apr First production minehunter. Leader of 1st MCMS, based out of Rosyth (Port Edgar).
Crew transferred from Shoulton, having done the first Minehunting trial.
Commanding Officer = Garth de Courcy-Ireland
Nav Officer/Ops Officer = S/Lt David Walton

1967
Singapore

1969
02 Jun First Lt = Lt. (SL) (X) J.M. Lang
Aug Based in Hong Kong as half leader of 6th MCMS. (Blackfoot Sqdn)
29 Sep Commanding Officer = L/Cdr. (X) I.A. Robinson

1970
15 Feb Squadron name changed from Blackfoot to Dragon
  Hong Kong to Bangkok with (?minehunter?). SEATO exercise off Sattahip with the Royal Thai Navy and the US Navy. USS Catskill was the Support Ship.
11 - 28 May General drills, firings and minehunting in local Hong Kong waters.
29 May - 01 Jun Hong Kong to Labuan with Sheraton. (Report of Proceedings to Commodore, Hong Kong)
02 - 04 Jun Labuan to Singapore with Sheraton.
04 - 08 Jun Singapore stores basin.
08 - 12 Jun Minehunting in Malacca Straits, looking for crashed aircraft (RAF Lightning) and Port Swettenham.
12 - 13 Jun Passage Port Swettenham to Singapore.
16 - 26 Jun Exercising with the Royal Malaysian Navy, off Dungan (minesweeping/minehunting and air defence).
30 - 05 Jul Passage Singapore to Hong Kong with RFA Gold Ranger and Sheraton.
05 - 31 Jul Operations local waters, Hong Kong.
12 Aug - 12 Nov Refit.
13 - 16 Nov Post refit trials.
01 Dec In charge of Commander British Forces farewell.
03 - 31 Dec Local exercises and operations in Hong Kong waters.

1971
01 - 12 Jan Local exercises and operations in Hong Kong waters.
14 - 15 Jan Projects Tolo Harbour/Double Haven, including building pathway and island cattle drive on Wong Wan Chau with Aurora.
18 Jan Fire power demonstration for the new CBF.
01 Feb Passage from Hong Kong for Singpore via Labuan, Borneo.
10 - 11 Feb Passage Singapore to Penang.
12 - 16 Feb Muka Head – Exercising with Royal Malaysian Navy (minehunting).
16 - 17 Feb Passage Penang to Singapore.
24 Feb - 01 Mar Passage Singapore to Hong Kong with Sheraton, RFA’s Gold Ranger and Typhoon.
10 - 11 Mar Local exercises in Hong Kong waters.
24 Mar Ship’s sea inspection, including Operation Awkward, minesweeping, minehunting, 40/60 firings, NBCD drills and general drills.
30 Mar Maxton consort for seamanship drills (jackstay, board and tow and armed team sweep).
30 Mar - 01 Apr Minehunting in South Lamma channel.
01 Apr - 04 May AMP Hong Kong
04 - 07 May Minehunting Hong Kong waters.
07 May Ship open to visitors, Hong Kong.
14 - 17 May Passage to Okinawa. Refuelled.
17 - 18 May Passage Okinawa to Kure.
26 - 27 May Passage Kure to Komatsushima.
01 Jun At sea with Japanese schoolchildren and 10 JMSDF Officers.
07 - 09 Jun Passage Komatsuchima to Okinawa.
09 - 12 Jun Passage Okinawa to Hong Kong.
25 Jun Dry dock – Taikoo Shipyard.
29 Jun Sailed Hong Kong to lay a swell recorder for the Royal Observatory to assist in the building of the High Island Reservoir Project; 7 scientists, 2 press men and TV crew embarked.
30 Jun - 01 Jul Continued diving tasks for Royal Observatory.
06 Jul Sea bed survey between North Point and the airstrip, Hong Kong.
07 - 13 Jul Exercise in local waters with Hubberston.
30 Jul - 05 Aug Local exercises and minehunting Hong Kong waters.
18 Aug Typhoon Rose - KIRKLISTON steamed at full speed to the capsized 'Fatshan' ferry. She picked up four crewmen — the sole survivors — and began a desperate hunt for others. None were found.
24 Aug Full power trial and embarked 50 Scots guards from North Lantau, returning to harbour on completion.
25 Aug Gunnery practice. Shoot off the Ninepins.
26 Aug Operations with the Royal Air Force.
27 Aug Embarked 50 Sea Cadets and gave them passage to Tolo Harbour.
30 Aug Passage for second group of Sea Cadets to Tolo Harbour. Press embarked.
01 Sep Minehunting in the Western Anchorage searching for two large sunken buoys.
02 Sep Families Day.
03 Sep Lead in exercise with HMS Intrepid, in company with Bossington.
10 Sep Squadron photograph, followed by carrying out range safety for HMS/M Finwhale’s live torpedo firings at the Ninepins, including Gemini transfers of personnel to and from the submarine.
20 - 21 Sep Young Officers’ NAVEX, Mirs Bay area.
28 Sep Seamanship exercises with Yarnton for Jackstays, Officer of the Watch manoeuvres and towing practice.
01 Oct Harbour lead-out, followed by a timing run for the visit of Princess Anne.
06 Oct West Lamma Channel, hunting for the anchor lost by USS Regulus during Typhoon Rose.
11 - 13 Oct Local exercising with Beachampton.
18 Oct In company with Beachampton for Governor’s escort rehearsal.
26 Oct Junk Bay, practising accommodation ladder drill and preparing generally for Princess Anne’s embarkation. On completion, performed escort duty for Princess Anne from Kai Tak to Queen’s Pier.
28 Oct Embarked Princess Anne, North Junk Bay and gave her passage to HMS Tamar.
04 - 05 Nov Prepared underwater pipeline, providing fresh water to island in Double Haven.

1972
22 May Sailed with Sheraton from Hong Kong for the UK. Escorted out of harbour by Wolverton.
22 - 24 May Passage from Hong Kong to Subic
24 May At Subic with SHERATON.
26 May Letter from Roy Randolph, (President Wilkinson Sword Ltd) to L/Cdr I.A. Robinson (Kirkliston's previous C.O.) stating that Kirkliston had been awarded the Sword of Peace (1971) for outstanding services by the ship's company in Hong Kong.
25 - 27 May Passage from Subic to Muara, Borneo.
27 - 29 May At Muara, Borneo with SHERATON.
29 May - 01 Jun Passage from Muara to Singapore.
01 - 05 Jun At Singapore with SHERATON.
05 -06 Jun Passage from Singapore to Penang.
06 - 08 Jun At Penang with SHERATON.
08 - 14 Jun Passage from Penang to Gan.
10 Jun RAS (L) with RFA TIDESPRING.
14 -16 Jun At Gan with SHERATON.
16 - 21 Jun Passage from Gan to the Seychelles.
21 - 23Jun At the Seychelles.
23 Jun - 01 Jul Passage from the Seychelles to Durban.
29 Jun RAS (L) with GREEN ROVER.
01 - 04 Jul At Durban.
04 - 07 Jul Passage from Durban to Simons Town.
07 - 24 Jul At Simons Town. AMP.
13 Jul Presentation of the Sword of Peace by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh at Cutlers' Hall, London.
(Presentation of the Sword of Peace)
24 - 25 Jul Passage from Simons Town to Walvis Bay.
25 Jul At Walvis Bay (fuel stop only).
25 Jul - 04 Aug Passage from Walvis Bay to Monrovia.
01 Aug RAS (L) with GOLD ROVER.
04 - 07 Aug At Monrovia.
07 - 09 Aug Passage from Monrovia to Bathurst.
09 - 11 Aug At Bathurst.
11 - 14 Aug Passage from Bathurst to Santa Cruz.
14 - 16 Aug At Santa Cruz, Tenerife.
16 - 18 Aug Passage from Santa Cruz to Gibraltar.
18 - 20 Aug At Gibraltar.
20 - 24 Aug Passage from Gibraltar to Plymouth.
24 Aug Anchored in Plymouth Sound for Customs Clearance.
25 - 29 Aug Portsmouth
31 Aug Arrived Lochinvar - joined 1st MCMS

1973
  Refit in Gibraltar

1974
First time a minehunter had been manned by the RNR for Exercise “Northern Merger”. Served with STANAVFORCHAN

1979
22 Jan - 31 Dec STANAVFORCHAN - Based at Vernon but also operated from Zeebrugge & Den Helder. At some time during this period Kirkliston was despatched to Plymouth to search for a towed array, which was supposedly released by one of our nuclear submarines off the breakwater. Kirkliston spent several days searching and never found it. The towed array was discovered some weeks later off Drake's Island, well past where it should have been released.

1980
01 - 07 Jan STANAVFORCHAN  - Based at Vernon but also operated from Zeebrugge & Den Helder.

1982
Sep Joined 2nd MCMS. In company with Nurton, preparations for the laying of electricity power cables across the channel (Folkestone-Sandgate).

1985
02 Dec Final voyage from Pompey to Rosyth.

1987
Got ready for disposal

1988
Standby Squadron.

1991
20 Oct Sold for breaking up.

1992

Broken up in Bruges.