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May 1957 5th Frigate Squadron Home and
Mediterranean (Far East).
Map
February 1958 Sailed for Malta then day running from Sliema
Creek with 5th FS for the first couple of months. The
captain of Scarborough was Commander Dalrymple-Hamilton. As was the
current practice Scarborough used to enter Sliema Creek stern first and
always tied up to buoys. If the weather was rough she would enter the
mouth of the harbour and then turn around before entering the Creek
astern on to the buoys. The minesweepers used to berth on a jetty off of
Manoel Island. Scarborough was then detailed for 'weather reporting'
duties for the Grapple series of H-bomb tests at Christmas Island in
the Pacific. Scarborough wasn't suitable for tropical duties at that
time and so she
needed upgrading in Malta dockyard. Fridges were fitted in all the messdecks and a small shelter was built on her quarterdeck for
the weather
balloons as well as other necessary modifications.
June 1958 Sailed from Malta calling in at Gibraltar, the
Azores, Bermuda, Jamaica and Panama before arriving at Christmas
Island. Weather reporting duties were shared with New Zealand warship, HMNZS
Pukaki. A
Test Ban Treaty which was due to come into force at the end of
September 1958 meant all the tests scheduled to take place up until the
end of October were brought forward and completed early.
Scarborough chased the original Greenpeace ship (a sailing ship) out of
the atomic and hydrogen bomb test area.
A
planned self-refit in Singapore could not be brought forward but
Auckland could accommodate Scarborough for tens days of self-refit. After the
last bomb drop she called back at Christmas Island for the skipper to
say his "goodbyes" and for Ken Littlewood and one other
sparker to go ashore and burn the 'confidential waste'. Commander C.W.
Eason replaced Commander Dalrymple-Hamilton. Commander Dalrymple-Hamilton
was flown home to join the Royal Yacht as executive Commander, to go with
the Duke of Edinburgh to visit Christmas Island after the events, on a
fact finding tour.
After leaving
Christmas Island Scarborough sailed on a tropical cruise to Apia in
Western Samoa, Auckland, Sydney,
Melbourne, Freemantle (Perth), Colombo in Ceylon and then Aden before arriving
home in Portsmouth. A total distance of 42,000 miles were steamed from
February to December 1958.
10/12/58 Arrived Portsmouth.
The Home leg of the commission was just as varied, apart from some
routine Fishery Protection Duties off of Iceland.
February 1959 Scarborough took part in the Cod War with Iceland.
Capt F in HMS Torquay
decided to make Scarborough his Command (Torquay, the original Squadron
Leader was having continual engine problems). The squadron was detailed
to escort HMS Victorious to Norfolk, Virginia where the Victorious was
to demonstrate the latest in Aircraft Detection Radar. Scarborough left
Norfolk and headed for Hamilton, Bermuda, for the second time in just
over twelve months, to join HMS Bermuda in the Island's 350th
Anniversary Celebrations.
Prior to leaving Portsmouth alterations had been carried out to the
Captain's Quarters onboard, because after leaving Bermuda Scarborough
picked up Lord and Lady Mountbatten in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Incidentally,
the wooden furniture in the Captains Cabin had originally been made by an
apprentice "joiner" called George Laybourne who had signed
his work underneath each drawer. He had also previously made tables and
benches for both the Scarborough and the Eastbourne. Not long after, George joined the
Royal Navy as a sparker and then later transferring to the electronic
warfare branch. Both George and David Axford served together on the
Troubridge from 1964-1966. Later David served the last commission on
Scarborough. George finished his time as a CPO(OPS)EW.
Lord Mountbatten opened the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto
and Scarborough was to be his Flagship for the duration of the voyage
down the St Lawrence Seaway, via Quebec, Montreal and finally Toronto
where Scarborough met up with over twenty NATO warships anchored off
the city. Lord and Lady Mountbatten stayed onboard for most of the
Toronto visit.
From Toronto Scarborough headed across Lake Ontario and sailed
through the Welland Canal to Buffalo in New York State. Believed to be
the first visit to the city by a British warship since the early 19th
century when 'visitors' burned the town down. After the visit
Scarborough returned home to Portsmouth. Scarborough had steamed a
total of 79,500 miles during this commission and had spent 312 days at
sea out of approximately 600 days in commission.
September 1959 Home and Far East.
June 1961 to December 1962 Home and Mediterranean
26/02/62 Rendezvoused with the Royal Yacht to escort the
Princess Royal on her visit to Famagusta and Limassol in
Cyprus and on to Tobruk.
31/03/62 With Centaur and Ursa
03/05/62 With Centaur and Broadsword - Plane Guard for
Centaur
1962 Visits to Gibraltar, La Spezia (Northern Italy)
Aranci Bay in Sardinia
12/12/62 Arrived Portsmouth for extended refit (until
February 1964)
April 1964 to August 1972 17th Frigate
Squadron, Dartmouth Training Squadron. This comprised of the
four Whitby class ships SCARBOROUGH (Capt D), TENBY, TORQUAY
and EASTBOURNE. The main task of the squadron was to train
officer cadets in basic ship experience. Sea time experience
was given also to young Royal Marine officers and Engine
Room Artificer apprentices. There were three cruises a year
which coincided with the terms at Dartmouth College. These
cruises usually alternated between the Mediterranean and the
Baltic.
February 1972 Civitavecchia. DTS in company
with Antrim. Scarborough bent her bows whilst squeezing into her
berth.
Autumn 1972 Paid Off and laid up at Devonport
March 1973 Towed from Devonport to the Tyne and after
survey by Swan Hunter Ltd., left again on 26th
March to Devonport.
1974 Proposed sale to Pakistan cancelled.
31/08/77 Left the Tyne where she had been laid up for
some months, under tow, for Blyth, where she was broken up
by Blyth Shipbreaking and Repairers Ltd.
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