HMS Verulam

The crest Blue; a saltire couped gold surmounted by a sword proper.

The ship's crest and motto is taken from the Arms of the City and see of St Albans. The motto "Moniti Meliora" means "We know there are better things in store" and was chosen by Francis Bacon when he was made the first Earl of Verulanium, the Roman name for St Albans.

Battle Honours
Arctic 1944
Normandy 1944
Norway 1944
Malaya 1945
Burma 1945

My second sea going draft was the converted V class destroyer HMS Verulam - the conversion from destroyer into a type 15 frigate seemed to me to make her a very good sea boat. During all my time on board her ship she was running for AUWE based in Portland so she was part of the 2nd Frigate Squadron. The Navy had two ships by the name of Verulam.

First Verulam Second Verulam,

The first Verulam

VERULAM F19 V class destroyer

Displacement		1272 tons standard load
		1339 tons full load
Length		312' overall
Beam		29' 6"
Machinery		Geared turbines, 2 screws, 27000 horsepower
Speed		34 knots
Armament		4 X 4" (4 X 1) quick firing guns on CP11 mountings - with 30° elevation - 120 rounds per minute
		1 X 3" 20 cwt gun on High Angle MkIII mounting.
		100 rounds per gun
Torpedo Tubes		4 X 212 (2 X 2)
Complement		104
Built by		Hawthorn Leslie
Laid down		8th February 1917
Completed		12th December 1917.

Fate:
Mined and sunk in the Gulf of Finland 4th September 1919.

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The second Verulam

Verulam R28

HMS VERULAM R28. V class destroyer (converted to Type 15 frigate D29)

Displacement		1710 tons
Length		363' 9" overall
Beam		35' 9"
Draught		10'
Machinery		2 shafts, geared turbines, 40000 shaft horsepower
Speed		36¾ knots
Armament		4 X 4.7" (4 X 1)
		2 X 20mm Anti-aircraft (1 X 2)
		8 X 20mm Anti-aircraft (4 X 2)
Torpedo tubes		8 X 21" (2 X 4)
Complement		180
Built by		Fairfield Govan
Laid down		26th January 1942
Launched		22nd April 1943
Completed		10th December 1943

Home fleet: Verulam was part of the force that attacked the German battleship Tirpitz in Altenfjord. Operation Tungsten 3rd April 1944.

Verulam took part in the Normandy Landings (Operation Neptune) 6th June 1944. Operation Counterblast to attack an escorted convoy off South Norway. There were seven ships in the convoy and six were sunk - three of the four escorts were also sunk 13th November 1944.

East Indies Fleet 1945, Verulam was part of the 26th Destroyer Flotilla with Captain M. L. Power CBE DSO and bar, in HMS Saumarez as Captain (D). Other ships in the Squadron, Verulam Lieutenant Commander D.H.R. Bromley. DSC; Vigilant Lieutenant Commander L.W. L. Argles DSC. ; Venus Commander H. G. D. De Chair DSO and bar, and Virago Lieutenant Commander A. J. R. White DSC.

Verulam saw action in the East Indies, Operation Sunfish the bombardment of Sabang (Samatra) 11th April 1945; the air strike on Emmahaven, Padang in Sumatra 16th April 1945; the bombardment and air strike on Cap Nicobar airfields, and the bombardment of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands 30th April 1945; the sinking of the Japanese cruiser Haguro and damaged the destroyer Kamikaze 45 miles South West of Penang off the coast of Maylaya 16thMay 1945; and many other operations.

The ship was converted to a Type 15 Frigate in Portsmouth Dockyard in 1950. On completion of the conversion, the ship commissioned for service in the sixth Frigate Squadron with the Home Fleet. After two commissions the ship was reduced to reserve, where she remained, except for a 16-day period for trials in January 1956.

In November 1958 the ship was taken in hand at Plymouth for conversion to a Sonar trials ship. She Recommissioned on 6th November 1959, completed an extensive refit in April 1963 and based at Portland, was employed on experimental trials for HM Underwater Weapons Establishment until May 1965 when she commenced a five month refit at Plymouth, prior to a continuation of her trials programme.

I joined this ship 23rd August 1965 and served on her until 12th February 1967. My job on board was TAS/Gunners yeoman and AUWE party. In the eighteen months I was on board we spent a lot of time off Malta doing Trials and also in the Far East. It was in Hong Kong that I had my 21st Birthday a good as place in the world to have one.

The Captain was Lieutenant Commander David F. Watts. Divisional Officer Lieutenant Whitney.

In 1966 the ship's stern was damaged and had to be replaced and a section from HMS Urchin was used for the purpose.

Verulam was broken up by J. Cashmore, Newport in 1972

Verulam after conversion

HMS Verulam after conversion to a Type 15 frigate.

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