H.M.S. SOLEBAY    A brief history

Service:   5th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain (D))  1945 - 1953    Reserve, Chatham,  1954-1957    1st Destroyer Squadron (Captain (D)  1957 - 1962.  Battle Honours:    St. Kitts 1782 Badge: Blue, within a wreath of laurel gold a rose white barbed and seeded proper.

SOLEBAY was launched at Hawthorn Leslie on 22 February 1944.  She was slightly larger than others in the class, being fitted out as Leader.  She was completed and commissioned on 25th September 1945, as a Chatham manned ship, and after trials at Portland she was sent to Malta for work-up prior to proceeding to join the 19th Destroyer Flotilla in British Pacific fleet.  The work-up period was hectic, but there was still time for runs ashore to sample the delights of “The Gut”.  Before the work-up was complete the war with Japan ended and she was reassigned to the Home Fleet, as Captain (D) 5th Destroyer Flotilla. On the way back to the UK she stopped for a “rabbit” run at Gibraltar (Alan Deevy, a telegraphist, remembers everyone buying bananas because these had not been seen in the UK for five years).

She spent the next the next  8 years with the 5th DF.  She took part in “Operation Deadlight”,  which involved towing surrendered U-Boats 150 miles North East of Ireland and sinking  them  either with charges or gunfire.  Her best effort was when “A” turret sank a U-boat with 11 rounds - no information is available about her worst.  After this came a spell as German Waters Guardship,  visiting Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven, Kiel, Flensburg and Hamburg, followed by “showing the flag”  around the coast.  In July 1946 she paid her first visit to Southwold (the scene of the Battle of Sole Bay) and forged links which have lasted to this day.

At the beginning of 1947 she underwent and extensive three month refit,  before rejoining the flotilla for the usual round of flag showing in Europe and the UK.  She also paid a visit to the West Indies, and took part in exercises in the Mediterranean - the usual Home Fleet activities.  Mostly, however, she seemed to spend her time visiting ports around England, Scotland and Ireland (with the occasional trip to Gibraltar).  On one occasion she returned to Hawthorn Leslie and embarked some of the staff to sea for the day.  A demonstration of a depth-charge attack went wrong, and SOLEBAY suffered damage and flooding.  One employee thought it was all part of the show.

On October 20th 1950 she was at Lisbon when her First Lieutenant (Lieutenant Commander F.W. Ponsonby), was one of six naval officers killed in a tragic accident.  Their car ran off the end of the jetty, having missed a turn, and despite gallant efforts by officers and men from SOLEBAY to extricate them underwater all the officers were drowned.

During the period 1950-51 SOLEBAY clocked up a first by transiting from Oostende to Ghent by canal - the largest ship do so.  A chef onboard recalls looking out of the galley hatch (which was on the upper deck) and seeing lorries and bicycles just feet away.

In 1953 SOLEBAY took part in the Royal Fleet Review at Spithead before returning to Chatham for refit and modification. STAAG mountings and improved radar were fitted in place of some of the Oerlikon and Bofors Anti Aircraft armament, and the depth-charge racks and throwers were replaced by a single Squid mounting.  On completion she was reduced to reserve.

In 1957 SOLEBAY, in “Operation Sleeping Beauty” , was de-mothballed, commissioned, and steamed to Portsmouth - all in the space of one month.  SOLEBAY became leader of the 1st Destroyer Squadron.  The next 18 months were spent with the Home/Mediterranean fleets.  After further refit, the she and the rest of the 1st DS recommissioned in 1958 and deployed to the Far East in April 1959.  During this commission H.M.S. HOGUE, in the same Squadron, was struck by INS MYSORE during night exercises.  She was damaged beyond repair, and  SOLEBAY and LAGOS towed her to Trincomalee.

In April 1960 SOLEBAY returned to the U.K..  The following month the 1st DS and 3rd DS were amalgamated as the 1st DS with SOLEBAY as leader. This was to be a General Service commission, and the final commission for all the ships in the Squadron.  After work-up at Portland, the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean for the 12 month foreign leg to relieve the 7th DS in time for Christmas.

SOLEBAY got off to a good start by ramming TRAFALGAR (Captain (D) 7th DS)  while coming to the buoy in Sliema Creek, delaying their departure for the UK until after Christmas - not a very popular move.  The year was spent on the usual round of exercises with other RN ships and Nato forces, and port visits.  She also became something of a magnet for Royalty:  during a visit to Corfu she hosted the King and Queen of Greece, plus Prince Constantine, his sisters, and Prince (now King) Juan Carlos of Spain.  She was also selected as senior escort to the Royal Yacht for H.M. The Queen’s state visit to Italy, which included a visit to Venice (the first of two made by SOLEBAY) culminating in a spectacular fire-work display.  One of the British national newspapers devoted several column inches to a description of  "this sleek greyhound of the fleet" following the Yacht to anchor off St Marks Square, and there was a general feeling of having stolen some of the glory from the "yachties". On completion of the state visit, SOLEBAY continued in company with the Royal Yacht (now with the Duke of Gloucester embarked) for a visit to Gallipoli for the dedication of the Commonwealth War Cemetery.

In November 1961 SOLEBAY returned to Portsmouth for leave before taking up duties with the Home Fleet.  Almost immediately she was selected (reputedly at the request of the Queen) to act as escort for the Royal Yacht for the Queen's visit to West Africa.  This was pretty much the highlight of the last few months of the commission, with visits to Takoradi, Dakar, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone.  The ship created quite a stir in Freetown, when she was illuminated at night, with the local radio announcer sounding almost hysterical in his description of the sight.  Once again SOLEBAY had apparently upstaged BRITANNIA.

SOLEBAY paid off for the last time in April 1962. She became harbour training ship in Portsmouth before finally being broken up in Troon in August/September 1967.