HMS Avon Vale (L06)
Encyclopedia
HMS Avon Vale (pennant number
L06) was an escort destroyer
of the Hunt Type II class. The Royal Navy
ordered Avon Vales construction three months after the outbreak of the Second World War. John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd
laid down her keel at their Clydebank
yard on 12 February 1940, as Admiralty Job Number J1569. After a successful Warship Week
national savings campaign in February 1942, the Avon Vale was adopted by the civil community of Trowbridge
, Wiltshire
.
with the Irish sea force. The destroyer was worked up at Scapa Flow
with ships of the Home Fleet in March, being redeployed with the Irish Sea Force for convoy defence in Irish Sea in April. In May 1941, the Avon Vale was nominated for service in Gibraltar, where she was deployed for convoy defence with the destroyers HMS Eridge
and HMS Farndale.
In July, the Avon Vale was deployed for escort duties in a Malta convoy
GM1, which consisted a passage through the Western Mediterranean as part of Operation Substance. On 17 July the destroyer joined another convoy, WS9C, with the destroyers HMS Nestor
, HMS Eridge and HMS Farndale. Together the destroyers escorted the troopship Pasteur, forming Convoy GM1, carried servicemen to Gibraltar before taking passage to Malta.
On 20 July the destroyer sailed from Gibraltar to join Force X as escort through the Sicilian Narrows to Malta with HMS Edinburgh, HMS Manchester, HMS Arethusa
, the cruiser HMS Manxman
, the destroyers HMS Cossack
, HMS Maori
, HMS Sikh
, the destroyers forming Force H
at Gibraltar, as well as the Nestor, Eridge and Farndale. On 23 July the convoy found itself under close air attacks from Sardinian airfields, during which the Manchester and HMS Fearless
were damaged and withdrawn from the operation.
, along with the destroyers Nestor, HMS Broke
and the sloop HMS Deptford. The Avon Vale was then nominated for service in the eastern Mediterranean, taking passage through Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean, joining the flotilla at Alexandria
in November. The destroyer was then deployed for support of the Tobruk garrison.
On 27 November the Avon Vale was deployed with the sloop HMAS Parramatta as escorts for the merchantman SS Hanne taking supplies of munitions to Tobruk. The ships were attacked by the German submarine U-559, which torpedoed and sank the Parramatta. The Avon Vale rescued the only twenty survivors from the sloop. On 30 November the Avon Vale escorted another convoy, AT1, to Tobruk with the escort destroyer HMS Heythrop. The convoy was made up of the armed boarding vessels and the merchantman SS Kirkland which carried petrol. On 2 December the destroyer arrived at Tobruk with AT1, sailing back from Tobruk with HMS Farndale on 5 December as convoy TA1. The convoy found itself under air attacks, during which the SS Chakdina was sunk. The Chakdina was carrying prisoners of war, amongst them General Ravenstein
, who was rescued by the Farndale.
In January 1942, the Avon Vale continued in her operations in support of Tobruk. In February, the destroyer was deployed with HMS Southwold, HMS Beaufort
, HMS Dulverton
, HMS Hurworth, HMS Eridge
and HMS Heythrop of the flotilla in convoy defence duties in the eastern Mediterranean. On 12 February Avon Vale formed part of the escort for Convoy MW9A, with the cruiser HMS Carlisle
, HMS Lance
, the Heythrop and the Eridge, which found itself under heavy and sustained air attacks on 13 February.
including the battleship Littorio
and three cruisers. The Avon Vale sustained damage during these air attacks, and further damage was done after she was involved in a collision. The engagement by the covering force
was able to prevent a full attack on the convoy.
On 29 March the Avon Vale was nominated for return to the United Kingdom for repairs. The destroyer met escort duties for the damaged cruiser HMS Aurora
during the patched cruiser's passage from Malta to Gibraltar. In April the destroyer left Gibraltar for Falmouth
, where she was taken in hand at a commercial shipyard.
in continuation of her services.
In October, the Avon Vale began Atlantic convoy defence duties in continuation from Freetown. On 20 October she joined military convoy WS23, departing from Freetown with the cruiser HMS Durban
, HMS Carthage and the Greek destroyer Kanaris as escort during part of the passage to the Cape of Good Hope
.
On 23 October the destroyer detached from WS23 upon being relieved by the sloop HMS Milford and the cruiser HMS Despatch
, returning to Freetown. The Avon Vale then passed to Gibraltar to escort military convoys before the allied landings in North Africa
. On 8 November the Avon Vale joined the Central Naval Task Force to support the landings at Oran
. The destroyer was then released for convoy escort duties, a role which was carried out all through December in support of military operations in North Africa.
, which destroyed the whole of the bow structure of the destroyer. The aft section was towed back to Gibraltar by the escort destroyer HMS Bicester
. Temporary repairs were carried out in February to ensure the Avon Vale could be towed back safely for permanent repairs. In February the passage had to be deferred until a suitable convoy was available. From March to May the destroyer was deployed at Gibraltar awaiting tow, until she was towed back to the United Kingdom on 25 June as part of convoy MKS15.
The Avon Vale arrived in the UK on 7 July and was taken in hand for repair at HM Dockyard Chatham
on 22 July. The forward structure was rebuilt, the whole repairs taking from August to December. The destroyer was under refit between January and March 1944, when she was nominated for transfer to the Royal Hellenic Navy, to be renamed the HHMS Aegaion. However, this transfer was not carried out because of the mutinous conduct of Greek mariners which manned Royal Navy units at Alexandria.
In April the Avon Vale carried out her post repair harbour trials, which were completed on 14 April with the commencement of the destroyer's sea trials. In May, upon completing the trials, and achieving worked-up service, the destroyer was nominated for convoy escort duties during the allied landings in Normandy
.
On 6 June the Avon Vale was deployed at Portsmouth
as part of Force L. The destroyer sailed from Solent
with the escort of the Follow-up Convoy L1 from Nore
. This escort was made up of the trawler HMS Damsay and the 143rd MMS Flotilla.
commercial shipyard, from where she was nominated for service with the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean. Upon completing these repairs, the Avon Vale took passage to join the flotilla at Alexandria. In September she was deployed with the flotilla in the Eastern Mediterranean, taking part in a number of operations to occupy several islands after the surrender of Italy. The Avon Vale was then transferred to the Adriatic for convoy defence, patrols and in support of shore operations. While being deployed with HMS Wheatland, on 1 November, the Avon Vale engaged German surface craft south of the island of Lussino, sinking the Torpedo boat TA20, and the corvettes UJ202 and UJ208, and rescuing some of the survivors. In December the destroyer was nominated for service in the East Indies
after a refit in the United Kingdom.
In January 1945 the Avon Vale joined the 16th Destroyer Flotilla, based at Harwich
, pending her refit prior to service in the Indies. The refit was arranged at the port of Taranto
, Italy
. The destroyer was taken in hand for refit in March, which was completed in May. Upon completing the refit, the destroyer returned to the United Kingdom, for pay off and the recommissioning for her service overseas. The recommissioning occurred in June, while a work-up for operational service in the Mediterranean was carried out in July. In August the deployment was cancelled, and the Avon Vale returned to the United Kingdom for pay off and a reduction to reserve.
, and was laid up in reserve at Plymouth
on 10 December 1945. The destroyer was transferred to the Sheerness Reserve Fleet after a refit at HM Dockyard Sheerness in 1949. When Sheerness Division was closed, the Avon Vale was transferred to Hartlepool
and laid up there until placed on the Disposal List. The destroyer was sold to BISCO in 1958 for demolition by TA Young at Sunderland. The Avon Vale arrived in tow at the Breaker’s yard on 15 May of that year.
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
L06) was an escort destroyer
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
of the Hunt Type II class. The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ordered Avon Vales construction three months after the outbreak of the Second World War. John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd
John Brown & Company
John Brown and Company of Clydebank was a pre-eminent Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding firm, responsible for building many notable and world-famous ships, such as the , the , the , the , the , and the...
laid down her keel at their Clydebank
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
yard on 12 February 1940, as Admiralty Job Number J1569. After a successful Warship Week
Warship Week
Warship Weeks were British National savings campaigns during the Second World War, with the adoption of a Royal Navy warship by a civil community. A level of savings would be set to raise enough money to provide the cost of building a particular naval ship...
national savings campaign in February 1942, the Avon Vale was adopted by the civil community of Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Early operations
Avon Vale began her career on convoy duty in the North Western ApproachesWestern Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
with the Irish sea force. The destroyer was worked up at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
with ships of the Home Fleet in March, being redeployed with the Irish Sea Force for convoy defence in Irish Sea in April. In May 1941, the Avon Vale was nominated for service in Gibraltar, where she was deployed for convoy defence with the destroyers HMS Eridge
HMS Eridge (L68)
HMS Eridge was a Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1940 and served during the Second World War. She was permanently disabled while shelling Axis positions on 29 August 1942 off El Daba, Egypt, at , by a 450mm torpedo fired by a small Italian surface craft and subsequently...
and HMS Farndale.
In July, the Avon Vale was deployed for escort duties in a Malta convoy
Malta Convoys
The Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys that sustained the besieged island of Malta during the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War...
GM1, which consisted a passage through the Western Mediterranean as part of Operation Substance. On 17 July the destroyer joined another convoy, WS9C, with the destroyers HMS Nestor
HMAS Nestor (G02)
HMAS Nestor was an N class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Built in Scotland, Nestor was commissioned in February 1941; although manned by Australians and commissioned as an Australian warship, she remained the property of the Royal Navy.Entering service in 1941, Nestor spent most of her...
, HMS Eridge and HMS Farndale. Together the destroyers escorted the troopship Pasteur, forming Convoy GM1, carried servicemen to Gibraltar before taking passage to Malta.
On 20 July the destroyer sailed from Gibraltar to join Force X as escort through the Sicilian Narrows to Malta with HMS Edinburgh, HMS Manchester, HMS Arethusa
HMS Arethusa (26)
HMS Arethusa was the name ship of her class of light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. She was built by Chatham Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on 25 January 1933...
, the cruiser HMS Manxman
HMS Manxman (M70)
HMS Manxman was an Abdiel class minelayer.-Second World War:Commissioned on 7 June 1941, her first mission was the delivery of mines to Murmansk. Manxman then transferred to the Mediterranean, where she was employed on relief runs to Malta...
, the destroyers HMS Cossack
HMS Cossack (F03)
HMS Cossack was a Tribal-class destroyer which became famous for the boarding of the German supply ship Altmark in Norwegian waters, and the associated rescue of sailors originally captured by the Admiral Graf Spee....
, HMS Maori
HMS Maori (F24)
HMS Maori was a Tribal-class destroyer laid down by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, at Govan in Scotland on 6 June 1936, launched on 2 September 1937 by Mrs. W. J. Jordan and commissioned on 2 January 1939...
, HMS Sikh
HMS Sikh (F82)
HMS Sikh was a Tribal-class destroyer of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla of the Royal Navy. She was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow and commissioned in 1938. In 1941, while under the command of Commander Stokes, she took part in the sinking of the German battleship in 1941...
, the destroyers forming Force H
Force H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany....
at Gibraltar, as well as the Nestor, Eridge and Farndale. On 23 July the convoy found itself under close air attacks from Sardinian airfields, during which the Manchester and HMS Fearless
HMS Fearless (H67)
HMS Fearless was an E class destroyer built for the Royal Navy, that was commissioned in 1934, and saw service early in World War II before being sunk in July 1941.-Construction:...
were damaged and withdrawn from the operation.
Service in the Eastern Mediterranean
The Avon Vale was detached from the convoy to escort the damaged Manchester on her return passage to Gibraltar. During August, the Avon Vale was deployed in convoy defence at Gibraltar, from where she escorted Convoy HG72 on 2 September on its passage from Gibraltar to LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, along with the destroyers Nestor, HMS Broke
HMS Broke (D83)
HMS Broke was a Thornycroft type flotilla leader of the Royal Navy. She was the second of four ships of this class that were ordered from J I Thornycroft in April 1918, and was originally named Rooke after Rear Admiral Sir George Rooke of the Dutch Wars and the Battle of Vigo Bay.-Construction:She...
and the sloop HMS Deptford. The Avon Vale was then nominated for service in the eastern Mediterranean, taking passage through Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean, joining the flotilla at Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in November. The destroyer was then deployed for support of the Tobruk garrison.
On 27 November the Avon Vale was deployed with the sloop HMAS Parramatta as escorts for the merchantman SS Hanne taking supplies of munitions to Tobruk. The ships were attacked by the German submarine U-559, which torpedoed and sank the Parramatta. The Avon Vale rescued the only twenty survivors from the sloop. On 30 November the Avon Vale escorted another convoy, AT1, to Tobruk with the escort destroyer HMS Heythrop. The convoy was made up of the armed boarding vessels and the merchantman SS Kirkland which carried petrol. On 2 December the destroyer arrived at Tobruk with AT1, sailing back from Tobruk with HMS Farndale on 5 December as convoy TA1. The convoy found itself under air attacks, during which the SS Chakdina was sunk. The Chakdina was carrying prisoners of war, amongst them General Ravenstein
Johann von Ravenstein
Johann "Hans" Theodor von Ravenstein was a German officer in the armed forces and held the final rank of Lieutenant General. He fought in the First and Second World Wars and was taken prisoner by New Zealanders at Point 175 during the Second World War...
, who was rescued by the Farndale.
In January 1942, the Avon Vale continued in her operations in support of Tobruk. In February, the destroyer was deployed with HMS Southwold, HMS Beaufort
HMS Beaufort (L14)
HMS Beaufort was a Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 17 July 1940 at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. She was launched on 9 June 1941 and commissioned on 3 November 1941....
, HMS Dulverton
HMS Dulverton (L63)
HMS Dulverton was a Type II Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1941, she saw service during the Second World War until being damaged by German aircraft in 1943 during the Battle of Leros, and was scuttled....
, HMS Hurworth, HMS Eridge
HMS Eridge (L68)
HMS Eridge was a Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1940 and served during the Second World War. She was permanently disabled while shelling Axis positions on 29 August 1942 off El Daba, Egypt, at , by a 450mm torpedo fired by a small Italian surface craft and subsequently...
and HMS Heythrop of the flotilla in convoy defence duties in the eastern Mediterranean. On 12 February Avon Vale formed part of the escort for Convoy MW9A, with the cruiser HMS Carlisle
HMS Carlisle (D67)
HMS Carlisle was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the English City of Carlisle. She was the name ship of the Carlisle group of the C-class of cruisers...
, HMS Lance
HMS Lance (G87)
HMS Lance was an L-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She entered service during World War II, and had a short but eventful career, serving in Home waters and the Mediterranean Sea. She was damaged in two consecutive air attacks at Malta in 1942. She was towed back to Britain, declared a...
, the Heythrop and the Eridge, which found itself under heavy and sustained air attacks on 13 February.
Action in the Mediterranean
On 20 March the destroyer joined the escort for Convoy MW10 to Malta, with Carlisle and ships of the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla, which was covered by cruisers and destroyers of Mediterranean Fleet. On 22 March the convoy sustained dive bombing attacks, the whole movement done under threat of surface action with Italian heavy unitsRegia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
including the battleship Littorio
Italian battleship Littorio
|-External links:...
and three cruisers. The Avon Vale sustained damage during these air attacks, and further damage was done after she was involved in a collision. The engagement by the covering force
Second Battle of Sirte
The Second Battle of Sirte was a naval engagement in which the escorting warships of a British convoy to Malta frustrated a much more powerful Regia Marina squadron. The British convoy was composed of four merchant ships escorted by four light cruisers, one anti-aircraft cruiser, and 17 destroyers...
was able to prevent a full attack on the convoy.
On 29 March the Avon Vale was nominated for return to the United Kingdom for repairs. The destroyer met escort duties for the damaged cruiser HMS Aurora
HMS Aurora (12)
HMS Aurora was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on the 27 July 1935. She was launched on the 20 August 1936, and commissioned 12 November 1937....
during the patched cruiser's passage from Malta to Gibraltar. In April the destroyer left Gibraltar for Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, where she was taken in hand at a commercial shipyard.
Repairs and escort duties
From May to June the destroyer was under repair, carrying post repair trials in July; during this period the Avon Vale was nominated for service by the Western Approaches Command for the defence of convoys to and from Western Africa. After completing her work-up process, the destroyer joined Western Approaches Command for convoy defence. From August to September the Avon Vale was transferred to FreetownFreetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
in continuation of her services.
In October, the Avon Vale began Atlantic convoy defence duties in continuation from Freetown. On 20 October she joined military convoy WS23, departing from Freetown with the cruiser HMS Durban
HMS Durban (D99)
HMS Durban was a Danae-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was launched from the yards of Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company on 29 May 1919 and commissioned on 1 November 1921.-Early career:...
, HMS Carthage and the Greek destroyer Kanaris as escort during part of the passage to the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
.
On 23 October the destroyer detached from WS23 upon being relieved by the sloop HMS Milford and the cruiser HMS Despatch
HMS Despatch (D30)
HMS Despatch was a Danae-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was launched from the yards of Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company on 24 September 1919 and commissioned on 2 June 1922....
, returning to Freetown. The Avon Vale then passed to Gibraltar to escort military convoys before the allied landings in North Africa
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. On 8 November the Avon Vale joined the Central Naval Task Force to support the landings at Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
. The destroyer was then released for convoy escort duties, a role which was carried out all through December in support of military operations in North Africa.
Further damage
In January 1943, the Avon Vale was transferred to the Fifty Ninth Destroyer Division, joining the escort destroyers HMS Calpe, HMS Farndale and HMS Puckeridge at Gibraltar for convoy defence duties in the western Mediterranean. On 29 January the Avon Vale suffered major damage after she was hit by an aerial torpedoAerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
, which destroyed the whole of the bow structure of the destroyer. The aft section was towed back to Gibraltar by the escort destroyer HMS Bicester
HMS Bicester (M36)
HMS Bicester was a Hunt-class mine countermeasure vessel of the British Royal Navy. She was sold to the Greek Navy in 2001 as Europa....
. Temporary repairs were carried out in February to ensure the Avon Vale could be towed back safely for permanent repairs. In February the passage had to be deferred until a suitable convoy was available. From March to May the destroyer was deployed at Gibraltar awaiting tow, until she was towed back to the United Kingdom on 25 June as part of convoy MKS15.
The Avon Vale arrived in the UK on 7 July and was taken in hand for repair at HM Dockyard Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
on 22 July. The forward structure was rebuilt, the whole repairs taking from August to December. The destroyer was under refit between January and March 1944, when she was nominated for transfer to the Royal Hellenic Navy, to be renamed the HHMS Aegaion. However, this transfer was not carried out because of the mutinous conduct of Greek mariners which manned Royal Navy units at Alexandria.
In April the Avon Vale carried out her post repair harbour trials, which were completed on 14 April with the commencement of the destroyer's sea trials. In May, upon completing the trials, and achieving worked-up service, the destroyer was nominated for convoy escort duties during the allied landings in Normandy
Operation Neptune
The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 , beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time...
.
On 6 June the Avon Vale was deployed at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
as part of Force L. The destroyer sailed from Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
with the escort of the Follow-up Convoy L1 from Nore
Nore
The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England. It marks the point where the River Thames meets the North Sea, roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point in Kent....
. This escort was made up of the trawler HMS Damsay and the 143rd MMS Flotilla.
Back to the Mediterranean
In July the destroyer was deployed for convoy defence. In August she was taken again under repairs in a TyneRiver Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
commercial shipyard, from where she was nominated for service with the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean. Upon completing these repairs, the Avon Vale took passage to join the flotilla at Alexandria. In September she was deployed with the flotilla in the Eastern Mediterranean, taking part in a number of operations to occupy several islands after the surrender of Italy. The Avon Vale was then transferred to the Adriatic for convoy defence, patrols and in support of shore operations. While being deployed with HMS Wheatland, on 1 November, the Avon Vale engaged German surface craft south of the island of Lussino, sinking the Torpedo boat TA20, and the corvettes UJ202 and UJ208, and rescuing some of the survivors. In December the destroyer was nominated for service in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
after a refit in the United Kingdom.
In January 1945 the Avon Vale joined the 16th Destroyer Flotilla, based at Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
, pending her refit prior to service in the Indies. The refit was arranged at the port of Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The destroyer was taken in hand for refit in March, which was completed in May. Upon completing the refit, the destroyer returned to the United Kingdom, for pay off and the recommissioning for her service overseas. The recommissioning occurred in June, while a work-up for operational service in the Mediterranean was carried out in July. In August the deployment was cancelled, and the Avon Vale returned to the United Kingdom for pay off and a reduction to reserve.
Post war status
The Avon Vale paid-off at DevonportHMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
, and was laid up in reserve at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
on 10 December 1945. The destroyer was transferred to the Sheerness Reserve Fleet after a refit at HM Dockyard Sheerness in 1949. When Sheerness Division was closed, the Avon Vale was transferred to Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
and laid up there until placed on the Disposal List. The destroyer was sold to BISCO in 1958 for demolition by TA Young at Sunderland. The Avon Vale arrived in tow at the Breaker’s yard on 15 May of that year.