HMS Defender (D114)

HMS "Defender" (D114) was a "Daring"-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.

Built as Yard Number 609 at Alexander Stephen and Sons, and originally intended to be named "Dogstar", she was launched on 27 July 1950. After a career which saw her involved in conflicts in Korea, Malaya, Cyprus, Suez and Aden, she was listed for disposal in 1969, and was used for target practice in the Forth. She was sold to James A White & Co Ltd, Inverkeithing, Fife for breaking in 1972cite web|url=http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/destroyers_after_1945.htm|title=HMS "Defender" at Battleships-cruisers.co.uk|accessdate=2008-05-20] .

Career

"Defender" commissioned for the Far East during 1953 and 1954, operating with US Navy in Japanese waters during October 1953 and taking part in the Korean War [cite web|url=http://hmtships.googlepages.com/home|title=Hired Military Transport|accessdate=2008-05-20] . In 1954 she located the wreck of HMS "Prince of Wales" in position coord|3|33.6|N|104|28.7|E|type:landmark. Taking part in the Malay Emergency, "Defender" carried out a coastal bombardment on the Johor coast, following which she steamed up the Johor River for nine miles, reminding any hostile watchers of the Royal Navy presencecite web|url=http://www.britains-smallwars.com/|title=Britain's Small Wars|accessdate=2008-05-20] . At some time between 1955 and 1958 she took part in operations against the terrorist organisation EOKA in Cyprus. On 19 July 1956 she brought Faisal II of Iraq across the Channel to Dover for a 3-day state visit to the UK [cite web|url=http://www.itnsource.com/en/Entire-Archive/Compilations/Regions/Middle_East/?ref=%2Fcollections%2FS16110601.xml&collName=Iraq&links=&isDigi=True&currentPageIndex=0|title=Archive footage - ITN Source|accessdate=2008-05-20] . Later the same year she served as escort to The Royal Yacht at Stockholm and Copenhagen and around the Baltic Sea. The ship was diverted to the Mediterranean and proceeded to Suez, where she took part in the hostilities. In 1958 she conducted her first refit, losing her after torpedo tubes in the process and by July 1959 she was back in the Mediterranean - Able Seaman James Simpson of "Defender" is buried at Kalkara Naval Cemetery in Malta [cite web|url=http://www.angelfire.com/mp/memorials/AMaltalist2.htm|title=Malta Memorials|accessdate=2008-05-20] .

From 1963 to 1965 she was refitted for the second and last time, losing the forward torpedo tubes and gaining the Type 903 Fire-control radar. In 1966 she was deployed to St Vincent in the Caribbean as a precaution during a period of anticipated political unrest. The next year she was east of Suez again, providing anti-submarine cover for the task force withdrawal from Aden, and then remaining in the Far East until 1969. That year she was listed for disposal and she spent her last days in the Firth of Forth as a target ship before being sold for breaking.

Commanding Officers

References