HMS Wigtown Bay
Ship Number
1260
Vessel Type
Bay' Class Frigate
Built
Belfast
Yard
Musgrave Yard
Slip Number
15
Launch Date
April 26, 1945
Launched By
Mrs J M Binmore
Delivered
January 19, 1946
Owner
Admiralty
Weight
1600 grt
BP Length
286 feet
Breadth
38-6 feet
No. of Screws
Twin
Speed (approx)
19.5 knots
Propulsion
2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Official No.
Registered
Fate
Scrapped
HMS Wigtown Bay

[IWM Catalogue number FL 21694]
Pennant no. K616 (Later F616)
 
LOCH Class Anti-Submarine Frigate ordered from Harland & Wolff at Belfast on 6th March 1943 and laid down on 24th October 1944 as Job NO J3932. She was to be named HMS Loch Garasdale but after a policy change to satisfy the need for anti-aircraft escorts for service in the Far East the contract was changed for completion to the revised design of a BAY-Class Frigate. The ship was renamed HMS Wigtown Bay when she was launched on 26th April 1945 and was the first RN ship to carry this name.
 
HMS Wigtown Bay was laid-up in Reserve at Devonport and was refitted in 1948 and 1951 to ensure her availability for operational use was maintained. In April 1957 the ship was offered to Ceylon and to be refitted but negotiations for sale failed. Placed on the Disposal List in 1958, the ship was sold to BISCO for demolition by Metal Industries in October 1958 as part of the reduction of the number of ships held in Reserve. She arrived in tow at the breaker's yard at Faslane on 10th April 1959.