HMS Padstow Bay (K608)

The ship was originally ordered on 19 January 1944 as the Loch-class frigate Loch Coulside. However, the contract was then changed, and the ship was laid down by Henry Robb of Leith on 25 September 1944 to a revised design as a Bay-class. Admiralty Job No. J11867 was launched as Padstow Bay on 28 August 1945, and completed on 11 March 1946.[1]

After sea trials, Padstow Bay sailed to Plymouth still lacking her full complement. The ship was finally commissioned in June to serve on the American and West Indies Station. In July she sailed for Bermuda, calling at Ponta Delgada, Azores for fuel, and arriving at Bermuda on 8 August.[1]

In September and October she carried out an extensive series of visits, stopping at Havana, Cuba, Veracruz, Mexico, Honduras, Kingston, Jamaica, Bluefields, Nicaragua, Cartagena, Colombia, Curaçao, La Guaira, Venezuela, Trinidad, Georgetown, British Guiana, Paramaribo, Surinam, and Cayenne, French Guiana, returning to Bermuda by 15 November.[1]

After local duties, she sailed on 31 December 1945 with ships of the Squadron for more exercises and another visits programme. In January 1946 she called at Antigua and Tobago, in February, Grenada, then Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante and Sint Eustatius in March.[1]

After a routine docking at the Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda, in June she embarked on a visit to North America with the cruiser Sheffield. On 1 July she arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, to take part in joint exercises with ships of the Royal Canadian Navy. In August she sailed from Halifax to ports in the Eastern Canadian Provinces, calling at Bathurst, New Brunswick, Ellis Bay, Anticosti, Miquelon, and Argentia and St. John's, Newfoundland. In September she visited Montreal with Sheffield, before returning to Bermuda via Portsmouth, New Hampshire.[1]

In October she sailed for the UK, arriving back at Plymouth on 18 November, was decommissioned, and laid-up with the Reserve Fleet in December. Padstow Bay remained in the Reserve Fleet until 1958 when the ship was placed on the Disposal List. In 1959 she was sold to BISCO for demolition by an Italian shipbreaker and towed to La Spezia, arriving on 11 August.[1]

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.