| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Frigate |
| Class | River |
| Pennant | K 217 |
| Built by | Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.) |
| Ordered | 11 Feb 1941 |
| Laid down | 19 Aug 1941 |
| Launched | 16 Jan 1942 |
| Commissioned | 24 Jun 1942 |
| End service | |
| History | Transferred to the South African Navy on 26 July 1945. |
| Career notes | To South Africa as Swale |
Commands listed for HMS Swale (K 217)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. John Jackson, RNR | 14 Apr 1942 | 5 Jul 1944 |
| 2 | A/Lt.Cdr. Patrick Varwell Collings, DSC, RNR | 5 Jul 1944 | 26 Jul 1945 |
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Notable events involving Swale include:
3 Jul 1942
HMS H 28 (Lt. J.S. Bridger, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Campbeltown with the brand new frigate HMS Swale (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, RNR). (1)
17 May 1943
German U-boat U-657 was sunk east of Cape Farewell, Greenland, in position 58°54'N, 42°33'W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Swale (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, RNR).
22 Feb 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Cam (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Smythe, RD, RNR), HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR), HMS Swale (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, DSC, RNR) and HMS Pennywort (T/Lt. A.W. James, RNR). (2)
14 Mar 1944
HrMs O 9 (Lt. J.B.M.J. Maas, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Tavy (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F. Ardern, RNR), HMS Swale (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, DSC, RNR), HMS Starwort (Lt. A.H. Kent, RNR), HMS Geranium (T/Lt. G. Wallace, RNR), HMS Londonderry (Lt.Cdr. L.B. Philpott, DSC, RD, RNR), HMS Louis (A/Lt.Cdr. R. Johnston, RNR), HMS Anguilla (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C. Morrison-Payne, RNVR) and HMS Petunia (Lt. R.M. Roberts, RNR). (3)
15 Mar 1944
HrMs O 9 (Lt. J.B.M.J. Maas, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Vidette (Lt.Cdr. R. Hart, DSC, RN or Lt. P.J. Stoner, RN), HMS Goodall (Lt.Cdr. J.V. Fulton, RNVR), HMCS Midland (T/Lt. W.O.O. Barbour, RCNR) and HMS Swale (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, DSC, RNR). (3)
6 Apr 1944
German U-boat U-302 was sunk in the North Atlantic north-west of the Azores, in position 45°05'N, 35°11'W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Swale (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, DSC, RNR).
23 Apr 1944
HrMs O 9 (Lt. R.W. van Lynden, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Flint Castle (T/Lt. N. Harrison, RNVR), HMS Oxford Castle (T/Lt. H.E. Holden, DSC, RNR), HMS Rushen Castle (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Warwick, DSC, RNR), HMS Vidette (Lt. P.J. Stoner, RN), HMS Chelmer (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.A. Cherry, RNR) and HMS Swale (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, DSC, RNR). (3)
Sources
- ADM 173/17203
- ADM 173/19325
- File 2.12.03.6372 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.