HMS Laburnum (1915)

HMS Laburnum was a Royal Navy built by Charles Connell and Company, Scotstoun. She was scuttled during the fall of Singapore in 1942.

Construction
She was laid down at the Scotstoun yard of Charles Connell and Companyin February 1915, launched on 10 June 1915 and completed in August 1915. The Acacia class fleet sweeping sloops were adapted for escort work, minesweeping and as decoy warships.

Easter Rising
In April 1916, during the Easter Rising Laburnam shelled the outskirts of Galway.

Far East service
She was in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy from 11 March 1922 to 11 February 1935, where she exercised with cruisers, toured New Zealand ports, took part in ceremonial occasions, and went on annual Pacific Island cruises. This was in conjunction with her sister ship HMS Veronica (1915) which was similar, but with small differences as they came from different commercial shipyards.

She left Auckland on 1 February 1935 for Singapore, where she was paid off to become a drill and training ship for the Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Drill ship at Singapore
As drill ship, Laburnum was equipped with independent wireless equipment, and housed a number of naval offices including Captain, Auxiliary Vessels and Captain, Extended Defences Office. Laburnum had her engines removed shortly after her arrival in Singapore in order to augment her accommodation. Hence she could not be fully utilised when war broke out in the Far East. With the evacuation of Penang, Laburnum also played host to the RNVR Penang Division, headed by Commander C C Alexander.

Fate
She was lost by scuttling on 15 February 1942 during the fall of Singapore. The wreck was raised about 1946, and sunk off East Lagoon, Singapore as part of an existing breakwater of old hulks, and finally removed and scrapped about 1967.