HMS Brocklesby (L42)

HMS Brocklesby was a Type II Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. In March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Belper in Derbyshire, as part of the Warship Week National saving campaign. She served during the Second World War, spending much of the time in the English Channel and Mediterranean.

Service history
On Commissioning in April 1941 Brocklesby undertook duties in the English Channel. The following year she undertook guard duties as part of the force during the Raid on St Nazaire in March 1942. In August 1942 she was also part of the Naval Force during the Raid on Dieppe, sustaining damage from German shore batteries during the operation.

During 1943 she sailed for the Mediterranean, where she undertook convoy escort duties. This also included support for the landings in Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky.

In October 1943 she transferred to the Adriatic, where she remained throughout the whole of 1944, returning to the UK for duties in the channel during early 1945.

Postwar and fate
In 1945 Brocklesby was sent to Wilhelmshaven to show the flag immediately after the end of the war. From there she became the Aircraft target training ship at Rosyth and Portsmouth. In 1947 she was placed in reserve at Portsmouth, before going into refit at Devonport between 1951 and 1952. In 1952 she became part of the 2nd Training Squadron.

In 1953 she took part in the Coronation Review of the Fleet to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1955 she was disarmed for service at Portland for use as the ASDIC trials and training ship. On 22 June 1963 she arrived at Portsmouth to pay off for the last time. Brocklesby was finally sold for scrap and arrived at Faslane for breaking up in October 1968. She was the last of the Hunt class to be scrapped.