Ship: HMS BRERETON
Pennant No: M1113
Laid Down: 25 September 1951
Built by: Richards Ironworks, Lowestoft. Yard Number406
Completed: 9 July 1954
Time to Build: 34 Months
Transferred: October 1954 to HMS CAMBRIA (South Wales Division RNVR) based Cardiff
Conversion to Minehunter: 6 July 1967 to 16 December 1968 at Portsmouth
Years Fully Operational: 33

Outline of Operational Career:

  • May 1955. Renamed HMS ST DAVID
  • 19 Oct 1961. Reverted to BRERETON. Refit at Devonport
  • 1962-64. Reserve at Hythe
  • 18 Jan 1965. Commissioned for Fishery Protection Squadron.
  • Nov 1966. Paid off for Minehunter Conversion
  • 16 Dec 1968. Commissioned for 9th MCMS based at Bahrain 
  • 22 Apr-4 Jul 69 Passage to Persian Gulf round Africa
  • 1 Oct-10 Dec 71. Passage to UK round Africa.
  • Jan 1972. Fishery Protection Squadron based Port Edgar.
  • 10 Jan-2 Nov 79 Long Refit at Gibraltar
  • 21 Nov 79 Transferred to Tyne Division RNR based Newcastle
  • 6 Apr 1981. Transferred to Mersey Division RNR based Liverpool
  • 20 Jan 1986. Transferred to 3rd MCMS based Rosyth
  • 25 Jul 1988- 1 Jun 1989. Loaned to Fishery Protection Squadron

Significant Events:

  • May 1965 Arrested 7 FVs in 4 week period – Total Fines £3,200
  • 21 Oct 1965 Salvage of MV ‘Lady Serena’ after fire onboard
  • 25 Apr- 13 May 1974 With RECLAIM, recovered ditched helicopter off HArsted, North Norway from 350 ft. World Record
  • 27 Feb 1976 Collision with FV ‘Cyrano’ off Hartlepool. 4ft gash in hull below waterline                    - 5 Feb 2025 Jeremy Delderfield recalls that the collision actually occurred on 12 Feb. He was the Stoker on duty in the engine room at the time of the incident and suffered from shock in result. Happily he had recovered by the time the ship berthed in Hartlepool. The inconsistency on dates MAY be down to the date of the C.O's Report of Proceedings, on which many of the incidents recorded in the Ship Histories are based. These reports would obviously have been produced on completion of patrols.
  • Mar-Aug 76 Repairs
  • 8 June 1978 Major Engineroom Fire. Repairs 2 months

Paid Off: 30th April 1991
Disposal: 28th November 1992 to Scheepsslopjeri of Bruges for break up.