HMS Fittleton

Ship: HMS FITTLETON
Pennant No: M1136
Laid Down: 15th September 1952
Built By: White’s Shipyard, Itchen, Southampton
Completed: 28th January 1955
Time to Build: 28 Months
Commissioned: 16th November 1960 for 101st (RNVR) Squadron as HMS Curzon based at Shoreham
Years Fully Operational: 15

Outline of Operational Career:

• 1955 – 1960 In Reserve at Hythe (Arked)
• 1960 – 1962 Sussex Division RNR Sea Tender (HMS Curzon)
• 1st October 1962 101st MSS renamed 10th MSS
• 10th – 24th August 1963 Deployed to Gibraltar for Exercise Rockhaul
• August – September 1964 To Gibraltar for Exercise Rockhaul 2
• August – September 1965 To Gibraltar for Exercise Rockhaul 3
• August 1966 To Gibraltar for Exercise Rockhaul 4
• August – September 1967 To Gibraltar for Exercise Rockhaul 5
• 1st – 10th May 1968 Took part in Operation New Broom (live sweeping)
• August – September 1969 To Gibraltar for Exercise Rockhaul 69
• August – September 1970 To Gibraltar for Exercise Mainhaul & visit to La Spezia
• August – September 1971 To Gibraltar for Exercise Mainhaul 71
• September 1972 Took part in Major NATO Exercise ‘Strong Express’
• August – September 1973 Deployed to Canada for Exercise Maplehaul 73
• September 1974 Took part in NATO Exercise ‘Northern Merger’
• 31st December 1975 Name reverted to HMS Fittleton – Channel Group RNR

Significant Events:

• 20th September 1976 Sunk after collision in Channel with HMS Mermaid during RAS, with loss of 12 members of her crew. Largest peacetime loss in recent RN history

View HMS FITTLETON Memorial page

Paid Off: September 1976
Disposal: 20th September 1977. Sold to Liguria Maritime, Sittingbourne for scrap

VILLAGE

In Wiltshire, 12 miles North of Salisbury

Bowl barrow burials are evidence of prehistoric settlement on the surrounding downs.

Romano-British settlement during 5 and 6th centuries. Mentioned in Domesday Book.

Much of the downlands was bought by the War Office in 1890 to become Salisbury Plain military training area. Still in use with Tidworth Artillery ranges.

Nearby Netheravon airfield was built for  the Royal Flying Corps in 1913 and used up to 1931 as a flying training school. During WW2 it became the principal training centre for parachute and glider operations. It was transferred to the Army Air Corps in 2012.