HMS Gavinton

Ship: HMS GAVINTON
Pennant No: M1140
Laid Down: 29th September 1952
Built By: J. S. Doig (Grimsby) Ltd
Completed: 14th July 1954
Time to Build: 22 Months
Commissioned: 11th May 1956 as Senior Officer VERNON Training Squadron based at Portsmouth
Years Fully Operational: 26
Conversion: September 1966 to October 1968 at Chatham

Outline of Operational Career:

• May 1956 Joined HMS Vernon Squadron as Senior Officer
• 1956 – 1962 Vernon Squadron training, exercises & visits
• May-July 1962 Temporary Service with London Division RNR
• August 1962-August 1966 Operational Reserve at Hythe (Arked)
• 11th October 1968 Commissioned for 9th MSS based Bahrain
• May 1969 – October 1971 Patrols & Exercises with 9th MSS based Bahrain
• October – December 1971 Returned to U. Route Surveys, Exercises & Visits
• 1st January 1984 Transferred to newly formed 3rd MCMS
• 30th June 1986 Paid Off to Stand-By Squadron
• 28th October 1986 Recommissioned as Trials Ship

Significant Events:

• 10th October 1957 Towed by Whirlwind helicopter at 5 knots
• 31st May 1970 Operation ‘Occidental’ off Abu Musa
• 7th July 1970 Attempted to put out fire in MV ‘Diffuri-Maadi’ at entrance to Gulf, with HMS Puncheston
• July-October 1984 Deployed to Red Sea area for Operation HARLING. Discovered and recovered a previously unknown type of Russian influence mine (now termed Type 955), probably one of several laid by a peaceful Libyan merchant ship while transiting the Gulf of Suez.

Paid Off: 12th December 1986
Disposal: 14th October 1991 Broken up by Brugse Scheepssloperji, Belgium

VILLAGE

Gavinton is a relatively new settlement, having been established in 1759 when Davin Gavin, the benevolent local landowner, decided to demolish the ruined village church of Langton to build a new estate to improve the lot of his tenants. The first records of the area are during the reign of King David 1 of Scotland (1124-53) when Roger d'Eu possessed the lands of Langton (long town). In 1496 King James IV of Scotland assembled his artillery at Langton to prepare for an English invasion and in 1558 Henry Percy, Duke of Northumberland, razed the town to the ground.

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