HMS Glasserton

Ship: HMS GLASSERTON
Pennant No: M1141
Laid Down: 17th March 1953
Built By: J. S. Doig (Grimsby) Ltd
Completed: 31st December 1954
Time to Build: 22 months
Commissioned: 23rd February 1955 for 50th MSS (Trials) based Port Edgar
Years Fully Operational: 26

Outline of Operational Career:

• 16th March 1955 Joined 50th MSS at Port Edgar
• 1955–1959 Minesweeping Trials. Frequent docking at Rosyth
• 15th June 1959 50th MSS transferred to Portland as 3rd MSS
• 1961–1964 3rd MSS Trials of Osborne experimental towed combined acoustic and magnetic sweep
• 1964–1978 3rd MSS based Portland. MCM trials
• June 1979 Joined 10th MCMS as sea going tender for London Division RNR, based at Chatham 
• Later towed from Chatham to London, then as alongside HMS Chrysanthemum at the Embankment as static training vessel for London Division RNR, -  Confirmed by Scott Steele, Patrick Thompson & Alan Eyres and photographs below.

• Richard Clark has advised us of the final years of GLASSERTON

• I was the POMW at RNR Tay 1977-81 (HMS Upton M1187 / HMS Glasserton M1141). This is the Glasserton story at RNR Tay 1980-82.

•  It is believed that Glasserton (RNR London) was damaged starboard side aft of Garden Gate in a berthing incident at Ramsgate sometime during Spring 1981 (after Exercise Open Gate). Gunwhale was distorted and raised by 18 inches. According to the log she was removed from service in August 1980.

• Glasserton was transferred from RNR London to RNR Tay (Dundee) in July 1980. At that time she had been assessed as unable to sail under her own power and berthed in Chatham. Because RNR Tay did not have a sea tender (HMS Upton had been returned to active service), Glasserton was given to Tay as a harbour training ship. I was the PSI (MW) and nominated as Coxswain for the tow north.

• The permanent staff first visited Glasserton 19-25 July 1980. After that, she remained in Chatham until a tug had been allocated to take her to Dundee. RMAS Roysterer duly arrived but sailing was postponed due to weather conditions in the North Sea.

• In January 1981 both ships were moved to a buoy at Sheerness to await a weather window for the trip. We had a mixed PSI/RNR/Shipkeeper crew. Our instructions were to steer in Roysterer’s wake; especially when passing the ammunition filled WW2 wrecks. Glasserton had working generators for power but main engines were not used.

• Roysterer and Glasserton arrived in Dundee on 22 Jan 1981 after an uneventful trip. Glasserton taken by a harbour tug to Victoria Dock and berthed astern of the wooden walls frigate UNICORN. 
• She remained in Dundee until 19 Oct 1982 when she was towed from Dundee to Rosyth by RMAS Accord.. 

• Laird William Cochran Matthew provided the photo below of her being ready for scrap at Dundee.

Significant Events:

• December 1959 Badly damaged in a gale alongside at Gibraltar. Crew commissioned HMS Floriston in record time
• November 1972 HRH Prince Charles joined Glasserton for 2 weeks MCMS Experience while serving in HMS Minerva

Paid Off: July 1981

Disposal: 11th December 1987 sold to Pounds of Portsmouth then to Andover Shipping. Broken up by San Esteban de Pravia, Spain

Ship's Bell: Presented to HMS President. believed to be currently in off-site storage.

VILLAGE

A small parish in Dumfies and Galloway on the Machars peninsula in South West Scotland.

The name may derive from the Saxon "Bare Hill".  Nearby  are the remains of a neolithic hill fort and several groups of standing stones which may date to 2000BC.