HMS Ajax Frigate

HMS Ajax V111 Frigate

HMS AJAX F114 "White Tornado"
Builder: Cammell Laird - Birkenhead
Laid Down: 12 October 1959. Originally laid down as a Rothesay Class frigate to be called HMS Fowey.
Instead became part of the first Batch of Leander Class frigates and named HMS Ajax on 14th March 1960.
Launched: 16 August 1962 by Mrs Dreyer, later Lady Dreyer, (Second wife of Admiral Sir Desmond Parry Dreyer GCB CBE DSC who was Lieutenant Commander on HMS Ajax Cruiser at the Battle of the River Plate and a former member of the HMS Ajax and River Plate Veterans Association)
Commissioned: 11 December 1963
Cost - £4,800,000

Complement: 251 as built; 255 as an Escort Leader; 257 after Ikara refit
Displacement: 2450 tons standard, 2860 tons max
Dimensions: Length 372 feet overall
                        Beam 40 feet 6 inches
                        Draught 17 feet 6 inches
 
Main guns: As built: 2 x Vickers 4.5" in Mk6 turret (1 x 2)
                    Refitted: 2 x 40mm (2x1)
Secondary guns: As built: 2 x 40mm (2x1)
                                Refitted: None
Other weapons: As built: ASW: 1 x Mk10 Limbo AS mortar
                              Refitted: ASW: 1 x Mk10 Limbo AS mortar/1 x Ikara* AS rocket
                                              SAM: 8 x GWS22 SeaCat (2 x 4)
Countermeasures: Type 182 towed decoy/Corvus decoy launchers
Aircraft: 1 x Westland Wasp
Radar: As built: Type 903 tracking/Type 965 surveillance/Type 993 search/Type 978 navigation  
            Refitted: Type 903 tracking/Type 993 search/Type 978 navigation
Sonar: Type 177 attack / Type 170B attack / Type 162 bottomed target / Type 199 VDS
Other: As built: N/A
            Refitted: ADAWS5 Ikara* fire control/GWS22 SeaCat fire control
                                 Cossor 1010 IFF interrogator/SCOT communications
Engines: 2 x Babcock & Wilcox 550psi boilers
                2 x English Electric steam turbines
Power output: 30,000 shp
Speed: 30 knots
Shafts: 2
Range: 5300nm at 12 knots
Fuel: 460 tons of oil
*ship-launched anti-submarine missile named after an Australian Aboriginal word for "throwing stick". Cost £5 million 

The bell off the Frigate Ajax was gifted to the Town of Ajax and hangs in Council Chambers. It is rung to signify the close of Chambers Sessions.

 

Engraved names within Frigate Bell of those Christened on board:

Toby George Ellison 27 Oct 1974

Christopher Edward Enock 28.8.1978

Kane Preston 2.7.78

Lee Patrick Welch 26.11.78

Cathryn Jane Dennis

Phillip John Hooper

Henry Alexander Bryan Tait

Kevin John Rowson 22.4.79

Neil Willcocks 13.5.79

Alexander Willcocks 13.5.79

Kelly Scholes 16.12.79

Annabelle Celia Grattan

Claire Herbert

Joanna Louise Darling 20.4.80

Stephen Paul Ray

Elaine Katrina Scottow

Katherine Elizabeth Louise Fisher 3 July 83

Cheryl Anne Stanton 8 Aug 82

Nigel John Lake

Trudi Amanda Watson

Leanna Witt 9 Dec 1973

Megan Witt 9 Dec 1973

Peter James Lunn 9 Dec 1973

Ian Robert Morley 9 Dec 1973

HMS Ajax Frigate Diary HMS Ajax Frigate Captains

Assorted press cuttings and information about the 1976 HMS Ajax Frigate visit to Ajax Ontario - supplied by Crew member Dave Lear

1976 Visit to Ajax Ontario
................................................................................
First Commission
11 December 1963 
Captain the Honorable D P Seely
The first link will take you to the 1st Commission Booklet with various information including; diary, cruise map, sporting results, ship's company list, etc.
The second link will take you to the Commissioning Booklet
1st Commission Commissioning Booklet
................................................................................
Second Commission
14 July 1965 Singapore
Captain A G Tait DSC
The below links will take you to various sections of the Commission including ship's company list
2nd Commission Part Two Part Three Part Four
................................................................................
Third Commission
12 December 1966 Singapore
Captain G A de G Kitchen 
3rd Commission Book 3rd Commission Company List

Account of Commission deployment as recalled by Navigator Commander Jim McCoy & Lieutenant Douglas Hadler

Account of 3rd Commission

................................................................................

Fourth Commission

2 August 1968 Chatham

Captains

 D Hepworth / H R Keate

The below humorous account of the commission by

Ken (Sharky) Ward.

L.M.(E) HMS Ajax April 1968 — October 1970

Account of 4th Commission

...................................................................................................................................

Ikara Refit

16 August 1970 to 5 December 1973

Lieutenant-Commander R S Blackman 


................................................................................
Fifth Commission
5 December 1973 Devonport
Captains 
R J Bates / D J MacKenzie  / R Squires
Recommissioning Booklet supplied by Martin James
 Below link to unofficial World Tour diary - taken from the ship's magazine "The White Tornado Times" known to all as the "TWITT"
1973 Recommissioning Booklet Diary of 1975-76 World Tour Cyprus Evacuation 28/08/74 - clip
................................................................................
Sixth Commission
3 December 1977 Devonport
Captains
P. Cobb / M J F Rawlinson / T M. Bevan 
Below link for Commissioning service and Ship's Company list
Sixth Commission
................................................................................
Final Commission
16 May 1981 Devonport
Captains
J M Porter / P Abbott / J F S Trinder 

Decommissioned
10 June 1985 Devonport
................................................................................

The below images are from the inside of the bell - some are difficult to read but hopefully all are listed above.

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