24 April 1931, ordered by the Royal Navy as a Shoreham class patrol vessel, by the yard of Yarrow at Devonport.
14 Sept. 1931, laid down.
11 June 1932, floated out from the dry-dock; she was christened by Mrs. Reinold as HMS "MILFORD". Displacement 1.060 ton standard, dim. 281.4 x 35 x 10.2ft. (draught).
Powered by geared turbines, 2.000 shp., speed 16.5 knots. Bunker capacity 290 tons oil, consumption 0.6 tons per hour by a speed of 10 knots.
Armament: 1 - 4 inch HA, 1 - 4 inch LA, 4 - 3 pdrs.
Dec. 1932, commissioned. 22 Dec. 1932, completed.
Stationed on the Africa Station.
Feb. 1934, the HMS "MILFORD" made a special voyage with on board Vice-Admiral A.R.G.R. Evans C in C on the Africa Station into the Antarctic, visiting Bouvet Island. Till that time not any other British warship had ever penetrated so far as she did. She returned to Portsmouth and after a refit commissioned again in 11 May 1935. She returned to the Africa Station.
Arrived again at Portsmouth and was refitted and rearmed, her LA 4 inch gun was replaced by a 4 inch HA gun, and 1- 0.5 inch MG.
Re-commissioned in Oct. 1937.
She spent an other two years in African waters. Further re-arming took place in Simonstown, South Africa in Jan. and May 1939.
After outbreak of World War II she was based at Freetown until Jan 1940.
She went then south for a refit at Simonstown, before she returned to Freetown. She was present by the operations against Dakar (Operation Menace) in July and Sept. 1940, to prevent French ships falling in the hands of the Germans.
November 1940, took part in the landings at Libreville, when off Port Gentil in French Gabon, and assisted by an Walrus aircraft from the HMS DEVONSHIRE in a bomb and depth charge attack, she sank the Vichy French submarine PONCELET on 8 Nov. 1940 (a other source gives 07 Nov., and the PONCELET surrendered to the HMS "MILFORD").Till May 1941 based at Freetown, then she returned to Simonstown for a refit, then based there until Dec. 1941.
She returned to the Freetown, based there until July 1942.
Sailed then to a Brazilian naval yard at Rio de Janeiro for a refit until Sept. 1942. She sailed again for the Freetown Station and in Sept. 1943 she returned home to the Clyde for a refit.
She joined the 40 Escort Group but her old hull was worn out, and she was laid up at Ardrossan with defects in Dec. 1943.
June 1944 refitted as a submarine target and escort vessel. She was attached to the 10th Submarine Flotilla at Rothesay, after a refit on the Clyde in Dec. 1945 she was transferred to the 7th Submarine Flotilla at Portsmouth before she was de-commissioned and put in reserve.
03 June 1949, transferred to BISCO and she was broken up by T.W.Ward Ltd., at Hayle, U.K.
Ascension 1971 4p sg 150, crest only.
St Helena 50P and 2005 20p.
Tristan da Cunha 1991 10p sg 509, scott 491. and 2006 50p sg?
Sources: Sloops1926-1946 by Arnold Hague. Devonport Built Warships since 1860 by Lt.Cdr. K.V. Burns
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