HMS EXETER
Name meaning : After the city of Exeter in Devon
There have been five ships in the Royal Navy called HMS Exeter
HMS Exeter 1680 - 1717
Built on the banks of the River Thames, this 70 gun third rate ship fought at the battle of Beachy Head in 1690. Accidentally damaged by fire in Plymouth ,then hulked in Portsmouth until 1717, when the ship was broken up.
HMS Exeter 1697 - 1763
Involved in many battles against the French in Newfoundland, this 60 gun forth rate ship was built in Portsmouth. Rebuilt in 1733 and present at the siege of the French controlled port Ponicherry, on the east coast of India in 1748.
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood briefly served on the ship , date unknown. Exeter was broken up in 1763.
HMS Exeter 1763 - 1784
Participated in several major battles in the Anglo- French war including the battle of Cuddalone, off the coast of India. Exeter ran aground on the Cape of Good Hope in 1783 after peace has returned between the British and the French.She was deemed unseaworthy and destroyed by fire as consequence.
HMS Exeter 1929 - 1942
Pennant Number : 68
Built at Devonport, Plymouth and commissioned in July 1931, Exeter was the last York Class heavy cruiser constructed for the Royal Navy.
She spend most the the 1930’s in as part of the Atlantic Fleet, but with the commencement of World War II Exeter was assigned to patrol the waters off South America against German attacks.
Alongside HMS Ajax, HMS Achilles, Exeter fought in the Battle Of the River Plate 13th December 1939. Despite being severely damaged she was repaired and assigned to the Strike Force of the American - British - Dutch - Australian command in 1942.
During the allied engagement with the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Java Sea, Exeter had been crippled early in the battle, but able to retreat to safety. However during her attempt to escape the next day she was sunk by the Japanese and her surviving crew rescued and held in prisoner of war camps, where some of her crew died in captivity.
Exeter’s wreck was discover in 2007 lying in Indonesia waters by a divers and declared a British war grave.
In 2008 a memorial service was carried out above her final resting place on HMS Kent attended by some of her surviving crew.
Sadly, despite being a protected war grave site, Exeter wreck had been found to have been totally destroyed by illegal salvagers in 2016, with hardly any remains left.
HMS Exeter 1978 - 2009
Pennant Number : D89
Motto : Semper Fidelis “Always Faithful”
Built at Swan Hunter, Tyne & Wear and launched on 25th April 1978 becoming the 5th Royal Navy ship to be named HMS Exeter.
One of fourteen Royal Navy Type 42 destroyers, becoming the 1st to receive modifications to her weapons systems.
Exeter was active in The Falklands War (2nd April - 14th June 1982) after being reassigned from the Caribbean after the loss of HMS Sheffield.
During the Gulf War (17th January - 28th February 1991) she was involved in Operation Granby which was the code name for British operations .
A major refit was completed in late 1998 followed with operational sea training, a place in multi agency military exercise in 1999 then deployment on Armilla Patrol, Royal Navy permanent presence in the Persian Gulf during 1980’s and 1990's.
Exeter was relived from duty in February 2000 with the arrival on a large task force led by HMS Illustrious, where she returned to Portsmouth the following month.
At the 25th anniversary commemorations in Newquay, Exeter attended as the last ship to be still serving in the Royal Navy involved in the conflict.
The ship was decommissioned and put up for sale in 2009 and finally towed away in 2011 to a scrap yard in Turkey.
Photo credit for badge : R Payling
Located in the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire