HMS Penylan (L89) was a Hunt-class destroyer, which had been built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness and launched on 17 March 1942. She was commissioned into service on 25 August 1942, and after working up, was assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla. She was adopted by the civil community of the Borough and Rural District of Carmarthen as part of Warship Week during 1942.

HMS Penylan (c) IWM FL12865

During the early months of the war, the Royal Navy had suffered the loss of so many ships that the Warship Weeks initiative was brought in, under the umbrella of the National Savings campaign, with the aim of a Royal Navy warship being adopted by a civil community. As a result, HMS Penylan was adopted by Carmarthen.

Following her commissioning, Penylan sailed to Scapa Flow and spent September working up with ships of the Home Fleet. A number of issues had come to light, so she was sent to a shipyard in London, before finally joining the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the English Channel on 9 November 1942.

Under the command of Lieutenant Commander J. H. Wallace, she was deployed on 1 December to escort convoy PW-257. The convoy was attacked by German E-boats on 3 December, and Penylan was torpedoed and sunk five miles south of Start Point by the E-boat S-115. Five officers and 112 ratings were rescued. She was the shortest lived of the Hunts, spending only 30 days on active service. The wreck is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

Casualties of HMS Penylan, 3 December 1940

Frederick Brown, Stoker 1st Class, D/KX 130307, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Frederick and Lily Brown, of Salford, Lancashire; husband of Beatrice Brown, of Salford. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 37.

Bernard Buchanan, Petty Officer, D/JX 135652, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Died 03/12/1942, Son of John and Helen Buchanan; husband of Fay Buchanan, of Whitefield, Lancashire. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Aged 29.

Patrick J.Caldwell, Able Seaman, D/JX 154513, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of William and Mary Caldwell, of Ballinacurra, Co. Cork, Irish Republic. Buried in Plymouth (Weston Mill) Cemetery.  Age 20.

William Jonathan Chaddock, Able Seaman, D/J 91055, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial.

William Albert Jeffrey Chown, Able Seaman, D/SSX 20114, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Albert V. Chown and Annie L. Chown, of Exmouth; husband of Alice J. M. Chown, of Exmouth. Buried in Littleham (Ss. Margaret And Andrew) Churchyard. Age 25.

Thomas Clark, Petty Officer, D/JX 128549, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Thomas and Armie Clark; husband of Dorothy Joyce Clark. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 31.

Denis Coughlan, Chief Petty Officer Cook, D/M 38695, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Denis and Catherine Coughlan, of Skibbereen, Co. Cork, Irish Republic. Buried in Salcombe (Bonfire Hill) Cemetery. Age 38.

Daniel Dickson, Leading Cook, D/L 13956, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of James and Margaret Dickson; husband of Bessie May Dickson (nee Fallick), of St. Budeaux, Devon. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 40.

Ernest MacDonald Dixon, Leading Cook, D/MX 55963, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of David John Dixon and Phoebe Dixon, of Crumlin; husband of E. Dixon, of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Buried in Pontypool (Panteg) Cemetery. Age 23.

James Albert French, Stoker 1st Class, D/KX 117365, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of James and Elizabeth French. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 21.

Arthur Halford, Leading Stoker, D/KX 96819, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Hubert Halford, and of Laura Halford, of Leckhampton. Buried in Cheltenham Cemetery, Prestbury. Age 21.

William Hamilton, Leading Seaman, D/SSX 20287, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Thomas and Bessie Hamilton, of Parkhead, Glasgow. Buried in Salcombe (Bonfire Hill) Cemetery. Age 24.

John Hanna, Canteen Manager, C/NX 1477, HMS Penylan, Royal Naval Canteen Service. Died 03/12/1942, Son of John and Jane Hanna; husband of Florence Hanna, of Barnston, Cheshire. Buried in Salcombe (Bonfire Hill) Cemetery. Age 32.

Norman Hanson, Ordinary Seaman, D/JX 302739, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Frank and Florence Hanson, of Winsford Cheshire. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 19.

William Joseph Harris, Assistant Steward, D/LX 29873, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of William Joseph and Ethel May Harris, of Swansea. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 20

John Lewis Hedley, Able Seaman, D/JX 167220, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Patrick William Andrew Hopkins, Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Edward Leopold Christopher and Mary Josephine Tanham Hopkins; husband of Mary Louise Hopkins, of Gorleston. His brother Edward Christopher also died on service. Buried in Gorleston Cemetery. Age 21.

Carlye Hunter, Stoker 1st Class, D/KX 110855, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Jack and Madge Hunter; husband of Agnes Mercia Hunter, of Birkenhead. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 22.

Kenneth Knott, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 335636, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Mrs. M. J. Whitchurch, of Kingswood, Bristol. Buried in Warmley Tower Unity Methodist Church Burial Ground. Age 19.

Roy Lovett, Ordinary Seaman, D/JX 348061, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Charles Edward and Ethel May Lovett, of Burton-on-Trent. Buried in Salcombe (Bonfire Hill) Cemetery. Age 19.

William John Robertson Martin, Able Seaman, D/JX 146964, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Husband of Wilhelmina Mary Martin, of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 22.

Thomas Henry Narbett, Leading Stoker, D/KX 83645, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 29. Of Pembrokeshire.

John Evelyn Pritchard, Signalman, D/SSX 33009, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Fred Rhodes, Sick Berth Attendant, D/X 7496, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Husband of E. Rhodes, of Middleton Junction, Lancashire. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial.

William Henry Rigby, Petty Officer Stoker, D/KX 81754, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Moses and Ella Jane Rigby; husband of Eunice Rigby, of Platt Bridge, Lancashire. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Reginald Lloyd Ross, Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, HMS Penylan. Son of James Archibald Ross and Mary De Wolf Ross, of Halifax, Nova Scotia. As a Canadian, he is commemorated on the Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia. Age 25.

Ernest Searle, Leading Seaman, D/J 98113, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Frederick and Jane Searle, of Torpoint; husband of Vera Searle, of Stoke Devonport. Buried in Torpoint (Horson) Cemetery. Age 37.

Geoffrey Severs, Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, D/MX 60975, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Charles and Florence Severs; husband of Ella Severs, of Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Age 22.

George Stead, Able Seaman, D/MD/X2480, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, HMS Penylan. Son of Mrs. E. Stead, of Birkenhead. Buried in Birkenhead (Flaybrick Hill) Cemetery.

William McLean Symington, Stoker 1st Class, D/KX 118229, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of William McLean Symington and Jessie Symington, of Edinburgh. Buried in Salcombe (Bonfire Hill) Cemetery. Age 21.

Ronald Wolstenholme Taylor, Leading Radio Mechanic, P/MX 116076, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Stanley and Violet Taylor, of Oldham. Commemorated on Oldham (Greenacres) Cemetery. Age 22.

James McNay Tower, Able Seaman, D/SSX12949, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of James and Eliza Towers, of Durham; husband of Margaret May Towers. of Durham. Buried in Belmont Cemetery. Age 33

Jack Wainwright, Leading Stoker, D/KX 97793, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Frederick Watkins, Petty Officer Telegraphist, D/JX 129362, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Frederick and Agnes Watkins; husband of Gertrude Ellen Watkins, of Cross Hands, Pilning, Gloucestershire. Buried in Salcombe (Bonfire Hill) Cemetery. Age 30.

Thomas Wells-Garrett, Stoker 1st Class, D/KX 129243, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Arthur Eward Wells-Garrett and Ellen Wells-Garrett, of Southwark, London; husband of Daisy Wells-Garrett, of Southwark. Buried in Salcombe (Bonfire Hill) Cemetery. Age 30.

Charles Henry Witts, Leading Supply Assistant, D/MX 82401, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Buried in Plymouth (Weston Mill) Cemetery.

John Thomas Worthington, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 324267, Royal Navy, HMS Penylan. Son of Thomas and Ellen Violet Worthington, of Dedworth Green, Windsor. Commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Age 19