USS Tillman

Vessel name on Arrival: HMS Wells

Original Builder: Charleston Naval Yard

Original Yard No: Charleston, South Carolina

Official Number:

Vessel Type: Destroyer

GRT: 1530

Year Built: 1921

Arrival Date: 22/07/1945

Breakup Started: 06/08/1945

Date First Beached: 09/09/1945

Date Breakup Completed: 23/11/1945

Draught For’d: 07' 06"

Draught Aft: 09' 09"

Name Changes:

Originally built as USS Tillman for the U.S. Navy

Inactive between the years 1922 – 1930  (Laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Yard)

Mainly used for patrol and training duties under the US Flag

Transferred over to the British Royal Navy in the 'Destroyers for Bases' USA / UK Agreement

Commissioned into the Royal Navy :  05/12/1940 and renamed HMS Wells

Other Information:

Twin-Screw Propulsion

Launched :  07/07/1919

Completed :  30/04/1921

Decommissioned :  July 1945

Sold off :  24/07/1945

During WWII, HMS Wells was used for various duties by the R.N., mainly escort duties for convoys to and from Iceland, and up and down the East Coast and the Firth of Forth.  In January 1942, she intercepted an SOS signal transmitted by the American steamer SS  R. J. Cullen which had run aground on the South East coastline of the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides.  She stood by whilst lifeboats and tugs went to the rescue of the stricken merchantman.