The Four Lives of HMS Wexford
- Published
- December 1973
- Author
- Lind, L. J.
- Subjects:
- Ship histories and stories
- Tags
- HMAS Doomba, HMS Wexford (HMAS Doomba)
- Originally published in the Naval Historical Review edition (all rights reserved)
MOST WARSHIPS have inbuilt lasting qualities. HMS Victory has weathered almost two centuries, and several United States ships of war are almost as venerable. HMS Wexford, a later Hunt class minesweeper completed in 1919 had such qualities. Wexford’s life in the Royal Navy was short and uneventful. She was sold out of service in 1921, and like so many of her class was marked for conversion. In 1923 she was converted into a cruise ship and renamed Doomba, and for sixteen years plied between Brisbane and Bribie Island with tourists.
With war clouds looming Doomba was taken over by the Royal Australian Navy in 1939 and converted to a minesweeper. Commissioned as HMAS Doomba she led the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla.
After the war Doomba was again sold out of service and converted to a linseed oil lighter, a role she continued until 1970 when she went to the ship breakers.
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