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1,090 tons
Length: 312 feet
Beam: 29 feet
Turbines and twin screws provided 27,000hp
Top speed: 34 knots
Four 4 inch guns
Two 2 pounder AA
Four 20mm AA
Six 21 inch tubes
Complement of 110 men
In December 1941, the ‘Civil Parish’ of Winteringham adopted the warship HMS Vanity.
She had been launched on Midsummer’s Day in 1918 as the Great War to end all wars was coming towards its end, but 21 years later the ship was
pressed into a second war to protect the UK and its allies from an enemy threat. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1947.
If you can add to this story - either as a resident of Winteringham, a sailor aboard the vessel, or from general interest, please contact us.
John Galloway Malcolm, Radar Operator on the Vanity
Shipmates of John Malcolm on the Vanity.
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I wonder if you can help me? I am doing some research into H.M.S. Vanity, I believe she was adopted by your village
during the Second World War. My father served on her as a radar operator and he refused to say very much about it, strange given the ship's name ! He died eight years
ago on the Fourth of October and all that we knew about his service was that the ship was in Antwerp during a V.1 Doodlebug raid. All I had to go on was three old photographs, one
of himself, one of his Mess and one of the ship. These are wartime photos and they were censored, once the ship photo was cleaned up I could make out the pennant number L.38.
After a great deal of searching I discovered the name and hence your web page. From reading the service records it would appear that the vast majority of her time was spent
guarding the East Coast Convoys, not as easy as it sounds ! From reading accounts of other V & W Destroyers it woud appear that living conditions aboard were at best very
basic and at worst, well.....
Perhaps that's why he just wanted to forget about it, although I did find a quote from someone who said of the Vanity " She was a happy
ship and I was sorry to leave her " I f you have any more information about the ship or her crew it would be much appreciated. I must admit that untill I started this I
had never heard of Winteringham, the village looks beautiful and you have an excellent web site, congratulations.
Kind regards,
Dave Malcolm
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Gerard Tod
volunteered 31st January 1941, at the age of 19, “Until the end of the period
of the present Emergency.“
He served most of his war years in the Med on HMS Kingston and HMS Jervis as Stoker 1st class and then HMS Vanity from 13 December 1944
to 18 June 1945
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