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| 55k | Photo #: NH 98489. Rear Admiral Aaron Ward, USN portrait photograph, in Special Full Dress uniform, taken circa 1910-1913. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Tony Cowart |
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97k | Undated, location unknown. | Robert Hurst |
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56k | Photo #: NH 57701, USS Aaron Ward (Destroyer # 132) off the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, 10 April 1919. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Paul Rebold |
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51k | Photo #: NH 98488, USS Aaron Ward (Destroyer # 132) at Boston, Massachusetts, 23 April 1919. Panoramic photograph by J. Crosby, Naval Photographer, 11 Portland St., Boston, Mass. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Crosby Collection. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Paul Rebold |
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108k | Thirteenth Destroyer Division Officers & Crews on board their ships in San Diego Harbor, California, 6 December 1919. Signalmen are sending semaphore messages from atop the ships' bridges. Panoramic photograph by O.A. Tunnell, Masonic Temple Building, San Diego. Ships present are (from left to right): Upshur (Destroyer # 144), Greer (Destroyer # 145), Elliot (Destroyer # 146), Aaron Ward (Destroyer # 132), Buchanan (Destroyer # 131) and Philip (Destroyer # 76). Donation of Captain W.D. Puleston, USN (Retired), 1965. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
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64k | Photo #: NH 100414, USS Anthony (DD-172) (center) and USS Aaron Ward (DD-132) (left) photographed circa the early 1920s, probably in San Diego harbor, California. An oiler is visible behind Aaron Ward. Courtesy of Jack Howland, 1985. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Tony Cowart |
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107k | USS Aaron Ward (DD-132) Photographed during the early 1920s, probably off the U.S. West Coast. USS Buchanan (DD-131) is at left. Courtesy of ESKC Joseph L. Aguillard, USNR, 1969. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
| 108k | "Old Hen and Chickens" USS Kanawha (AO-1) with thirteen destroyers alongside, off San Diego, California, during the early 1920s. Photographed by Bunnell, 414 E Street, San Diego. Ships present are (from left to right): USS Meade (DD-274); USS Evans (DD-78); USS Kennedy (DD-306); USS Aaron Ward (DD-132); USS Woolsey (DD-77); USS Wickes (DD-75); USS Buchanan (DD-131); USS Kanawha; USS Farquhar (DD-304); USS Paul Hamilton (DD-307); USS Thompson (DD-305); USS Reno (DD-303); USS Stoddert (DD-302) and USS Philip (DD-76) Collection of Chief Quartermaster John Harold, USN. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
| 20k | Circa 1930's, location unknown. | Marc Piché |
| 86k | Photo #: NH 67553, USS Aaron Ward (DD-132) underway, probably during the 1930s. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1969. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Paul Rebold |
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301k | Balboa Harbor, Panama Canal Zone. Aerial photograph taken 23 April 1934, with U.S. Fleet cruisers and destroyers moored together. Ships present include (left to right in lower left): USS Elliot (DD-146); USS Roper (DD-147); USS Hale (DD-133); USS Dorsey (DD-117); USS Lea (DD-118); USS Rathburne (DD-113); USS Talbot (DD-114); USS Waters (DD-115); USS Dent (DD-116); USS Aaron Ward (DD-132); USS Buchanan (DD-131); USS Crowninshield (DD-134); USS Preble (DD-345); and USS William B. Preston (DD-344). (left to right in center): USS Yarnall (DD-143); USS Sands (DD-243); USS Lawrence (DD-250); (unidentified destroyer); USS Detroit (CL-8), Flagship, Destroyers Battle Force; USS Fox (DD-234); USS Greer (DD-145); USS Barney (DD-149); USS Tarbell (DD-142); and USS Chicago (CA-29), Flagship, Cruisers Scouting Force. (left to right across the top): USS Southard (DD-207); USS Chandler (DD-206); USS Farenholt (DD-332); USS Perry (DD-340); USS Wasmuth (DD-338); USS Trever (DD-339); USS Melville (AD-2); USS Truxtun (DD-229); USS McCormick (DD-223); USS MacLeish (DD-220); USS Simpson (DD-221); USS Hovey (DD-208); USS Long (DD-209); USS Litchfield (DD-336); USS Tracy (DD-214); USS Dahlgren (DD-187); USS Medusa (AR-1); USS Raleigh (CL-7), Flagship, Destroyers Scouting Force; USS Pruitt (DD-347); and USS J. Fred Talbott (DD-156); USS Dallas (DD-199); (four unidentified destroyers); and USS Indianapolis (CA-35), Flagship, Cruisers Scouting Force. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Fabio Peña |
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48k | Mare Island 10/27/39, Navy Day, ships are left to right by row: 1st row USS Humphreys (DD 236) and USS King (DD 242); 2nd row USS Buchanan (DD 131), USS Aaron Ward (DD 132) also the USS Lawrence (DD 250) and USS Sands (DD 243) are inboard and are hidden from view. | Darryl Baker |
On British Service
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| HMS Castleton (ex-USS Aaron ward, DD-132), Castleton commissioned at Halifax, NS, on 9 September 1940 and after refit at Devonport was one of the first ships to enter service, on 9 October 1940, joining 17th Flotiilla of Western Approaches Command at Liverpool. Castleton was also early into action, taking survivors from Daydawn and Victoria when they were sunk in convoy OB244. Two collisions, on 1 and 3 December 1940, sent Castleton to Portsmouth for repair and a small refit, Stage 1 alterations being put in hand. The Portsmouth refit was somewhat prolonged, as the ship received air raid damage on 18 January 1941, but repair was completed and she worked up in the Dartmouth area, completing on 7 March 1941 to join 1st Minelaying Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh. Here she escorted mining sorties and also acted as local A/S escort for special convoys. She suffered some damage in collision with the minelayer HMS Agamemnon on 27 March 1941, and repaired on the Clyde between 2 April and 1 June 1941. Returning to duty with the Squadron, escort work continued, mainly with Icelandic ferry convoys, during one of which she had the misfortune to have one of her onboard scuttling charges explode. While she was able to continue with the convoy, repairs were needed and were carried out at Newport, Mon, from late November 1941 to April 1942. Returning to Kyle of Lochalsh on completion of repairs, the usual routine of escort duty was interrupted when Castleton was despatched to the aid of an Icelandic trawler. On 28 August an American flying boat surprised and attacked U464 south-east of Iceland. Caught on the surface, the U-Boat was damaged and unable to dive and judging that surface ships would soon arrive,
scuttled herself close to an Icelandic trawler. 52 crew members of U464 got onboard, but Castleton and Newark arrived before they were able to take over the ship and endeavour to make a break for Norway. In September 1942, Castleton spent some days as escort for the diving tender HMS Tedworth which was engaged in salvage operations on the Barranca. Castleton detached from the Minelaying Squadron for refit at Cardiff in December 1942 and on completion in March 1943 joined Rosyth Command as the Minelaying Squadron had been disbanded. nevertheless, she still escorted five final minelaying sorties by individual ships and then continued to escort Icelandic ferry convoys. Here, again, she was involved in the
collection of U-Boat survivors, picking up members of the crew of U489 on 4 August 1943. later in 1943 Castleton was engaged as an Air Target Ship, but in January 1944 she became part of the Rosyth Escort Force and operated with east coast convoys as an escort. In October 1944 she reverted to Air Target duty until 13 March 1945 when she paid off to lay up at Grangemouth and await disposal. Handed over for scrapping 0n 4. March 1947, she remained in her Grangemouth berth until towed to Bo'ness where she arrived on 2 January 1948 to be broken up by P & W MacLellan Ltd. In 1950 the ship's bell was presented to the town of Castleton, Vermont as a gesture of the Royal Navy's appreciation. (History thanks to Robert Hurst.) |
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100k | HMS Castleton (ex-USS Aaron Ward, DD-132) along with HMS Clare (ex-USS Abel P. Upshur, DD-193) secure alongside a jetty after
their arrival in Britain, date and location unknown. | Robert Hurst |
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93k | HMS Castleton (ex-USS Aaron Ward, DD-132) and HMS Campbeltown (ex-USS Buchanan, DD-131) alongside in Devonport Dockyard after arriving from the USA in September1940. | Bob Hibbert |
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95k | HMS Castleton (ex-USS Aaron Ward, DD-132) taken on 9 September, 1940 upon transfer to the Royal Navy. | Robert Hurst |
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122k | Circa 1942, on the Clyde while taking on stores from auxiliaries alongside. | Robert Hurst |
Decommissioned and transferred to Britain September 9 1940, renamed HMS Castleton (I23).
