HMS 'Valentine' was a V and W-class destroyer, built in 1917 for the Royal Navy. She fought in both world wars, serving in several capacities.

Conversion

In 1936, the Admiralty recognised that the Royal Navy had a shortage of escort ships with good anti-aircraft armament, suitable for operations along the East coast of the Great Britain. It was decided to convert a number of old destroyers of the V and W classes, to perform this role. This programme became known as the "Wair" conversions. The conversion involved the replacement of the ship's entire armament.

New Armament
Two twin QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun anti-aircraft mounts were fitted, with a modern fire control system mounted on a new superstructure to direct their fire.
Two quadruple Vickers .50 machine gun mounts provided close-in anti-aircraft armament. Modern sonar, and a relatively powerful depth-charge outfit of 30 depth charges provided the ship's anti-submarine equipment. No torpedo tubes were fitted.

'Valentine' was selected as one of the destroyers to undergo the Wair conversion, being converted at Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth between June 1939 and 23 April 1940

WW II
Just finished she was deployed off the Dutch coast for AA support to military operations in May 1940. 'Valentine' was one of four destroyers deployed to the Scheldt estuary to support demolition operations and the evacuation of shipping from Antwerp.

On the 15th of May at 1300, destroyers 'Valentine' and 'Whitley' were ordered to cover the Terneusen - Borsele (Beveland) Ferry. 'Valentine'(Cdr H.J. Buchanan RAN), at the mouth of the River Scheldt within a mile of Terneuzen, was bombed and badly damaged by German Ju.88 bombers. Struck by two bombs. The boiler blew up and she was run aground and abandoned a total loss. 31 ratings were killed and 21 crew. Commander ran her aground a few kilometers to the West of Terneuzen and managed to save the lives of those not killed by the bomb. The wounded were treated and hidden from the Germans in Terneuzen Hospital.

Nationaal Archief

Salvaged
Valentine was partly salvaged and broken up in 1953, but part of the ship's hull remains. and managed to save the lives of those not killed by the bomb. The wounded were treated and hidden from the Germans in Terneuzen Hospital. Quiet a few pictures are available of the wreck that remained on the dyke till at least the sixties.

The Valentine was partially salvaged in 1953 (stern and the ammunition). The wreck was visible until the 1960s. The wreck that is mentioned on the sea chart is in the contact database of Rijkswaterstaat as NCN1429. It lies at 2.5 meters -NAP. The remainder is still there under stone waste.

• K. Van Campenhout, J. Verweij, W.B. Waldus, A.Botman (2014).
  Bureauonderzoek en Inventariserend Veldonderzoek Opwaterfase in het kader van het project vooroeververdediging cluster 3 (VOV3) in de Oosterschelde en Westerschelde.
  ADC raport 3627.
• naval-history.net-Valentine.