UBS Mayu


UBS Mayu was the first flagship of the Burmese Navy. She was commissioned on 25 May 1947 and saw 32 years of active service during which she participated in many counter-insurgency campaigns, safeguarding Myanmar's territorial waters, and also served as training ship for the officers and ratings of Myanmar Navy. The ship had been built as HMS Fal for the Royal Navy during World War II and was transferred to the Burmese government in 1947 on loan, and permanently in 1948. She was decommissioned in 1979 and was converted to a museum ship.

History

As HMS ''Fal''

HMS Fal was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy, built for anti-submarine warfare and convoy escort duty in the Second World War. Her keel was laid down on 20 May 1942 in the United Kingdom. She was first commissioned by the Royal Navy on 2 July 1943.
After working up, Fal served for a time in the North Atlantic, before moving to Freetown for service on the West African convoy route between Lagos, Takoradi and Freetown.
By this stage of the Atlantic campaign the U-boat threat had been diminished, and Fals work was routine, seeing no enemy action. At the end of hostilities she was at Simonstown, and was transferred to the Far East, stationed at Rangoon.
She was handed over by the British Government to the Burma Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 25 May 1947 on loan to Burma.

As HMBS ''Mayu''

accepted the transfer of the ship on behalf of the Government of Burma. During his acceptance speech, he renamed her to HMBS Mayu, after Mayu River in Arakan state to honour officers and men of Burma Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who fought against Imperial Japanese forces at the river during the Second World War. Lieutenant Commander Khin Maung Bo was the first commanding officer of HMBS Mayu. She took part in a 25 gun salute along with on 4 January 1948 to mark Burma's independence from the British colonial rule.

As UBS ''Mayu''

On 29 August 1948, was transferred permanently to the Burmese Navy as a free gift and she was officially renamed as UBS Mayu.
UBS Mayu fought alongside other ships of Burmese Navy and units of Burma Army in various battles during the turbulent years that followed Burmese independence in 1948. She was involved in the following battles:
She served as flagship of the Burma Navy throughout her service and was decommissioned on 28 September 1979 after 32 years of active service. Following her decommissioning, she was designated as historic war vessel and has been preserved as a museum ship at Myanmar Naval Training Headquarters, Seikkyi.

General Aung San's acceptance speech

The following is the transcript of the acceptance speech made by General Aung San for the hand over of HMS Fal.

Publications

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