Jack served on board HMS Calendula in 1940 before being transferred to Hollyhock the following year. The vessel (pennant K28) was ordered on 19th September 1939 (Job No. J3240) and laid down on 30th October. She was launched on 6th May 1940 by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast, and was the first Royal Navy ship to carry the name.
Atlantic Escort, 1940
In June 1940 Calendula was allocated for Atlantic convoy defence in the Western Approaches with the 5th Escort Group based in Liverpool. From July through to November that year she took part in escort of ships on passage to and from Liverpool. She was then detached for foreign service at Freetown, taking passage as part of routine convoy and finally arriving in December for deployment on local escort of Atlantic and coastal convoys.
The WS5 troop convoys
She joined convoy WS5A on 8th January 1941 with HM sloops Milford and Bridgewater, HM destroyers Velox and Vidette, and HM corvette Asphodel for local anti-submarine escort during the initial stage of passage from Freetown to the Cape of Good Hope.
This convoy had been attacked by the German cruiser Hipper on Christmas Day during its passage from the UK and was one of the only special series of troop convoys to the Indian Ocean which was located and attacked by a large warship. The Ocean escort from Freetown included HM aircraft carrier Formidable, and HM cruisers Hawkins and Norfolk.
On 9th January she took return passage to Freetown with A/S escort. On 20th January she joined military convoy WS5B with HM corvette Asphodel. She then continued to provide local escort duty until 3rd March, when she joined military convoy WS6B with HM corvette Clematis. On 19th October she joined military convoy WS12 with HM destroyers Velox and Wrestler and HM corvettes Anchusa and Mignonette. She finally detached on the 22nd, returning to Freetown for local A/S duties.
Transfer to the US Navy — USS Ready (PG-67)
In December 1941 she was nominated for return to the UK and took passage early January. She was then acquired by the US Navy under reverse Lend-Lease, and commissioned USS Ready (PG-67) at Tilbury, England, on 12th March 1942, with Lt. Edwin C. Woodward in command.
Ready sailed from Northern Ireland on 15th April 1942 as escort to a Newfoundland-bound convoy. From Newfoundland she proceeded to Norfolk, arriving 13th May 1942, where she was prepared for the defence of convoys between Norfolk, Virginia and Key West. She completed six runs to Key West and back during the next three months through waters made hazardous by the German submarine offensive.
Toward the end of August she shifted her base of operations to New York, but for the next two and a half years continued to escort convoys bound to Key West and extended such runs to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, whence she returned to New York. Detached on 20th January 1945, she was assigned to anti-submarine patrol and escort in the approaches to New York until the close of war in Europe on 5th May 1945. She was then assigned to convoy ships to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.