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Edinburgh. September 21, 1940 Mayor, Cameron, Missouri The Camerons of Scotland salute the townfolk of Cameron, Missouri. We are delighted and proud to learn that one of the destroyers is to bear the name Cameron. It is a reminder of the enduring friendship of the U.S.A. and Britain and of our common interest in the fight for freedom. All Britain is grateful to the people of the U.S.A. for their help and the Camerons are thrilled by the knowledge that a Cameron from the United States will join in destroying on the seas the arch enemy of freedom. Cameron of Lochiel Chief of Clan Cameron |
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Editor's Notes: The
cablegram was received by Mr. J. C. Sloan, Mayor of Cameron, Missouri on
September 21, 1940.
On September 2, 1940 the governments of the United States and Great Britain signed the "Destroyers for Bases Agreement." In this document, 50 ships were transferred to Great Britain, in exchange for 99-year leases of a number of military bases. The USS Welles(DD-257), originally commissioned in 1919, was re-commissioned in Halifax, Nova Scotia as HMS Cameron (I-05) on September 9, 1940. Unfortunately, the Cameron never reached operational service. While being refitted for service, she was hit and set on fire during an air raid in Portsmouth on December 5, 1940. The Cameron was considered by the U.S. Navy as the worst damaged but surviving destroyer available and was extensively studied for explosive effects and damage control. She was consigned for scrapping on December 1, 1944. |
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