HMS Quality (G62/D18) was a Q-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy. Entering service in 1942, the destroyer served in several theatres of World War II. Following the war's conclusion, the ship was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), commissioning as HMAS Quality (G62/D262) in late 1945. Unlike her sister ships, which were refitted as anti-submarine frigates, Quality was not modified, decommissioned after only 59 days of service, and was sold for scrap in 1958.
Design and construction
Quality was one of eight Q-class destroyers constructed as a flotilla under the War Emergency Programme. These ships had a standard displacement of 1,705 tons, and a deep load displacement of 2,424 tons. Although commissioned as a Royal Navy vessel, a large portion of the ship's company were on loan from the RAN. Like all ships in the class, Quality was given a name starting with "Q": the ship's badge depicts an ingot of gold stamped with the Hallmarks of Quality from the assay offices at London and Edinburgh. Quality was hit at 0711 by 3-inch anti-aircraft shell which exploded in the rigging, causing damage to the after-bridge, mast and HA Director. Quality suffered eight casualties, one of which proved fatal, a British Movietone news cameraman who was filming on board at the time.
Quality was awarded four battle honours for her wartime service: "North Africa 1942–43", "Sabang 1944", "Okinawa 1945", and "Japan 1945". Quality was designated as the last of the five ships to undergo the conversion. While waiting for conversion, the destroyer underwent refits in 1948 and 1950, and had to be docked for repairs to her hull in 1954. Quality was sold for scrap to the Mitsubishi Company of Japan on 10 April 1958 for breaking up as scrap.