Fate
Gladiolus was lost in October 1941 whilst escorting SC 48. At the time, she was under the command of Lieutenant Commander H. M. C. Sanders. One source suggests she was sunk on the night of 16/17 October by a stray torpedo from U-558, or U-432. However Edwards records Gladiolus had detached from SC 48 the previous night. At 2130 the night of 15/16 Empire Heron was hit, and Gladiolus was detached to search for survivors. At 2200 she signalled she had picked up one man, and was continuing to search. This was her last contact; nothing more is known of her, and there were no survivors from either vessel. Another source speculates she was unstable due to her refit, and overturned during a violent manoeuvre, but the actual cause of her loss is unknown.
Read more about this topic: HMS Gladiolus (K34)
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“Such is the fate of simple Bard,
On life’s rough ocean luckless starr’d:”
—Robert Burns (1759–1796)