Larkspur was built at Fleming and Ferguson, of Paisley, as part of the 1939 War Emergency building programme.[1] She was laid down on 26 March 1940 and launched 5 September 1940. She was completed and entered service on 4 January 1941, being named for the Larkspur family of garden flowers.While building Larkspur was modified to include the extended forecastle that became a feature of the Flowers, added to improve habitability. She also gained a navy-style open bridge, though she retained the mercantile foremast position forward of the bridge.
After working up, Larkspur was assigned to the Western Approaches Escort Force for service as a convoy escort. In this role she was engaged in all the duties performed by escort ships; protecting convoys, searching for and attacking U-boats which attacked ships in convoy, and rescuing survivors.In 14 months service Larkspur escorted 10 North Atlantic, one South Atlantic and five Gibraltar convoys [2] [3] assisting in the safe passage of over 400 ships.
She was involved in two major convoy battles:: In July 1941 Larkspur was part of the escort for OG 69, which was attacked by a U-boat pack, losing 9 ships sunk.[4] In September 1941 she was with HG 73, which lost nine merchant and one warship sunk.[5]
Following the entry of the United States into the war the US Navy was in need of anti-submarine warfare vessels, and to meet this need a number of ships were transferred from the Royal Navy as part of a reverse Lend-Lease arrangement.[1] Larkspur was commissioned into the USN on 17 March 1942 as USS Fury. After an overhaul Fury was employed as an escort on the East Coast convoy route, and for convoys between New York and the Caribbean.In 1945 Fury was also employed in anti-submarine patrols off the East Coast ports.
In August 1945 she was decommissioned and returned to the Royal Navy.[6]
Larkspur was stricken in 1946 and sold into commercial service as the merchant ship Larkslock. She was scrapped at Hong Kong in 1953.[6] [7]