During the Second World War, Wallace was mainly employed in escorting convoys on the East coast of Great Britain, although these duties were interrupted to take part in Operation Husky, the Anglo-American invasion of Sicily in 1943.

The Thornycroft type[1] or Shakespeare-class[2][3] leaders, were like the similar and contemporary Admiralty type (also known as the Scott-class)[4][5] were designed to meet a requirement from Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, commander of the Grand Fleet, for a large, fast and heavily armed flotilla leader to match and outclass rumoured large German destroyers.

[7][nb 1] The ship's machinery consisted of four Yarrow boilers that fed steam at 250 pounds per square inch (1,700 kPa) to two sets of Brown-Curtis single-reduction geared-steam turbines, rated at 40,000 shaft horsepower (30,000 kW).

[10] Up to 500 tons of oil fuel could be carried, giving a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[13] In 1936, the Admiralty recognised that the Royal Navy had a shortage of escort ships with good anti-aircraft armament, suitable for operations along the East coast of the Great Britain.

The larger size of Wallace compared to the V and W class destroyers, allowed a quadruple 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" close-range anti-aircraft mount to be fitted right aft, uniquely for a "Wair" conversion.

The British force set out in support of Walker, which was hit twice by shells from Petropavlovsk, but the Russians withdrew behind a minefield before a more general engagement could occur.

[28] In September 1922, the Chanak Crisis threatened war between Britain and Turkey as Turkish forces under Mustafa Kemal seemed likely to advance into allied-occupied Constantinople and to cross the Bosporus into Eastern Thrace.

[33][34] Wallace continued in service with the 5th Flotilla until July 1934, interrupted by refits in June–November 1926 (when her high-speed turbines were repaired) and from December 1931 to June 1932 (when her boilers were retubed).

[18] Wallace started her conversion to a "Wair"-type anti-aircraft escort in September 1938,[18] with the work being carried out in conjunction with programmed major repairs.

[18] On the night of 12/13 December, the German destroyers Hermann Künne, Friedrich Ihn, Erich Steinbrinck, Richard Beitzen and Bruno Heinemann laid a minefield off the Tyne estuary.

[18] On the night of 31 March, ten Norwegian merchant ships that were trapped in Swedish ports set out from Gothenburg in an attempt to escape to Britain via the Kattegat and Skagerrak, while evading German forces.

[18] In June 1942, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was appointed as sub-lieutenant on the destroyer while Wallace was involved in convoy escort tasks on the east coast of Britain.

[46] In June 1943, Wallace was detached from East coast convoy duties to take part in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily.

[18][47][48][49] In October, Prince Philip became first lieutenant of Wallace[44] and during the invasion of Sicily, in July 1943, as second in command of Wallace, it was recorded that the ship was saved from a night bomber attack by his devising a plan to launch a raft with smoke floats that successfully distracted the bombers, allowing the ship to slip away unnoticed.

[46] After Operation Husky, Wallace returned to her East coast convoy duties,[16] although she increasingly suffered mechanical problems.