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Notable events involving Buccaneer include:

4 Oct 1939
HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clark, RN) departed Scapa Flow for the Northern Patrol. She is ordered to patrol between Iceland and the Faeroer Islands.

On leaving Scapa Flow she conducted gunnery exercises on a target that was being towed by the tug HMS Buccaneer. (1)

11 May 1940
Around 2330/10, a convoy of ships departed Skjelfiord for the UK. The convoy was made up of the damaged light cruiser HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) that was being towed by the tug HMS Brigand, the damaged destroyer HMS Isis (Cdr. J.C. Clouston, RN) that was being towed by the tug HMS Buccaneer, the transport Lochee (964 GRT, built 1937) and the tanker British Valour (6952 GRT, built 1927).

On departure from the Skjelfiord the convoy was escorted by the destroyers HMS Campbell (Lt.Cdr. R.M. Aubrey, RN), HMS Witch (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Barnes, RN) and the A/S trawler HMS St. Loman (T/Lt. R.C. Warwick, RNR).

The convoy was assembled off the Skjelfiord shortly after midnight during the night of 10/11 May.

Around 1015/11, the AA cruiser HMS Calcutta (Capt. D.M. Lees, DSO, RN) and destroyer HMS Zulu (Cdr. J.S. Crawford, RN) joined the escort of the convoy.

Around 1040/11, enemy aircraft attacked the convoy but no damage was sustained. Shortly afterwards the AA cruiser HMS Coventry (Capt. D. Gilmour, RN) also joined the escort of the convoy.

Around 1900/11, HMS Zulu obtained an A/S contact and attacked with depth charges.

Around 0815/12, HMS Witch obtained an A/S contact and attacked with depth charges.

Around 0900/12, HMS Coventry parted company with the convoy.

Around 1230/12, HMS Escort (Lt.Cdr. J. Bostock, RN) joined the convoy escort.

Around 1300/12, HMS Zulu obtained an A/S contact and attacked with depth charges followed by HMS Witch at 1320/12.

Around 2000/13, HMS Campbell parted company with the convoy to proceed to Sullum Voe to refuel. She arrived there around 0600/14.

Around 1600/14, HMS Campbell rejoined, having departed from Sullom Voe after refuelling there around 1030/14.

Around 2000/14, HMS Calcutta and HMS St. Loman parted company with the convoy.

Around 0430/15, HMS Witch arrived at Scapa Flow to refuel. [Unknown when she left the convoy]. She departed Scapa Flow around 0730/15 to rejoin the convoy. [Unkown when she rejoined the convoy.]

Around 0515/15, HMS Acasta (Cdr. C.E. Glasfurd, RN) joined the convoy escort. HMS Zulu was then detached.

Around 2230/15, HMS Penelope still being towed by HMS Brigand and the British Valour and escorted by HMS Acasta and HMS Escort parted company with the other ships to proceed ahead of them to the Clyde.

They arrived in the Clyde area around 2200/15. The other ships arrived in the Clyde area later during the night of 15/16 May. (2)

24 Aug 1940
HMS Kipling (Cdr. A. St. Clair-Ford, RN) departed Scapa Flow at 1230 hours to go to the assistance of the damaged British merchant vessel Beacon Grange (10119 GRT, built 1938) that has been damaged by bombs from German aircraft in position 58°39'N, 02°27'W the day before. The merchant vessel had been taken in tow by the rescue tug HMRT Buccaneer which was later relieved by her sister ship HMRT Marauder which took the ship to Kirkwall where she was beached.

HMS Kipling returned to Scapa on the 25th.

11 Jan 1943

Operation FC.

Attempted interception of German warships of the Norwegian coast.

Around 0600A/11, the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.K. Scott-Moncrieff, RN), HMS Queenborough (Cdr. E.P. Hinton, DSO and Bar, MVO, RN), HMS Onslaught (Cdr. W.H. Selby, RN), ORP Piorun (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) T. Gorazdowski), HMS Inglefield (Cdr. A.G. West, RN), HMS Echo (Lt.Cdr. N. Lanyon, RN) and HMS Vivacious (Lt.Cdr. R. Alexander, RN) departed Scapa Flow for this operation. The German battlecruiser Scharnhorst, heeavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and a destroyer had been sighted by the British air reconnaissance, forewarned through ULTRA intercepts, near the Skaw. Actually three German destroyers were present; Z 5 / Paul Jacobi, Z 14 / Friedrich Ihn and Z 24. On being reported by the aircraft the German ships returned to the Baltic.

Around 2245A/11, when in approximate position 61°05'N, 01°44'E, unaware that the Germans had turned back, Capt. Scott-Moncrieff (Capt. 8th Destroyer Flotilla), abandoned the operation due to the bad weather conditions (gale) and set course to return to Scapa Flow. HMS Vivacious had developed steering trouble and had been detached earlier.

Around 2000A/11, the light cruisers HMS Bermuda (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and HMS Glasgow (Capt. E.M. Evans-Lombe, RN) departed Scapa Flow to provide cover for operation FC. They turned back around 0230A/12 after the operation had been abandoned.

At 0859A/12, HMS Vivacious reported that she was stopped about 30 miles east of Lerwick in position 60°15'N, 00°10'W, due to to engine lubrication failure. From the returning destroyers HMS Inglefield and HMS Echo were detached to go to her assistance. Also the rescue tug HMS Buccaneer left Scapa Flow to go to her assistance.

Around 1135A/12, HMS Bermuda and HMS Glasgow returned to Scapa Flow.

At 1144A/12, HMS Vivacious reported that she was underway proceeding to Lerwick at 3 knots. HMS Inglefield and HMS Echo were then ordered to proceed to Scapa Flow. HMS Buccaneer was also recalled.

HMS Faulknor, HMS Queenborough, HMS Onslaught and ORP Piorun arrived at Scapa Flow late in the afternoon of the 12th.

HMS Inglefield and HMS Echo returned to Scapa Flow around 0900A/13. (3)