RCN Flower class Corvettes: HMCS Thorlock (K394), HMCS Timmins (K223), HMCS Trail (K174), HMCS Trentonian (K368)
HMCS Thorlock (K394)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Thorlock (K394) Flower class Corvette. Built at Midland, Ontario, HMCS Thorlock was commissioned there on 13 Nov 1944, and arrived at Halifax on 16 Dec 1944. On 7 Jan 1945, she left for Bermuda to work up, setting out on 01 Feb 1945 for the return journey northward. Later that month she was allocated to EG C-9 and on 26 Feb 1945 left Halifax to pick up her first convoy, SC.168. She served for the remainder of the war as an ocean escort, making five transatlantic trips. On 12 May 1945, when on the final leg of an Atlantic crossing with convoy ON.300 from the UK, she was diverted, along with HMCS Victoriaville, to accept the surrender of U-190 and escort the U-boat to Bay Bulls, Newfoundland. She was paid off on 15 Jul 1945, and placed in reserve at Sorel. Sold in 1946, she served in the Chilean Navy as Papudo until disposed of for scrap in 1967.
(Chilean Navy Photo)
Chilean Navy Ship Papudo (37), former HMCS Thorlock (K394) Flower class Corvette.
HMCS Timmins (K223)
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Timmins (K223) Flower class Corvette. Built at Esquimalt, she was commissioned there on 10 Feb 1942. HMCS Timmins served with Esquimalt Force until transferred to the east coast. Upon arrival at Halifax on 13 Oct 1942 she was assigned to WLEF. With its division into escort groups in Jun 1943, she became a member of EG W-6, transferring to W-2 in Apr 1944. She commenced a two-month refit at Liverpool, NS, late in Jun 1943, followed by workups at Pictou. A second refit, again at Liverpool, was carried out between late Jun and mid-Oct 1944. It included the extension of her fo’c’s’le and three weeks’ working-up in Bermuda followed. HMCS Timmins was paid off on 15 Jul 1945, at Sorel, and sold later that year for commercial use. She entered service in 1948 as the Honduran-flag Guayaquil and, ironically, foundered at Guayaquil, Ecuador, on 3 Aug 1960.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Timmins (K223).
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Timmins (K223).
HMCS Trail (K174)
(Terry Marentette Photo)
HMCS Trail (K174) Flower class Corvette. Commissioned at Vancouver on 31 Apr 1941, she left Esquimalt 31 May 1941 for the east coast, arriving at Halifax on 27 Jun 1941. In Aug 1941 she joined Newfoundland Command, departing St. John’s on 23 Aug 1941 to escort convoy HX.146 as far as Iceland. During the year she made four round trips there, and on 20 Jan 1942, left St. John’s to join SC.65 for the first of two round trips to Londonderry. She returned to Halifax on 02 Apr 1942 and, after a brief refit at Liverpool, NS, joined Halifax Force for Northern Waters in June. Between Jul and Nov 1942 she was employed escorting convoys between Labrador and Quebec City, also calling at Gaspé and Hamilton Inlet. She arrived at Halifax in Nov 1942 to join WLEF for the balance of the war, as a member successively of escort groups W-6 (from Jun 1943); W-5 (from Apr 1944) and W-4 (from Dec 1944). She underwent a refit at Lunenburg from mid-Jul to 03 Sep 1943, followed by workups at Pictou, and a further refit at Liverpool, NS, between mid-Jul and 23 Oct 1944. Following the latter, which included extension of her fo’c’s’le, she underwent additional repairs at Halifax and then proceeded to Bermuda to work up in Dec 1944. She left there on 7 Jan 1945, for Boston, MA, to resume service with WLEF until paid off on 17 Jul 1945 at Sorel. In August 1950, HMCS Trail was sold to the Steel Co. of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario, and was ship was broken up at Hamilton.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Trail (K174) Flower class Corvette.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Trail (K174) Flower class Corvette.
(US Naval History and Heritage Photo, 80-G-233614)
HMCS Trail (K174) Flower class Corvette.
HMCS Trentonian (K368)
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Trentonian (K368) Flower class Corvette. Commissioned at Kingston on 01 Dec 1943, HMCS Trentonian departed for Halifax on 26 Dec 1943. HMCS Trentonian arrived at Halifax late in Dec 1943 and, after further fitting-out at Liverpool, NS, and Halifax, left the latter port for Bermuda on 18 Feb 1944, to work up. Returning at the beginning of Mar 1944, she was assigned to Western Approaches Command and left for Londonderry on 23 Apr 1944 to join. For three months she carried out escort duty in connection with the invasion and on 13 Jun 1944, while escorting the cable vessel Monarch off Normandy, she was shelled in error by a US destroyer. The Monarch was hit several times resulting in numerous casualties, luckily however, HMCS Trentonian was not hit during this incident. Late in Aug 1944 she transferred to EG 41 (RN) and, based at different times at Plymouth and at Milford Haven, escorted Channel convoys. While so engaged on 22 Feb 1945, she was torpedoed and sunk near Falmouth by U-1004, with the loss of six lives.
U-1004 was eventually scuttled in “Operation Deadlight”, the code name for the scuttling of German U-boats aquired by the Allies after the end of the war.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Trentonian (K368) Flower class Corvette.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Trentonian (K368) Flower class Corvette.