RCN Prestonian class Frigates: HMCS Fort Erie (312), HMCS Inch Arran (308), HMCS Jonquiere (318), HMCS La Hulloise (305), HMCS Lanark (321), HMCS Lauzon (322)
HMCS Fort Erie (312)
Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3199811)
HMCS Fort Erie (K670), Prestonian Class Frigate, 19 March 1945.
(Bruce Edwards Photo)
HMCS Fort Erie (312) Prestonian Class Frigate. HMCS Fort Erie (K670) (River-class). Built by George T. Davie & Sons Lts., at Lauzon, Quebec, she was laid down as HMCS La Tuque, but was renamed HMCS Fort Erie in Mar 1944. Commissioned at Quebec City on 27 Oct 1944, she did not arrive at Halifax until Dec 1944. She worked up in Bermuda in mid-Jan 1945 and, on her return to Halifax, was assigned to EG 28, an RCN support group based on Halifax, for the duration of the European war. Tropicalization refit, begun 2 Jun 1945, at Pictou, NS, was cancelled on 20 Aug 1945 and HMCS Fort Erie was paid off on 22 Nov 1945, to be laid up at Shelburne, NS. She was sold in 1946 to Marine Industries Ltd., but re-acquired by the RCN and rebuilt in 1954 and 1955 as a Prestonian class ocean escort (312). Re-commissioned 17 Apr1956, she was generally in service as a training ship. On 13 Feb 1959, HMCS Fort Erie, HMCS Buckingham, HMCS Swansea and HMCS La Hulloise returned to Halifax after a 5 week exercise in southern waters that included a port visit to Kingston, Jamaica. HMCS Fort Erie was paid off on 26 Mar 1965 at Halifax. She was broken up at La Spezia, Italy, in 1966.
(Robb Corrigan Photo)
HMCS Fort Erie (312) Prestonian Class Frigate.
HMCS Inch Arran (308)
(David Cooke Photo)
HMCS Inch Arran (308) Prestonian Class Frigate. Built at Lauzon, Quebec, she was commissioned on 18 Nov 1944, at Quebec City. HMCS Inch Arran K667 left for Halifax on 3 Dec 1944, visiting Dalhousie en route. In Jan 1945 she proceeded to Bermuda to work up, and on her return to Halifax on 4 Feb 1945, she was assigned to EG 28. She served for the rest of the war on A/S and supported duties out of Halifax, and on 13 May 1945 escorted the surrendered U-889 into Shelburne, NS. Tropicalization refit, commenced on 6 Jun 1945 at Sydney, was suspended on 20 Aug 1945, and the ship was paid off on 28 Nov 1945. Placed in reserve at Shelburne, she was sold in 1946 to Marine Industries Ltd., but re-acquired in 1951 by the RCN for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (308) at Saint John, NB. She was re-commissioned on 23 Aug 1954, serving on the east coast as a training ship until finally paid off on 23 June 1965. She was then acquired by the Kingston Mariners’ Association for conversion to a nautical museum and youth club, but was eventually scrapped in 1970.
(Robert Cooke Photo)
HMCS Inch Arran (308) Prestonian Class Frigate.
(John Rochon Photo)
HMCS Inch Arran (308) Prestonian Class Frigate.
(John Rochon Photo)
HMCS Inch Arran (308) Prestonian Class Frigate.
HMCS Jonquiere (318)
(City of Vancouver Archives Photo)
HMCS Jonquiere (318) Prestonian Class Frigate. Commissioned at Quebec City on 10 May 1944, she arrived at Halifax on 5 Jun 1944 and proceeded from there to Bermuda to work up. Returning in Aug 1944, HMCS Jonquiere K318 was assigned to EG C-2 and after three Atlantic crossings was transferred to EG 26 at Londonderry. She was also based from time to time at Portsmouth and Plymouth, remaining in UK waters on A/S patrol until 27 May 1945, when she sailed with 305, on the last westbound convoy. She was paid off 4 Dec 1945 at Shelburne, NS, and later taken to Lauzon for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (318), re-commissioning 20 Sep 1954. Paid off on 12 Sep 1966, she was purchased by Capital Iron and Metal, Victoria, BC, in 1967 to be broken up. Shortly after purchased the price of scrap metal plummeted and she was not broken until up late 1971, early 1972.
(City of Vancouver Archives Photo)
HMCS Jonquiere (318) Prestonian Class Frigate.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Jonquiere (318) Prestonian Class Frigate.
(USN Naval History and Heritage Photo, 80-G-659401)
HMCS Jonquiere (FFE 318) Prestonian Class Frigate, 13 Jan 1955.
(USN Naval History and Heritage Photo, 80-G-659401)
HMCS Jonquiere (FFE 318) Prestonian Class Frigate, 22 Jan 1956.
HMCS La Hulloise (305)
(DND Photo)
HMCS La Hulloise (305) Prestonian Class Frigate. Commissioned at Montreal on 20 May 1944, HMCS La Hulloise K668arrived at Halifax in Jun 1944. She proceeded to Bermuda in Jul 1944 to work up, and on returning was assigned to EG 16 at Halifax. In Oct 1944 she was re-assigned to EG 25, and transferred with it to Londonderry in Nov 1944. She spent the remainder of the war in UK waters, based variously at ‘Derry and Rosyth. On 7 Mar 1945, with HMCS Strathadam and HMCS Thetford Mines, she took part in sinking U-1302 in St. George’s Channel. Late in May 1945 she sailed for Canada to undergo tropicalization refit at Saint John, NB. Work was completed on 19 Oct 1945, but the Pacific war had ended and she was paid off at Halifax on 6 Dec 1945. When she was re-commissioned for cadet and new entry training in 1949 her CO, LCdr Jette, was also SO Reserve Fleet East Coast. On 23 Nov 1953 HMCS La Hulloise was paid off for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (305). She was commissioned as such on 9 Oct 1957. On 13 Feb 1959, HMCS Fort Erie, HMCS Buckingham, HMCS Swansea and HMCS La Hulloise returned to Halifax after a 5 week exercise in southern waters that included a port visit to Kingston, Jamaica. In Apr 1963, 12 RCN ships, HMCS Algonquin, Micmac, Cayuga, St. Croix, Terra Nova, Kootenay, Swansea, La Hulloise, Buckingham, Cape Scott, CNAV Bluethroat and CNAV St. Charles, took part in NATO Exercise New Broom Eleven, an exercise designed to test convoy protection tactics. La Hulloise was paid off on 16 Jul 1965 and broken up at La Spezia, Italy, in 1966.
(Angus Gillingham Photo via Peter Gillingham)
HMCS La Hulloise (305) Prestonian Class Frigate, Autumn 1962, taken during the 9th Squadron’s visit to Churchill, Manitoba.
(DND Photo)
HMCS La Hulloise (305) Prestonian Class Frigate.
HMCS Lanark (321)
HMCS Lanark (321) Prestonian Class Frigate Commissioned on 6 Jul 1944, at Montreal, HMCS Lanark K669 arrived at Halifax on 28 Jul 1944. She carried out workups in Bermuda in September and, returning to Halifax in Oct 1944, was assigned to the newly formed EG C-7, Londonderry. She spent the balance of the European war on convoy duty, most of that time as Senior Officer’s ship, and early in Jun 1945, sailed for home. In mid-Jul 1945 she began tropicalization refit at Liverpool, NS, but that was called off on 31 Aug 1945 and the ship was paid off at Sydney on 24 Oct 1945. She was then placed in reserve at Shelburne, but was sold to Marine Industries Ltd., in 1946. Later repurchased by the RCN, she was converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort (321), 1954-55, and on 26 Apr 1956, commissioned for training purposed on the east coast. She was paid off the last time on 16 Mar 1965, and broken up at La Spezia, Italy in 1966.
(Gary Medford Photo)
HMCS Lanark (321) Prestonian Class Frigate.
(Lewis ThibaultLewis Thibault Photo)
HMCS Lanark (321) Prestonian Class Frigate.
HMCS Lauzon (322)
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(Angus Gillingham Photo via Peter Gillingham)
HMCS Lauzon (322) Prestonian Class Frigate, and HMCS Buckingham (314) Prestonian Class Frigate, Autumn 1962, taken during the 9th Squadron’s visit to Churchill, Manitoba.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Lauzon (322) Prestonian Class Frigate. Built by George T. Davie & Sons Ltd., she was commissioned on 30 Aug 1944, at Quebec City. HMCS Lauzon K671 arrived at Halifax in mid-Oct 1944 and in Nov 1944 spent three weeks’ working up in Bermuda. She arrived at St. John’s, Newfoundland, 30 Nov 1944 to join EG C-6, and was continuously employed as a mid-ocean escort until VE-Day. She left Londonderry 13 Jun 1945 for the last time, and that summer was employed as a troop-carrier between St. John’s and Quebec City. Paid off on 7 Nov 1945, she was laid up in reserve at Shelburne, NS, until purchased in 1946 by Marine Industries Ltd. The RCN re-acquired her in 1951 for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (322). She was re-commissioned on 12 Dec 1953, and assumed a training role on the east coast until finally paid off on 24 May 1963. She was sold the following year to a Toronto buyer, presumably for scrap.