Royal Canadian Navy Corvettes (Flower Class), HMCS Charlottetown (K244) to HMCS La Malbaie (K273)

Royal Canadian Navy Corvettes (Flower Class), HMCS Charlottetown  (K244) to HMCS La Malbaie (K273)

RCN Corvettes (Flower Class), Part 2

HMCS Charlottetown (K244)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Charlottetown (K244) (Flower-class).  Built by the Kingston Shipbuilding Co., Ltd, Ont., she was commissioned at Quebec City on 13 Dec 1941 and arrived at Halifax on 18 Dec 1941.  She was a member of WLEF until mid-Jul 1942, when she was transferred to Gulf Escort Force owing to increased U-boat activity in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  She was employed as escort to Quebec-Sydney convoys until 11 Sep 1942, when she was torpedoed and sunk by U-517 in the St. Lawrence River near Cap Chat, Quebec.  Six of her crew were lost that day, 4 later died of wounds resulting from the sinking.  She had earlier delivered convoy SQ.35 to Rimouski and was en route back to Gaspé, her base, at the time.

A member of HMCS Charlottetown's crew, Bowser died after the German submarine U-517 sank his ship in the St. Lawrence River in September 1942.  Charlottetown had been sailing with HMCS Clayoquot and, as the ships had not been "zig-zagging," they presented less-difficult targets for U-517.  Most of Charlottetown's crew survived the torpedoing but several, including Bowser, were severely injured by depth charges which exploded as their ship sank.  His funeral at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Gaspé, Quebec, emphasized the proximity of the battle of the St. Lawrence to the Canadian home front

(DND Photo)

HMCS Charlottetown (K244) (Flower-class).

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Charlottetown (K244) (Flower-class).

HMCS Chicoutimi (K156)

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Chicoutimi (K156) (Flower-class).  Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, she was commissioned at Montreal on 12 May 1941.  HMCS Chicoutimi arrived at Halifax on 17 May 1941.  She carried out workups and then joined Sydney Force, escorting ocean convoys on the first leg of their eastward journey.  In Sep 1941 she joined Newfoundland Command and left Sydney on 29 Sep 1941 to escort convoy SC.47 to Iceland.  She was employed for the next five months as an ocean escort between St. John's and Iceland and, later, Londonderry.  Reassigned to WLEF, she left 'Derry on 27 Feb 1942, to meet convoy On.71.  She served with WLEF until Aug 1944 (from Jun 1943, on with EG W-1), when she was transferred to HMCS Cornwallis as a training ship.  In Apr 1945, she went to Sydney Force and, on 16 Jun 1945, was paid off at Sorel for disposal.  She was sold to Steel Co. of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario, in Jun 1946 and broken up in the same year.  A credit to her builders, Canadian Vickers, HMCS Chicoutimi required only three short refits during her active career, and she was one of the few corvettes to survive the war with a short fo'c's'le.

HMCS Chilliwack (K131)

(Naval Museum of Alberta Photo)

HMCS Chilliwack (K131) (Flower-class).  Built by Burrard Dry Dock Co., Ltd, she was commissioned at Vancouver on 8 Apr 1941.  She arrived at Halifax on 19 Jun 1941, was assigned to Newfoundland Command in July, and for the rest of the year escorted convoys between St. John's and Iceland.  Early in Feb 1942 Chilliwack escorted SC.67, her first transatlantic convoy, and was thereafter employed almost continuously as an ocean escort until Nov 1944.  From Jun 1942, onward she was a member of EG C-1, and during this period escorted three convoys around which epic battles were fought: SC.94 (Aug 1942), ONS.154 (Dec 1942), and ON.166 (Feb 1943).  In addition, she assisted in sinking two U-boats: U-356 when escort to ONS.154, 27 Dec 1942; and U-744 when escort to HX.280, on 6 Mar 1944.  On that date, HMCS Chaudiere H99, HMCS St. Catharines K325, HMCS Chilliwack 131, HMCS Fennel K194 and HMCS Gatineau H61, along with two British ships, HMS Icarus and HMS Kenilworth Castle, started one of the longest U-boat hunts Canadian ships participated in during the Second World War.  A total of 291 depth charges, 87,300 pounds of high explosive were required to bring the U-boat to the surface.  Fifteen hundred signals were passed between the ships as they stalked, attacked, waited and again attacked the submarine U-744 through a day and a night of rough weather.  U-744 was forced to surface on 6 March 1944, after a 31-hour pursuit by these Canadian and British ships.  U-744 was then boarded by allied sailors, who retrieved code books and other documents.  Most of this was lost while being transferred between the U-Boat and the allied ships.  After attempts to tow the submarine into port failed, U-744 was scuttled by the allied warships.  In the course of a major refit from Apr to Oct 1943, at Dartmouth, NS, she acquired her long fo'c's'le.  Assigned on 4 Dec 1943 to EG WE-8, WEF, she left for a month's workups in Bermuda.  Reassigned in Apr 1945, to Halifax Force, she was temporarily lent to EG C-1 the following month for one final round trip to Londonderry.  Paid off 14 Jul 1945 and laid up at Sorel, she was broken up at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1946.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Chilliwack (K131) (Flower-class).

(Scott Wilson McMurdo Photo)

Photo of the capture of U-744, taken from HMCS Chilliwack, 6 March 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, PA-112996)

Photo of the capture of U-744, taken from HMCS Chilliwack, 6 March 1944.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Chilliwack (K131) (Flower-class).

HMCS Cobalt (K124)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Cobalt (K124) (Flower-class).  Built at Port Arthur and commissioned there on 25 Nov 1940, HMCS Cobalt was taken to Halifax in advance of completion to beat the St. Lawrence freeze-up, arriving 24 Dec 1940.  Completed early in Jan 1941, she worked up and joined Halifax Force, but left on 23 May 1941 with the other six corvettes and first formed NEF.  For the next six months she operated as an ocean escort between St. John's and Iceland, proceeding in mid-Nov 1941 to Liverpool, NS, for three moths' refit.  Following completion she made two round trips to Londonderry before being assigned in May 1942, to WLEF, with which she was to spend the balance of the war.  She served with EG W-6 from Jun 1943; with W-5 from Apr 1944; and with W-7 from Feb 1945.  During the second of two other extensive refits at Liverpool, NS, from Apr to 20 Jul 1944, her fo'c's'le was lengthened.  She was paid off at Sorel on 17 Jun 1945, and subsequently sold for conversion to a whale-catcher, entering service in 1953 as the Dutch Johanna W. Vinke.  She was broken up in South Africa in 1966.

(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)

HMCS Cobalt (K124) (Flower-class).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Cobalt (K124) (Flower-class).

HMCS Cobourg (K333)

(Linda Carleton Photo)

HMCS Cobourg (K333) (Flower-class).  Launched at Midland, Ontario, she was commissioned there on 11 May 1944.  She arrived at Halifax 17 Jun 1944, having visited her namesake port en route.  She arrived in Bermuda in mid-Jul 1944 for three weeks' workups and on her return was allocated to EG C-6, St. John's.  HMCS Cobourg served with the group as a mid-ocean escort for the duration of the war, leaving Londonderry on 27 Mar 1945, to join convoy ON.293 for her last trip westward.  She arrived at Halifax 02 May 1945 for refit and was paid off 15 June 1945 at Sorel to await disposal.  Sold into mercantile service in 1945, she began her new career in 1947 under the name of Camco.  In 1956 she assumed the name Puerto del Sol under Panamanian flag, and on 1 Jul 1971 or 1972, burned and sank at New Orleans.  She was later raised and broken up.

HMCS Collingwood (K180)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Collingwood (K180) (Flower-class).  The first RCN corvette to enter service, HMCS Collingwood, was commissioned on 9 Nov 1940, at Collingwood, arrived at Halifax 04 Dec 1940, and joined Halifax Force in Jan 1941.  She sailed on 23 May 1941 as one of the seven corvettes that were charter members of Newfoundland Command, and in Jun 1941 commenced six months' employment as an escort between St. John's and Iceland.  Early in Dec 1941 she began a two-month refit at Halifax, following which she resumed mid-ocean escort duties between St. John's and Londonderry.  These duties continued, with time off for three minor refits, until the end of 1944.  From Dec 1942, onward she was a member of EG C-4.  HMCS Collingwood was involved in one major convoy battle, that of HX.133 in Jun 1941, when eight ships were torpedoed and six sunk.  During her refit at New York City from Oct to Dec 1943, she received her extended fo'c's'le.  She left Londonderry on 16 Nov 1944, for the last time, refitted briefly at Liverpool, NS, then went to Digby to serve as a training ship from Apr to Jun 1945.  She was paid off on 23 Jul 1945 and laid up at Sorel.  She was sold in Jul 1950 and broken up by Steel Co. of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario, the same year.

HMCS Dauphin (K157)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Dauphin (K157) (Flower-class).  Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, she was commissioned at Montreal on 17 May 1941 and arrived at Halifax on 24 May 1941.  She joined Sydney Force late in Jun 1941 and in Sep 1941 transferred to Newfoundland Command.  She left Sydney on 05 Sep 1941 to join her maiden convoy, SC.43, continuing on to the UK for further workups at Tobermory and returning to mid-ocean service in mid-Oct 1941.  HMCS Dauphin was almost continuously employed as an ocean escort until Aug 1944, after Dec 1942 as a member of EG A-3, (re-designated C-5 in Jun 1943).  She escorted three particularly strenuous convoys: SC.100 (Sep 1942), On.166 (Feb 1943), and SC.121 (Mar 1943).  In the course of a major refit at Pictou from Apr to Sep 1943, her fo'c's'le was lengthened.  Dauphin left Londonderry for the last time on 11 Aug 1944, underwent refit at Liverpool, NS, then proceeded to Bermuda to work up.  Returning in Jan 1945, she was assigned to EG W-7, Western Escort Force, for the balance of the war.  She was paid off at Sorel on 20 Jun 1945, and sold for conversion to a merchant ship at the yards of Steel and Engine Products, Liverpool, NS.  Named Dundas Kent, just as she neared completion she caught fire and burned at the pier.  After being repaired she entered service in 1949 as the Honduran Cortes.  She became the Ecuadorian flagged vessel San Antonio in 1955.  She was still listed in Lloyd's Register in 1977-78.

HMCS Dawson (K104)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Dawson (K104) (Flower-class).  Built at Victoria, BC, HMCS Dawson was commissioned on 6 Oct 1941 and, after working up, joined Esquimalt Force for local patrol duty.  On 20 Aug 1942, she arrived at Kodiak, Alaska, to take part in the Aleutian campaign under US operational control, returning to Esquimalt 4 Nov 1942.  She resumed her duties with Esquimalt Force until Feb 1943, when she again proceeded to Alaskan waters to work with US naval units until the end of May 1943.  In Sep 1943 she commenced a major refit, including fo'c's'le extension, at Vancouver, worked up following its completion 29 Jan 1944, and on 14 Feb 1944 left for Halifax.  Arriving there 25 Mar 1944, she joined EG W-7, WEF.  Early in Jan 1945, she began a refit at Dartmouth, on completion of which in Apr 1945 she went to Bermuda to work up.  The European war had ended by the time she returned, and she was paid off 19 Jun 1945 at Sorel.  Sold for scrap; she foundered at her moorings on 22 Mar 1946 at Hamilton.  She was later raised and broken up.

HMCS Drumheller (K167)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Drumheller (K167) (Flower-class).  Built at Collingwood, Ontario, she was commissioned at Montreal on 13 Sep 1941.  HMCS Drumheller arrived at Halifax on 25 Sep 1941.  She joined Sydney Force in Nov 1941 after completing workups, but soon afterward transferred to Newfoundland Command, and left St. John's on 11 Dec 1941 to join her first convoy, SC.59, for Iceland.  HMCS Drumheller was employed for two months on that convoy run, but on 06 Feb 1942, arrived at Londonderry - one of the first Canadian ships to do so.  She left for St. John's the following week, but developed mechanical defects en route and returned to the UK to refit at Southampton.  On completion of the repairs she arrived at Tobermory on 22 Mar 1942 to work up, resuming ocean escort service at the end of Apr 1942 as a member of EG C-2.  She served with the group until Apr 1944, with respite only from mid-Nov 1943 to 15 Jan 1944, while undergoing a refit, including fo'c's'le extension, at New York City.  Her most hectic convoy was the combined ON.202/ONS.18 of Sep 1943, which lost six merchant vessels and three escorts.  On 13 May 1943, while escorting HX.237 she, HMS Lagan, and a Sunderland aircraft collaborated in sinking U-456.  In Apr 1944 HMCS Drumheller was allocated to Western Approaches Command, Greenock, for invasion duties, transferring in September to Portsmouth Command . She served with the latter until the end of the war, escorting convoys in UK coastal waters, and returned to Canada in mid-May, 1945.  Paid off on 11 Jul 1945, at Sydney, she was broken up in 1949 at Hamilton, Ontario.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Drumheller (K167) (Flower-class).

HMCS Dundas (K229)

(Jeff Simpson Photo)

HMCS Dundas (K229) (Flower-class), 25 July 1941.  Built at Victoria and commissioned on 1 Apr 1942, she joined Esquimalt Force after working up, and in Aug 1942 made a round trip as convoy escort to Kodiak, Alaska, in support of the Aleutian campaign.  On 13 Sep 1942 she sailed for the east coast to replace an Operation "Torch" nominee, joining WLEF upon arrival at Halifax on 13 Oct 1942.  She served with EG W-7 from Jun 1943, with W-5 from Sep 1943, and with W-4 from Apr 1944.  In the course of a major refit at Montreal from 13 Jun to 19 Nov 1943, HMCS Dundas acquired her extended fo'c's'le. She commenced another long refit early in Jan 1945, at Liverpool, NS, resuming service in Apr 1945.  Paid off on 17 Jul 1945 at Sorel, she was sold later that year and broken up in 1946 at Hamilton, Ontario.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Dundas (K229) (Flower-class).

HMCS Dunvegan (K177)

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Dunvegan (K177) (Flower-class).  Named after a village in Nova Scotia, HMCS Dunvegan was commissioned at Sorel on 9 Sep 1941, and arrived at Halifax a week later.  She joined Sydney Force after working up, but in mid-Nov 1941 was transferred to Newfoundland Command, leaving St. John's on 18 Nov 1941 as ocean escort to convoy SC.55 as far as Iceland.  On her return she underwent repairs at Halifax, and on their completion in Jan 1942, was assigned briefly to WLEF.  On 27 Jan 1942, while escorting convoy HX.172, both engines of HMCS Annapolis stopped because of water in the oil fuel.  HMCS Dunvegan came to her aid.  While trying to pass a line for a tow, HMCS Dunvegan fouled the line in her own propeller.  With rapidly deteriorating weather,  HMCS Annapolis drifted into HMCS Dunvegan and sustained damage to her own propellers and substructure.  As a result of the collision, the two ships limped into Halifax Harbour with HMCS Annapolis towing her would-be rescuer.  Resuming her duties as ocean escort with Newfoundland Command, she arrived at Londonderry on 10 Mar 1942.  In succeeding weeks she made two more round trips to 'Derry, leaving that port for the last time in mid-Jun 1942.  On reaching Halifax, she was assigned to WLEF and, in Jun 1943, to its EG W-8.  In Oct 1943, she proceeded to Baltimore, MD, for a refit which included fo'c's'le extension and lasted until the end of the year.  She then carried out workups off Norfolk, VA, completing the process in Bermuda after some repairs at Halifax.  On her return she resumed her duties with WLEF, from Apr 1944 onward as a member of EG W-6.  On 7 May 1945, she left Halifax as local escort to convoy SC.175, but was detached on 10 May 1945 to act, with HMCS Rockcliffe, as escort to the surrendered U-889.  She was paid off on 3 Jul 1945, at Sydney, and sold in 1946 to the Venezuelan Navy, serving as Indepencia until broken up in 1953.

HMCS Edmundston (K106)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Edmundston (K106) (Flower-class).  Commissioned at Esquimalt on 21 Oct 1941, Edmundston was assigned after workups to Esquimalt Force.  On 20 Jun 1942, she rescued 31 crew members of SS Fort Camosun, disabled by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-25 off the coast of Washington. She left Esquimalt for the Atlantic on 13 Sep 1942, arriving at Halifax on 13 Oct 1942, and was assigned to WLEF.  On 4 Jan 1943, she commenced a five-month refit at Halifax, including fo'c's'le extension, carried out workups at Pictou, then joined EG 5 at St. John's.  For the next ten months she was employed in support of North Atlantic, Gibraltar, and Sierra Leone convoys.  She underwent a refit at Liverpool, NS, from May to Jul 1944, worked up in Bermuda in Aug 1944 and, in Oct 1944, joined the newly formed EG C-8.  She served the remainder of the war as an ocean escort, leaving Londonderry on 11 May 1945 with HMCS Leaside K492 and HMCS Poundmaker K675, for the last time as escort for convoy ONS.50.  She was paid off at Sorel on 16 Jun 1945 and sold for mercantile use, entering service in 1948 as Amapala, last noted under Liberian flag in Lloyd's list for 1961-62.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Edmundston (K106) (Flower-class).

HMCS Eyebright (K150)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Eyebright (K150) (Flower-class).  Built for the RN, she was commissioned at Montreal on 26 Nov 1940 as HMS Eyebright.  She arrived incomplete at Halifax on 11 Dec 1940 and, after working up, left on 21 Jan 1941, with convoy HX.104 for Sunderland.  There she was completed on 16 Apr 1941, and proceeded to Tobermory to work up.  Transferred to the RCN on 15 May 1941 and commissioned as HMCS Eyebright K150, she was later allocated to EG 4 (RN), based at Iceland, whence she sailed on 12 Jun 1941 to join convoy OB.332 for Halifax.  She joined Newfoundland Command in Jun 1941, and for the next five months was employed as escort to convoys between St. John's and Iceland.  In Nov 1941 she began a refit at Charleston, SC, resuming escort duty late in Jan 1942, and arrived at Londonderry with her first transatlantic convoy, SC.66, on 6 Feb 1942.  In Jan 1943, she joined EG C-3, and in Jul 1943 commenced two months' refit at Baltimore, MD, including fo'c's'le extension.  Following repairs at Pictou and workups at Bermuda in the summer of 1944, she joined EG W-3, WLEF, and saw continuous service in the western Atlantic until the end of the war, with one further round trip to Londonderry as a temporary member of EG C-5.  HMCS Eyebright was returned to the RN at Belfast on 17 Jun 1945, and sold in 1947 for conversion to a whale-catcher.  She entered service in 1950 as the Dutch Albert W. Vinke, last appearing in Lloyd's list for 1964-65.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Eyebright (K150) (Flower-class).

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Eyebright (K150) (Flower-class).

(Ron Bell Photo)

HMCS Eyebright (K150) (Flower-class).

(IWM Photo, FL6174)

HMCS Eyebright (K150) (Flower-class).

HMCS Fennel (K194)

(USN Naval History and Heritage History Photos)

HMCS Fennel (K194) (Flower-class).  Built at Sorel for the RN, she was launched on 20 Aug 1940.  In Dec 1940 she was towed to Liverpool, NS for completion and commissioned there on 15 Jan 1941 as HMS Fennel.  She left Halifax on 5 Mar 1941 with convoy HX.113 for the UK, and while there received finishing touches at Greenock.  On 15 May 1941 she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned as HMCS Fennel K194.  Following workups at Tobermory in Jun 1941 Fennel was assigned to NEF, first serving as an ocean escort between St. John's and Londonderry.  In Jun 1942, she commenced a year's service with the newly formed WLEF.  She underwent a refit at New York from mid-Jul to late Sep 1942.  In Jun 1943, she was detached to EG C-2 for one round trip to 'Derry, and on returning she went to Baltimore, MD, for a refit which included the extension of her fo'c's'le, completing on 06 Sep 1943.  After working up at Pictou she resumed her ocean escort duties with C-2, and on 06 Mar 1944, was one of seven escorts of HX.280 that hounded U-744 to its death.  In Aug 1944 she had two months' refit at Pictou, followed by three weeks' workups in Bermuda and at year's end transferred to EG C-1 for the duration of the war.  HMCS Fennel arrived at Greenock 29 May 1945, from one of the last convoys, and was returned to the RN at Londonderry on 12 Jun 1945.  She was sold in 1946 to Kosmos and became the whaling vessel Milliam Kihl.  She was re-built as a buoy-boat in October 1948.  Refitted as whaler in 1951 in Kiel, Germany.  Laid up in 1960/1961.  Last drifting season 1964/1965.  Laid up again in Sandefjord.  Sold to Norwegian ship breakers in Grimstad in 1966.

(USN Naval History and Heritage History Photos)

HMCS Fennel (K194) (Flower-class).

HMCS Fergus (K686)

 (Judy Agis Photo)

HMCS Fergus (K686) (Flower-class).  Commissioned at Collingwood on 18 Nov 1944, HMCS Fergus was the last corvette launched for the RCN.  She arrived at Halifax in mid-Dec 1944, and early in Jan 1945, proceeded to Bermuda to work up.  Arriving at St. John's on 2 Feb 1945, she joined EG C-9, with which she was to served on North Atlantic convoy duty until VE-day.  She left Greenock early in Jun 1945 for return to Canada, was paid off on 14 July 1945 at Sydney and placed in reserve at Sorel.  Sold for mercantile use in November, she was renamed Camco II and, in 1948, Harcourt Kent.  She was wrecked on Cape Pine, Newfoundland, 22 Nov 1949.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Fergus (K686) (Flower-class).

HMCS Forest Hill (K486)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Forest Hill (K486) (Flower-class).  Laid down and launched as HMS Ceanothus, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned on 1 Dec 1943 as HMCS Forest Hill K486 on the Clyde, Scotland; named for a village absorbed by Toronto.  Following workups at Tobermory she joined EG C-3 at Londonderry, leaving on 29 Jan 1944, to join her first convoy, ONS.28.  She served as an ocean escort until late in Dec 1944, when she arrived at Liverpool, NS, for an extended refit, on the completion of which, two months later, she sailed for Bermuda to work up.  Returning in Apr 1945, she joined Halifax Force for local duties.  Paid off on 9 Jul 1945 and laid up at Sorel, she was sold on 17 Jul 1948 and broken up at Hamilton in 1952.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Forest Hill (K486) (Flower-class).

HMCS Fredericton (K245)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, GM1149)

HMCS Fredericton (K245) (Flower-class).  Built at Sorel, Quebec, she was commissioned there on 8 Dec 1941.  After arriving at at Halifax on 18 Dec 1941, she was assigned to WLEF until Jul 1942, when she joined Halifax Force (Aruba Tanker Convoys).  In Sep 1942, after one round trip to Aruba, she was placed under US operational control to escort New York-Guantanamo convoys.  She arrived in New York for the last time on 21 Feb 1943, rejoining WLEF in Mar 1943.  After a major refit at Liverpool, NS, from 9 Jun to 10 Oct 1943, and workups at Pictou, she joined EG C-1 and for the next ten months was employed as an ocean escort.  She left Londonderry on 30 Sep 1944, for convoy ON.256 and upon arriving in Canada, went to Saint John, NB for two months' refit . This was completed in mid-Dec 1944 and, in Jan 1945, the ship proceeded to Bermuda for three weeks' workups.  In Feb 1945 she joined EG C-9, with which she was to spend the balance of the war as ocean escort.  HMCS Fredericton was paid off on 14 Jul 1946, at Sorel and broken up in 1946.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Fredericton (K245) (Flower-class).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo)

HMCS Fredericton (K245) corvette in mid ocean with C-1 group December 1943.

Commissioned on 8 December 1941, at Sorel, Québec, the Flower Class corvette HMCS Fredericton arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on December 18. She was assigned to Western Local Escort Force until July 1942, when she joined Halifax Force (Aruba Tanker Convoys). In September, she was placed under United States operational control to escort New York-Guantanamo convoys. She rejoined Western Local Escort Force in March 1943. After a major refit, she joined Escort Group C-1 and for the next 10 months was employed as an ocean escort. In February 1944, she joined Escort Group C-9, with which she was to spend the balance of the war as an ocean escort.

HMCS Fredericton was paid off on July 14, 1945, at Sorel. Although she was thought  to have been broken up in 1946, it appears that she was sold to become a whale-catcher in 1948, successively as the Panamanian-flag Tra los Montes, Olympic Fighter (1950), Otori Maru No. 6 (1956), and Kyo Maru No. 20 (1961). Last noted in Lloyd’s Register for 1978-1979.

HMCS Frontenac (K335)

(Stuart Graham Photo)

HMCS Frontenac (K335) (Flower-class).  Built at Kingston, Ontario, HMCS Frontenac was commissioned there on 26 Oct 1943.  She arrived at Halifax in mid-Dec 1943 and carried out working-up exercises in St. Margaret's Bay in Jan 1944.  She was then assigned to EG 9, Londonderry, and made the crossing in Mar 1944 as escort to convoy SC.154.  It was decided, however, the EG 9 should be made up only of frigates, and HMCS Frontenac returned to St. John's where in May 1944 she joined EG C-1.  She left Belfast 19 Dec 1944 to escort ON.273, her last westbound convoy, and early in Jan 1945, commenced three months' refit at Liverpool, NS.  On completion she was assigned to Halifax Force and sent to Bermuda to work up, but saw little further service before being paid off at Halifax on 22 Jul 1945.  She was then taken to Sorel, but was sold in Oct 1945 to the United Ship Corp. of New York.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Frontenac (K335) (Flower-class).

(Alan Soderstrom Photo)

HMCS Frontenac (K335) (Flower-class).

HMCS Galt (K163)

(Sue Horsley Photo)

HMCS Galt (K163) (Flower-class).  Built at Collingwood, Ontario, HMCS Galt was commissioned on 15 May 1941, at Montreal.  After she arrived at Halifax on 06 Jun 1941, she was assigned in Jul 1941 to NEF and left St. John's on 25 Aug 1941 with SC.41, her first convoy, for Iceland.  She was to serve on that route until Jan 1942.  In Feb 1942 she commenced a refit at Liverpool, NS, which was completed on 11 May 1942, and after working up in June was assigned to EG C-3.  She arrived at Londonderry for the first time on 5 Jun 1942 with convoy HX.191, and served on the "Newfie-Derry" run for the balance of the year. She arrived Jan 1943, at Liverpool, NS, for another refit which was completed at Halifax in mid-Apr 1943, worked up in St. Margaret's Bay and, in Jun 1943, joined EG C-1.  She left Halifax 13 Mar 1944, for New York for yet another refit, this one including fo'c's'le extension, completing early in May 1944, and a month later left Halifax for Bermuda to work up.  On her return she was allocated for the balance of the war to EG W-5, WEF.  HMCS Galt was paid off 21 Jun 1945 at Sorel, and broken up at Hamilton in 1946.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Galt (K163) (Flower-class).

HMCS Giffard (K402)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Giffard (K402) (Flower-class).  Laid down and launched for the RN as HMS Buddleia, she was renamed HMCS Giffard K402 in Sep 1943.  On 10 Nov 1943, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned as HMCS Giffard K402; named after a town in Quebec.  After working-up at Tobermory HMCS Giffard joined EG C-1 at Londonderry and on 15 Feb 1944, sailed to join her first convoy, ON.224.  On 7 May 1944 she rescued 49 survivors of the torpedoed HMCS Valleyfield, and the following week resumed her duties as an ocean escort until 27 Nov 1944, when she left Halifax for Liverpool, NS, to undergo a major refit.  Completed in Mar 1945, this was followed by workups in Bermuda, when she arrived in St. John's on 15 Apr 1945, to be employed locally until  her departure on 13 May 1945 with convoy HX.335 for the UK.  HMCS Giffard left Greenock early in Jun 1945 on her final westward voyage, was paid off on 5 Jul 1945 and laid up at Sorel to await disposal.  She was broken up in 1952 in Hamilton.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Giffard (K402) (Flower-class).

HMCS Guelph (K687)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Guelph (K687) (Flower-class).  Laid down as HMCS Sea Cliff K687 on 29 May 1943, she was built by the Collingwood Shipyards, Collingwood, Ontario.  Renamed HMCS Guelph K687 on 15 Jul  1943, she was launched on 20 Dec 1943.  HMCS Guelph was commissioned at Toronto on 09 May 1944.  She was presented with a black Cocker Spaniel from a local Guelph, Ontario breeder.  Their Mascot was named Rags.  HMCS Guelph arrived at Halifax early in Jun 1944 and left on 2 Jul 1944 escorting RN submarines P.553 and P.554 to Philadelphia.  She then proceeded to Bermuda for workups, leaving there on 2 Aug 1944, for New York, where she joined EG W-3.  She served with this group as a local escort until late Sep 1944 when she was transferred to EG C-8 which, although forming in Londonderry, was to be based at St. John's.  She made her passage eastward as escort to convoy HFX.310.  On her final transatlantic trip she left Belfast on 9 Apr 1945 to be based at Halifax until paid off on 27 Jun 1945 at Sorel.  On 2 Oct 1945 she was sold to a New York buyer; retaining her name under Panamanian flag.  She was last noted in Lloyd's Register for 1964-65 as Burfin, a name she had borne since 1956.

HMCS Halifax (K237)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Halifax (K237) (Flower-class).  Built by Collingwood Shipyards Lt., Collingwood, Ontario, she was commissioned on 26 Nov 1941, at Montreal.  HMCS Halifax was the first RCN corvette to be completed with a long fo'c's'le.  Assigned to WLEF on her arrival at Halifax on 18 Dec 1941, she was transferred in Jul 1942, to Halifax Force (Aruba Tanker Convoys).  On 14 Aug 1942 she arrived at Aruba with HA.3, her third tanker convoy, and was assigned to escort TAW.15, a Trinidad-Aruba-Key West convoy which developed into the only major convoy battle of the war in those waters.   Arriving in New York on 14 Sep 1942, she was placed under US control for New York- Guantanamo convoys until Mar 1943, when she joined WLEF.  Between 2 May and 15 Oct 1943, she underwent an extensive refit at Liverpool, NS, followed by workups at Pictou.  On New Year's Day, 1944, she arrived at St. John's to join EG C-1, leaving Londonderry on 11 Aug 1944 for two weeks' refit at Lunenburg.  This refit was followed by three weeks' further repairs at Halifax and, late in Dec 1944, workups in Bermuda.  In Jan 1945, she briefly joined Halifax Force, transferring in Feb 1945 to EG C-9 for the rest of the war.  Paid off on 12 Jul at Sorel, she was sold for conversion to a salvage vessel.

(IWM Photo, FL6176)

HMCS Halifax (K237) (Flower-class).  

HMCS Hawkesbury (K415)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Hawkesbury (K415) (Flower-class).  Commissioned at Quebec City on 14 Jun 1944, HMCS Hawkesbury arrived at Halifax in mid-Jul 1944 and proceeded to Bermuda on 6 Aug 1944 for three weeks' working-up.  On 18 Sep 1944 she left for St. John's to join convoy HXF.308 for passage to Londonderry, where she was to join EG C-7, then forming.  She served the remainder of her career on North Atlantic convoy duty, leaving Londonderry early in 5 Jun 1945, for Canada, and was paid off on 10 Jul 1945 at Sydney.  Taken to Sorel, she was later sold for mercantile purposes, entering service after conversion in 1950 to the Cambodian-owned Campuchea.  She was broken up at Hong Kong in 1956.

HMCS Hepatica (K159)

(Kelly Macklem Photo)

HMCS Hepatica (K159) (Flower-class).  Commissioned in the RN on 12 Nov 1940, at Quebec City, HMS Hepatica arrived at Halifax on 17 Nov 1940 and left on 18 Dec 1940 with convoy HX.97, armed with a dummy 4-inch gun.  The real thing was installed, and other deficiencies remedied, at Greenock, completing on 6 Mar 1941.  After working up in Apr 1941, she joined EG 4, Greenock.  On 15 May 1941 she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned as HMCS Hepatica K159.  In Jun 1941, after brief service as a UK-Iceland escort, she was assigned to NEF for the rest of the year, escorting convoys between Iceland at St. John's.  Late in Jan 1942, she escorted SC.64, the inaugural "Newfie-Derry" convoy, and for the next three months served on that run.  In Jun 1942 she joined the Tanker Escort Force, operating from Halifax, for one round trip to Trinidad and the, late in Jul 1942, joined Gulf Escort Force as a Quebec-Sydney convoy escort.  In Oct 1942 she was reassigned to Halifax Force, escorting Quebec-Labrador convoys and, in Dec 1942, to WLEF.  She was to serve with WLEF for the remainder of the war, from Jun 1943 as a member of EG W-5 and from Apr 1944, with W-4.  During this period HMCS Hepatica had to extensive refits from 11 Feb to 01 Apr 1943 and 20 Mar to 08 Jun 1944 both at New York.  The latter refit included the lengthening of her fo'c's'le, and was followed by three weeks' workups in Bermuda.  She left St. John's 27 May 1945, as escort to HX.358, and on 23 Jun 1945 was handed over to the RN at Milford Haven . She was broken up at Llanelly, Wales, in 1948.

(Gordon Lees Photo)

HMCS Hepatica (K159) (Flower-class).

(Gordon Lees Photo)

HMCS Hepatica (K159) (Flower-class).

HMCS Kamloops (K176)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4902568)

HMCS Kamloops (K176) (Flower Class).  Built by Victoria Machinery Depot Co. Ltd., Victoria, BC, she was commissioned at Victoria on 17 Mar 1941.  HMCS Kamloops arrived at Halifax on 19 Jun 1941 and was assigned to Halifax Force, serving as a local escort until the end of the year.  In Jan 1942, she commenced a year's duty as A/S/ training ship at Halifax and Pictou.  In mid-Feb 1943, she completed a three-month refit at Liverpool, NS, and after working up at Halifax, joined WLEF in Mar 1943.  She transferred in Jun 1943 to EG C-2, Newfoundland Command, and served with this group as an ocean escort for the remainder of the war.  In Sep 1943, she was with combined convoy ON.202/ONS.18, which lost six merchant ships and three of its escort.  On 28 Sep 1943, she sailed as escort to SC.143. The convoy was attacked by Wolfpack Rossbach.  One merchant ship, S.S. Yorkmar was sunk, and one escort, the Polish destroyer Orkan was sunk.  Three U-boats were sunk in the attacks on SC.143.  In mid-Dec 1943 she began a refit at Charlottetown, PEI, completed on 25 Apr 1944, in the course of which her fo'c's'le was extended.  Following workups in Bermuda in Jun 1945 she rejoined EG C-2.  She was paid off at Sorel on 27 Jun 1945, and sold her for scrap that October.

(Gary Medford Photo)

HMCS Kamloops (K176) (Flower Class)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Kamloops (K176) (Flower Class), Halifax, 1941.

HMCS Kamsack (K171)

(William Gard Photo)

HMCS Kamsack (K171) (Flower-class).  Built at Port Arthur, Ontario, she was commissioned at Montreal on 04 Oct 1941.  She arrived at Halifax on 13 Oct 1941.  She joined Sydney Force the following month but shortly transferred to Newfoundland Command, and on 19 Jan 1942, left St. John's to pick up convoy SC.65 for Londonderry.  In Jun 1942, after three round trips, she was reassigned to WLEF, then forming, and served in it for the rest of the war.  From Jun 1943, she was a member of EG W-4, and from Apr 1944, a member of EG W-3 . During this period she had two extensive refits, the first, begun at Liverpool, NS, on 12 Nov 1942, was completed at Halifax on 18 Jan 1943; the second, in the course of which her fo'c's'le was extended, was carried out at Baltimore, MD, between late Dec 1943 and mid-Mar1944. HMCS Kamsack was paid off on 22 Jul 1945, at Sorel and sold to the Venezuelan Navy.  On 24 Dec 1945, the Venezuelan ship Kamsack, former HMCS Kamsack K171 arrived at New York City from Sorel, Quebec with a skeleton crew of RCN sailors: Gerald Fitzgerald OIC, Howard Ingram, Leo McTaggart, Maurice Harasym and Clifford Ashton.  Renamed Carabobo, she was wrecked on passage to Venezuela in December, 1945.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Kamsack (K171) (Flower-class).

HMCS Kenogami (K125)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Kenogami (K125) (Flower-class).  Built at Port Arthur, Ontario, she was commissioned at Montreal on 29 Jun 1941.  HMCS Kenogami arrived at Halifax on 04 Jul 1941.  She served briefly with Halifax Force before arriving at St. John's on 24 Aug 1941 to join as convoy escort all the way to the UK, as it lost 18 ships in what proved to be one of the worst convoy battles of the war.  In Feb, 1942, after five months' ocean escort duty between St. John's and Iceland, she made her first tip to Londonderry, joining WLEF on her return.  She received an extensive refit at Halifax through Jun and Jul 1942, and in Oct 1942 resumed her ocean escort duties with EG C-1.  The following month she took part in another fierce convoy battle, that of ONS.154, which lost 14 ships.  In Mar 1943, she made one round trip to Gibraltar, escorting follow-up convoys to the invasion of North Africa.  On 11 May 1943 she left 'Derry for the last time, attached to EG B-4 (RN) with convoy ON.183.  After a two-month refit at Liverpool, N.S., and workups at Pictou, she joined WLEF's EG W-8.  In Apr 1944, she transferred to W-4, but in Dec 1944 rejoined W-8 for the balance of the war.  During this period she underwent a major refit at Liverpool, NS, between Jun and Oct 1944, including fo'c's'le extension, followed by three weeks' workups in Bermuda.  She was paid off on 09 Jul 1945 at Sydney and broken up at Hamilton in 1950.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Kenogami (K125) (Flower-class).

HMCS Kitchener (K225)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Kitchener (K225) (Flower-class).  Laid down as HMCS Vancouver, she was renamed HMCS Kitchener prior to commissioning.  She was commissioned at Quebec City on 18 June 1942.  HMCS Kitchener arrived at Halifax on 16 Jul 1942 and carried out six weeks' workups at Pictou before briefly joining WLEF in Sep 1942.  It may have been during this unusually long workup that she starred in the film Corvette K-225 with Randolph Scott.  In Oct 1942 she was assigned to duties in connection with Operation "Torch," and arrived at Londonderry on 03 Nov 1942.  For the next four and one-half months she escorted UK-Mediterranean convoys, returning to Halifax on 19 Apr 1943, with convoy ONS.2.  In May 1943 she joined Western Support Force but in Jun 1943 transferred to EG C-5, MOEF, and during the following four months made three round trips to Londonderry.  A major refit, commenced in Oct 1943 at Liverpool, NS, was completed on 28 Jan 1944, followed by two weeks' working-up in Bermuda.  In mid-Apr 1944 she arrived at Londonderry, where she was assigned to invasion duties with Western Approaches Command, based at Milford Haven.  She arrived off the beaches on D-Day escorting a group of landing craft.  From Aug 1944 until the end of the war she served with EG 41, Plymouth, returning home late in May 1945, to be paid off at Sorel 11 Jul 1945.  She was broken up at Hamilton in 1949.

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Kitchener (K225) (Flower-class).

(DND Photo)

HMCS Kitchener (K225) (Flower-class).

HMCS La Malbaie (K273)

(DND Photo)

HMCS La Malbaie (K273) (Flower-class).  Built at Sorel, Quebec, she was laid down as HMCS Fort William.  Renamed in Nov 1941, she was commissioned at Sorel on 28 April 1942 as HMCS La Malbaie.  She arrived at Halifax on 13 May 1942 and, after working up there and at Pictou, joined WLEF late in Jun 1942.  After undergoing mechanical repairs at Halifax from 11 Aug to 20 Dec 1942, she was assigned to EG C-3, arriving at Londonderry for the first time on 12 Jan 1943, from HX.221.  She served with C-3 until her final departure from 'Derry on 26 Oct 1944.  During this period she underwent a major refit at Liverpool, NS, mid-Sep to mid-Dec 1943.  Late in Dec 1944, she joined Halifax Force for the duration of hostilities, was paid off on 28 Jun 1945, at Sorel, and broken up at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1951.  A pre-launching photo of HMCS La Malbaie served as the model for the 20 cent Canadian stamp of 1942.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo,  MIKAN No. 2242400)

HMCS La Malbaie (K273) (Flower-class) Corvette under construction, stamp study.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 2204003)

Corvette shipbuilding, Canada 20 cent stamp, issued in 1942.

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