Royal Canadian Navy Fairmile Support Ships, HMCS Preserver (F94), and HMCS Provider (F100), 1942–1964
Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) 1942–1964,
Fairmile Support Ships, HMCS Preserver (F94), and HMCS Provider (F100)
Fairmile Support Ship HMCS Preserver F94
(DND Photo)
HMCS Preserver F94, 27 Jun 1942. Commissioned on 11 Jul 1942, at Sorel, Quebec, she arrived at Halifax on 4 Aug, having escorted a Quebec-Sydney convoy en route. She was assigned to Newfoundland Force as a Fairmile base supply ship, arriving at St. John's on 18 Sep but transferring almost immediately to Botwood, Newfoundland. She returned to St. John's in Mid-Dec, staying until the end of Jul 1943, when she moved to Red Bay. Back at St. John's in Nov, she returned to Red Bay in mid-Jun 1944, and at the beginning of Sep, moved to Sydney. After a refit at Halifax at the beginning of 1945, HMCS Preserver returned once more to St. John's but was transferred to Shelburne, NS, in Jun. Paid off on 6 Nov 1945, at Shelburne, she was sold to the Peruvian Navy in 1946 and renamed Mariscal Castilla, then Cabo Blanco. She was broken up in 1961.
(Ryan Lee Photo)
ML Q111, ML Q103 and an unknown ML alongside HMCS Preserver F94, St. John's, Newfoundland.
(Ryan Lee Photo)
HMCS Preserver F94 secured at the trot buoys, St. John's, Newfoundland. The Fairmiles of the 77th Motor Launch Flotilla are nested at the jetty
HMCS Provider F100
(Charles Dobie Photo)
HMCS Provider F100. Sister to HMCS Preserver, she was commissioned at Sorel on 1 Dec 1942, and arrived at Halifax on 14 Dec. Two flotillas of Fairmiles were to proceed to the Caribbean to alleviate a shortage of escorts there, and HMCS Provider was ordered south to be their base supply ship. She accordingly sailed on 19 Jan 1943, but had to return owing to storm damage and sailed again ten days later, arriving at Trinidad on 20 Feb. One Fairmile flotilla, the 73rd, joined her at Guantanamo, Cuba, proceeding with her in Mar to a new base at Key West. Returning to Halifax on 23 Apr, she was then assigned to Gaspé Force, arriving on 22 May, and subsequently transferred to Sept Iles, where she remained from 29 Jun until Nov. At the end of 1943 she proceeded to Halifax and thence to Bermuda to serve as base ship for the 70th and 78th Flotillas. HMCS Provider returned to Halifax on 31 Jul 1944, but sailed again that Sep for Bermuda, where she was attached to the recently established base HMCS Somers Isle, until May 1945. She then went to Halifax as base supply ship until she was paid off on 22 Mar 1946, to be sold later that year to Peruvian owners and renamed Maruba. Subsequently acquired by the Peruvian Navy, she served as Orgenos until disposed of for scrap in 1961.
(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)
HMCS Provider F100, 17 Jan 1943.
(Charles Dobie Photo)
HMCS Provider F100.
