RCN Flower class Corvettes: HMCS Lunenburg (K151), HMCS Matapedia (K112), HMCS Mayflower (K191), HMCS Merrittonia (K688)
HMCS Lunenburg (K151)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Lunenburg (K151) Flower class Corvette. Launched on 10 Jul 1941 at Lauzon, Quebec, she was commissioned on 4 Dec 1941, at Quebec City. She arrived at Halifax on 13 Dec 1941 and after working up did escort duty between Halifax and St. John’s. In Jul 1942, she was transferred to Halifax Force as escort to Quebec City-Hamilton Inlet (Labrador) convoys. HMCS Lunenburg arrived at Sydney on 31 Aug 1942 to join Gulf Escort Force, but two weeks later was detached for Operation “Torch” duties. Arriving at Londonderry on 27 Sep 1942, she proceeded to Liverpool for extra A/A armament and in Nov 1942 began a four-month stint escorting convoys between the UK and the Mediterranean. At the end of Mar 1943, she returned to Liverpool for a major refit, including fo’c’s’le extension, completing on 17 Aug 1943. After a brief sojourn in Canadian waters she was assigned to EG 6, Western Approaches Command, arriving at Plymouth late in Nov 1943. For the next five months she operated in support of convoys between the UK and Gibraltar, and between Londonderry and other UK ports, as well as patrolling the Northwestern Approaches from her Londonderry base. On 11 Jan 1944, while so employed, she was attacked by U-953 (Oblt Karl-Heinz Marbach) 50N-18W but was not hit. When the group’s corvettes were replaced with frigates in Apr 1944, HMCS Lunenburg went to Western Approaches Command Greenock, to be based at Portsmouth for invasion duties. For the next five months she was employed primarily in the English Channel. She left Londonderry on 23 Sep 1944 for refit begun at Saint John, NB, but completed at Halifax in mid-Jan 1945. Following work-ups in Bermuda she returned to the UK via the Azores, to serve with Plymouth Command until the end of the war. In May 1945, she visited St. Helier during the re-occupation of the Channel Islands. She left Greenock in mid-Jun 1945 for Halifax, was paid off at Sorel on 23 Jul 1945, and broken up at Hamilton in 1946.
(Debbie King Photo)
HMCS Lunenburg (K151) Flower class Corvette in the English Channel off Portland 10 Jun 1944
HMCS Matapedia (K112)
(Ron Bell Photo)
HMCS Matapedia (K112) Flower class Corvette. Commissioned at Quebec City on 9 May 1941, HMCS Matapedia arrived at Halifax on 24 May 1941. She was assigned to Sydney Force as a local escort until late Sep 1941, when she was transferred to Newfoundland Command for ocean escort work between St. John’s and Iceland. On her first trip, she left Sydney on 29 Sep 1941 for Iceland with convoy SC.47. After three round trips she left St. John’s on 6 Feb 1942, with SC.68 for Londonderry, returning in Mar 1942 with ON.70. It was to her only trip to the UK, as she joined WLEF on her return and, with the exception of a stint with Gaspé Force from Nov to Dec 1944, remained with WLEF until the end of the war. She underwent a major refit at Pictou. On 8 May 1943, she was rammed amidships in a thick fog off Sambro Lightship by SS Scorton, and seriously damaged. After temporary repairs at Dartmouth from 10 Sep to 12 Oct 1943, she was towed to Liverpool, NS, for full repairs and refit, including fo’c’s’le extension. This was completed early in Feb 1944, and a month later she proceeded to Bermuda for two weeks’ workups, on her return joining EG W-4 for the balance of the war. She underwent one further major refit from 15 Feb to 28 Apr 1945, at Halifax, again followed by workups in Bermuda, but the war was over now and she was paid off at Sorel on 16 Jun 1945. HMCS Matapedia was broken up at the Steel Company of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario in 1950.
(Dennis Messier family Photo)
HMCS Matapedia (K112) Flower class Corvette.
(CFB Esquimalt Naval Military Museum Photo)
HMCS Matapedia (K112) Flower class Corvette.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Matapedia (K112) Flower class Corvette.
HMCS Mayflower (K191)
(Naval Museum of Alberta Photo)
HMCS Mayflower (K191) Flower class Corvette. Built for the RN, she was commissioned at Montreal on 28 Nov 1940 as HMS Mayflower. She arrived at Halifax on 11 Dec 1940 to work up and complete stores. On 9 Feb 1941, HMS Mayflower left with convoy HX.108 for the UK, fitted, like her sister HMS Hepatica, with a dummy gun. This and other shortcomings were looked after on the Tyne River, where she was pronounced complete on 5 May 1941. On 15 May 1941, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned as HMCS Mayflower K191. Soon after, she left Loch Ewe as a member of EG 4 with convoy OB.332 for Iceland on 10 Jun 1941. Later that month she joined Newfoundland Command, and for the remainder of the year served between Iceland at St. John’s as an ocean escort. During this period she took part in the battle of convoy SC.44, when four merchant ships and HMCS Levis were lost, HMCS Mayflower collected survivors of the latter. After a major refit at Charleston, SC, from 9 Dec 1941 to 9 Feb 1942, HMCS Mayflower resumed her mid-ocean role on the “Newfie-Derry” run until Apr 1944. In Mar 1943, while escorting Convoy ON.77 from Liverpool, England, the SS Imperial Transport was torpedoed by U-94. Her crew was rescued by the Free French corvette Aconit. HMCS Mayflower was ordered to sink the stricken vessel at daybreak with gunfire. When daybreak came, a boarding party was sent over and it was determined she would be saved. Five days later, under escort of HMCS Mayflower, the SS Imperial Transport made port at St. John’s, Newfoundland. In Apr 1942, she became a member of EG A-3, transferring to C-3 in Feb 1943. She underwent two further long refits: from 29 Oct 1942 to 11 Jan 1943, at Pictou; and from 29 Nov 1943 to 14 Feb 1944, at Norfolk, VA. She received her extended fo’c’s’le during the latter, following which she worked up in St. Margaret’s Bay, then sailed on 21 Apr 1944 for the UK to join Western Approaches Command, Greenock, for invasion duties. She left Oban on 31 May 1944 to escort blockships for Normandy and arrived off the beaches on the day after D-Day. For the remainder of the war she operated in UK waters, and on 31 May 1945, was paid off for return to the RN. Laid up at Grangemouth, Scotland, she was broken up at Inverkeithing in 1949.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Mayflower (K191) Flower class Corvette.
(IWM Photo)
HMCS Mayflower (K191) Flower class Corvette.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Mayflower (K191) Flower class Corvette.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Mayflower (K191) Flower class Corvette.
HMCS Merrittonia (K688)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Merrittonia (K688) Flower class Corvette. Laid down as HMCS Pointe Claire, she was renamed HMCS Merrittonia, Ontario, in Mar 1944. Commissioned at Quebec City on 10 Nov 1944, she arrived at Halifax in mid-Dec 1944 and sailed to Bermuda for a month’s workups. On her return HMCS Merrittonia was assigned to EG C-7 and left St. John’s on 7 Feb 1945 to meet the group, which was westbound with convoy ON.283 from Britain. Thereafter, she was continuously employed on North Atlantic convoy duty. She left Londonderry for the final time at the beginning of Jun 1945. She was paid off on 11 Jul and laid up at Sorel for disposal. Purchased by K.C. Irving Ltd., Moncton, NB, on 16 Nov 1945, she was wrecked on the Nova Scotia coast on 30 Nov 1945.
(John Vukson Photo)
HMCS Merrittonia (K688) Flower class Corvette.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Merrittonia (K688) Flower class Corvette.