Flower class corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 57. Chapters: HMCS Agassiz (K129), HMCS Alberni (K103), HMCS Asbestos (K358), HMCS Baddeck (K147), HMCS Battleford (K165), HMCS Bittersweet (K182), HMCS Brantford (K218), HMCS Buctouche (K179), HMCS Calgary (K231), HMCS Camrose (K154), HMCS Chambly (K116), HMCS Charlottetown (1941), HMCS Chilliwack (K131), HMCS Cobalt (K124), HMCS Dauphin (K157), HMCS Dawson (K104), HMCS Eyebright (K150), HMCS Fredericton (K245), HMCS Galt (K163), HMCS Halifax (K237), HMCS Kamloops (K176), HMCS Kenogami (K125), HMCS Kitchener (K225), HMCS Levis (K115), HMCS Long Branch (K487), HMCS Mayflower (K191), HMCS Moncton (K139), HMCS Moose Jaw (K164), HMCS Napanee (K118), HMCS Oakville (K178), HMCS Pictou (K146), HMCS Quesnel (K133), HMCS Regina (K234), HMCS Rimouski (K121), HMCS Riviere du Loup (K357), HMCS Rosthern (K169), HMCS Sackville (K181), HMCS Shediac (K110), HMCS Snowberry (K166), HMCS Sudbury (K162), HMCS Summerside (K141), HMCS Trillium (K172), HMCS West York (K369), HMCS Wetaskiwin (K175), HMCS Weyburn (K173), HMCS Windflower (K155). Excerpt: HMCS Sackville was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later served as a civilian research vessel. She is now a museum ship located in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the last surviving Flower-class corvette. Sackville was laid down as Patrol Vessel 2 at the Saint John Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Saint John, New Brunswick in early 1940, the second of the Flower-class corvettes ordered by the Royal Canadian Navy. She was launched on 15 May 1941 by Mrs. J. E. W. Oland, wife of the captain of the port, with the Mayor and entire town council of her namesake town in attendance. Sackville was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 30 December 1941 by Captain J. E. W. Oland, husband of the ship's sponsor. Her first commanding officer, Lieutenant W. R. Kirkland, RCNR was appointed on 30 December but didn't join Sackville until 2 January. Kirkland was discharged in March 1942 as "unsuitable" after a poor-working up trip to Newfoundland in late February. The first lieutenant reported that Kirkland had been unable to discharge his duties and had been abusive to his officers. After rescuing the survivors from the sunken Greek ship Lily, Sackville was unable to re-locate her convoy, ONS 68. The first lieutenant then took the step of relieving Kirkland and assuming command. The original crew was reposted to other RCN ships and the already trained crew of HMCS Baddeck under Lieutenant-Commander Alan H. Easton, RCNR was drafted onto the ship on 6 April 1942. Also in April Sackville received Canadian-built SW1C radar and worked up at Halifax and St. Margarets Bay. The ship was finally assigned to Escort Group C-3 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force along with two others (Galt and Wetaskiwin) on 15 May 1942 to replace corvettes going for refit. In August 1942 Sackville fought a series of fierce actions escorting Convoy ON-115. Deprived of air cover by heavy fog, the convoy was attacked by two successive U-boat "wolfpacks" off the coast of Newfoundland.