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For Posterity's Sake 
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS
BATTLEFORD K165
Then
ARA LIBERTAD (1946)
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HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
Click on the above photo to view a larger
image
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Laid down: 30
Sep
1940
Launched: 15
Apr 1941
Commissioned: 31
Jul 1941
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Paid off: 18 July1945
Sold:
1946 to Venezuelan Navy
Fate: Wrecked on 12
Apr 1949
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Built at Collingwood, Ont., she
was launched on 15 Apr 1941. Commissioned at Montreal on 31 Jul 1941, she
arrived at Halifax on 04 Aug 1941, remaining there for six weeks while
undergoing repairs, radar installation, and workups. Briefly a
member of Sydney Force, Battleford transferred to NEW and left
Sydney on 28 Nov 1941 to escort convoy SC.57 to Iceland. Returning
to Halifax on 07 Jan 1942, she went to Liverpool, N.S., for a
refit that kept her idle until the end of Mar 1942. Arriving in the
U.K. with a convoy early in May 1942, she completed further repairs at
Cardiff in mid-Jun 1942, then carried out workups at Tobermory. From
July 1942 to May 1943 she was a member of EG C-1, and in Dec 1942 was escort to convoy ONS.154, which was badly mauled, losing 14
ships. She participated with other RCN escorts in the destruction of
U 356 on 27 Dec 1942. Arriving at Halifax on 23 Apr 1943, with
her last ocean convoy, ONS.2, she commenced a two-month refit at
Liverpool, N.S., joining EG W-4 of WLEF in mid-Jun 1943. Early in
Apr
1944, she commenced a long refit at Sydney, including fo'c's'le
extension, which was completed 31 Jul 1944, following which she proceeded to Bermuda to work up.
Returning to Halifax, she was employed for the balance of the war as
a local escort with EG W-3 and was paid off at Sorel 18 Jul 1945.
Sold to the Venezuelan Navy in 1946 and renamed Libertad, she was
wrecked 12 Apr 1949.
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Commanding Officers |
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Lt Roland
Joel
Roberts, RCNVR - 31 Jul 1941 - 05 Oct 1942
Lt Frederick Allan
Beck, RCNR - 06 Oct 1942 - 05 Jul 1943
LCdr Alan Herbert
Easton, RCNVR - 06 Jul 1943 - 20 Aug 1943
Lt F.A.
Beck, RCNVR - 21 Aug 1943 - 07 May 1944 |
Lt Hugh Hathaway
Turnbull, RCNVR - 08 May 1944 - 19 Jun 1944
Lt Phillippe Albert F.
Langlois, RCNVR - 20 Jun 1944 - 23 May 1945
Lt Francis Dudley Wickett, RCNVR - 24 May
1945 - 18 Jul 1945 |
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten |
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A-B
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Archibald,
Vernon W.
____-1998
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Bremner,
William
____-____
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Brown,
Gerald Anthony
1922-2011
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C-D |
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Chipley,
Victor
____-2007 |
Cooke,
Philip Chesshire Hamel
1919-2011
Drafted to Standard Coaster 31 Jul 1941
as Slt, RCNVR |
Deveaux,
Joseph Eugene
1926-2013 |
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E-F |
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Easton,
Alan Herbert
1902-2001 |
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G-H |
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Gibson, John Wood
1922-1981 |
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K-L |
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Keegan,
Frederick Clarke
___-1966 |
Long,
John Herbert
1923-2013 |
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M-N |
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Mavrinac,
Joseph
1924-2015 |
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O-P |
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Panter,
Thomas Phillip
1925-2012 |
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S-T |
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Sheehan,
Michael J.
1915-____ |
Thomas,
John
1922-2011 |
Tuckey,
Jack
Charles
____-2011 |
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U-V |
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Varley,
Lawrence
____-2008 |
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W-X |
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Walker,
Douglas
William James
1924-2004 |
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Ship's Mascots |
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____-____ |
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U-Boats Sunk |
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U-356 sunk on 27 Dec 1942 by HMCS St. Laurent
H83, HMCS Chilliwack K131, HMCS Battleford K165, HMCS Napanee K118
and HMCS Saint John K456 in position 45-30 N, 25-40 W
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Former Crew Members
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Abbott, Ralph Patrick, Lt, RCNVR - 22 Jul 1943
Aselton, John Reginald, Slt, RCNVR - 27 Jul 1943
Baker, William George, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1945
Barker, William Crichlow Lamond, Lt, RCNVR
Bland, Ward Farrow, Slt, RCNVR - 26 Feb 1944
Elkin, Frederick Gerald, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1942
Fisher, Eric Gerald Tice, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Apr 1945
Graft, Eddie, Stoker
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Harcourt, Percy William Edward, Wt (E), RCNVR - 19 Jul 1944
Hawkins, Art
Hay, Jack Leslie, War (E), RCNVR - 01 Feb 1945 / Wt (E), RCNVR - 19
Jun 1945
Mann,
Roger James, Lt, RCNR - 20 Feb 1944
McCormack,
Bernard Thomas, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Apr 1942
McIsaac,
Wilfred, Lt, RCNVR - 31 Jul 1941
Miller,
Lawrence Joseph, AB
Murphy,
William Patrick, Mate, RCNR - 17 Jul 1941 (Stand by) / 31 Jul 1941
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Roberts,
Roland Joel, Lt, RCNR - 20 Jun 1941 (Stand by) / 31 Jul 1941
Short, Peter William, Slt, RCNVR - 19 Jun 1944
Sibilleau, Romeo 
Thomas, Charles Humbert Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1944
Thompson, John William, Lt, RCNVR - 02 Apr 1942
Turnbull, Hugh Hathaway, Slt, RCNVR - 26 Jun 1943
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Links
Battle
for Convoy ONS-154
Battle for ONS 154
Ship's
company photos for HMCS Battleford
Photos and
Documents (below)
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HMCS Battleford K165
Source: The Flickr photo collection of Ron
Bell
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"Gunnery Cat"
HMCS Battleford's mascot appears to be doing
cleanliness checks on the ship's gun barrel
From the collection of Frederick Keegan
Courtesy of Fritz Keegan
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Fred Keegan manning Battleford's gun
From the collection of Frederick Keegan
Courtesy of Fritz Keegan
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HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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German aircraft flying towards HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Sailors on HMCS Battleford K165 enjoying a beer or
Christmas Day, Dec 1943
Note the gunshield art in the background
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Christmas Day on HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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MacDonald on HMCS Battleford K165, Newfoundland - Feb
1944
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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HMCS Battleford's Mascot - Newfoundland, 1944
Note that the negative was flipped when the photo was
printed (Battleford is backwards)
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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HMCS Battleford K165 at Sydney, NS for refit - Apr -
Jul 1944
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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"Shipmates"
Lloyd and Moran going on leave - Apr 1944
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Douchette and palm tree on HMCS Battleford K165,
Bermuda
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Miller, Joe, Hughes on HMCS Battleford K165, Bermuda
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Stoker, Eddie Graf, HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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"Cooling off"
Williams and possibly Millian, HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Fulmer in Bermuda
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Fulmer on the quarterdeck of HMCS Battleford K165 in
Bermuda
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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"Battleford in Bermuda"
Williams, Graft, Unknown, Williams
Cook, Fulmer
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Andy on HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Art Hawkins, off HMCS Battelford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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"Battleford's Engine Gang"
Ray, Zeke, Baz, Graft
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Unknown sailors on HMCS Battleford K165, Dartmouth, NS
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Unknown sailors on HMCS Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Cummerford and Horvath (poss Howarth) on HMCS
Battleford K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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HMCS Battleford K165's Chief ERA
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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Jack Gibson, HMCS Battleford K165, on leave - 1944
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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German U-boat surrendering - seen from HMCS Battleford
K165
From the collection of John Wood (Jack) Gibson
Courtesy of Jack Gibson
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