HMCS BELLEVILLE K332

Flower Class Corvette

HMCS BELLEVILLE K332 during her commissioning at Kingston, Ontario

DND / RCN Photo

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Laid down: 21 Jan 1944

Launched: 17 Jun 1944

Commissioned: 19 Oct 1944

Paid off: 05 Jul 1945

Fate: Sold in 1947. Broken up in 1972

Commissioned at Kingston on 19 Oct 1944, she then departed for Halifax, where she arrived early in Nov 1944. BELLEVILLE continued fitting out at Halifax until Mid-Jan 1945, then sailed to Bermuda for a month's working-up. Further repairs followed on her return, after which she was allocated to EG C-5, leaving St. John's on 28 Mar 1945 to join her first convoy, HX.346. She made three Atlantic crossing before the war's end, leaving Londonderry for the last time at the beginning of Jun 1945. She was paid off on 05 Jul 1945, and placed in reserve at Sorel until 1947, when she was sold to the Dominican Republic and re-named Juan Bautista Combiaso. She was broken up in 1972.

Note: Contrary to popular belief the corvette did not visit its namesake community of Belleville, Ontario. The Bay of Quinte, which the city is on, is not deep enough for a corvette. The city did ask for a visit, but the RCN declined citing the ships draught as not possible. Kingston where the ship was built is only 75 KM away and many of the citizens attended a special adoption ceremony at the CSL docks in Kingston. The photos of BELLEVILLE fully dressed are from a sail past in Kingston on the day of the ceremony. (Research by Roger Litwiller, Canadian Naval Author / Historian)

The Ship's Bell

Commanding Officers

Lt Joern Eilert Korning, RCN - 19 Oct 1944 - 06 May 1945

LCdr Robert Montagu Powell, RCNVR - 07 May 1945 - 05 Jul 1945

In memory of those who have crossed the bar