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For Posterity's Sake
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS BOWMANVILLE
K493
Former
HMS Nunney Castle
Then
Chinese Merchant Vessel TA SHUN
Then
Chinese Merchant Vessel Yuan Pei
Then
People's Liberation Army Navy Vessel Kuang Chou (1949)
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From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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HMCS Bowmanville K493
Source: IWM Ministry of Defence Foxhill
Collection of Ship Photographs FL
2722
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Courtesy of RCSCC Bowmanville
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Battle honours and awards: Atlantic
1944-45
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Laid down: 12
Aug
1943
Launched: 26
Jan 1944
Transferred to RCN:
28 Sep 1944
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Commissioned: 28
Sep 1944
Paid off: 15
Feb 1946
Fate:
Sold in 1947. Final disposition unknown
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Built by William Pickersgrill
& Sons Ltd., Sunderland, UK, she was laid down and launched as HMS Nunney
Castle. After completion was she was as transferred to the RCN and commissioned at
Sunderland, U.K. as HMCS Bowmanville K493 on 28 Sep 1944. Following workups at
Tobermory Bowmanville joined EG C-4 at Londonderry, sailing on 24
Nov 1944 to join her first convoy, ON.268. She served
continuously as an ocean escort for the rest of the war. Early in
Jun 1945, she left Londonderry for the last time, and was based at
Halifax until paid off on 15 Feb 1946. She was sold into mercantile
service in 1947 under the Chinese flag, and first renamed Ta Shun,
then Yuan Pei. In 1949 she was taken over by the Chinese Communist
government, re-armed and renamed Kuang Chou.
Convoys escorted during WW II
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Convoy Desig. |
Convoy Departs from |
Arrives at |
Join as escort |
Depart Convoy |
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ON.268 |
Southend (23 Nov 1944) |
New York City (10 Dec 1944) |
26 Nov 1944 |
04 Dec 1944 |
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HX.325
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New York City (09 Dec 1944) |
Liverpool (23 Dec 1944) |
14 Dec 1944 |
23 Dec 1944 |
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ON.277 |
Southend (07 Jan 1945) |
New York City (23 Jan 1945) |
08 Jan 1945 |
10 Jan 1945 |
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HX.333
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New York City (18 Jan 1945) |
Liverpool (01 Feb 1945) |
23 Jan 1945 |
01 Feb 1945 |
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ON.284 |
Southend (10 Feb 1945) |
New York City (01 Mar 1945) |
11 Feb 1945 |
23 Feb 1945 |
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HX.341
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New York City (28 Feb 1945) |
Liverpool (15 Mar 1945) |
05 Mar 1945 |
15 Mar 1945 |
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ONS.45 |
Liverpool (22 Mar 1945) |
Halifax (11 Apr 1945) |
23 Mar 1945 |
06 Apr 1945 |
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HX.349 |
New York City (08 Apr 1945) |
Liverpool (23 Apr 1945) |
13 Apr 1945 |
23 Apr 1945 |
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OSN.49 |
Liverpool (02 May 1945) |
Halifax (18 May 1945) |
03 May 1945 |
15 May 1945 |
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HX.357 |
New York City (19 May 1945) |
Liverpool (03 Jun 1945) |
24 May 1945 |
03 Jun 1945 |
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Commanding Officers |
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LCdr Mortimer Smith Duffus, RCNVR - 28 Sep
1944 - 03 Apr 1945
Lt Arthur Dudley Ritchie, RCNVR - 04 Apr
1945 - 20 Apr 1945 |
LCdr Mortimer Smith Duffus - 21 Apr
1945 - 24 Aug 1945
Lt William
James Ranson, RCNVR - 25 Oct 1945 - 15 Feb 1946 |
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten |
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C-D
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Campbell, Earl
____-____
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Cameron,
William
1924-2003
Served in Bowmanville 12 Nov 1944
- 08 Sep 1945 as an ABST, RCNVR
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Cappadocia,
Mario
1926-2002
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Chadwick,
Earl Raymond
1926-2013
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Constable,
Douglas Franklin
1925-2010
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Cook,
William
_____-2011
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Cowal, Martin
____-1999
Served in Bowmanville 02 Jan 1945 - 27
Aug 1945 as Sto 1c
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Daignault,
Leo Joseph
1923-2017
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Duffus,
Mortimer Smith
____-1997
Drafted to Bowmanville on 10
Jul 1944 as CO (stand by)
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Duvall,
Herbert
1921-2014
Drafted to Bowmanville after
V.E. Day
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E-F
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Federal,
John L., L/Sig
1922-1979
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G-H |
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Giles,
Bruce
1924-1996 |
Hull,
Frederick John 1925-2001 |
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K-L |
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Lenaghan,
Thomas
____-1978 |
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M-N |
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Masuk,
Walter Martin
1920-1981 |
Moore,
Lloyd
Cameron
1926-2010 |
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S-T |
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Shaheen,
Louis
1925-2014 |
Simpson,
Norman MacDougall
____-2005
Drafted to Bowmanville 27 Jul
1944 as Lt, RCNVR, standby. Commissioning crew. Served on Bowmanville as
XO under LCdr Duffus. |
Steinburg,
Orris Burke
1927-2012 |
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W-X |
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Walters,
Uriah
____-2011 |
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Ship's Mascots |
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____-____ |
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Former Crew Members
- (CC) = Commissioning Crew
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Atkinson,
Bill
Black,
Donald, Cook (S) - 1944-1945
Catchpole,
Ed
Clee,
Joe
Corner,
Richard William 
Feagan,
Robert Denis, Slt, RCNVR - 24 Feb 1945
Findlay,
William Geldart, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1945
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Goodeve,
Arthur George, Lt, RCNVR - 20 Jul 1944 (Stand by)
Goodmanson,
Larry
Kilpatrick,
Alexander Graham, Slt, RCNVR - 02 Mar 1944 / 02 May 1945
Knolls,
Joe
Lauden,
Truman
Maxwell,
William Watson, A/Wt (E), RCN - 02 Apr 1944
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Miller,
Dickson, Lt (CC)
Moulton,
Melvin Samuel, A/Wt (E), RCN - 24 Jun 1944 (Stand by)
O'Connor,
Tom
Simpson,
Robert, A/War (E), MBE, RCN - 20 Feb 1945
Thorpe,
Arthur Rolland, Lt, RCNVR - 13 Jul 1945
Winship,
John Joseph, Slt, RCNVR - 17 May 1945
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Links
Personal
photo gallery of Martin Cowal
Ship's
company photos for HMCS Bowmanville
Photos and
Documents (below)
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Ship's bell of HMCS Bowmanville
The bell is located at Legion BR#178
Bowmanville, Ontario
Courtesy of Matthew Batten
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HMCS Bowmanville K493 |
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Newspaper article on the commissioning
of HMCS Bowmanville from The Canadian Standard, Bowmanville, Ont., 11 Jan 1945
Courtesy of Matthew Batten, RCSCC Bowmanville |
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Poem from the collection of Bruce Giles
Courtesy of Wayne Giles
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Bowmanville shipmates
Front row: (L-R) - Thomas Lenaghan, Larry Goodmanson,
Joe Knolls, Lorne S (last name unknown)
Back row: (L-R) - Truman Lauden, Ed Catchpole, Joe Clee,
Tom O'Connor
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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HMCS Bowmanville
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Thomas Lenaghan and friend in front of the Petty
Officers Mess
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Three crew members of HMCS Bowmanville
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Crew of HMCS Bowmanville in a parade
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Looking over the quarterdeck of HMCS Bowmanville
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Crew of HMCS Bowmanville
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Crew members of HMCS Bowmanville
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Three crew from HMCS Bowmanville feeding pigeons
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Thomas Lenaghan on HMCS Bowmanville
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Thomas Lenaghan
From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan
Courtesy of John Lenaghan
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Relaxing on the quarterdeck of HMCS Bowmanville - 1945
From the collection of Martin Cowal
Courtesy of Martin Cowal Jr.
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Splice the Mainbrace - V.E. Day 08 May 1945 on HMCS
Bowmanville in the North Atlantic
Martin Cowal is on the right holding the glass
From the collection of Martin Cowal
Courtesy of Martin Cowal Jr.
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A HMCS Bowmanville Christmas card to Roy Cardy from
his friend Ralph - Dec 1946
From the collection of Roy T. Cardy
Courtesy of Dennis Cardy
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Ship's crew members recall Battle of Atlantic
Newspaper article on a HMCS Bowmanville reunion - 30
May 1988
From the collection of Martin Cowal
Courtesy of Martin Cowal Jr.
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