For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

 

 

HMCS BOWMANVILLE K493

 

Castle Class Corvette

 

 

 

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

HMCS Bowmanville K493

Source: IWM Ministry of Defence Foxhill Collection of Ship Photographs FL 2722

Courtesy of RCSCC Bowmanville

 

Battle honours and awards:  Atlantic  1944-45

 

 

Laid down: 12 Aug 1943

Launched: 26 Jan 1944

Transferred to RCN: 28 Sep 1944

Commissioned: 28 Sep 1944

Paid off: 15 Feb 1946

Fate: Sold in 1947. Final disposition unknown

 

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.

 

 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos          The Ship's Bell          Convoys escorted during WW2 

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

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

  

 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 

 

 Former Crew Members

 

Atkinson, Bill

 

Catchpole, Ed

 

Clee, Joe

 

Feagan, Robert Denis, Slt, RCNVR - 24 Feb 1945

 

Findlay, William Geldart, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1945

 

Gauvin, Zoel Leo - alive and well as of Nov 2020

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

Miller, Dickson, Lt, Commissioning crew 

 

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

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

 

  

A well worn photo of HMCS BOWMANVILLE K493 with some crew names on the back

 

From the collection of Leo Diagnault

 

Courtesy of Steve Hlasny

 

HMCS BOWMANVILLE K493 entering harbour at St. John's, Newfoundland

HMCS Bowmanville K493

Newspaper article on the commissioning of HMCS Bowmanville from The Canadian Standard, Bowmanville, Ont., 11 Jan 1945

Courtesy of Matthew Batten, RCSCC Bowmanville

Poem from the collection of Bruce Giles

Courtesy of Wayne Giles

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

HMCS Bowmanville

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Thomas Lenaghan and friend in front of the Petty Officers Mess

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Three crew members of HMCS Bowmanville

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Crew of HMCS Bowmanville in a parade

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Looking over the quarterdeck of HMCS Bowmanville

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Crew of HMCS Bowmanville

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Crew members of HMCS Bowmanville

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Three crew from HMCS Bowmanville feeding pigeons

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Thomas Lenaghan on HMCS Bowmanville

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Thomas Lenaghan

From the collection of Thomas Lenaghan

Courtesy of John Lenaghan

Relaxing on the quarterdeck of HMCS Bowmanville - 1945

From the collection of Martin Cowal

Courtesy of Martin Cowal Jr.

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.

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

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.

 

 

Convoys escorted during WW2

 

Convoy Desig.

Convoy Departs from

Arrives at

Join as escort

Depart Convoy 

ON.268

Southend (23 Nov 1944)

New York City (10 Dec 1944)

26 Nov 1944

04 Dec 1944

HX.325

New York City (09 Dec 1944)

Liverpool (23 Dec 1944)

14 Dec 1944

23 Dec 1944

ON.277

Southend (07 Jan 1945)

New York City (23 Jan 1945)

08 Jan 1945

10 Jan 1945

HX.333

New York City (18 Jan 1945)

Liverpool (01 Feb 1945)

23 Jan 1945

01 Feb 1945

ON.284

Southend (10 Feb 1945)

New York City (01 Mar 1945)

11 Feb 1945

23 Feb 1945

HX.341

New York City (28 Feb 1945)

Liverpool (15 Mar 1945)

05 Mar 1945

15 Mar 1945

ONS.45

Liverpool (22 Mar 1945)

Halifax (11 Apr 1945)

23 Mar 1945

06 Apr 1945

HX.349

New York City (08 Apr 1945)

Liverpool (23 Apr 1945)

13 Apr 1945

23 Apr 1945

OSN.49

Liverpool (02 May 1945)

Halifax (18 May 1945)

03 May 1945

15 May 1945

HX.357

New York City (19 May 1945)

Liverpool (03 Jun 1945)

24 May 1945

03 Jun 1945

 

 

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