HMCS BRANDON K149

 

Flower Class Corvette

 


 

HMCS Brandon K149

Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron Bell

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Battle honours and awards:  Atlantic  1941-45,   Gulf of St. Lawrence  1945 

 

 

Laid down: 10 Oct 1940

Launched: 29 Apr 1941

Commissioned: 22 Jul 1941

Paid off: 22 Jun 1945

Fate: Broken up at Hamilton, Ont., in 1945

 

Built at Lauzon, Que, she was commissioned at Quebec City on 22 Jul 1941.  Brandon arrived at Halifax on 01 Aug 1941. She joined Newfoundland Command in September after working up and left St. John's 26 Sep 1941 for her first convoy, SC.46. She served as an ocean escort to and from Iceland until Dec 1941, when she arrived in the U.K. for three months' repairs at South Shields. From mid-Mar 1942, after three weeks' workups at Tobermory, she served on the "Newfie-Derry" run almost continuously until Sep 1944. From Dec 1942, onward, she served with EG C-4, helping defend the hard-pressed convoy HX.224 in Feb 1943, and in the following month escorting convoys to and from Gibraltar. In Aug 1943, she had a three-month refit at Grimsby, England, including fo'c's'le extension. She left Londonderry 02 Sep 1944, to join her last transatlantic convoy, ONS.251, and, after two months' refit at Liverpool, N.S., worked up in Bermuda. On 05 Feb 1945, she arrived at S. John's to join EG W-5, Western Escort Force, in which she served until the end of the war. Paid off at Sorel on 22 Jun 1945, she was broken up at Hamilton, Ont. in 1945.

 


 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos          The Ship's Bell

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

A/LCdr John Coldecott Littler, RCNR - 03 Jun 1941 / 22 Jul 1941 - 19 Aug 1942

Lt R.J.G. Johnson, RCNVR - 20 Aug 1942 - 20 Sep 1942

A/LCdr J.C. Littler, RCNR - 21 Sep 1942 - 24 Nov 1942

Lt H.E. McArthur, RCNVR - 25 Nov 1942 - 25 May 1944

Lt John Forbes Evans, RCNVR - 26 May 1944 - 26 Apr 1945

Lt Philip Joseph Lawrence, RCNR - 27 Apr 1945 - 22 Jun 1945

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

LAURIE, William D.

LS, RCNVR

MPK - 25 Jan 1942

KILN, Alec R.

LS, RCN

MPK - 20 Dec 1942

RICHARDSON, William E.

ERA 4c, RCNVR

Died - 14 Oct 1941

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Briggs, John Gordon Wilson, SLt, RCNVR - 29 Apr 1942

 

Gansler, William George, SLt, RCNVR - 01 Jul 1944

 

Graham, John Boyd, Lt, RCNVR - 25 Jun 1942

 

Hermann, Charles Bismarck, SLt, RCNVR - 11 May 1942

 

Menzies, Peter

Murray, John Clayburn, Slt, RCNVR - 19 Jul 1943

 

Patterson, Gordon Henry, Lt, RCNVR - 09 Jun 1941 / Commissioning crew as Lt, RCNVR.

 

Price, Robert Alfred, Lt, RCNVR - 16 Mar 1944

 

Webster, Walter Cyril Leslie, Lt, RCNVR - 02 Jun 1943

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

HMCS Brandon K149 - date unknown

Harbour craft HC146 alongside HMCS Brandon

From the collection of Edwin Leonard (Ted) Shipman

Courtesy of Scot Urquhart

 

Submission from Donald (Bud) Rose: HMCS Brandon is secured to a mooring buoy in the Bedford Basin, the town of Bedford can be seen in the back ground, and she appears to be "swinging her compass"; Hence the presents of the harbour craft. In this photo the ship has already had her bow extension which was done in Halifax. (Note the draft markings well back from the forepeak). As the mast has not as yet been relocated to aft the bridge, which was done during the South Shields England refit in Jan 1942, this photo would have had to be taken in 1941 prior to leaving for St. John's in Sept. 1941 for convoy duty.  Note that she is also wearing Western Approaches paint scheme.

HMCS Brandon K149 - date unknown

From the collection of Edwin Leonard (Ted) Shipman

Courtesy of Scot Urquhart

 

Submission from Donald (Bud) Rose: This photo was taken ca. mid 1943. The ship is still painted in the classic Western Approaches scheme, but the colours are more now more pronounced. Note also the type 291 air warning radar located aft of the funnel. This was a 1943 technical improvement. The other improvement of late 1943 was the Rocket Launcher attached to the side of her forward gun turret.

Sailors working on the quarterdeck of unknown corvette

In the background, left to right are HMCS Collingwood K180, HMCS Brandon K149, HMCS Orillia K119, HMCS Chambly K116

From the collection of Edwin Leonard (Ted) Shipman

Courtesy of Scot Urquhart

HMCS Brandon K149 alongside - date and place unknown

Note the Brandon Bull on her gunshield and outboard of her the gunshield art of HMCS Drumheller K167

From the collection of Edwin Leonard (Ted) Shipman

Courtesy of Scot Urquhart

 

Submission from Donald (Bud) Rose: this photo was taken at HMC Dockyard St. John's Nfld. As the ship is still "prim" and the gun art still in place, it is obvious that the photo was taken prior to her first Artic convoy. Also, the mast has not been relocated aft the bridge, done in Jan 1942 refit. The most probable date of photo would be around Sep 1941.

HMCS Brandon K149 at sea - date unknown

From the collection of Edwin Leonard (Ted) Shipman

Courtesy of Scot Urquhart

 

Submission from Donald (Bud) Rose: HMCS Brandon circa 1945. Note the Western Approaches Admiralty Disruptive Paint Scheme. Also, the rocket launchers mounted on the gun turret housing are quite visible, as are the changes to the radar and communication aerials and the superstructure. This is how all the corvettes were meant to look.

 


 

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Onboard HMCS Brandon K149 - 1944

(1) Sailors on HMCS Brandon - back row standing PO Glen Johnston (6ft 3inches)  (2) Petty Officers of HMCS Brandon - PO Glen Johnston (centre)  (3) Petty Officers on HMCS Brandon - PO Glen Johnston (left)  (4) PO Glen Johnston on HMCS Brandon  (5) HMCS Brandon at anchor, Ireland  (6) sailors on HMCS Brandon - PO Glen Johnston (front, centre)  (7) Sailors on HMCS Brandon - PO Glen Johnston (sitting, 3rd from right)

From the collection of Glen A. Johnston

Courtesy of Glen F. Johnston

 


 

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