For Posterity's Sake
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS
BRANTFORD K218
Flower
Class Corvette
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HMCS BRANTFORD K218
Click on the above photo to view a larger image
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Laid down: 24
Feb
1941
Launched: 06
Sep 1941
Commissioned: 15
May 1942
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Paid off: 17
Aug 1945
Fate:
Sold to commercial use. Last listed in 1972-73. Final disposition
unknown.
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Built at the Midland Shipyards,
Brantford was the last "Flower" class corvette to be built - all
further builds were modified from the original plans. Launched on 06 Sep
1941, she sailed form the Midland Shipyard to the dry dock at Collingwood on
01 May, 1942. Here she received further fittings before proceeding on to
Toronto for gun and depth-charge trials. From there she sailed to Montreal
for installation of wireless equipment. She was commissioned at Montreal on
15 May 1942. The city of Brantford, Ontario, had adopted the ship, and she
was amply supplied with comforts of her crew, including radios, heavy winter
clothing, magazines and cigarettes.
On 12 May 1942, three days before
Brantford's commissioning, the freighter SS Nicoya and the Dutch merchantman
Leto were torpedoed North of Cap Magdalen. Emergency plans put into effect
and all St. Lawrence shipping destined for the transatlantic route, or
arriving from the Atlantic, was organized in convoys. Merchant ships were to
stop at Sydney on their way to the St. Lawrence, and at Quebec on the way
down, picking up their river escorts at those points. Such convoys were
designated as SQ and QS, respectively. Since Brantford was
due to sail from Montreal to Halifax she was used temporarily to escort two
QS convoys. She sailed from Quebec with QS-2 on 22 May 1942, arriving at
Sydney with her four charges three days later, and immediately sailed back
to Gaspe to pick up QS-3.
Brantford arrived at Halifax on
30 May 1942. After working
up at Pictou, she joined WLEF in July. When this force was divided
into escort groups in Jun 1943, she became a member of EG W-3,
transferring to W-2 in Apr 1944. Lent in Jun 1944, to EG C-3
for one round trip to Londonderry, she left Halifax on 02 Jun 1944 with
convoy HX.294 and returned at the end of the month with ONS.242.
Brantford underwent two refits during her career: the first at
Quebec City during the summer of 1943; the second at Sydney,
completing 12 Sep 1944, following which, on 26 Sep 1944, she was she was assigned to
HMCS Cornwallis for training duties until the end of the war. On 16
July 1945, she returned to Halifax to de-ammunition and then to Sydney to
de-store. Her last trip under White Ensign was completed on 03 Aug 1945,
when she arrived back at Halifax. Paid off on 17 Aug 1945, she was turned
over to War Assets Corporation for final disposal. She was one of the few
corvettes to never have her fo'c's'le extended - maintaining her original
configuration. She was brought by George E. Irving of New Brunswick, and in
1950 was sold to a Honduran company who fitted her out as the steam whaler
Olympic Arrow. Sold into Japanese
hands, she was renamed Otori Maru No. 11 in 1956, last appearing in
Lloyd's list for 1962-63.
Her ship's bell was presented to the
City of Brantford, Ontario where it is displayed.
Photos
and Documents Ship's
company photos A
Brief History of HMCS Brantford
Commanding Officers
Lt William David Falconer
Johnston, RCNR - 15 May 1942 - 26 Apr 1943
Lt John Alfred Roberts
Allan, RCNVR - 27 Apr 1943 - 01 May 1944
Lt Reginald Curren
Eaton, RCNVR - 02 May 1944 - 28 Sep 1944 |
Lt J.P.
Kieran, RCNR - 29 Sep 1944 - 27 Apr 1945
Lt Raymond Nelson Smillie, RCNVR - 28 Apr
1945 - 17 Aug 1945 |
In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget

De
LORIMIER, A.E. Edouard
Stoker 1c,
RCNVR
killed - 29 Dec 1943
In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten

Allan,
John A.R.
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Brown,
William D. |

Forbes,
James G. |
Gilbert,
Verdun P.
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House,
John H.
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Johnston,
William D.F.
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Kraeling,
Bruce J.
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Menzies,
Hugh C.
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Trask,
Henry A. |

Walker, A. Gordon
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Watson,
Horace W.
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Wittig,
Wilfred G.
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Former Crew Members
Battock, Norman Gerard, Mate, RCNR - 15 May 1942
Cook, Frederick Thomas, Lt, RCNVR - 02 Jun 1942
Downton, Eric John, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Jul 1943
Farley, Albert Leonard, Slt, RCNVR - 15 May 1942
Glass,
Ogden, Lt, RCNVR - 17 May 1943
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Inman, William Van Norman, Lt, RCNVR - 12 Apr 1944
MacKenzie, John Price Sinclair, Slt, RCNVR - 12 Feb 1944
McKinlay, Ronald Archibald, RCNVR - 21 May 1945
Patrick, Robert (Bob) 
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Rice, Eric Sydney, Slt, RCNVR - 15 May 1943
Rogers, Andrew, Slt, RCNVR - 12 Mar 1945
Stewart, Lorne Duncan, Lt, RCNVR - 13 Mar 1944
Wright, Robert Hornsby, Lt, RCNVR - 05 Apr 1942 (Stand by) / 15 May
1942
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Photos and
Documents
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The launching of HMCS Brantford, 06 Sep
1941
DND/RCN photo
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HMCS Brantford K128 on patrol in the North Atlantic
From the collection of Jim Silvester
Courtesy of Jim Silvester
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HMCS Brantford K218 with significant ice
build-up
Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron
Bell
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HMCS Brantford K218, V.E. Day, 8 May
1945
Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron
Bell
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HMCS Brantford K218 coming alongside -
date and place unknown
From the collection of Roy Cardy
Courtesy of Dennis Cardy
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HMCS Brantford at the CPR Dock Digby, Nova Scotia, May
1945. HMCS Collingwood is seen berthed astern.
Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron
Bell
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Lt John Allan, CO, talking to the CERA on the
quarterdeck of HMCS Brantford
Note the very worn White Ensign
From the collection of John Allan
Courtesy of Patricia Allan Strowbridge
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Lt John Allan on the bridge of HMCS Brantford K218
2nd from
camera in black jacket/tunic
From the collection of John Allan
Courtesy of Patricia Allan Strowbridge
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C.E.R.A. of HMCS Brantford in the engine room
From the collection of John Allan
Courtesy of Patricia Allan Strowbridge
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Officers on the Starboard bridge wing of HMCS Brantford
K218
Lt Allan, CO, 2nd from right
From the collection of John Allan
Courtesy of Patricia Allan Strowbridge
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Lt John Allan on HMCS Brantford K218
From the collection of John Allan
Courtesy of Patricia Allan Strowbridge
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HMCS Brantford K218 jacket patch
From the collection of Edward Tothe
Courtesy of Richard Tothe
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(WB01)
Big Brownie (Doug Brown) (left), Little Brownie (William Donald Brown) (centre) and Bryant on
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB02) Unidentified sailors by the 4-inch gun on
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB03) "Spud" Island chipping ice on
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB04) Barber by the depth charge thrower on HMCS
BRANTFORD K218 (WB05) Bryant (left) and Bill Brooks on HMCS BRANTFORD K218
(WB06)
"Doug visits Brantford" L-R: William Brown, Bryant, and Doug
Brown (WB07) L-R: Unknown, William Brown and Doug Brown on HMCS
BRANTFORD K218 (WB08) Engine room air intakes and bandstand (after gun
platform) on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB09) "Friendly I hope".
Unidentified sailors on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB10) HMCS BRANTFORD
(foreground) iced-up. Unknown ship on horizon making smoke
(WB11)
Bryant on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB12) Unidentified sailor on HMCS BRANTFORD
K218 (WB13-WB15) Convoy seen from HMCS BRANTFORD K218
(WB15)
(WB16)
Unknown merchant ships and tug (WB17) Unidentified sailor with
chipping hammer on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB18) unidentified sailors on
HMCS BRANTFORD K218. Note the ice on the ship and one sailor holding a
safety rope (WB19) William Brown on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB20)
Unidentified destroyer, possibly USN
(WB21)
Depth charge rails on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB22) William Brown and
Doug Brown on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB23-WB24) Bryant and Doug Brown on
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB25) Unidentified sailor on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 impersonating
Adolph Hitler
(WB26)
Unidentified sailors on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB27) Unidentified sailor
on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB28) Engine room air intakes and Carley float
on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB29) Depth charge rails and White Ensign on
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB30) Unidentified sailor on HMCS BRANTFORD K218
(WB31)
Unidentified sailor on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB32) HMCS TRURO
J268 (WB33) Corvette following astern of HMCS BRANTFORD K218
(WB34) Unidentified sailors by the 4-inch gun on HMCS BRANTFORD K218
(WB35) Two unidentified sailors with ASDIC, the ship's mascot supervising, on HMCS BRANTFORD K218
(WB36)
William Brown sitting in an engine room air intake on HMCS BRANTFORD
K218 (WB37) Unidentified sailors on watch by the after gun platform on
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB38) Sailors jacking around on the boat deck of
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB39-WB40) Ship's boat on HMCS BRANTFORD K218
turned out and ready for use
(WB41)
Merchant ship, running high out of the water with no cargo, passed by HMCS
BRANTFORD K218. Note the stern gun on the merchant ship (WB42)
Unknown corvette (WB43) Bill Brooks (right) and unknown shipmate on
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB44) Unknown merchant ship (WB45) Merchant
ships in convoy. Not the deck gun on the stern of the ship
(WB46)
Depth charge rails and White Ensign on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB47)
Blimp flying past HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB48) Doug Brown and William
Brown on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB49) William Brown on the boat deck of
HMCS BRANTFORD K218 (WB50) Unknown corvette
(WB61)
"Out the Port" (WB62) ASDIC, the ship's mascot of HMCS
BRANTFORD K218 (WB63) Danny O'Brien, Sto PO (WB64) Unidentified
sailor on HMCS BRANTFORD K218 holding ASDIC, the ship's mascot (WB65)
An ERA on HMCS BRANTFORD K218
From
the collection of William Donald Brown,
Sto PO, RCNVR
Courtesy
of Doug Brown
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