RCN - HMCS CAMROSE K154

For Posterity's Sake

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

HMCS CAMROSE K154

HMCS Camrose K154 - Nov 1943

Laid down: 17 Feb 1940

Launched: 16 Nov 1940

Commissioned: 30 Jun 1941

Paid off: 22 Jul 1945

Fate: Broken up Jun 1947

Commissioned at Sorel, Quebec, on 30 June 1941, the Flower Class corvette Camrose arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 6 June. She was assigned to Halifax Force after working up, but in October joined Newfoundland Command, leaving St. John’s, Newfoundland, on 8 October for Iceland with convoy SC.48. She was employed as ocean escort to and from Iceland until February 1942, when she commenced a major refit at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Upon completion in May she resumed her mid-ocean escort duties for one round trip to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, but was assigned in June to Western Local Escort Force.

In October 1942, Camrose was allocated to duties concerned with the invasion of North Africa. She left Halifax on 20 October for the United Kingdom, and for the next five months escorted convoys between Britain and the Mediterranean. In April 1943 she proceeded to Pictou, Nova Scotia, for a refit lasting five and a half months, including forecastle extension, after which she worked up in Bermuda and was assigned to Escort Group 6. She left St. John’s, Newfoundland, early in December for Londonderry, where she was based for the next four months in support of convoys, especially to and from Freetown, Sierra Leone and Gibraltar. While with combined convoys OS.64/KMS.38, she shared with the British destroyer HMS Bayntun the sinking of U-757 in the North Atlantic on 8 January 1944. In May she joined Western Approaches Command, Greenock, Scotland for invasion duties, escorting convoys to staging ports, and to and from Normandy beaches. She left the United Kingdom on 2 September for another refit at Pictou, followed by workups in Bermuda, returning in January 1945 to become a member of Escort Group 41, Plymouth, England. She served with this group until Victory-in-Europe Day, afterward participating in the re-occupation of St. Helier in the Channel Islands. Camrose left Greenock, Scotland, for home early in June 1945 and was paid off at Sydney on 22 July. She was broken up at Hamilton, Ontario in 1947.

Photos and Documents Ship's company photos

Commanding Officers

A/LCdr Louis Raymond Pavillard, RCNR - 12 Apr 1941, CO (Stand by)

A/LCdr Louis Raymond Pavillard, RCNR - 30 Jun 1941 - 07 Nov 1944

Lt James Barrett Lamb, RCNVR - 08 Nov 1944 - 18 Jul 1945

In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Lest We Forget

DAVIES, William John

AB, V/33684, RCNVR

died 21 Jun 1944

Able Seaman Davies was the only crew member of HMCS Camrose to die in wartime service. Able Seaman Davies was accidentally killed when the ship's revolver went off when it was being cleaned. He was shot in the chest and died within ten minutes. He is buried in the Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery, Hampshire, England.

In memory of those who have crossed the bar They shall not be forgotten
A-B
Anderson, William Alexander 1921-1990	Bartram, Vincent James 1919-2005	Bennett, Gerald Enniss 1925-2016	Brian, Harry Albert Joseph ____-2011	Brown, Norman Frank 1917-2005 Served in Camrose from 02 Nov 42 to 19 Nov 43
Burdon, Thomas Holland 1919-2013 Drafted to Camrose 30 Jun 1941 - Aug 1942 as Slt, RCNVR
C-D
Daley, Charles Gregory 1921-2010	Dickie, Alan Andrew 1918-2005 Served in Camrose 1941-1945 as a Coder	Droine, William 1920-2008
G-H
Gordon, Vayle Austin 1927-2010
K-L
Lamb, James Barrett 1919-2000	Lawrence, Stafford Karl 1923-2017
M-N
Norlander, Herald Edvall 1924-2012
O-P
Outhouse, Vincent Edison ____-2002
S-T
Tomlinson, Percy ____-____
W-X
Walker, Douglas William James 1924-2004	Weaver, William Russell 1924-2017	Welsh, William	Wyatt, Ernest Charles 1924-2016

U-Boats Sunk

U-757 (Oblt Friedrich Deetz) sunk on 8 Jan 1944 by HMS Bayntun and HMCS Camrose K154 in position 50-33 N, 18-03 W - of the crew of 49 there were no survivors.

Former Crew Members

Bruce, John Andrew A/Lt, RCNVR - 30 Jan 1945

Crepault, Joseph Alexander Raymond, Lt, RCNVR - 11 Feb 1944

Foster, William Nelson, Slt, RCNVR - 26 Jun 1943/ 28 Jun 1943 / Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1945

Gardner, Eric, Mate, RCNR - 30 Jun 1941

Hillen, William Start

Hope, George Mitchell, Lt, RCNVR - 28 Apr 1941 (Stand by) / 30 Jun 1941

Leclerc, Peter F. (Frenchie), Sig, RCNVR - 1942-1945

Nicholas, George S.

Smith, Sidney Charles, Mate, RCNR - 04 Jul 1942

Van Alstine, Robert Stacey, Slt, RCNVR - 27 Apr 1942

Wallace, Ralph Marcus, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Jul 1942

Photos and Documents

	HMCS Camrose K154 Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron Bell
	William J. Davies, RCN, at HMCS Cornwallis HMCS Camrose K154 Died: 21 Jun 1944 From the collection of William J. Davies Courtesy of Vicky Burwell
	Postcard picture of HMCS Camrose K154 sent with a Christmas card of William J. Davies From the collection of William J. Davies Courtesy of Vicky Burwell
	Unknown sailors manning the Bofors on HMCS Camrose K154 From the collection of William J. Davies Courtesy of Vicky Burwell
	"Buddies on Camrose" William (Bill) J. Davies on the left From the collection of William J. Davies Courtesy of Vicky Burwell
	Unknown sailor on the fo'c's'le of HMCS Camrose K154 From the collection of William J. Davies Courtesy of Vicky Burwell
	William (Bill) J. Davies manning the .50 cal machine gun on HMCS Camrose K154 From the collection of William J. Davies Courtesy of Vicky Burwell
	William J. Davies From the collection of William J. Davies Courtesy of Vicky Burwell
	HMCS Camrose K154 in Ireland From the Collection of Larry Hartman Courtesy of Ray Hartman
	HMCS Camrose K154 Courtesy of Bill Gard
	Three Corvette Commanding Officers Left to right: LCdr WJ McIsaac, RCNVR, HMCS Pprescott, LCdr W Evans, RCNVR, HMCS Kitchener, and Lt LR Pavillard, RCNVR, HMCS Camrose
	L-R: Unknown corvette, HMCS Camrose K154 and HMCS Collingwood K180 circa 1945 From the collection of Ivan Chamberlain Courtesy of Dave Chamberlain

HOME PAGE SHIP INDEX CONTACT