
HMCS
FENNEL K194
Flower
Class Corvette
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HMCS FENNEL K194
Click on the above photo to view a larger
image
From the collection of Joseph Rolland
Courtesy of Jordan McCallum
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Laid down: 29
Mar
1940
Launched: 20
Aug 1940
Commissioned: 15
Jan 1941
Transferred
to RCN: 15 May 1941
Commissioned:
15 May 1941
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Paid off: 12
Jun 1945
Returned
to RN: 12 Jun 1945
Fate:
Sold in 1946 for conversion to a whale catcher. Broken up at
Grimstad, Norway, in 1966
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Built at Sorel, she was launched on 20 Aug 1940.
In Dec 1940 she was towed to Liverpool, N.S. for completion and
commissioned there on 15 Jan 1941 as HMS FENNEL. She left Halifax on
05 Mar 1941 with convoy HX.113 for the U.K., and while there received finishing
touches at Greenock. On 15 May 1941 she was transferred to the RCN
and commissioned as HMCS FENNEL K194. Following workups at Tobermory in
Jun 1941 FENNEL was assigned to NEF, first serving as an ocean escort between St.
John's and Londonderry. In Jun 1942, she commenced a year's
service with the newly formed WLEF. She underwent a refit at New
York from mid-Jul to late Sep 1942. In Jun 1943, she was
detached to EG C-2 for one round trip to 'Derry, and on returning
she went to Baltimore, Md., for a refit which included the extension
of her fo'c's'le, completing on 06 Sep 1943. After working up at
Pictou she resumed her ocean escort duties with C-2, and on 06 Mar 1944, was one of seven escorts of HX.280 that hounded U 744 to its
death. In Aug 1944 she had two months' refit at Pictou, followed by
three weeks' workups in Bermuda and at year's end transferred to EG
C-1 for the duration of the war. FENNEL arrived at Greenock 29 May 1945, from one of the last convoys, and was returned to the RN at
Londonderry on 12 Jun 1945. She was sold in 1946 to Kosmos and became the
whaling vessel Milliam
Kihl. She was re-built as
a buoy-boat
in October 1948. Refitted as whaler in 1951 in Kiel, Germany. Laid
up in 1960/1961. Last drifting season 1964/1965. Laid up again in
Sandefjord. Sold to Norwegian ship breakers in Grimstad in 1966.
U-Boats Sunk: U-744 (Oblt Heinz Blischke) a type VIIC U-boat, sunk on 06 Mar 1944 by HMCS St.
Catharine K325, HMCS CHILLIWACK K131, HMCS GATINEAU H61, HMCS FENNEL
K194, HMCS CHAUDIERE H99, HMS ICARUS and HMS KENIWORTH CASTLE in
position 52-01 N, 22-37 W. Of her crew of 51, there were 40
survivors.
Photos
and Documents Ship's
Company photos
Commanding Officers
LCdr John Norman Smith,
RCNR - 16 Jan 1941 - 31 Oct 1941
Lt J.M. Gillison,
RCNR - 01 Nov 1941 - 26 May 1942
LCdr Ralph Berton Warwick,
RCNVR - 27 May 1942 - 05 Sep 1943 |
A/LCdr William Purves Moffat,
RCNVR - 06 Sep 1943 - 15 May 1944
LCdr Kenneth Lorne Johnson,
RCNVR - 16 May 1944 - 12 Jun 1945 |
In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget

COLES, Kenneth
J.
Telegraphist, RCNVR died - 25 Jun 1941
In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten
Baker, James
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Brossoit, A.
William
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Byway, Arthur
J.
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Cartier,
Arthur G.
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Casey,
Patrick R.
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Cotter,
George S.G.I.
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Coulter,
Calvin C.
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Edmand,
Murray S.
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Ferris,
Leonard R.
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Fraser,
Lovat
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Kinch,
George F.
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Marshall,
Calvin
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Mattice,
Gerald B.
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Polischuk,
John |

Rolland,
Joseph W.
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Saunders,
Harry E.
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Smith, John
N.
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Spence,
Cecil E.
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Stephenson,
William G. |

Swalm,
Charles H.
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Wideman,
Arthur G.
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Horta - ship's mascot
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Former Crew Members
Anderson, Ted, Signalman
Campbell, Hugh Chisholm, SLt, RCNVR - 24 May 1943
Exworth, Samuel Gordon, Mate, RCNR - 1941
Gray, Charles Anglin, Lt, RCNVR - 20 Jul 1941
Haddrell, Allan Rupert
- As of Nov 2020, Allan is alive and well
Higginson, Greig Darwin - 1945
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McNichol, Harry, Lt, RCNVR - 1941
Melville, John Carrick, Lt, RCNVR - 06 May 1945
O'Reilly-Hewitt, Frederick Thomas, Lt, RCNVR - 14 Apr 1944
Overden, Hedley Allan, Mate, RCNR - 20 May 1941
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Robinson, James
Shea, Robin Vincent, SLt, RCNVR - 1945
Todd, Terrance Charles, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Apr 1943
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Photos and
Documents

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HMCS FENNEL K194
Note that she has not yet had her forward gun
installed
Courtesy of Erling Baldorf |

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HMCS FENNEL'S gunshield art
Credit: Library and Archives of Canada |
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Canadian Naval Craft Sink German U-boat
The Halifax Chronicle 01 Jun 1944
Researched by / Courtesy of George Newbury
Ships mentioned in the article: HMCS
GATINEAU, HMCS CHAUDIERE, HMCS
CHILLIWACK, HMCS FENNEL, HMCS
ST CATHARINES, HMS ICARUS |
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Canadian Warships Rescue U-Boat Crew
Article on the rescue of survivors from U-744
The Halifax Chronicle 01 Jun 1944
Researched by / Courtesy of George Newbury
Ships mentioned in the article: HMCS CHAUDIERE,
HMCS
CHILLIWACK, HMCS FENNEL, HMCS
ST CATHARINES
Sailors
mentioned in the article: Lt Douglas S. Boyle, RCN of
Revelstoke, BC (HMCS CHAUDIERE); Lt Charles Rathget, RCNVR of
Toronto (HMCS CHAUDIERE); PO Stevenson; Lt W.W. Spicer,
RCNVR of Regina, Sask |
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HMCS FENNEL Helps Sink U-Boat
From the collection of J.
Vincent Wesley, CPO, RCNVR
Courtesy of Marilynn Taylor
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HMCS FENNEL K194 |

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HMCS FENNEL K194
Note that her gun shield art has been removed
and she has rocket launchers on the side of her gun |

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Norwegian whaling vessel Milliam Kihl (former
HMCS FENNEL)
Source: The flower class corvette forums |

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HMCS FENNEL'S mascot - Horta. According
to Patrick Casey, they traded beer for Horta in Londonderry,
Ireland.
From the collection of Patrick Casey
Courtesy of Patricia Pollock |

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Patrick Casey (left) and shipmate on HMCS FENNEL
K194
From the collection of Patrick Casey
Courtesy of Patricia Pollock |

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HMCS FENNEL K194 conducting a stern fueling
From the collection of Patrick Casey
Courtesy of Patricia Pollock |

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Patrick
Casey (back left) with shipmates on unknown ship. Patrick
Casey served in HMCS FENNEL and HMCS JOLIETTE. It is not known
which of the two ships the photo was taken on. It has been entered
on the pages for both ships.
From the collection of Patrick Casey
Courtesy of Patricia Pollock |

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HMCS FENNEL K194, part of EG.C1
Photo taken from HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
From the collection of Wilson Reginald McMurdo
Courtesy of Scott Wilson McMurdo |

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HMCS FENNEL K194 |

WB07 |

WB08 |
(WB07)
Gord Woods and William Brossoit loading the forward gun on HMCS FENNEL K194 (WB08) Art
Wideman, Mac Maclean and Bill Brossoit believed to be standing in
the drydock while FENNEL was in refit
From the collection of Arthur
William Brossoit, AB, RCNVR
Courtesy of Stephanie McBride
(JR55) Joe
Rolland onboard HMCS FENNEL (JR56) Joe Rolland (kneeling) and McShane chipping ice off anchor chains on
HMCS FENNEL - 1945 (JR57)
HMCS FENNEL K194 in drydock (JR58) HMCS FENNEL K194 (JR59)
"Leading Seamen on watch" as Lookouts on HMCS FENNEL - Cartier
(on left)
(JR60)
Lt Johnston, CO of HMCS FENNEL (JR61-JR62)
60 survivors of HMCS CLAYOQUOT being landed from HMCS FENNEL (JR63)
Article on the sinking of HMCS CLAYOQUOT off Halifax and the rescue of her
crew by HMCS FENNEL. Joe Rolland was serving in HMCS FENNEL at the
time. (JR64) "Leaving Londonderry" - Red Watch ready
to close up aboard HMCS FENNEL leaving Ireland. Note the artwork on the
bridge face.
From
the collection of Joseph W.
Rolland, RCNVR
Courtesy
of Jordan McCallum
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DD39 |
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(DD39) HMCS
FENNEL K194. Photo taken from HMCS OWEN SOUND K340 From
the collection of Dan L. Dunbar, AB,
RCNVR Courtesy
of Dan Dunbar
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