HMCS FORT EIRE K670 / 312

 

River Class / Prestonian Class Frigate

 


 

 

Post wartime badge

HMCS FORT EIRE K670

Courtesy of Chris Carnall

Photo restoration by Darrell Cameron

 

Laid down: 03 Nov 1943

Re-named: Mar 1944

Launched: 27 May 1944

Commissioned: 27 Oct 1944

Paid off: 22 Nov 1945

Re-acquired by RCN: 1954

Re-Commissioned: 17 Apr 1956

Paid off: 26 Mar 1965

Fate: Broken up at La Spezia, Italy in 1966

 

Built by George T. Davie & Sons Lts., Lauzon, Que, she was laid down as HMCS LA TUQUE - renamed HMCS FORT EIRE in Mar 1944. Commissioned at Quebec City on 27 Oct 1944, she did not arrive at Halifax until Dec 1944. She worked up in Bermuda in mid-Jan 1945 and, on her return to Halifax, was assigned to EG 28, an RCN support group based on Halifax, for the duration of the European war. Tropicalization refit, begun 02 Jun 1945, at Pictou, was cancelled on 20 Aug 1945 and FORT EIRE was paid off on 22 Nov 1945, to be laid up at Shelburne. She was sold in 1946 to Marine Industries Ltd., but re-acquired by the RCN and rebuilt in 1954 and 1955 as a Prestonian class ocean escort. Re-commissioned 17 Apr1956, she was generally in service as a training ship. On 13 Feb 1959, HMCS FORT EIRE, HMCS BUCKINGHAM, HMCS SWANSWA and HMCS LA HULLOISE returned to Halifax after a 5 week exercise in southern waters that included a port visit to Kingston, Jamaica. FORT EIRE was paid off on 26 Mar 1965 at Halifax. She was broken up at La Spezia, Italy, in 1966.

 


 

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

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

A/LCdr A.W. Ford, RCNR - 27 Oct 1944 - 20 Feb 1945

A/LCdr Ernest Frederick Piper, RCNVR - 21 Feb 1945 - 05 Aug 1945

A/LCdr R.C. Chenoweth, RCN - 06 Aug 1945 - 04 Nov 1945

Cdr William Wyness MacColl, RCN - 17 Apr 1956 - 17 Jan 1958

Cdr Latham Brerton Jenson, RCN - 18 Jan 1958 - 02 Jul 1958

LCdr Henri Charles LaRose, RCN - 03 Jul 1958 - 17 Sep 1959

Cdr James Robert Boardman Coulter, RCN - 18 Sep 1959 - 10 Aug 1960

Cdr Latham Brerton Jenson, RCN - 11 Aug 1960 - 30 Sep 1962

Cdr W.C. Spicer, RCN - 04 Oct 1962 - 12 Aug 1963

Cdr E. Petley-Jones, RCN - 12 Aug 1963 - unk

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

LANCASTER, Earl F.

AB, RCNVR

died - 07 Nov 1944

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

Brocklebank, Ronald

Burnett, Gerald C.

Bushen, Norbert E.

Cardy, John H.

Caverly, Roderick J.

Coulter, James R. B.

Crossley, Sidney R.

Cumming, James M.

Eldridge, Richard

Elliott, Ronald E.

Guile, Gerald E.

Hannam, Jack

Harrison, D. Larry

Jenson, Latham B.

Kelvin, George D.

Kirby, Richmond H.

Large, J. Donald

MacAlpine, Gerald A.

MacDonald, Harry B.

MacKay, Donald

MacPherson, A. Joseph

Mason, John W. R.

McMillin, Andrew C.

McOuat, Walter S.

Morris, Edward J.

Mulock, William R.

Patterson, Merville J.

Patton, Donald J.

Poidevin, James J.

Preston, Anthony J.

Rhyno, Donald M.

Roberts, Ralph D.

Salsiccioli, Peter P.

Searle, John V.

Sigurdson, Thomas A.

Spicer, Wylie C.

Starkey, Brian H.

Stevens, Harold

Stitt, Don M.

Sundue, Dave

Sykes, Douglas R. M.

Waller, Harold T.

Webb, Frederick A. H.

Weir, James N.

Wickson, William F.

Wilson, John E. N.

 

 

 

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Bernier, Jean-Claude - 1963 - Nov 1964

 

Coughlan, Joseph Daniel, Slt (E), RCNVR - Jan 1945

 

Curry, Don, Radar Operator - Apr 1956 - Sep 1957

 

Day, Lee, AW

 

Eastwood, Walter A/Lt, RCNVR - 02 Apr 1945

 

Edwards, Bruce - 1963-1964

 

Elliott, Robert George (Bob), 43386-H, AB

 

Foley, Maurice Aloysius, Lt (E), RCNVR

 

Hardy, Peter - 1964

 

Jacobson, Barry, Naval Cadet

 

Joyce, Geoff

 

Keys, Joe - during Cuban Missile Crisis

Latcham, Garry J. 

 

Leseur, Charles Robin, A/Lt, RCNVR - 01 Mar 1945

 

McDougall, Keith, OSEM1 / ABEM1, Jun 1960 - Aug 1962   

 

Murphy, Don - during Cuban Missile Crisis

 

Logan, Don, Sig - 14 Jun 1962 - 10 Mar 1963

 

Porter, Larry, AB.SG - 1962-1964

 

Styko, Jack - during Cuban Missile Crisis

 

Taylor, Gerald (Gerry), CR

 

Walker, Herman, LS Stwd, RCN - 1964

 

Walsh, Bill, Cook, RCN - Summer 1963-Jan 1965

 

Yoneyama, John, Stwd, RCN - 1963-1964

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

HMCS FORT EIRE K670

 

From the collection of Peter McCormick, C2 Supp Tech, RCN / C.A.F.

Two unknown sailors on HMCS FORT EIRE K670 circa 1945

From the collection of Harold Stevens

Courtesy of Rob Stevens

Sinclair (possibly) and Hal Stevens (right) on HMCS FORT EIRE K670 circa 1945

From the collection of Harold Stevens

Courtesy of Rob Stevens

HMCS FORT EIRE K670 circa 1945

From the collection of Harold Stevens

Courtesy of Rob Stevens

 

   

 

Armament of HMCS FORT EIRE

Source: RCNA North Bay website

HMCS FORT EIRE 312

Source: Flickr photo collection of DG  Gorham

HMCS FORT EIRE 312 - Crossing the Line Certificate (Arctic Circle) ABEM Keith McDougall, 23 Jul 61

HMCS FORT EIRE 312 - Crossing the Line certificate (Equator) ABEM Keith McDougall, 11 Feb 62

 

HMCS FORT EIRE 312

West African Cruise 1962 Map and Itinerary

Courtesy of Keith McDougall

HMCS FORT EIRE, African Cruise

 

L-R:  LS Lee Day, AB Vern Wright, and AB Ron Brocklebank

 

From the collection of Lee Day, AW, RCN

Crew members of HMCS FORT EIRE 312 in Bermuda in 1960

Courtesy of Jean-Louis Tetreault

ABSG Don Logan on HMCS FORT EIRE in 1962

Courtesy of Don Logan

HMCS FORT EIRE 312 - undated

 

DND / RCN photo

Peter Hardy on HMCS FORT EIRE - 1964

Courtesy of Bruce Edwards

Alberty, Peter Hardy, Corbin - HMCS FORT EIRE 1964

Courtesy of Bruce Edwards

HMCS FORT EIRE

Courtesy of Bruce Edwards

 


 

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