HMCS HESPELER K489

Castle Class Corvette

HMCS HESPELER K489 RCN Photo # A-393 Courtesy of the Comox RCAF Museum Click on the above photo to view a larger image

Built at Leith, Scotland, she was laid down and launched as HMS Guildford Castle K378. On completion, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned on 28 Feb 1944 as HMCS HESPELER K489 at Leith. Following workups at Tobermory she arrived at Londonderry in April to become a member of EG C-5. HESPELER sailed on 21 Apr 1944 to meet her first convoy, ONS.233, and for the next 11 months was employed as an ocean escort. On 23 Jul 1944, she left St. John's with EG C-5 to escort the largest convoy of the war, HXS.300. She left 'Derry for the last time on 08 Mar 1945, to escort ON.289 westward, and upon arriving at Halifax began a refit, completing it at Liverpool, N.S., in Jul 1945. She then sailed for the west coast and on 15 Nov 1945 was paid off into reserve at Esquimalt.

She was sold in 1946 to the Union Steamship Co., Vancouver, she was converted to a coastal passenger ship, SS Chilcotin. In 1958 she became the Liberian-flag Stella Maris and in 1965, the Greek Westar. She was sold again in 1965 to become an Alaskan Cruise Liner. A few days into her voyage to Vancouver, on 28 Jan 1966, a fuel line became disconnected spraying oil into the engine room.  An explosion and fire followed - the ship being declared a constructive loss. Alaskan Cruise Lines sold the hulk for scrapping at La Spezia, Italy, saving only the ship's bell.

Note: HMCS HESPELER and HMCS DUNVER were credited with the sinking of U-484.  However, post war analysis credits the sinking of U-484 to HMS PORTCHESTER CASTLE and HMS HELMSDALE.

In 2008, purported unpublished diary entries of a HESPELER sailor posted on a SUBSIM Radio Room online forum seem to support the Canadian claim: “(9/9/44) we left at 0015 and two hours later picked up a contact and went to ‘action stat.’ We dropped one pattern and nothing happened. The second caused explosions. Nothing the third. Fourth caused explosions and the fifth brought something up which the DUNVER said was a sub. We secured at 4:30 a.m…. (9/10/44) Tons of oil, wreckage, and bodies about.”

In a 2013 article in Starshell, the Naval Association of Canada magazine, retired navy commander Fraser McKee credits the Canadian ships with the sinking, noting the RN disputes the sinking “but without any better claim than the RCN’s.”

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

Convoys escorted during the Second World War

Commanding Officers

LCdr Neville Spencer Charles Dickinson, RCNVR - 28 Feb 1944 - 15 Oct 1944

Lt George Percy Manning, RCNVR - 14 Nov 1944 - 24 Aug 1945

Lt William Glenn Brockie, RCNVR - OIC

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

(HSP001) HMCS HESPELER K489  //  From the collection of Tom Coyle, Sto 1c, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of Elaine Desnoyers

(HSP002) Sailor in a AA gun tub on HMCS HESPELER K489  //  From the collection of Lt. G.P. Manning, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of Don Manning  //  Submitted by John Berard Jr.

(HSP003) Dodging a greeny on HMCS HESPELER K489  //  From the collection of William C. Hill  //  Courtesy of Bill Hill

(HSP004) William Hill and shipmates on the quarterdeck of HMCS HESPELER K489  //  From the collection of William C. Hill  //  Courtesy of Bill Hill

(KM01) USN PT boat  //  Photo taken from HMCS HESPELER K489

(KM02) HMCS HESPELER K489 (left) and the aircraft carrier HMS GLORY R62 bring repatriated POWs to Esquimalt

(KM03) Bob Enright on HMCS HESPELER K489

Written on the back of this photos is "Bob Enright, killed June 2/44" 

From the collection of Kenneth Marlatt

Courtesy of Judy Agis

Information provided by Judy's mother is as follows:  the boat was strafed by an enemy plane. Both the fellow who died and your father were on Pom Pom guns. My understanding was the man standing beside your father was shot and your father was hit by a piece of metal that took the top layer of skin off in a small area center chest just below the neck. It left a scar. The fellow who died was well liked. He often entertained below deck by step dancing. He was from some place on the east coast of Canada and it was from him that Ken learned step dancing. There were several shipmates from the east coast and Ken also picked up the vocabulary and accent of those from Newfoundland. The sailor was buried at sea.

Webmaster's note:  According to casualty records, HMCS HESPELER had no casualties (deaths) during her service career.  Additionally, there is no record of a Bob (or Robert) Enright killed in the RCN during WW2.  The only 2 Canadian (or Newfoundland) casualties during WW2 named Enright were both in the Army - one died on 07 Jun 1944 and the other on 31 Jun 1944 ashore in Europe.  Royal Navy casualty records for WW2 only list one person named Enright, and she was a Wren, killed in an accident.

If anyone can provide any information on Bob Enright shown in this photo, please send me an EMAIL