HMCS LANARK K669 / 321 - For Posterity's Sake

HMCS LANARK K669 / 321

River Class / Prestonian Class Frigate

Post wartime badge

HMCS Lanark K669

From the collection of Nicholas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

Battle honours and awards: Atlantic 1944-1945

Laid down: 25 Sep 1943

Launched: 10 Dec 1943

Commissioned: 06 Jul 1944

Paid off: 24 Oct 1945

Re-commissioned: 26 Apr 1956

Paid off: 19 Mar 1965

Fate: Broken up in 1966

Commissioned on 06 Jul 1944, at Montreal, Lanark arrived at Halifax on 28 Jul 1944. She carried out workups in Bermuda in September and, returning to Halifax in Oct 1944, was assigned to the newly formed EG C-7, Londonderry. She spent the balance of the European war on convoy duty, most of that time as Senior Officer's ship, and early in Jun 1945, sailed for home. In mid-Jul 1945 she began tropicalization refit at Liverpool, N.S., but that was called off on 31 Aug 1945 and the ship was paid off at Sydney on 24 Oct 1945. She was then placed in reserve at Shelburne, but was sold to Marine Industries Ltd., in 1946. Later repurchased by the RCN, she was converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort, 1954-55, and on 26 Apr 1956, commissioned for training purposed on the east coast. She was paid off the last time on 16 Mar 1965, and broken up at La Spezia, Italy in 1966.

RCN Memories: Wartime Memories of Nicholas Vukson

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

Commanding Officers

LCdr John Fitzwilliam Stairs, RCNVR - 06 Jul 1944 - 05 Apr 1945

A/Cdr Bernard Dodds Leitch Johnson, OBE, RCNR - 06 Apr 1945 - 09 May 1945

LCdr John Fitzwilliam Stairs, RCNVR - 10 May 1945 - 20 Oct 1945

Cdr William Moncur Kidd, RCN - 26 Apr 1956 - 09 Nov 1956

LCdr P.H. Cayley, RCN - 10 Nov 1956 - 11 Jun 1958

LCdr William Douglas Farrell, RCN - 12 Jun 1958 - 11 Jul 1948

LCdr William Van Arnam Lesslie, RCN - 12 Jul 1958 - 15 Sep 1960

LCdr Colin Heggerston Purves Shaw, RCN - 16 Sep 1960 - 28 Aug 1962

LCdr John Maxwell Reid, RCN - 29 Aug 1962 - 22 Apr 1964

LCdr Francis John Poyntz French, RCN - 23 Apr 1964 - 26 Nov 1964

Lt R.L. Clarke, RCN - 27 Nov 1964 - 15 Dec 1964

Lt D.M. Swim, RCN - 16 Dec 1964 - 15 Jan 1965

Lt J.T. Stuart, RCN (OIC) - 16 Jan 1965 - 19 Mar 1965

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

de Ste. Croix, Dennis

Henderson, Wilfred D.

Karpiak, Robert I. M.

Kirk, I. Glen

Labelle, John H.

Leary, Joseph E.

MacCullough, Harold A.

McGeachy, Duncan D. C.

Russell, Harold B. A.

St. Germain, Jean J. D.

Stegen, James W.

Stitt, Don M.

Thibault, Joseph T. L.

Former Crew Members

Ashton, Cliff J.

Burch, Bob, 54117, ABRM1 - 1962-1964

Carlile, James Sim, Lt (E), RCNVR - 27 Mar 1944 / 06 Jul 1944

Carrigan, Harry 54334-H

Cleough, Doug, LS.SN - 1963-1965

Connolly, Robert Edward, SLt, RCNVR - 12 May 1945

Croshaw, Bill

Horn, Arthur A., ER

Jones, Brithen, P2 Stoker, RCN - 1962

Kramer, C1ERA, RCN - 1962

Leclair, Dick, P1ERA, RCN - 1962

Lefevre, Fernand, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Jul 1944

Lowe, Arthur Frederick, SLt, RCNVR - 29 May 1944 / 06 Jul 1944

McGeachey, Duncan Donald Campbell, SLt (E), RCNVR - 06 Jul 1944

Murrell, Herbert Charles James, SLt, RCNVR - 1945

Robertson, William, P2ERA / P1ERA4, 36716-E, RCN - Jan 1960 - Mar 1963

Rowbotham, Henry Slater, SLt, RCNVR - 12 Mar 1945

Schram, Edison Lloyd Russell, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 06 Apr 1945

Sheppard, Henry Campbell, Lt, RCNVR - 30 Jun 1944 / 06 Jul 1944

Simpson, P1ERA, RCN - 1962

Slaven, Jock, P1ERA, RCN - 1962

Stairs, John Fitzwilliam, LCdr, RCNVR - 12 May 1944, CO / 06 Jul 1944

Stevenson, Steve, 54429-H - 1964

Tilleczek, Norbert L., LSRC2

Wilkinson, Alvin Wilfred, SLt, RCNVR - 29 May 1944 / 06 Ju 1944

Williamson, Charles Francis - WW2

Photos and Documents

HMCS Lanark K669

DND/RCN photo

From the collection Nicholas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

HMCS Lanark K669 jacket patch

From the collection Nicholas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

HMCS Lanark K669 alongside the Victoria Pier, in the Old Port of Montreal, Quebec.

From the collection Nicholas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

HMCS Lanark K669

Photo taken from HMCS Copper Cliff

From the collection Nicholas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

HMCS Lanark K669

From the collection Nicholas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

Gun crew at work - believed to be on HMCS Lanark K669

From the collection Nicholas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

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(1) Bermuda - possibly Hamilton (2) Sailor from HMCS Lanark K669 ashore in Bermuda (3) Sailors from HMCS Lanark K669 ashore in Bermuda (4) Unknown officer and CPO on HMCS Lanark K669 (5) Nick Vukson (left) and shipmate on HMCS Lanark K669 (6) Hands fallen in on the quarterdeck of HMCS Lanark K669 (7) Hands fallen in on the quarterdeck of HMCS Lanark K669 - 2nd row, 1st on right (with the peak of a POs cap just visible above him) is Nick Vukson

HMCS Lanark K669 in Bermuda on Work-Ups (WUPS)

From the collection of Nickolas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

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(1) Officers and lookout on the bridge of HMCS Lanark K669 (2) Charles Sigut (right) and shipmate on the after gun platform of HMCS Lanark K669 (3) Two unknown sailors on after gun platform of HMCS Lanark K669 (4) Sailors on the quarterdeck of HMCS Lanark K669 (5) Sailors on the quarterdeck of HMCS Lanark K669 - weather seems to be a bit cooler than that in photo # 4 (6) Looking down at the bridge of HMCS Lanark K669 from the crow's nest (7) HMCS Lanark K669 in refit

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(8) Quarterdeck of HMCS Lanark K669. Note the safety wires for the crew to secure to in rough weather. Photos dated 1944 (9) Look down the port side of HMCS Lanark K669 - rough seas (10) Bridge of HMCS Lanark K669 (11) Sailors on the quarterdeck of HMCS Lanark K669 in tropical rig (12) Charles Sigut ashore - location unknown - while serving in HMCS Lanark K669. Photos dated 1944 (13) Charles Sigut ashore, date and location unknown, while serving in HMCS Lanark K669

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(14-19) HMCS Lanark approaching torpedoed oil tanker that is on fire. (19) Survivor from the tanker being rescued.

Note: (1) Photos 14 through 18 have been submitted by families of sailors who served in LANARK, MERRITTONIA and KAPUSKASING and appear to be official RCN photos. Written on the back of those from the collection of Charles Sigut HMCS Lanark K669 - "Taken from the bridge of Lanark 18 04 1945"

Note: (2) Convoy HX.348. Departed New York City on 03 Apr 1945 and arrived in Liverpool on 20 Apr 1945. The tanker Empire Gold, which was carrying petrol, was torpedoed and sunk by U-1107 on 18 Apr 1945.

From the collection of Charles Sigut

Courtesy of Chauncey Sigut

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(1-6) Tanker in convoy, torpedoed and burning - believed to be tanker EMPIRE GOLD

Photos taken from HMCS Lanark K669

From the collection Nicholas Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

Note: Convoy HX.348. Departed New York City on 03 Apr 1945 and arrived in Liverpool on 20 Apr 1945. The tanker EMPIRE GOLD, which was carrying petrol, was torpedoed and sunk by U-1107 on 18 Apr 1945.