For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

HMCS ORANGEVILLE K491

 

Nae Bother Ata

HMCS Orangeville K491

From the collection of Albert Abercrombie

Courtesy of Bill Abercrombie

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Laid down: 23 Jul 1943

Launched: 26 Jan 1944

Transferred to the RCN: 24 Apr 1944

Commissioned: 24 Apr 1944

Paid off: 12 Apr 1946

Fate: Sold for commercial use. Final disposition unknown

 

Laid down and launched as HMS Hedingham Castle, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned at Leith on 24 Apr 1944 as HMCS Orangeville K491. After working up at Tobermory in May she joined EG C-1 at Londonderry, leaving on 04 Jun 1944 to meet ONS.239, her first convoy. She spent the remainder of the war on North Atlantic convoy duty, leaving 'Derry for the last time on 21 Apr 1945, to escort ONS.48. After refitting at Liverpool, N.S., from May to Aug 1945, Orangeville was placed in maintenance reserve at Halifax and finally paid off on 12 Apr 1946. She was sold later that year for conversion to mercantile use under the Chinese flag and renamed Ta Tung. In 1951 she was taken over the the Nationalist Chinese government, rearmed and renamed Te-An.

 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos          WW II vet back in Derry after 68 year wait

 

Convoys escorted during WW II

 

Convoy Desig.

Convoy Departs from

Arrives at

Join as escort

Depart Convoy 

ON.239

Liverpool (03 Jun 1944)

New York City (22 Jun 1944) 

04 Jun 1944

15 Jun 1944

HX.296

New York City (19 June 1944)

Liverpool (03 Jul 1944)

24 Jun 1944

02 Jul 1944

ON.244

Liverpool (10 Jul 1944)

New York City (23 Jul 1944)

11 Jul 1944

18 Jul 1944

HX.301

New York City (25 Jul 1944)

Liverpool (08 Aug 1944)

31 Jul 1944

08 Aug 1944

ONS.33

Liverpool (29 Sep 1944)

Halifax (14 Oct 1944)

30 Sep 1944

10 Oct 1944

HX.314

New York City (15 Oct 1944)

Liverpool (29 Oct 1944)

20 Oct 1944

29 Oct 1944

ON.265

Southend (08 Nov 1944)

New York City (23 Nov 1944)

10 Nov 1944

19 Nov 1944

HX.322

New York City (24 Nov 1944)

Liverpool (08 Dec 1944)

29 Nov 1944

07 Dec 1944

ON.273

Southend (18 Dec 1944)

New York City (04 Jan 1945)

19 Dec 1945

30 Dec 1945

HX.330

New York City (03 Jan 1945)

Liverpool (17 Jan 1945)

07 Jan 1945

17 Jan 1945

ONS.41

Liverpool (29 Jan 1945)

Halifax (30 Jan 1945)

30 Jan 1945

15 Feb 1945

HX.339

New York City (18 Feb 1945)

Liverpool (03 Mar 1945)

23 Feb 1945

03 Mar 1945

ONS.44

Liverpool (12 Mar 1945)

Halifax (31 Mar 1945)

12 Mar 1945

27 Mar 1945

HX.347

New York City (29 Mar 1945)

Liverpool (14 Apr 1945)

03 Apr 1945

14 Apr 1945

ONS.48

Liverpool (21 Apr 1945)

Halifax (04 May 1945)

21 Apr 1945

03 May 1945

 

Commanding Officers

Lt Francis Rodney Pike, RCNVR - 24 Apr 1944 - 04 Jul 1945

Lt George William Dunn, RCNVR - 05 Jul 1945 - 16 Jul 1945

A/LCdr George Alvin Powell, RCNVR - 17 Jul 1945 - 16 Oct 1945

Lt Allan Tannahill Love, RCN(R) - 08 Feb 1946 - 12 Apr 1946

  

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

A-B

Abercrombie, Albert William

1923-1997

Served in Orangeville 21 Feb 1945 - 15 Jul 1945. In ship's company photo Feb-Jul 1945

 

 

 

 

C-D

Crowther, John Bradley

1923-2012

Served in Orangeville Apr 1944 - Dec 1945 as an AB Radar Operator

Commissioning crew

 

 

 

 

G-H

Guerin, Michael Francis

1924-2002

Served in Orangeville as a Cook, RCNVR

 

 

 

 

I-J

Johnson, Wilfred Leo

1924-2018

Served in Orangeville Apr 1944-Jul 1945 as a LS

 

 

 

 

K-L

 

Keeler, Morton

____-1995

Served in Orangeville as CPO, RCN, Cox'n.

Commissioning crew

Learmonth, Kenneth William

____-2009

 

 

 

M-N

 

McCabe, Bernard Ivan

1923-2012

Served in Orangeville Apr 1944 - Nov 1945 as L/Cook

Commissioning crew

McKay, Allister, J.

____-1999

Served in Orangeville Sep 1944 - Aug 1945 as a Coder

Montgomery, Terence William

1925-2018

Served in Orangeville 24 Apr 1944 - 19 Sep 1945.

Commissioning crew

 

 

O-P

 

Patterson, Alvin Howard

1925-2015

Porter, Howard Allan

1925-2014

Served n Orangeville 1944 - 1945 as an EA. In ship's company photo Feb-Jul 1945

Powell, George Alvin

1914-2004

3rd Commanding Officer

 

 

S-T

 

Smith, Wilfred Deroy

1924-2007

Thom, David A.

____-2006

Served in Orangeville May 1944 - Jan 1945 as a Tel

Turner, William John McCrae

Drafted to Orangeville on 13 Mar 1944 as Lt, RCNVR (Stand by). Served in Orangeville as Lt, RCNVR, A/S.O.O.

Commissioning crew

 

 

W-X

Whaling, Francis Gerald

1923-2018

Commissioning crew

Wiggins, Harry Robert

1925-2002

In ship's company photo Feb-Jul 1945

 

 

 

Ship's Mascots

Ping

____-____

 

 

 

 

 

 Former Crew Members

 

(CC) = Commissioning Crew 24 Apr 1944

 

(SC1) = Ship's company photo, Londonderry, Ireland between Feb and Jul 1945

Allan, Douglas, PO, RCN, Buffer (CC) (SC1)

 

Anderson, William C. (Bill). Stoker - 24 Apr 1944 - 05 Jun 1944 (CC)

 

Baldwin, Stanley (CC)


Barclay, Garnet (CC) (SC1)


Bate, George, Lt, Doctor - Nov 1944 - Aug 1945 (SC1)


Bell, Frank (SC1)


Briggs, Ed (SC1)

 

Bush, William G. (Bill) AB LTO - 25 Apr 1944 - 15 Feb 1945


Cambridge, Allan, Stoker - 1944 - 1945 (CC) (SC1)


Chinery, Arthur (Art), A/LS - 18 Jun 1944 - 12 Aug 1945 (SC1)


Cliff, Hall (SC1)

 

Collison, Stan G., Sto 1 - Jun 1944 - Jun 1945

 

Cormack, David, Wt (E), RCNR (CC) (SC1)

 

Cornelius, Leighton (SC1) 

 

Coyle, Tommy (CC) (SC1)

 

Craig, Asa (CC)


Cresswell, Ken (SC1)


Cudney, Ivan (CC) (SC1)

 

Curry, Thomas Allison, Lt, RCNR, NavO (CC) (SC1)

 

Cushing, Don (SC1)

 

Dale, Ivan (CC)

 

Darlington, Harold (CC)

 

Dettmar, Eric Samuel, Tel - 24 May 1944 - 30 Aug 1945 (SC1)

 

Douglas, Robert Alexander C., Lt, RCNVR, Ist Lt (XO) (CC)

 

Drake, Gordon (CC) (SC1)


Edgar, Ray (SC1)


Edwards, Robert N. (Bob), AB - 24 Apr 1944 - Nov 1945 (CC) (SC1)

 

Ferguson, James (CC)


Fleming, Joseph David, Sto 1 - 24 Apr 1944 - 1945 (CC) (SC1)


Galvon, Henry F. (Hank), Coder - 24 Apr 1944 - Mar 1945 (CC) (SC1)

 

Garret, Roy Percy, CPO, RCNVR, ERA3 (CC)


Gauthier, Roman (SC1)

 

Gellert, Norman Arthur, Sig - 20 Jun 1944 - 31 May 1945 (SC1)

 

Gorski, Peter, AB, ASDIC - 24 Apr 1945 - 12 Apr 1946 (CC) (SC1)

Gould, William Pierce, Lt, RCNR (CC) (SC1)

 

Graham, Gerald (Spud) (CC) (SC1)

 

Hall, Cliff - 1944


Heaton, Rolland A., Tel - 13 Oct 1944 - 25 Jul 1945 (SC1)


Humes, Henry (CC) (SC1)


Iverson, Allan (CC) (SC1)

 

Johnson, Lee (CC)

 

Judson, Malcolm (CC)

 

Judson, Winston, AB - Apr 1944 - May 1945

 

Kerr, Clifford (CC)

 

Kirstein, Fred (CC)


Klinghammer (SC1)

 

Krochenski, Stanley (CC)

 

Krouse, John (CC)

 

Laderoute, Norbert Joseph, A/Wt (E), RCNR - 16 May 1945

 

Laskarin, Joe, AB

 

Lee, William (CC) (SC1)

 

Leitch, Kenneth (CC)

 

Lepage, Nelson, Sto 1 A/S - 25 Apr 1944 - 25 Aug 1945 (CC) (SC1)

 

Little, John K., AB - 24 Apr 1944 - Jun 1945 (CC)

 

Ljuggren, Gordon (CC)


Lowe, Charly (CC) (SC1)

 

Lowe, Ronald


Lummis, Gordon (SC1)


Lummiss, Harry (CC) (SC1)

 

MacDonald, Robert L., L/Tel - 25 Apr 1944 - 08 Feb 1945

 

MacKeracher, Donald A., Lt, RCNVR, Signals Officer - 09 Mar 1944 (Stand by) / 24 Apr 1944 (CC) (SC1)

 

MacLeod, Robert (CC)

 

Malcolm Judson (SC1)


Martin, John (CC) (SC1)

 

Mason, Albert, AB - 30 May 1944 - 21 Jan 1945

 

McBeth, John (SC1)

 

McClintock, Robert (CC)


McDonald, David (CC) (SC1)

 

McGregor, Chris, Tel (T.O.) (SC1)

McNabb, Kenneth (CC) (SC1)

 

McPherson, Bruce Roffey, Slt, RCNVR - 29 Mar 1945 (SC1)

 

Meier, Max (CC)

 

Mitchell, Harold John, Sig - 26 Jul 1944 - 21 Aug 1945 (SC1)

 

Morris, Albert (CC)

 

Morris, Stan (SC1)


Murphy, John (Jack) (CC) (SC1)


Pare, Leo (SC1)

 

Peeble, James Arthur, A/Lt (E), RCNVR - 16 Jun 1945

 

Perry, Gordon - Apr 1944 - Feb 1945

 

Pirie, Neil John, PO E.A. 4 / CPO E.A. 3 - 24 Apr 1944 - Aug 1945 (CC)

 

Playfair, Peter Ferris, Surg-Lt - Aug 1944 - Oct 1944

 

Porteous, Alvin, PO, RCNVR, LTO (CC) (SC1)

 

Roberts, James, SPO - Jun 1944 - 25 Oct 1945


Robinson, James Victor - AA3 Gunner, 1944-1945


Rothery, William, Chief Stoker, RCN (CC) (SC1)

 

Shaw, Donald (CC)

 

Small, F.A.


Smith, W.D. (SC1)


Steen (SC1)

 

Stiles, Edward (Doc), SBA - 24 Apr 1944 - Sep 1945 (CC)


Taylor, Allan (SC1)

 

Thomson, Robert, Sig

 

Thorpe, Jack 

 

Tkach, John (CC) (SC1)


Tuckey, Kenneth (CC) (SC1)

 

Twist, William G. (Bill), CERA 4c - 26 Jul 1944 - 31 May 1945 (SC1)


Underhill (SC1)

 

Wade, James (CC)

 

Weed, Ralph (CC)

 

Watkins, Robert A., A/LS - Oct 1945 - Dec 1945


Watson, James, AB - 23 Jun 1944 - 21 Feb 1945

 

Wilkinson, Hugh Malcolm, Slt (El) (R), RCNVR - Jan 1945

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

Dignitaries at the launching of HMCS Orangeville at the Leigh Shipyards, Scotland

Top photo: Lady Darling (2nd from left), with shipbuilder Henry Robb (2nd from right)

From the collection of Donald Muir.  Donald was a carpentry foreman at the Leith Shipyard when Orangeville was built.

Courtesy of Fiona Bremner

Commissioning 1944 Leith, Scotland. Photo Caption reads: " Lady Darling, flanked by ship's builder Henry Robb and Lt. Rodney Pike, Holding newly carved ship's crest at commissioning ceremony in Leith, Scotland, 1944", Photo taken from the supplement to the Orangeville Citizen of June 8th, 1988. celebrating the Ship' Crew 1988 Reunion.

From the collection of Albert Abercrombie

Courtesy of Bill Abercrombie

Christmas Day 1944 at sea on HMCS Orangeville - Cooks Mike Guerin (left) and Ivan McCabe

Courtesy of John Hawley

The Skipper takes it easy between watches

Photo taken from June 1988 HMCS Orangeville reunion newspaper- a supplement to the Orangeville Citizen of June 8th, 1988.

From the collection of Albert Abercrombie

Courtesy of Bill Abercrombie

Ship's Mascot - PING the cat. 

Photo taken from the supplement to the Orangeville Citizen of June 8th, 1988. celebrating the Ship' Crew 1988 Reunion. Photo originally came from photo of ship's crew taken at Londonderry and in the arms of Bob Edwards according to that photo's photo key.

From the collection of Albert Abercrombie

Courtesy of Bill Abercrombie

O/S Leighton Cornelius, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Cornelius, East Garafraxa, formerly of Orangeville, who is serving aboard the corvette HMCS Orangeville. O/S Cornelius, 18 years old, joined the RCN on July 10, 1944 , trained at HMCS York, Toronto and Cornwallis Nova Scotia, was transferred to HMCS Avalon, St. Hohn;s Newfoundland, and subsequently to the Orangeville." Photo taken from the supplement to the Orangeville Citizen of June 8th, 1988. celebrating the Ship' Crew 1988 Reunion.

From the collection of Albert Abercrombie

Courtesy of Bill Abercrombie

A Commemorative Copy of "Etchings in Salt" April 1945

 

         

 

From the collection of Albert Abercrombie

Courtesy of Bill Abercrombie

 

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