HMCS PRESCOTT K161

Flower Class Corvette

HMCS PRESCOTT K161

Laid down: 31 Aug 1940

Launched: 07 Jan 1941

Commissioned: 26 Jun 1941

Paid off: 20 Jul 1945

Fate: Broken up in 1951

Commissioned at Montreal on 26 Jun 1941, PRESCOTT arrived at Halifax on 04 Jul 1941 and was attached briefly to Halifax Force before arriving at St. John's on 31 Aug 1941 to join Newfoundland Command. She spent the rest of the year escorting convoys between St. John's and Iceland, but early in 1942 experienced mechanical difficulties requiring two months' repairs at Liverpool, N.S. Resuming her mid-ocean duties on 21 Apr 1942, she made two round trips to Londonderry before being transferred to WLEF in July. In Sep 1942 she was assigned to duties in connection with Operation "Torch", returning to Canada on 04 Apr 1943. Late that month she began a six-month refit at Liverpool, N.S., including extension of her fo'c's'le. After work-ups at Pictou she sailed from St. John's on 19 Dec 1943 for the U.K. to join EG 6, Londonderry. She served with the group, principally as escort to U.K.- Gibraltar/Freetown convoys, until Apr 1944, when its corvettes were replaced with frigates, then joined Western Approaches Command, Greenock, for invasion duties. In Sep 1944 she returned to Liverpool, N.S., for another refit and, after working up, went back to the U.K. to serve with Nore Command until the end of the war. Returning to Halifax late in May 1945, she was paid off at Sorel 20 Jul 1945 and broken up in 1951 at Hamilton.

U-Boats Sunk: U-163 (Korvkpt Kurt-Eduard Engelmann) a type IXC U-boat, on 13 Mar 1943 by HMCS NAPANEE K118 and HMCS PRESCOTT K161 in the Bay of Biscay. Of her crew of 57 there were no survivors.

Photos and Documents Ship's company photos

Commanding Officers

Lt Henry Auchinvole Russell, RCNR - 26 Jun 1941 - 30 May 1942

Lt Geoffrey Huntley Davidson, RCN - 31 May 1942 - 01 Jul 1942

Lt Henry Auchivole Russell, RCNR - 02 Jul 1942 - 11 Sep 1942

LCdr Wilfred J. McIsaac, RCNVR - 12 Sep 1942 - 28 Dec 1944

Lt George Jeffrey Mathewson, RCNVR - 29 Dec 1944 - 20 Jul 1945

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

McCarron, Silverius J.

Sutherland, J. Francis

Swalm, Charles H.

Thompson, Ross E.

Trask, Henry A.

Former Crew Members

Barker, William Crichlow Lamond, Lt, RCNVR - 14 Apr 1943

Battersby, Henry, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 10 Apr 1945

Brash, Robert, Ch/Skpr, RCNR - 26 Jun 1941

Bridle, Paul Augustus, SLt, RCNVR - 25 Apr 1942

Gibbs, John Archibald, Lt, RCNVR - 1945

Jette, Marcel Joseph Alphonse T., Lt, RCNVR - 27 May 1943

Millen, James Frederick, Wt (E), RCN - 12 Jun 1944

Morgan, Marcel Cosby, Lt, RCNVR - 07 May 1944

Patrick, Robert (Bob)

Reid, Wilfred Creighton, SLt, RCNVR - 10 Apr 1942

Russell, Henry Auchinvole, Lt, RCNR - 12 May 1941 (Stand by) CO

Sherwood, Edward Torrance, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Jun 1941

Woolley, John Thomas, SLt, RCNVR - 26 Jun 1941

Photos and Documents

HW14

HW15

(HW14) PRESCOTT being launched at the Kingston Shipbuilding Yards, Kingston, ON on 07 Jan 1941 into a frozen Lake Ontario (HW15) HMCS PRESCOTT leaving Kingston in Jun 1941

From the collection of Henry J. (Hank) Winsor, RCNVR

Courtesy of Roger Litwiller