HMCS ROSTHERN K169

 

Flower Class Corvette

 


 

HMCS ROSTHERN K169

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron Bell

 

Laid down: 18 Jun 1940

Launched: 30 Nov 1940

Commissioned: 17 Jun 1941

Paid off: 19 Jul 1945

Fate: Sold for scrap in Jun 1946 and broken up the same year

 

Built by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, she was commissioned on 17 Jun 1941, at Montreal. ROSTHERN arrived at Halifax on 26 Jun 1941. She joined Newfoundland Command and left St. John's for Iceland on 07 Oct 1941 as ocean escort to convoy SC.48. She proceeded on to the Clyde, where mechanical defects kept her for two months, and arrived at Halifax on 28 Dec 1941 for further repairs, not resuming service until mid-Feb 1942. She left Argentia, Nfld., on 27 Feb 1942 with HX.177 for Londonderry, and was thereafter employed continuously on North Atlantic convoys until Jun 1944. In Apr 1942 she became a member of EG A-3, re-numbered C-5 in May. ROSTHERN took part in three major convoy battles: SC.100 (Sep 1942); ON.166 (Feb 1943); and SC.121 (Mar 1943). She left Londonderry for the last time on 27 May 1944, and on her return to Canada became a training ship at Halifax for navigation and ship-handling, attached at first to WLEF and then, from Dec 1944 onward, to Halifax Force. She carried out workups at Bermuda in Dec 1944 escorting HMCS Provider on the homeward trip. ROSTHERN had no long refits during the war, and never did have her fo'c's'le lengthened. Paid off on 19 Jul 1945, at Sorel, she was sold to Steel Co. of Canada, Hamilton, Ont., in Jun 1946 and broken up there the same year.

 


 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

Lt Walter Russell, RCNR - 17 Jun 1941 - 20 Nov 1941

Cdr Paul Barbour Cross, RCNVR - 21 Nov 1941 - 24 Nov 1942

LCdr R.J.G. Johnson, RCNVR - 25 Nov 1942 - 17 Apr 1944 

Lt Sydney Reginald Phillips Annett, RCNVR - 18 Apr 1944 - 03 Nov 1944

A/LCdr R.F. Wilson, RCNVR - 04 Nov 1944 - 06 Apr 1945

Lt Dudley Raymond Smythies, RCNVR - 07 Apr 1945 - 19 Jul 1945

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Annett, Sydney Reginald Phillips, SLt, RCNVR - 24 Jul 1942 / Lt, RCNVR - 02 Feb 1943

 

Best, Douglas Wilson, SLt, RCNVR - 19 Mar 1945

 

Carnine, Grant Leroy, A/Lt, RCNVR - 14 May 1945

 

Conyers, Harold Elrod, SLt, RCNVR - 17 Jun 1941

 

Davidson, Craig - 1943

 

Finlayson, John Norrison, Lt, RCNVR - 11 Apr 1943

Foster, Robert James, Ch/Skpr, RCNR - 17 Jun 1941

 

Henderson, Vernon

 

Hughes, Edwin Thompson, M.I.D., A/ L/Sto & Sto PO

 

Lutes, Eric MacPherson, SLt, RCNVR - 15 Feb 1942

 

Morrison, William Robert, Lt, RCNVR - 17 Jun 1941

 

Rankin, John Carlton, SLt, RCNVR

Robertson, T. - Dec 1940

 

Russel, Walter, Lt, RCNR - 23 May 1941, (Stand by) CO / 17 Jun1941

 

Spence, Robert Beatty, SLt, RCNVR - 22 May 1943

 

Williams, Orville - Alive and well - 2020

 

Wilson, John (Tug) 

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

RNT001

RNT002

RTN003

RNT004

(RTN001-RTN002) Launching of HMCS ROSTHERN K169 at Port Arthur, Ontario  //  Credit: Bill Gard / Don Tremaine

(RTN003) HMCS ROSTHERN K169 - Photo taken from HMCS SACKVILLE K181

(RNT004) HMCS ROSTHERN pennant  //  Courtesy of Hugh Muir

 


 

FM658

FM659

(FM658-FM659) HMCS ROSTHERN K169 alongside HMCS STANDARD COASTER - slipping and proceeding

Photos undated

From the collection of François Messier, AB, RCNVR

Courtesy of Denis Messier

 


 

JW01

JW02

JW03

JW04

JW05

(JW01)  John C. "Tug" Wilson on HMCS ROSTHERN somewhere off the coast of Newfoundland

(JW02) John C. "Tug" Wilson on HMCS ROSTHERN

(JW03) Capt Johnson of HMCS ROSTHERN

(JW04) Tug Wilson, Bill Easton, Gummy Oulette and unknown

(JW05) HMCS ROSTHERN K169  

 

JW06

JW07

JW08

(JW06) Photo of unknown corvette taken from HMCS ROSTHERN K169

(JW07) HMCS ROSTHERN K169

(JW08) HMCS ROSTHERN icing up

 

Photo from the collection of John C. Wilson

 

Courtesy of Dyanne Wilson - Dyanne Wilson Photography

 


 

Photos on HMCS ROSTHERN K169 - 1942-1943

 

GZ23

GZ24

GZ25

GZ26

GZ27

(GZ23) HMCS ROSTHERN half way across in Spring 1943. I was officer of the watch and these are some of the off duty officers.  That's Gordon Holder seated in the Centre. The two men in ski hats are signalmen. This is the type of clothes you wear at sea

(GZ24) HMCS ROSTHERN 1942 - What a beautiful day. It could be interrupted at any moment. Convoy in the background

(GZ25) HMCS ROSTHERN - These are the two stern depth charge rails. The charges were rolled out the stern. Spare charges on the deck

(GZ26) HMCS ROSTHERN 1942 - Note the two depth charge "throwers" all set to fire the first pattern. The spares are on the rails in between

(GZ27) HMCS ROSTHERN 1942 - Manning the Oerlikon gun during an air raid  

 

GZ28

GZ29

GZ30

GZ31

GZ32

(GZ28) HMCS ROSTHERN Winter 1942 - How's this for ice. Newfie Winter 1942. That is our main gun shield I'm (Gerry Zaphe) leaning on. the whole ship is covered in ice - the greatest danger is that it could roll over from the weight

(GZ29) HMCS ROSTHERN - Newfie - 1942 - More ice just the the entrance to the Seamen's Mess - Notice life lines for hanging on in rough weather. That's me (Gerry Zaphe) in the picture

(GZ30-GZ31) HMCS ROSTHERN 1942 - Taking on fuel from a tanker half way across. This was necessary cause we sure burned a lot of oil chasing U-boats all night long at full speed. We did this about 3 or 4 times a trip so we were always at "Full Ready"

(GZ32) This is our forward gun. It was built by the Massey Harris Farm Implement Co. in Ontario - so says a brass plate on it. We call it "The Massey Harris" 

From the collection of Gerald (Gerry) Zaphe, Lt, RCNVR

Courtesy of Robert Cooke

 


 

EM05

EM06

RM07

EM08


EM09

(EM05)  Edouard Ouellette (right) with unknown sailor on HMCS ROSTHERN

(EM06) A day at sea on HMCS ROSTHERN

(EM07) Edouard Ouellette by the depth charge racks on HMCS ROSTHERN

(EM08) HMCS ROSTHERN K169

(EM09) Edouard Ouellette and friend

 

EM10

EM11

EM12

EM13

EM14

(EM10) Liet Craig Davidson on HMCS ROSTHERN, Sept. 1943 in St. John's, NFLD

(EM11) "On convoy duty" - HMS Dianthus K95 seeing on the port side of a merchant ship. Photo taken from HMCS ROSTHERN (on Stbd side of merchant ship)

(EM12-EM13) HMCS ROSTHERN fuelling from an oiler

(EM14) Unknown British destroyer - photo taken from HMCS ROSTHERN

 

From the collection of Edouard Ouellette, CPO TA, RCN

 

Courtesy of Cathy Fitzgerald

 


 

RD01

RD02

(RD01) Petty Officer's mess on HMCS ROSTHERN K169. PO Robert Dunn, at far end of table looking at camera

(RD02) Petty Officer's mess on HMCS ROSTHERN K169. PO Robert Dunn right side, centre, about to take a drink from his coffee

 


 

HOME PAGE     SHIP INDEX      CONTACT