HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242

 

Flower Class Corvette

 

 

HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242

RCN photo

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Battle honours and awards:  Gulf of St. Lawrence  1942,   Atlantic  1942-44,   Mediterranean  1943,   English Channel  1944-45

 

 

Laid down: 07 Jun 1941

Launched: 12 Nov 1941

Commissioned: 24 May 1942

Paid off: 06 Jul 1945

Fate: Sold to commercial use, last reported in 1952.

 

Built by Morton Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Quebec City, Que, she was laid down on 07 Jun 1941 as HMCS QUEBEC. Renamed in Apr 1942, she was commissioned on 24 May 1942, at Quebec City as HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242. She sailed for Halifax on 06 Jun 1942, and arrived there on 12 Jun 1942 having escorted Quebec-Sydney convoy QS.7 en route. After a brief period for final fitting of equipment, she sailed on her first operation cruise on 06 Jul 1942. Late in Jul 1942, after working up at Pictou, she was assigned to WLEF and used almost exclusively as an escort to convoys between Boston and Halifax. In Sep 1942 VILLE DE QUEBEC was allocated to Operation "Torch." For her Atlantic crossing she was assigned as escort to Convoy HX-212. Not being a regular member of the escort group, she was assigned to pick up survivors. When she arrived in Liverpool on 21 Sep 1942, she landed 172 merchant seamen from some of the six ships that had been torpedoed and sunk. She arrived at Londonderry on 10 Nov 1942, sailing again on 26 Nov 1942 as escort to convoy KMS.4G to Bone, North Africa. For the succeeding four months was employed on U.K.-Mediterranean convoys. On 13 Jan 1943, she sank U 224 west of Algiers. She made one attach with depth-charges and, as she was turning to make another, saw the U-boat break surface in the middle of the depth-charge pattern VILLE DE QUEBEC turned and rammed the U-boat, sinking it. She returned to Canada in Apr 1943, carried out brief repairs at Halifax, then arrived at Gaspé on 12 May 1943 to join Quebec Force, escorting Quebec-Sydney and Quebec-Labrador convoys. In Sep 1943 she returned to Halifax and later that month joined EG W-2, WLEF. In mid-Jan 1944, she began an extensive refit at Liverpool, N.S., completing early in May 1944, and on 22 May 1944 left for a month's workups in Bermuda. On her return she joined EG C-4 for one round trip to Londonderry, transferring in Sept 1944 to EG 41, Plymouth. Based at Milford Haven, she served with that group for the balance of the war. On 22 Apr 1945, HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242 returned to Halifax with convoy ONS.2, and was later paid off on 06 Jul 1945 at Sorel. Sold for mercantile use in 1946 and renamed Dispina; Dorothea Paxos in 1947; Tanya in 1948; and Medex in 1949. She was listed on Lloyd's Register until 1952.

 

U-Boats Sunk:  U-224 (Oblt Hans-Carl Kosbadt) sunk on 13 Jan 1943 by HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC in position 36-28 N 00-49 E. Of  her crew of 45 there was one survivor, rescued by HMCS PORT ARTHUR K233.

 

 

Photos and Documents          The Ship's Bell

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

LCdr Douglas George Jeffrey, RCNR - 25 May 1942 - 29 Sep 1942

Lt I.H. Bell, RCNVR - 30 Sep 1942 - 11 Oct 1942

LCdr Albert Robert Ernest Coleman, RCNR - 12 Oct 1942 - 12 Jun 1943

LT John LeMesurier Carter, RCNVR - 13 Jun 1943 - 12 Mar 1944

Lt Colin Stinson Glassco, RCNVR - 13 Mar 1944 - 01 May 1944 

LCdr Henry Clifford Hatch, RCNVR - 02 May 1944 - 06 Jul 1945

 

 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

BRITTIN, Robert H.

AB, RCNVR

died - 15 Jul 1944

NICKERSON, Osborne C.

AB, RCNR

Died: 06 Dec 1944

 

 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 

 

Former Crew Members

 

Arsenault, Frank

 

Bass, P., SPO, RCNVR (of Toronto) - 1943

 

Blue, J.W., AB, RCN (of Webbwood, ON) - 1943

 

Brooks, N.E., AB, RCNVR (of Windsor, ON) - 1943

 

Chamberlain, F.J., Sto 1c, RCNVR (of Windsor, ON) - 1943

 

Colebrook, James, AB, RCN - No. 1 Oerlikon gun crew - 1943

 

Craig, G.H., AB, RCNVR, (of Windsor, ON) - 1943

 

Dear, N.H., Coder, RCNVR (of London, ON) - 1943

 

Delisle, C.H., AB, RCN (of Windsor, ON) - 1943

 

Doherty, J.S., Sto 1c, RCNVR (of Stratford, ON) - 1943

 

Donovan, George Robinson, SLt, RCNVR - 14 Feb 1944

 

Edward, J.R., AB, RCNVR (of London, ON) - 1943

 

Farquhar, M.P., OS, RCNVR (of Woodstock, ON) - 1943

 

Featherson, W.W., Tel, RCNVR (of Windsor, ON) - 1943

 

Fry, Herbert I. Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1945

 

Gray, T.J., Sig, RCNVR (of Hamilton, ON) - 1943

Hatrick, Raymond Gardiner, Lt, RCNVR - Mar 1943 

 

Heaslip, W.T., SLt, RCNVR - Mar 1943

 

Hutchinson, W.D., AB, RCNVR (of Toronto, ON) - 1943

 

Jeffrey, Douglas George, LCdr, RCNR - 28 Apr 1942 (Stand by) CO / 25 May 1942

 

Laforme, R.C., Ck, RCNVR (of Hamilton, ON) - 1943

 

Leacock, Arthur Murdoch, SLt, RCNVR - 20 Feb 1945

 

Lee, G., Sig, RCNVR (of Toronto, ON) - 1943

 

MacKay, J.B., AB, RCNVR (of Tavistock, ON) - 1943

 

MacLean, Douglas Thistle, SLt, RCNVR - 18 May 1943

 

McLean, James William, SLt, RCNVR - 24 Apr 1942 (Stand by) / 25 May 1942

 

McNeil, Alexander, Ch/Skpr, RCNR - 22 May 1942 (Stand by) / 25 May 1942

 

Miller, J.L., L/SA, RCNVR (of Ottawa, ON) - 1943

 

Miller, Stanley F., AB, RCN (of Saskatoon) - 1943

 

Mitchell, J., C.E.R.A., RCNVR (of Leamington, ON) - 1943

 

Morin, W.J., Coder, RCNVR (of Lakefield, ON) - 1943

 

Mullinger, H.H., Lt, RCNVR - Mar 1943

Nares, P., SLt, RCNVR - Mar 1943

 

Oake, Raymond, AB, RCNR - No 1 Oerlikon gun crew (of Sydney, NS) - 1943

 

Porten, A.J., AB, RCNVR (of Windsor, ON) - 1943

 

Pruder, Clarence Elgin, A/Wt (E), RCNVR - 14 Apr 1944

 

Reid, John, AB, RCNR (of Ottawa, ON) - 1943

 

Rowland, William John, Lt, RCNVR - 31 May 1943

 

Saves, J.G., ERA, RCNVR (of Port Arthur, ON) - 1943

 

Segave, L.J., AB, RCNR (of Chatham, ON) - 1943

 

Sharron, J.G., AB, RCNVR (of Ottawa, ON) - 1943

 

Snyder, B., AB, RCNVR (of Windsor, ON) - 1943


Spencer, A.J., OS, RCNVR (of Port Arthur, ON) - 1943


Thomson, R., Coder, RCNVR (of Toronto, ON) - 1943

 

Wallace, Lawrence James, SLt, RCNVR - 24 Apr 1942 (Stand by) / 25 May 1942

 

Walsh, Donald J., L/Ck, RCNVR - No. 1 Oerlikon gun crew (of Toronto, ON) - 1943

 

Young, J.L., L/Sig, RCNVR (of Hamilton, ON) - 1943

 

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

VDQ001

VDQ002

VDQ003

VDQ004

VDQ005

(VDQ001) Painting of HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242 ramming U-224  //  Source: Canadian War Museum

(VDQ002) LCdr A.R.E. Coleman, RCNR, Commanding Officer of HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC, looking through a pair of binoculars on the bridge of his ship at Gibraltar  //  Source: IWM Admiralty Official Collection A 15475

(VDQ003) Robert Thomson's dog on HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242  //  Courtesy of Mark A. Thomson

(VDQ004) Article on the sinking of U-224 by HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242  //  Leamington Post & New 13 May 1943  //  Courtesy of Robert Thomas

(VDQ005) HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242

 

VDQ006

VDQ007

VDQ008

VDQ009

(VDQ006) HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242 sinks U-224  //  From the collection of J. Vincent Wesley, CPO, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of Marilynn Taylor

(VDQ007) Officers on the bridge of the corvette HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC, Lauzon, Québec, Canada, 1942. (L-R): LCdr D.G. Jeffrey, Commanding Officer of HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC; Commander J.M.L. Gauvreau  //  Source: Guy J.A. Goulet / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-115561

(VDQ008) Officer on HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242, 08 Mar 1943, Gibraltar  //  Back row L-R: SLt P Nares, RCNVR, SLt WT Heaslip, RCNVR, SLt JW McLean, RCNVR  //  Front row L-R: Lt RC Hatrick, RCNVR, Lt DL Miller, RCNVR, and Lt HH Mullinger, RCNVR

(VDH009) Officers and ratings of HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC K242 that were onboard when she sank U-224  // Source: Operation Picture Me

 

 

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