HMCS WEST YORK K369

 

Flower Class Corvette

 


 

HMCS West York K369

 

Laid down: 23 Jul 1943

Launched: 25 Jan 1944

Commissioned: 06 Oct 1944

Paid off: 09 Jul 1945

Fate: Sold to commercial use in 1945, she sank in harbour at Montreal on 05 May 1960

 

Built by Midland Shipyards, Ltd., Midland, Ont., she was commissioned at Collingwood, Ont., on 06 Oct 1944. West York arrived at Halifax in mid-Nov 1944 and left a month later for Bermuda to work up. In Feb 1945, she joined EG C-5 at St. John's, leaving 16 Feb 1945 to rendezvous with her maiden convoy, HX.338. She made three round trips across the Atlantic before the end of her career, the last one as escort to ON.305, which she joined from Londonderry at the end of May 1945. Paid off on 09 Jul 1945, and laid up at Sorel, she was sold later that year for commercial use. As SS West York, she was towing the former HMCS ASSINIBOINE when the towline parted and the destroyer was wrecked on Prince Edward Island, 07 Nov 1945. The former WEST YORK sailed under a variety of names and flags, returning to Canadian registry in 1960 as Federal Express. On 05 May 1960 she was rammed by Polaris (Swedish vessel) while moored at Montreal. She broke free from her moorings and rammed into Thorshope (Norwegian vessel) and sank within 30 minutes. Later partly raised and scrapped.

 


 

 

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

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

Lt Murdo Smith, RCNR - 06 Oct 1944 - 23 Dec 1944

 

LCdr William Frederick Wood, RCNR - 30 Dec 1944 - 09 Jul 1945

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

SMITH, Murdo

Lt, RCNR

died - 23 Dec 1944

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Carter, Douglas Claude, SLt, RCNVR - 11 Feb 1945

 

Colsen, Chad

 

McLeod, Henry Learmonth, Wt (E), RCNR - 23 May 1944

 

Miller, Jack, A/Wt (E), RCN - 01 May 1944 (Stand by)

 

Mitchell, Charles Lindsay, SLt, RCNVR

Moskowy, Laurence John, AB, AA gunner

 

Scott, Edward Graham, Lt, RCNVR - 25 Jul 1944

 

Service, Ronald George, A/War (E), RCNVR - 12 Feb 1945

Smith, Donald Jesse

 

Smith, John Dunbrack, Lt (El) (R) - 14 Jan 1945

 

Stewart, Frederick Roy, AB - Commissioning / Paying Off Crew

 

Vassey, Bud

 

Wilson, William Edward, SLt, RCNVR - 13 Feb 1945

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

The Many Lives of WEST YORK

Source: The CROWSNEST, Sep 1960, Vol. 12 No. 11

 


 

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