Allied Warships

HMCS Windflower (K 155)

Corvette of the Flower class

NavyThe Royal Canadian Navy
TypeCorvette
ClassFlower 
PennantK 155 
Built byDavie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd. (Lauzon, Quebec, Canada) 
Ordered22 Jan 1940 
Laid down25 Feb 1940 
Launched4 Jul 1940 
Commissioned20 Oct 1940 
Lost7 Dec 1941 
History

HMCS Windfolwer (Lt. John Price, RCNR) was rammed and sunk by the Dutch freighter Zypenberg in dense fog off the Grand Banks. She was escorting convoy SC-58 at the time of her loss. 23 of the ships crew were lost.

 
Former nameHMS Windflower

Commands listed for HMCS Windflower (K 155)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1T/Lt. John Hubert Smith MacDonald, RCNR20 Oct 194013 Oct 1941
2T/Lt. John Price, RCNR14 Oct 19417 Dec 1941 (+)

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Notable events involving Windflower include:


8 Mar 1941
HMS H 50 (Lt. P.R.H. Harrison, DSC, RN) conducted exercises off Tobermory with HMCS Trillium (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Harris, RCNR) and HMCS Windflower (T/Lt. J.H.S. MacDonald, RCNR). (1)

12 Mar 1941
HMS H 50 (Lt. P.R.H. Harrison, DSC, RN) conducted exercises off Tobermory with HMCS Trillium (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Harris, RCNR) and HMCS Windflower (T/Lt. J.H.S. MacDonald, RCNR). (1)

29 Mar 1941

Convoy SL 70.

This convoy departed Freetown on 29 March 1941 and arrived in UK waters (Liverpool) on 23 April 1941.

The convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Alfred Jones (British, 5013 GRT, built 1930), Ancylus (British (tanker), 8017 GRT, built 1935), Andrea Brovig (Norwegian (tanker), 10173 GRT, built 1940), Barrgrove (British, 5222 GRT, built 1918), Belgravian (British, 3136 GRT, built 1937), Benledi (British, 5943 GRT, built 1930), Bulysses (British, 7519 GRT, built 1927), Chelatros (Greek, 3489 GRT, built 1914), Clan MacBrayne (British, 4818 GRT, built 1916), Clan MacInnes (British, 4672 GRT, built 1920), Colytto (Dutch, 4408 GRT, built 1926), Dagomba (British, 3845 GRT, built 1928), Delius (British, 6065 GRT, built 1937), Denpark (British, 3491 GRT, built 1928), Dornoch (British, 5186 GRT, built 1939), Egda (Norwegian (tanker), 10050 GRT, built 1939), Elstree Grange (British, 6598 GRT, built 1916), Grangepark (British, 5132 GRT, built 1919), Gunda (Swedish, 1770 GRT, built 1930), Henry Stanley (British, 5026 GRT, built 1929), Industria (British, 4850 GRT, built 1940), Mandalay (British, 5529 GRT, built 1911), Marconi (British, 7402 GRT, built 1917), Meliskerk (Dutch, 6045 GRT, built 1919), Para (Norwegian, 3986 GRT, built 1921), Parklaan (Dutch, 3807 GRT, built 1911), Phidias (British, 5623 GRT, built 1913), Sacramento Valley (British, 4573 GRT, built 1924), Storanger (Norwegian (tanker), 9223 GRT, built 1930) and William Wilberforce (British, 4013 GRT, built 1930).

The rescue ship Zamalek (British, 1567 GRT, built 1921) was also part of the convoy.

On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Dragon (Capt. R.J. Shaw, MBE, RN), corvette HMS Calendula (Lt.Cdr. A.D. Bruford, RNVR) and the A/S trawlers HMS Kelt (T/Lt. W.T. Hodson, RNVR) and HMS Pict (???).

At 1726N/31, HMS Dragon parted company with the convoy. The armed merchant cruiser HMS Bulolo (Capt.(Retd.) R.L. Hamer, RN) had joined shortly before HMS Dragon parted company.

Around 1300N/4, HMS Kelt and HMS Pict parted company with the convoy to proceed to Bathurst.

At 1755N/4, HMS Calendula parted company with the convoy to proceed to Bathurst.

Around 1730N/5, the light cruiser HMS Birmingham (Capt. A.C.G. Madden, RN) and the troopship Christiaan Huygens (Dutch, 16287 GRT, built 1927) joined the convoy. They had departed Freetown around 1730N/2 to overtake the convoy.

Around 1600N/19, HMS Marsdale (Lt.Cdr. D.H.F. Armstrong, RNR) joined the convoy after which HMS Bulolo parted company.

Around 0900N/20, the destroyer HMS Winchelsea (Lt.Cdr. W.A.F. Hawkins, DSC, RN) joined the convoy.

Around 1800N/20, the destroyers HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, DSC, RN), HMS Beagle, (Lt.Cdr. R.T. White, DSO and Bar, RN), HMCS Columbia (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) S.W. Davis, RN), HMCS St.Francis (Lt.Cdr. H.F. Pullen, RCN) and the corvettes HMS Heather (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G.C. Gibson, RN), HMS Orchis (Lt. A.D. White, RNR), HMCS Hepatica (T/Lt. C. Copelin, RCNR) and HMCS Windflower (T/Lt. J.H.S. MacDonald, RCNR) joined the convoy.

At 2105N/20, HMS Birmingham parted company with the convoy to proceed to Scapa Flow.

The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 23 April 1941. Some of the A/S escorts had already parted company with the convoy earlier.

3 Nov 1941
HMCS Windflower (T/Lt. J. Price, RCNR) picks up 21 survivors from the British merchant Flynderborg and 6 survivors from the British merchant Gretavale that were torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-202 northeast of Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland in position 51°21'N, 51°45'W.

Media links


Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy, 1939-1945

MacPherson, Ken and Milner, Marc

Sources

  1. ADM 173/16791

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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