| Navy | The Royal Canadian Navy |
| Type | Corvette |
| Class | Flower |
| Pennant | K 145 |
| Built by | Marine Industries Ltd. (Sorel, Quebec, Canada) |
| Ordered | 22 Jan 1940 |
| Laid down | 11 Apr 1940 |
| Launched | 8 Aug 1940 |
| Commissioned | 22 Nov 1940 |
| End service | 27 Jun 1945 |
| History | Fo'c's'le extended at Baltimore (Maryland, U.S.A.) on 25 May 1944. Decommissioned and returned to the Royal Navy on 27 June 1945. |
| Former name | HMS Arrowhead |
Commands listed for HMCS Arrowhead (K 145)
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.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | T/Lt. Victor Harrison Torraville, RCNR | 21 Nov 1940 | 17 Jan 1941 |
| 2 | Lt.Cdr. Edgar George Skinner, RCNR | 18 Jan 1941 | 19 Apr 1943 |
| 3 | Skr.Lt. Lester Alton Hickey, RCNR | 20 Apr 1943 | 10 Feb 1944 |
| 4 | T/Lt. William Percy Wickett, RCNVR | 11 Feb 1944 | 4 Mar 1944 |
| 5 | T/Lt. Roy Howard Sylvester, RCNVR | 5 Mar 1944 | 15 Apr 1944 |
| 6 | Skr.Lt. Lester Alton Hickey, RCNR | 16 Apr 1944 | 21 Oct 1944 |
| 7 | T/Lt. Roy Howard Sylvester, RCNVR | 22 Oct 1944 | 27 Jun 1945 |
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Notable events involving Arrowhead include:
15 Jan 1941
Convoy HX 103.
This convoy departed Halifax on 15 January 1941 for Liverpool where it arrived on 1 February 1941.
Upon departure from Halifax the convoy was made up of the following merchant ships: Botusk (British, 3091 GRT, built 1919), Emmaplein (Dutch, 5436 GRT, built 1926), Gandia (Belgian, 9629 GRT, built 1907), Gard (Norwegian (tanker), 8259 GRT, built 1938), Jean Jadot (Belgian, 5859 GRT, built 1929), King William (British, 5274 GRT, built 1928) and Trehata (British, 4817 GRT, built 1928).
On departure from Halifax the convoy was escorted by the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. H.B. Jacomb, RN), the destroyer HMCS Restigouche (Cdr. H.N. Lay, OBE, RN) and the corvette HMCS Arrowhead (T/Lt. V.H. Torraville, RCNR).
The destroyer and the corvette parted company with the convoy on the 16th and returned to Halifax.
On 18 January convoy BHX 103 coming from Bermuda merged with convoy HX 103. Convoy BHX 103 had been made up of the merchant vessels Athelfoam (British (tanker), 6554 GRT, built 1931), Dolabella (British (tanker), 8142 GRT, built 1939), Empire Shearwater (British, 4970 GRT, built 1920), Mamura (Dutch (tanker), 8245 GRT, built 1932) and Mijdrecht (Dutch (tanker), 7493 GRT, built 1931). It had departed Bermuda on 13 January 1941 and had been escorted to the rendez-vous position by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Montclare (Capt.(Retd.) H.M. Spreckley, RN) which was then detached.
The battleship parted company with the convoy on 26 January and then returned to Halifax.
On 27 January 1941 the destroyer HMS Vanquisher (Lt. A.P. Northey, DSC, RN) and corvettes HMS Gentian (Lt.Cdr. R.O. Yeomans, RD, RNR) and HMS Verbena (Lt.Cdr. D.A. Rayner, DSC, RNVR) joined the convoy but they were detached later the same day. On 28 January 1941 the destroyers HMS Viscount (Lt.Cdr. M.S. Townsend, OBE, DSC, RN), HMS Whitehall (Lt.Cdr. A.B. Russell, RN) and HMS Winchelsea (Lt.Cdr. W.A.F. Hawkins, DSC, RN) joined the convoy. They were detached on 31 January 1941.
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 1 February 1941, apparently unescorted.
Two merchant vessels were lost when the convoy ran into the British minefield SN 2 (north-west of Rona Island, in approximate position 59°08'N, 05°52'W) on 31 January 1941. These were the Botusk and Emmaplein.
27 Apr 1941
Convoy SL 73.
This convoy departed Freetown on 27 April 1941 for the U.K.
On departure from Freetown the convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Agios Georgios (Greek, 4248 GRT, built 1911), Alcyone (Dutch, 4534 GRT, built 1921), Atland (Swedish, 5203 GRT, built 1910), British Chemist (British (tanker), 6997 GRT, built 1925), Brynymor (British, 4771 GRT, built 1936), Celtic Star (British, 5575 GRT, built 1918), City of Florence (British, 6862 GRT, built 1918), Clan Skene (British, 5214 GRT, built 1919), Daronia (British (tanker), 8139 GRT, built 1939), Defoe (British, 6245 GRT, built 1940), Elg (British, 4014 GRT, built 1930), Empire Gunner (British, 4492 GRT, built 1906), Fana (Norwegian, 1375 GRT, built 1939), Guelma (British, 4402 GRT, built 1928), Hardanger (Norwegian, 4000 GRT, built 1924), Harpalion (British, 5486 GRT, built 1932), Hartington (British, 5496 GRT, built 1932), Hartismere (British, 5498 GRT, built 1933), Hopecrown (British, 5180 GRT, built 1937), Katanga (Belgian, 5183 GRT, built 1917), Laplace (British, 7327 GRT, built 1919), Llancarvan (British, 4910 GRT, built 1937), Lysaker V (British, 1571 GRT, built 1936), Novasli (Norwegian, 3204 GRT, built 1920), Penolver (British, 3721 GRT, built 1912), Robert L. Holt (British, 2918 GRT, built 1926), Rod-el-Farag (Egyptian, 6369 GRT, built 1910), Rupert de Larrinaga (British, 5358 GRT, built 1930), Sabor (British, 5212 GRT, built 1920), Sagaing (British, 7958 GRT, built 1925), Solon II (British, 4561 GRT, built 1925), Starcross (British, 4662 GRT, built 1936), Suva (British, 4873 GRT, built 1938), Svend Foyn (British, 14795 GRT, built 1931), Tanafjord (Norwegian, 5922 GRT, built 1921), Thomas Holt (British, 3585 GRT, built 1929) and Titus (Dutch, 1712 GRT, built 1930). (British, GRT, built ).
On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Esperance Bay ((Capt.(ret) G.S. Holden, RN) and the corvettes HMS Clematis (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSC, RD, RNR), HMS Crocus (Lt.Cdr. E. Wheeler, RNR), HMS Cyclamen (Lt. H.N. Lawson, RNR) and HMS Marguerite (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Blundell, RNR).
On 29 April 1941 the destroyer HMS Duncan (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Rowell, RN) joined coming from Bathurst. She parted company with the convoy on 1 May 1941 to proceed to Gibraltar.
Around 1540N/3, the light cruiser HMS Dragon (Capt. R.J. Shaw, MBE, RN) joined the convoy coming from Freetown. She remained with the convoy until 1820N/4 when she parted company to return to Freetown.
On 19 May 1941, the destroyers HMS Boadicea (A/Cdr. E.C.L. Turner, RN), HMCS Columbia (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) S.W. Davis, RN), HMCS St.Francis (Lt.Cdr. H.F. Pullen, RCN) and the armed boarding vessels HMS Hilary (Cdr. T.L. Owen, RD, RNR) and HMS Registan (A/Cdr. E.A. Divers, RNR) joined the convoy. Around this time HMS Esperance Bay most likely parted company with the convoy.
On 20 May 1941, the destroyer HMCS St. Clair (Lt.Cdr. D.C. Wallace, RCNR), sloop HMS Egret (A/Capt. E.M. Haes, RN) and the corvettes HMCS Arrowhead (Lt.Cdr. E.G. Skinner, RCNR), HMCS Hepatica (T/Lt. C. Copelin, RCNR), HMCS Snowberry (T/Lt. R.S. Kelley, RCNR) and HMCS Spikenard (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Shadforth, RCNR) joined the convoy.
The rescue ship Zamalek (British, 1567 GRT, built 1930) also joined the convoy around the 19/20th.
On 21 May 1941, the destroyers St. Francis and St. Clair parted company with the convoy.
The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 25 May 1941.
9 Oct 1942
HMCS Hepatica (T/Lt. T. Gilmour, RCNR) and HMCS Arrowhead (Cdr. E.G. Skinner, DSO, RCNR) together pick up 19 survivors from the Canadian merchant Carolus that was torpedoed and sunk in the Gulf of St.Lawrence near Bic Island in position 48°47'N, 68°10'W by German U-boat U-69.
26 Jul 1944
HMS L 27 (Lt. J.N. Elliott, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Bermuda with HMCS Arrowhead (Skr.Lt. L.A. Hickey, RCNR), HMCS Guelph (Lt. G.H. Hayes, DSC, RCN), HMCS Thetford Mines (T/Lt. J.A.R. Allan, DSC, RCNVR) and HMCS Mahone (T/Lt. L.R. Hoar, RCNVR). (1)
27 Jul 1944
HMS L 27 (Lt. J.N. Elliott, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Bermuda with HMCS Thetford Mines (T/Lt. J.A.R. Allan, DSC, RCNVR), HMCS Cobourg (T/Lt. G.H. Johnson, RCNVR), HMCS Arrowhead (Skr.Lt. L.A. Hickey, RCNR) and HMCS Guelph (Lt. G.H. Hayes, DSC, RCN).
1 Aug 1944
HMS L 27 (Lt. J.N. Elliott, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Bermuda with and HMCS Runnymede (Lt. R.C. Chenoweth, RCNVR), HMCS Joliette (Skr.Lt. G.N. Downey, RCNR), HMCS Arrowhead (Skr.Lt. L.A. Hickey, RCNR) and HMCS Mahone (T/Lt. L.R. Hoar, RCNVR). (1)
16 Apr 1945
HMCS Arrowhead (K 145) helped search for survivors from the sinking of HMCS Esquimalt (J 272) after it was sunk (2)
Media links
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Sources
- ADM 199/1830
- Personal communication
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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