HMCS ARROWHEAD K145

Flower Class Corvette

HMS Arrowhead K145 - 1940

RCN Photo

Laid down: 11 Apr 1940

Launched: 08 Aug 1940

Commissioned: 22 Nov 1940

Transferred to RCN: 15 May 1941

Commissioned: 15 May 1941

Paid off: 27 Jun 1945

Fate: Broken up in 1959

Built for the RN, she was commissioned at Sorel on 22 Nov 1940 as HMS Arrowhead K145. After arriving at Halifax on 03 Dec 1940 she carried out workups and sailed on 21 Jan 1941, with convoy HX.104 for Sunderland. There she was in dockyard hands for the two months' work required to complete her fully. After working up at Tobermory Arrowhead joined EG 4, Iceland Command (RN). On 15 May 1941, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned as HMCS Arrowhead K145. In Jun 1941 she transferred to the newly formed NEF. For the rest of 1941 she escorted convoys between St. John's and Iceland, proceeding early in Dec 1941 to Charleston, S.C. for refit. Returning to Halifax in Feb 1942, she made one round trip to Londonderry before joining WLEF. In Jul 1942 she transferred to Gulf Escort Force, escorting Quebec/Gaspé-Sydney convoys, and in Oct 1942 joined Halifax Force and for two months escorted Quebec-Labrador convoys. On 30 Nov 1942 she rejoined WLEF at Halifax, to remain with it until Aug 1944. When this escort force was divided into escort groups in Jun 1943, Arrowhead became a member of EG W-7, transferring to W-1 in Dec 1943. During this period she underwent two major refits: at Charleston, S.C., in the spring of 1943, and at Baltimore, Md., a year later. During the latter refit her fo'c's'le was extended. In Sep 1944, she joined Quebec Force and was again employed escorting Quebec-Labrador convoys. In De 1944 she transferred to EG W-8, WEF, and served on the "triangle run" (Halifax, St. John's, New York/Boston) for the balance of the war. On 27 May 1945, Arrowhead left St. John's to join convoy HX.358 for passage to Britain, where she was paid off and returned to the RN on 27 Jun 1945, at Milford Haven. Sold in 1947 for conversion to a whale-catcher and renamed Southern Larkspur, she was finally broken up at Odense, Denmark, in 1959.

Photos and Documents Ship's company photos

Commanding Officers

Lt Victor Harrison Torraville, RCN - 22 Nov 1940 - 17 Jan 1941

Lt Edward Ellor Hart, RCNVR - 16 Jan 1941 - 18 Jan 1941

Cdr Edward George Skinner, RCNR - 18 Jan 1941 - 19 Apr 1943

Skpr/Lt Lester Alton Hickey, RCNR - 20 Apr 1943 - 10 Feb 1944

Lt William Percy Wickett, RCNVR - 11 Feb 1944 - 04 Mar 1944

Lt Roy Howard Sylvester, RCNVR - 05 Mar 1944 - 15 Apr 1944

Skpr/Lt Lester Alton Hickey, RCNR - 16 Apr 1944 - 21 Oct 1944

Lt Roy Howard Sylvester, RCNVR - 22 Oct 1944 - 27 Jun 1945

In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Lest We Forget

ROBERTSON, Henry Wilson

L/Sto, X/41058, RCN

died - 23 Mar 1941

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

Johnston, George B.C.

Mascot - name unknown

Former Crew Members

Black, Donald Louis, Slt, RCNVR - 17 May 1943

Brocher, LS, RCNVR - 1944 (of Montreal, QC)

Calvert, Philip Woodward, Mate, RCNR - 03 May 1943

Campbell, Gordon David, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1941

Copeland, A., AB, RCNVR - 1944 (of Toronto, ON)

Cole, Hugh Harvey Wilding, Slt, RCNVR - 15 Apr 1944

Culley, John Ross, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1942 / 13 May 1942

Fraser, Arthur Douglas, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1945

Hill, Ted (Trevor)

Jackson, AB, RCN - 1944 (of White Rock, BC)

MacLean, A., LS, RCN - 1944 (of Saskatoon)

Outhet, Murray McLaren, Slt, RCNVR - 26 May 1942

Paterson, James, A/Wt (E), RCNR - 06 Apr 1944

Rigney, William Campbell, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1941

Roed, Botha, Lt, RCNR - 22 May 1944

Schnare, Ralph Kenneth, Cook

Smith, John Cowan, Slt, RCNR

Smith, N.A., LS, RCNVR - 1944 (of Toronto, ON)

Suydam, Hendrick Rycken, Slt, RCNVR - 26 Feb 1945

Steedman, John Malcolm, Lt, RCNR - Jan 1945

Taylor, Len

Walker, G., AB, RCNVR - 1944 (of London, ON)

Photos and Documents

Ensign from HMCS Arrowhead K145

This battered White Ensign from the corvette HMCS Arrowhead testifies to the North Atlantic's atrocious weather. Although this flag appears to have been through a battle, the damage is the result of wind and water, which have torn seams and frayed fabric. Before the switch to flags printed on nylon fabric, flags were made of strips of coloured cloth sewn together in the necessary patterns. This flag, damaged during a storm, was kept by Arthur Statham, who served aboard Arrowhead. From 1910 until 1965, Royal Canadian Navy ships flew the same white ensign as Britain's Royal Navy.

White Naval Ensign CWM 19680136-001. Source: Canadian War Museum

Sailors on HMCS Arrowhead reading the Crow's Nest newspaper

LS A. MacLean of Saskatoon; AB G. Walker of London, ON; AB Jackson of White Rock, BC; LS N.A. Smith or Toronto, ON; AB A. Copeland of Toronto, ON; and, LS Brocher of Montreal

Crow's Nest Magazine - May 1944