HMCS ARROWHEAD K145 - For Posterity's Sake

For Posterity's Sake

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

HMCS ARROWHEAD K145

Former HMS ARROWHEAD K145

then Whale Catcher SOUTHERN LARKSPUR (1947)

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.

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 Oct 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

- Book of Remembrance entry - Grave or burial information

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
A-B
Bell, Charles Edward Wallace 1916-2011
C-D
Clark, Joseph Adair Porter 1921-2013 Drafted to Arrowhead 29 Jan 1943 at a Lt, RCNVR	Crossley, Sidney Ross 1920-2008
E-F
Froats, Allan ____-2014
G-H
Hardie, Alvin Archibald ____-2002	Hayes, Gordon Keith ____-2010
I-J
Johnston, George Barnett Cheyne 1921-2002
K-L
Kozlowski, Henry 1925-2009
M-N
Martin, Earl A. 1923-2016
O-P
Parker, Gordon McLeish ____-____ Drafted to Arrowhead 25 Feb 1945 as Slt, RCNVR
Q-R
Reynolds, Ellwood Kenneth 1910-1993
S-T
Smith, Geoffrey W. ____-2016	Spackman, Peter 1926-2009	Sylvester, Roy Howard ____-2009 Drafted to Arrowhead on 01 May 1943 as Lt, RCNVR
U-V
Vondette, Henry William 1924-2006 Served in Arrowhead as a Visual Signalman, RCNVR
W-X
Walczak, Joseph Frances (Joe) 1921-2002	Wampler, John 1921-2011 Drafted to Arrowhead on 23 Jun 1944 as Slt, RCNVR	Warwick, William 1913-2013 Drafted to Arrowhead on 05 Mar 1944 at Lt, RCNVR	Wiffin, Roy Thomas Hansford 1923-2014
Y-Z
Young, Robert 1922-2008