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For Posterity's Sake 
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS
ARVIDA K113
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HMCS Arvida K113
From the collection of William (Bill) Johns,
Signalman
Courtesy of Tim Johns
Click on the above photo to view a larger
image |
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Laid down: 28
Feb 1940
Launched: 21
Sep 1940
Commissioned: 22 May 1941
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Paid off: 14
Jun 1945
Sold:
1946. Renamed SS La Ceiba in 1950
Fate:
Final disposition unknown. |
Built at Quebec City, she was
commissioned there on 22 May 1941 and arrived at Halifax on 06 Jun
1941. She joined
Sydney Force in Jul 1941 acting as escort to local sections of
transatlantic convoys until Sep 1941, when she joined Newfoundland
Command. She left Sydney on 05 Sep 1941 to join her maiden ocean
convoy, SC.43, and was thereafter in almost continuous service as
an ocean escort until the end of 1943. In Jun 1942, she became a
member of EG C-4 and, in May 1943, of C-5. While escorting convoy
ON.188 in mid-Jun, 1943, she was damaged by her own depth charges
and arrived at Iceland on 16 Jun 1943 for repairs that took a week to
complete. Three of Arvida's convoys received particularly rough
handling by U-boats: ONS.92 (May 1942), ON.127 (Sep 1942),
and SC.107 (Nov 1942). While with ON.127 she rescued survivors
of the torpedoed HMCS Ottawa on 13 Sep 1942. She had major refits
at Saint John (Jan - Apr 1942); Lunenburg/Saint John (Dec 1942 - Mar
1943); and Baltimore, Md. (Jan - Apr 1944). While at Baltimore she was given her extended
fo'c's'le, afterward joining EG W-7 of WLEF. In mid-May, 1944, she
was sent to Bermuda to work up, returned to Halifax on 09 Jun 1944, and
in Aug 1944 joined EG W-2. In Dec 1944 she transferred to W-8,
remaining with that group until the end of the war. Arvida was paid
off on 14 Jun 1945, at Sorel and later sold for commercial use,
entering service in 1950 as the Spanish-flag La Ceiba.
Photos
and Documents Ship's
company photos
Excerpts
from the wartime diary of Joe Lees while serving in HMCS Arvida
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Commanding Officers |
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Lt Alastair Ian
MacKay, RCNR - 22 May 1941 - 20 Sep 1942
A/LCdr Dudley Gawen
King, RCNVR - 21 Sep 1942 - 15 Mar 1944
Lt Donald
William Green Storey, RCNVR - 16 Mar 1944 - 19 Nov 1944
Skpr/Lt
E.S.N. Pleasance, RCNR - 20 Nov 1944 - 04 Dec 1944 |
Lt Donald
William Green Storey, RCNVR - 05 Dec 1944 - 30 Dec 1944
Lt J.C.P. Desrochers, RCNVR - 31 Dec
1944 - 17 Jan 1945
Lt Donald
William Green Storey, RCNVR - 18 Jan 1945 - 14 Jun 1945 |
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten |
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A-B
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Bessey,
James William
1920-2010
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Briggs,
Mervin Joel
1923-2011
Served in Arvida as a SD
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C-D |
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Campbell,
Emile
____-2011 |
Christopher,
Joseph
____-1947 |
Clauson,
Robert George
____-2002 |
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E-F |
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Fisher,
Douglas Carl
1900-1990 |
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I-J |
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Johns, William Francis
____-1968
Served in Arvida as a Signalman |
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K-L |
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Kersey,
Patrick J.
1924-2013 |
Kreason,
Robert A.
____-2012 |
Krealing,
Keith Mills
1920-2003 |
Lees,
Joseph Ambrose Walter
____-____
Served in Arvida 18 April 1941 -
21 May 1943 |
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M-N |
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MacKay,
George Byron
1925-2010
Served in Arvida as a Telegraphist |
Morrison
,Cecile
1924-2005
Served in Arvida 1941-1945 |
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Q-R |
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Reid,
Donald Woodward
1922-2015 |
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S-T |
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Scalzo,
Raymond
1924-2008 |
Towle, John
W.
1914-1971 |
Trenholm,
Douglas Stuart
____-2008
Drafted to Arvida 26 May 1942 as Slt, RCNVR |
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Ship's Mascot |
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____-____ |
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Former Crew Members
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Belyea,
Peter Macmillan, Lt, RCNVR - 16 Feb 1944
Burnell-Jones,
Eric Crathern Brind, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1944
Clarke,
John Alfred, Slt, RCNVR - 19 Jul 1941
Frayne,
Ralph - 1943
Funk,
John, AB, RCNVR 
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Jackson,
Robert Paul, Slt, RCNVR - 22 May 1941
Johnston,
Derek Robert Lukin, RCNVR - Jan 1945
King,
Dudley Gawen, Lt, RCNVR - 22 May 1941
Mann,
Roger James, Slt, RCNR - Jan 1943 |
MacDonald,
Maurice John Lothian, Mate, RCNR - 22 May 1941
Pearce,
Richard Calley, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1942
Stinson,
Clarence Ralph, Slt, RCNVR - 21 Apr 1945
Wyatt,
John Angus, Lt, RCNVR |
Photos and
Documents
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Splice the Mainbrace
HMCS Arvida celebrating the surrender of Italy.
Photo taken 08 Sep 1943 in St. John's
Lt John Wyatt on right side with note pad keeping
track of tots issued.
Behind the chief measuring the rum - with no
shirt and holding a white mug - is Patrick J. Kersey
Source: Lt. John D. Mahoney / Canada. Dept. of
National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-142439 |
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Survivors from torpedoed merchant ship aboard
HMCS Arvida 14 Sep 1942, St. John's Harbour
Source: Lt Gerald M. Moses / Canada. Dept. of
National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-136285 |
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HMCS Arvida K113, Halifax, summer 1944
From the collection of James Thorpe Friend
Courtesy of Barbara Hamlin |
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HMCS Arvida K113
Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron
Bell |
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HMCS Arvida K113
Source: Flickr photo collection of Ron
Bell
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Newspaper article on Douglas Fisher performing
duties of the ship's doctor on HMCS Arvida when she picked up
survivors at sea.
Courtesy of Ian Chaykowski |
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McCokney
(left) and Doug Fisher (right) of HMCS Arvida, on HMS Seawolf,
Halifax, NS, just prior to her being sold for scrap. Seawolf was
transferred on the RCN on 29 Jan 1943 to assist in anti-submarine
training. She was paid off on 23 Jun 1945 and sold for scrap in Nov
1945.
From
the collection of Doug Fisher
Courtesy
of Ian Chaykowski |
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Mervin Briggs, SD, on the fo'c's'le of HMCS
Arvida K113
From the collection of Mervin Briggs
Courtesy of Robert Briggs |
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Mervin Briggs, SD, on the quarterdeck by the
depth charge racks of HMCS Arvida K113
From the collection of Mervin Briggs
Courtesy of Robert Briggs |
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Mervin Briggs, SD, by the carley floats on HMCS
Arvida K113 - 18 Sep 1943
From the collection of Mervin Briggs
Courtesy of Robert Briggs |
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Photos on and from HMCS Arvida K113
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photo 1 |
photo 2 |
photo 3 |
photo 4 |
photo 5 |
photo 6 |
(1)
Sailors on HMCS Arvida K113 with mascot. Joseph Lees 2nd from
left (2) Joseph Lees on HMCS Arvida K113 (3) Joseph Lees on HMCS Arvida K113
(4) HMCS Arvida K113 in rough seas. (5) Survivors on the upper
deck of HMCS Arvida K113 (6) Survivors from sunken ship rescued
by HMCS Arvida's work boat crew.
From the collection of Jospeh Ambrose Lees
Courtesy of Richard Lees
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