HMCS ARVIDA K113 - For Posterity's Sake

For Posterity's Sake

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

HMCS ARVIDA K113

The Merchant Vessel LA CEIBA (1950)

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

Laid down: 28 Feb 1940

Launched: 21 Sep 1940

Commissioned: 22 May 1941

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.

Commanding Officers

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

In memory of those who have crossed the bar They shall not be forgotten
A-B
Bessey, James William 1920-2010	Briggs, Mervin Joel 1923-2011 Served in Arvida as a SD
C-D
Campbell, Emile ____-2011	Christopher, Joseph ____-1947	Clauson, Robert George ____-2002
E-F
Fisher, Douglas Carl 1900-1990
I-J
Johns, William Francis ____-1968 Served in Arvida as a Signalman
K-L
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
M-N
Morrison ,Cecile 1924-2005 Served in Arvida 1941-1945
Q-R
Reid, Donald Woodward 1922-2015
S-T
Scalzo, Raymond 1924-2008	Trenholm, Douglas Stuart ____-2008 Drafted to Arvida 26 May 1942 as Slt, RCNVR
Ship's Mascot
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