HMCS BUCKINGHAM K685 / 314

River Class / Prestonian Class Frigate

Laid down as HMCS ROYALMOUNT, she was renamed BUCKINGHAM on 05 Apr 1944. Commissioned on 02 Nov 1944, at Quebec City, she proceeded to the east coast and sailed from Halifax on 18 Dec 1944 for Bermuda to work up. She returned in mid-Jan 1945, and in Feb 1945 was assigned to EG 28, as a member of which she carried out escort and patrol duty out of Halifax until VE-Day. In May she arrived at Shelburne, escorting the surrendered U 889. In Jun 1945 she began a tropicalization refit at Liverpool, N.S., continuing it at Shelburne until 20 Aug 1945, when it was suspended. BUCKINGHAM was paid off on 16 Nov 1945 at Sydney and placed in reserve at Shelburne until 1946, when she was sold to Marine Industries Ltd.

Re-acquired by the RCN, she was converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort, 1953-54, and re-commissioned for training purposes. Further modified by the addition of a helicopter landing deck aft, she carried out, Oct-Dec 1956, trials preliminary to the design of the destroyer helicopter carriers. On 13 Feb 1959, HMCS FORT ERIE, HMCS BUCKINGHAM,  HMCS SWANSEA and HMCS LA HULLOISE returned to Halifax after a 5 week exercise in southern waters that included a port visit to Kingston, Jamaica. In Apr 1963, 12 RCN ships, ALGONQUIN, MICMAC, CAYUGA, ST CROIX, TERRA NOVA, KOOTENAY, SWANSEA, LA HULLOISE, BUCKINGHAM, CAPE SCOTT, CFAV BLUETHROAT and CNAV ST CHARLES, took part in NATO Exercise New Broom Eleven, an exercise designed to test convoy protection tactics (click here to see the newspaper article). She was paid off for the last time on 23 Mar 1965. On 22 Mar 1966, BUCKINGHAM left Halifax under tow and arrived at Le Spezia on 11 Apr 1966 for scrapping.

Photos and Documents          Battle for Convoy BX-141

Commanding Officers

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

MARSVYTIS (MAKSVYTIS), Joseph D.W.

OS, RCN

died - 20 Mar 1961

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

(BKH000)

(BKH000) HMCS BUCKINGHAM K685 in her wartime configuration

Source: Flickr photo collection of Don Gorham

(BKH001) HMCS BUCKINGHAM 314  //  Photographer: Richard Duncan

(BKH002) HMCS BUCKINGHAM 314  //  Source: Flickr photo collection of Don Gorham

(BKH003) A piece of Algonquin's stern remains attached to BUCKINGHAM's bow after their collision  //  Source: The Ship in Peacetime - HMCS ALGONQUIN 224 (Jerry Proc's website)  //  Photographer: Cam Snowdon

(BKH004) Electricians at work in the tropics on HMCS BUCKINGHAM 1959  //  Bill Byrne, Reg Jessome and Ron Healey  //  Courtesy of Bill Edison

(BKH005) LSET Ray Lusk onboard HMCS BUCKINGHAM 1959. Ray went on to have a career with the Toronto Police Force  //  Courtesy of Bill Edison

(BKH006) HMCS BUCKINGHAM crew members Ray Lusk, Don Doucette, and Gary Mahoney 1958  //  Courtesy of Bill Edison

(BKH007) Sea cadets OS Roy Baron and OS Donald McDougall of Edmonton receiving instruction on knot work and rope splicing onboard HMCS BUCKINGHAM by PO Gordon Stinson - Summer 1959  //  From the collection of LCdr Gordon Stinson  //  Courtesy of Shelley Kessel

(BKH008) Sea cadets OS Douglas Collister and OS Sidney Deveau of Hamilton receive instruction on the Robinson's disengaging gear by PO Gordon Stinson on board HMCS BUCKINGHAM  //  From the collection of LCdr Gordon Stinson  //  Courtesy of Shelley Kessel

(BKH009) HMCS BUCKINGHAM 314  with a landing pad and a helo on deck  //  Source: Flickr photo collection of Don Gorham

(BKH010) HMCS BUCKINGHAM 314, Lunenburg, NS circa 1963

(BKH011) HMCS BUCKINGHAM 314 - undated