HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495

 

Castle Class Corvette

 

 

HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Laid down: 29 Jun 1943

Launched: 24 Feb 1944

Transferred to RCN: 25 Jul 1944

Commissioned: 25 Jul 1944

Paid off: 21 Nov 1945

Fate: Sold to Chinese interests. Final disposition unknown.

 

Built at Blyth, UK, she was laid down as HMS Hever Castle K521. After completion she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned at Blyth, U.K., on 25 Jul 1944, as HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495. After working up at Tobermory in August she was assigned to EG C-6 but in fact joined EG C-7 then forming at Londonderry, in Oct 1944 and was thereafter continuously employed as an ocean escort. COPPER CLIFF left Londonderry for her final westward crossing early in Jun 1945, and later that month sailed from Halifax for Esquimalt. There, on 21 Nov 1945, she was paid off into reserve. In 1946 she became the Chinese-flag merchant ship Ta Lung, soon afterward renamed Wan Lee, and was taken over by the Chinese Communist government in 1949.

 

 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos          Convoys escorted during WW2

 

Greater Sudbury and the RCN - HMCS COPPER CLIFF and HMCS SUDBURY

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

LCdr Frank Goddard Hutchings, RCNR - 25 Jul 1944 - 03 Dec 1944

A/LCdr F.W. Bogardus, RCNVR - 04 Dec 1944 - 11 Jan 1945

LCdr Frank Goddard Hutchings, RCNR - 12 Jan 1945 - 25 Jul 1945

Lt W.M. Combe, RCNR - 20 Aug 1945 - 20 Sep 1945

  

 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 

 

Former Crew Members

 

Alston, Cal

 

Bruce-Robertson, Alan, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Apr 1945

 

Campbell, Vernon Angus, SLt, RCNVR - 1945

 

Carey, William J. (Bill) 

 

Corywell, John Warren, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Apr 1945

 

Day, Donald

Gordon, Arnold

 

Harrison, James Cochrane, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Apr 1944 / 25 Jul 1944

 

Hudson, Kenneth Ernest 

 

Larocque, Paul Joseph

 

Manning, Henry William Barry, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Apr 1944 / 25 Jul 1944

Payne, Robert, CPO

 

Reid, Harold

 

Ritchie, Arthur Dudley, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Apr 1944 / 25 Jul 1944

 

Sheppart, Howard Douglas, SLt, RCNVR - 26 Feb 1945

 

Stevens, Allan Wilday, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Apr 1944

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495

 

RCN Photo # A-1703

Grant Greenaway (right) on HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495 with shipmate

From the collection of Grant Greenaway

Courtesy of Gail Young

Grant Greenaway (right) in the Owl Bar in San Diego 1945

From the collection of Grant Greenaway

Courtesy of Gail Young

HMCS COPPER CLIFF alongside HMCS Merrittonia at sea

From the wartime photo collection of Raymond Burton.

This photo is not for reproduction, distribution or sale.

Copyright Elizabeth Wagner

HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495

From the collection of Nick Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

 

Note: This photo appears to be taken about the same time as photo #63 in the collection from William Carey

HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495

From the collection of Nick Vukson

Courtesy of John Vukson

 

 

 

PL01

PL02

PL03

PL04

PL05

(PL04) L-R: unknown, PO Tom Carter, unknown, PO Tom Elstone

 

PL06

PL07

PL08

         (PL06) John W. Hughes         

 

Photo album of Paul Larocque from when he served in HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495

 

From the collection of Paul Larocque

Courtesy of Aimee Rusaw

 

 

Photos of, on and from HMCS COPPER CLIFF, from the collection of William (Bill) Carey while he served in HMCS COPPER CLIFF K495

 

None of the sailors in these photos are identified.  If you are able to identify any of them, please send an EMAIL to the webmaster

 

photo 1

photo 2

photo 3

photo 4

photo 5

(1) HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (2) HMCS COPPER CLIFF Christmas card  (3) HMCS LOCH ALIVE K428 approaches HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (4) HMCS LANARK K669 pulling away from HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (5) Troopship Queen Mary

 

photo 6

photo 7

photo 8

photo 9

photo 10

(6) Royal Navy sub HMS OTWAY N51  (7) Royal Navy sub N27 in the slips  (8) Unknown trawler  (9) Merchant Aircraft Carrier - MAC  (10) RCN Fairmile ML Q064

 

photo 11

photo 12

photo 13

photo 14

photo 15

 (11) Flower class corvette following astern of HMCS COPPER CLIFF through an ice field  (12) unknown ship  (13 & 14) HMCS LANARK K669  (15) unknown ship

 

photo 16

photo 17

photo 18

photo 19

photo 20

(16) HMCS COPPER CLIFF conducting stern fueling from an oiler in convoy  (17) North Atlantic convoy  (18) a sunrise or sunset at sea

 

photo 21

photo 22

photo 23

photo 24

photo 25

(24) Sailors from HMCS COPPER CLIFF ashore - location unknown  (25) HMCS SUSSEXVALE alongside the jetty

 

photo 26

photo 27

photo 28

photo 29

photo 30

(26) Quarterdeck of HMCS COPPER CLIFF with convoy in background  (27) Mast of HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (29) Depth charge thrower on HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (30) Starboard bridge wing on HMCS COPPER CLIFF

 

photo 31

photo 32

photo 33

photo 34

photo 35

(34 - 35) Sailor on watch at AA gun on HMCS COPPER CLIFF

 

photo 36

photo 37

photo 38

photo 39

photo 40

 

photo 41

photo 42

photo 43

photo 44

photo 45

(41-44) sailors in a seaman's mess on HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (40) John Wray, behind and to the left of the sailor resting his head on his hand  (44) Sailors on quarterdeck of HMCS COPPER CLIFF.  HMCS Port Colborne alongside  (45) Time of a haircut on the quarterdeck

 

photo 46

photo 47

photo 48

photo 49

photo 50

(46 & 47) sailors on the quarter deck of HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (48) Depth charge exploding astern of HMCS COPPER CLIFF

 

photo 51

photo 52

photo 53

photo 54

photo 55

(51) Sailors working on a torpedo. It is not known what ship as COPPER CLIFF did not have torpedo tubes  (52) Squid launder on HMCS COPPER CLIFF

 

photo 56

photo 57

photo 58

photo 59

photo 60

(57) Sailor posing by starboard depth charge thrower on HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (58) Sailor painting ship on HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (59) John W. Hughes working on starboard depth charge thrower on HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (60) Wheelhouse on HMCS COPPER CLIFF

 

photo 61

photo 62

photo 63

photo 64

photo 65

(62) Fo'c's'le of HMCS COPPER CLIFF see from the crow's nest  (63) HMCS COPPER CLIFF  (64) Looking after from the crow's nest on HMCS COPPER CLIFF

 

photo 66

photo 67

photo 68

photo 69

photo 70

(66 - 69) Sailor on HMCS COPPER CLIFF enjoying a bit of solitude

 

photo 71

photo 72

photo 73

photo 74

photo 75

(71 & 75) Launching of HMCS COPPER CLIFF's sea boat

 

photo 76

photo 77

photo 78

photo 79

photo 80

(76-80) Launching of HMCS COPPER CLIFF's sea boat

 

photo 81

photo 82

photo 83

photo 84

photo 85

(81 - 85) Smoke from burring tanker  (85) HMCS COPPER CLIFF steaming towards burning tanker

 

Courtesy of William (Bill) Carey via his nephew Jeff Tripp

 

 

Convoys escorted during WW2

 

Convoy Desig.

Convoy Departs from

Arrives at

Join as escort

Depart Convoy 

ON.258

Southend

(06 Oct 1944)

New York City

(24 Oct 1944)

08 Oct 1944

17 Oct 1944

HX.315

New York City

(20 Oct 1944)

Liverpool

(03 Nov 1944)

26 Oct 1944

03 Nov 1944

ON.266

Southend

(12 Nov 1944)

New York City

(03 Dec 1944)

15 Nov 1944

26 Nov 1944

SC.162

Halifax

(02 Dec 1944)

Liverpool

(17 Dec 1944)

06 Dec 1944

16 Dec 1944

ONS.39

Liverpool

(28 Dec 1944)

Halifax

(13 Jan 1945)

29 Dec 1945

09 Jan 1945

HX.332

New York City

(13 Jan 1945)

Liverpool

(28 Jan 1945)

18 Jan 1945

28 Jan 1945

ON.283

Southend

(05 Feb 1945)

New York City

(27 Feb 1945)

07 Feb 1945

21 Feb 1945

HX.340

New York City

(23 Feb 1945)

Liverpool

(10 Mar 1945)

28 Feb 1945

10 Mar 1945

OS.117 / KMS.91

Downs

(17 Mar 1945)

Gibraltar

(26 Mar 1945)

18 Mar 1945

21 Mar 1945

ON.251

Southend

(17 Mar 1945)

New York City

(06 Apr 1945)

22 Mar 1945

30 Mar 1945

HX.348

New York City

(03 Apr 1945)

Liverpool

(23 Apr 1945)

08 Apr 1945

20 Apr 1945

ON.299

Southend

(26 Apr1945)

New York City

(13 May 1945)

28 Apr 1945

07 May  1945

HX.356

New York City

(13 May 1945)

Liverpool

(26 May 1945)

17 May 1945

26 May 1945

 

 

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