HMCS KITCHENER K225

 

Flower Class Corvette

 


 

HMCS KITCHENER K225

DND / RCN photo Negative # A207

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Laid down: 28 Feb 1941

Launched: 18 Nov 1941

Commissioned: 28 Jun 1942

Paid off: 11 Jul 1945

Fate: Broken up at Hamilton, Ont., in Apr 1949

 

Laid down as HMCS Vancouver, she was renamed HMCS KITCHENER prior to commissioning. She was commissioned at Quebec City on 18 June 1942. KITCHENER arrived at Halifax on 16 Jul 1942 and carried out six weeks' workups at Pictou before briefly joining WLEF in Sep 1942. It may have been during this unusually long workup that she starred in the film Corvette K-225 with Randolph Scott. In Oct 1942 she was assigned to duties in connection with Operation "Torch," and arrived at Londonderry on 03 Nov 1942. For the next four and one-half months she escorted U.K.-Mediterranean convoys, returning to Halifax on 19 Apr 1943, with convoy ONS.2. In May 1943 she joined Western Support Force but in Jun 1943 transferred to EG C-5, MOEF, and during the following four months made three round trips to Londonderry. A major refit, commenced in Oct 1943 at Liverpool, N.S., was completed on 28 Jan 1944, followed by two weeks' working-up in Bermuda. In mid-Apr 1944 she arrived at Londonderry, where she was assigned to invasion duties with Western Approaches Command, based at Milford Haven. She arrived off the beaches on D-Day escorting a group of landing craft. From Aug 1944 until the end of the war she served with EG 41, Plymouth, returning home late in May 1945, to be paid off at Sorel 11 Jul 1945. She was broken up at Hamilton in 1949.

 


 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

LCdr William Evans, RCNVR - 28 Jun 1942 - 16 Jan 1944

 

Lt Jack Errington Moles, RCNVR - 17 Jan 1944 - 11 Jul 1945

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

RUDD, George

L/Stoker, V17436, RCNVR

died - 08 Jun 1943

 


 

       In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Bolduc, Joseph Lazariate, Cd (E) - 27 Jun 1942 (Stand by) / 28 Jun 1942

 

Calder, William Andrew George, Lt, RCNVR - 01 Jun 1943

 

Cameron, William H. (Bill)   

 

David, Charles Frederick, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Mar 1944

 

Evans, William, Lt, RCNVR - 09 Jun 1942

Fraser, Donald McNeish, Lt, RCNVR - 27 Apr 1943

 

Holden, James Albert, Lt, RCNVR - 15 Jun 1942 (Stand by) / 28 Jun 1942

 

Johnson, George, Lt, RCNVR - 12 Feb 1944

 

Lillie, Edward Burns, SLt, RCNVR - Jan 1944

Penny, John Arthur Stewart, SLt, RCNVR - 28 Jun 1942

 

Smith, Russell John, Mate, RCNR - 28 Jun 1942

 

Walker, John Archibald, SLt, RCNVR - Jan 1944

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

KIT001

KIT002 / RD08

KIT003 / RD09

KIT004

KIT005

(KIT001) HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  DND / RCN Photo Negative # GM1108-R (or GN1108-R)

(KIT002-KIT003) HMCS KITCHENER K225 on convoy duty - 1943  //  From the collection of Duce, Rex  //  Courtesy of Melanie Brough

(KIT004) Newspaper article on HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  From the collection of Alan Plester  //  Courtesy of Alana Davis

(KIT005) HMCS KITCHENER K225 with signatures around the photo

 

KIT006

KIT007

KIT008

KIT009

KIT010

(KIT006) HMCS KITCHENER K225

(KIT007) HMCS KITCHENER K225 at anchor, Sydney, NS c1945  //  From the wartime photo collection of Raymond Burton  //  

This photo is not for reproduction, distribution or sale  //  Copyright Elizabeth Wagner

(KIT008) Sunday morning divisions at sea on HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  DND- RCN photo

(KIT009) Brief article on corvettes during the war  //  A censor had blacked out the ship's pendant number but left her signal flags which indicate she is HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  From the collection of J. Vincent Wesley, CPO, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of Marilynn Taylor

(KIT010) Three Corvette Commanding Officers in Gibraltar - 08 Mar 1943  //  Right to Left: Lt Wilfred Joseph (Red) McIsaac, RCNVR, HMCS PRESCOTT, LCdr W Evans, RCNVR, HMCS KITCHENER, and Lt LR Pavillard, RCNR, HMCS CAMROSE  //  Source: Imperial War Museum  //  https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205148542

 

KIT011

(KIT011) HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  Courtesy of Bill Gard.  Original source unknown

 


 

CN07

CN08

CN09

CN10

CN11

(CN07) HMCS KITCHENER K225

(CN08) HMCS KITCHENER K225 in drydock

(CN09) Officer on HMCS KITCHENER K225 //  Webmaster's note: the album caption says this is the ship's commanding officer, however, both C.O.s of HMCS KITCHENER were RCNVR - this officer is RCNR

(CN10) Shipboard humour on HMCS KITCHENER K225

(CN11) Officers of HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  L-R  unknown;  ship's padre; Wt (E) Clyde Newman

From the collection of Clyde Newman

Courtesy of Lisa Spong

 



 

GH06

GH07

GH08

GH09

GH10

(GH06) Starboard side looking aft on HMCS KITCHENER K225 - unknown evolution with what appears to be 2 Wrens, furthest aft, centre of the photo

(GH07) Three sailors by the depth charge thrower on HMCS KITCHENER K225. SBA Hinchcliffe on the left

(GH08-GH09) AA gun on HMCS KITCHENER K225

(GH10) Unknown troopship in convoy

 

GH11

GH12

GH13

GH14

GH15

(GH11) HMCS KITCHEN K225 in position astern of an oiler in convoy.  The position on the sailors on the fo'c's'le looks like they are preparing to receive a fueling line.

(GH12-GH13) HMCS KITCHENER K225 moving off from the oiler

(GH14-GH15) HMCS KITCHENER transiting the River Foyle, Northern Ireland

 

GH16

(GH16) HMCS KITCHENER K225 secured to a buoy with an unknown corvette

From the collection of SBA George Hinchcliffe, RCNVR

Courtesy of Mike Butler

 


 

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