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HMCS NAPANEE K118
Flower Class Corvette
Commissioned at Montreal on 12 May 1941, NAPANEE arrived at Halifax on 17 May 1941. She was assigned initially to Sydney Force but transferred in Sep 1941 to Newfoundland Command, leaving Sydney for Iceland with convoy SC.47 on 29 Sep 1941. She served on that route until Jan 1942, when she sailed with SC.65, the first of many "Newfie-Derry" convoys she would escort until Aug 1944. The worst of them was ON.154, which lost 14 ships in Dec 1942, but NAPANEE assisted in sinking one of its attackers, U 356, on 27 Dec 1942. In Mar 1943, she made a side trip to Gibraltar with EG C-1, which she had joined in Sep 1942. She arrived at Montreal 22 May 1943, for a five-month refit, including fo'c's'le extension, afterward working up at Pictou and joining EG C-3. She left 'Derry for the last time on 03 Aug 1944, refitted again at Pictou, then carried out three weeks' workup in Bermuda. On her return she joined EG W-2, on the "triangle run" until the end of the war.
On 03 Feb 1945 Venture GR.V #2266 of 145 Sqn (British) crashed near the convoy it was escorting in the Atlantic just off Halifax. Sgt J.M. McColman, Sgt J.M. Northgrave RCAF (USA), F/O R.E. O'Connell and F/O J.M. Smith missing. ML Q112 and HMCS NAPANEE closed the downed aircraft to search for survivors, but none were found. The following are statements of the witnesses to the crash and the events immediately thereafter:
1) Lt Wallace Duggan, RCNVR, CO Q112; 2) Lt Herbert Dow, RCNVR, Q112; 3) AB RDIII Gerald Merette, RCNVR, Q112; 4) L/Ck E.I. Seigrig, RCNVR, Q112; 5) Lt George Powell, RCNVR, CO HMCS NAPANEE; 6) B. DesCotes, RCNVR, HMCS NAPANEE; and 7) AB Graeme Ferrier, HMCS NAPANEE
Paid off 12 Jul 1945, at Sorell, she was broken up at Hamilton in 1946.
U-Boats Sunk: (1) U-356 sunk on 27 Dec 1942 by HMCS ST LAURENT H83, HMCS CHILLIWACK K131, HMCS BATTLEFORD K165 and HMCS NAPANEE K118 in position 45-30 N, 25-40 W
(2) U-163 (Korvkpt Kurt-Eduard Engelmann) a type IXC U-boat, on 13 Mar 1943 by HMCS NAPANEE K118 and HMCS PRESCOTT K161 in the Bay of Biscay. Of her crew of 57 there were no survivors.
Photos and Documents Ship's company photos The Ship's Bell
Battle for Convoy BX-141 Battle for Convoy ONS-154 Battle for ONS 154
Commanding Officers
LCdr Andrew Hedley Dobson, RCNR - 12 May 1941 - 08 Dec 1941
Lt Stuart Henderson, RCNR - 09 Dec 1941 - 02 Jun 1944
A/LCdr George Alvin Powell, RCNVR - 03 Jun 1944 - 12 Jul 1945
They shall not be forgotten
Former Crew Members
Photos and Documents
(HW08) NAPANEE on launch day, 31 Aug 1940 at Kingston Shipbuilding Yards (HW09) NAPANEE being launched (HW10) NAPANEE nearing completion at the Kingston Shipbuilding yards in Mar 1941
From the collection of Henry J. (Hank) Winsor, RCNVR
Courtesy of Roger Litwiller
(WL06) Wesley Vincent, Yeoman of Signals, from Toronto, ON, on HMCS NAPANEE K118 (WL07) Sailors from HMCS NAPANEE K113 at Jack Dempsey's, New York, New York. L-R: Unknown civilian, Allen Dixson, Ralph Balum, American sailor, Bill Lumley (WL08) Souvenir from Jack Dempsey's (WL09) An HSD, a ship's cook and Bill Lumley (rear) on HMCS NAPANEE K118 (WL10) Message received by HMCS NAPANEE K118 when she was about 300 miles off St. John's, Newfoundland
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar 
