HMCS SPIKENARD K198

Flower Class Corvette

Built for the RN, she was commissioned on 06 Dec 1940, at Quebec City as HMS SPIKENARD. She arrived at Halifax five days later to complete fitting out and working up. She left Halifax on 21 Jan 1941, escorting convoy HX.104 to the U.K., where she received her finishing touches at South Shields, Tyne, from 04 Feb to 21 Apr 1941. She arrived at Tobermory on 22 Apr 1941 to work up, and on 15 May 1941 she transferred to the RCN and was commissioned as HMCS SPIKENARD. On 10 June 1941 she left Aultbea to escort convoy OB.332. Arriving at Halifax on 25 Jun 1941, she joined Newfoundland Command, and between Jul 1941 and Jan 1942, made three round trips to Iceland as ocean escort. On 01 Feb 1942, she left St. John's for convoy SC.67 on the recently inaugurated "Newfie-Derry" run, and on 10 Feb 1942 HMCS SPIKENARD was torpedoed and sunk by U-136, about 465 nautical miles west of Malin Head, Ireland in position 56º10'N, 21º07'W, while escorting convoy SC-67.

Convoy SC.67 sailed early in Feb 1942 from NewfyJohn - bound for Londonderry. The Canadian corvette HMCS SPIKENARD K198 was the senior ship of the escort for SC.67. Other escorts included Corvettes HMCS CHILLIWACK K131, HMCS SHEDIAC K110, HMCS LOUISBURG K143, HMCS LETHBRIDGE K160 and HMCS DAUPHIN K157. All went well until just before 2300 on 10 Feb 1942. The convoy was due south of Iceland, when CHILLIWACK attacked a submerged contact on the port bow of the formation. Almost immediately thereafter, LOUISBURG at the rear of the convoy spotted the wake of a torpedo running down her port side. SPIKENARD had been zigzagging on the starboard wing of the convoy when another torpedo struck the nearby tanker, Heina. A few seconds later, a torpedo that ripped out her forepeak and destroyed the bridge and radio struck SPIKENARD. SPIKENARD may have become aware of U-136 in the few minutes before - as action stations had been sounded & the speed increased just before she was hit. We'll never know, because not a man on SPIKENARD's bridge survived that night. In a few minutes, SPIKENARD sunk by the fore and headed for the bottom. Only eight men survived - to be found by a westbound British ship the next day. SPIKENARD had been torpedoed at about the same time as the tanker, & sank so quickly, that the other escorts didn't realize she was gone until morning.

The survivors of the sinking of HMCS SPIKENARD were:  Cowan, Denis Hugh, AB, V6481, RCNVR;  Day, Alexander Albert, A/CERA, V5825, RCNVR;  Deans, Thomas Russell, A/LS, 3212, RCN;  Laabs, Harold John, Sto PO, V16182, RCNVR;  MacMillan, Reginald, Sto 1c, V1328, RCNVR;  Mills, Wilfred Edward, Tel, V22962, RCNVR;  Morrison, George, Sto 1c, V25797, RCNVR;  and Whitworth, John, Sig, V8411, RCNVR

HMCS SPIKENARD files held by DHH Ottawa

Canadian Ships Naval Kardex 81-520-8000  Box 289 File 17 HMCS Spikenard Flower Class Corvette

Box 31 RS Spikenard, HMCS

94-244 File 2 Item 4

81-520-8000 Box 290 File 1 Spikenard

Photos and Documents

Commanding Officers

LCdr Hubert George Shadforth, RCNR - 08 Dec 1940 - 10 Feb 1942

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

(s) - Survived the sinking of HMCS SPIKENARD ON 10 Feb 1942

Photos and Documents

(GZ13) Gerry Zaphe (left) and shipmate on HMCS SPIKENARD

(GZ14) Unknown sailor - friend of Gerry Zaphe (from photo GZ13) - on HMCS SPIKENARD

(GZ15) Gerry Zaphe on HMCS SPIKENARD

(GZ16) Unknown sailor on the fo'c's'le of HMCS SPIKENARD

From the collection of Gerald (Gerry) Zaphe, Lt, RCN(R)

Courtesy of Robert Cooke

(SPK001) HMCS SPIKENARD sailors - Left: George William Oxborough, Centre: Unknown,  Right: Conard William Boutin.  Both George Oxborough and Conrad Boutin died when HMCS SPIKENARD was sunk  //  Courtesy of William Johnson

(SPK002) Letter from A/CERA Alex Day, a survivor of the sinking of HMCS SPIKENARD, to the brother of LCdr Hubert George Shatford, CO of HMCS SPIKENARD, who was one of the casualties. Original source unknown

(SKP003) HMCS SPIKENARD Survivors - Article on SPIKENARD casualties and a survivor - The Toronto Star Feb 1942 //  Tel W.E. Mills - rescued  //  AB A.D. Campbell; AB P.H. Donnet and AB W. Morley

(SPK004) - List of SPIKENARD survivors - The Montreal Gazette 20 Feb 1942

(SPK005) - Article on casualties and one survivor of HMCS SPIKENARD - Toronto Star Feb 1942

(SPK006) Article on casualties and one survivor of HMCS SPIKENARD

(SPK007) Article from the Toronto Star Feb 1942 on SPIKENARD casualties

(SPK008) Article from the Toronto Star Feb 1942 on SPIKENARD casualties

(SPK009) Article from the Toronto Telegram Feb 1942 on SPIKENARD casualties

(SPK010) Article from the Toronto Telegram Feb 1942 on SPIKENARD casualties