HMCS TRILLIUM K172

Flower Class Corvette

Painted by Glen Mofford

HMCS TRILLIUM K172, Halifax, NS, 1941

Credit: Library and Archives of Canada - PA105713/ RCN photo

Laid down: 20 Feb 1940

Launched: 26 Jun 1940

Commissioned: 31 Oct 1940

Transferred to RCN: 15 May 1941

Commissioned: 15 May 1941

Paid off: 27 June 1945

Returned to RN: 27 Jun 1945

Fate: Sold in 1947 for commercial use. Final disposition unknown

Built at Montreal for the RN, she was commissioned at there on 31 Oct 1940 as HMS TRILLIUM. TRILLIUM arrived at Halifax on 14 Nov 1940 and in the Clyde on 20 Dec 1940 for final fitting out at Greenock, which was completed on 03 Mar 1941. In Apr 1941, after three weeks' workups at Tobermory, she joined EG 4 (RN), Greenock, for outbound North American convoys. On 15 May 1941, TRILLIUM was transferred to the RCN and commissioned as HMCS TRILLIUM. She left Aultbea on 10 Jun 1941 with OB.332 for St. John's to join Newfoundland Command. After two round trips to Iceland she arrived at Halifax on 28 Aug 1941 for three months' refit there and at Lunenburg. On completion of the refit in Dec 1941 she made one further round trip to Iceland and, on 20 Jan 1942, left St. John's for convoy SC.65 to Londonderry. After two return trips on the "Newfie-Derry" run she went to Galveston, Texas, for refit from 16 Apr to 23 Jun 1942. Following workups at Pictou, she resumed mid-ocean service with EG A-3 from Aug 1942 until Apr 1943, when she arrived at Boston for a refit that included the extension of her fo'c's'le. This was completed on 27 Jun 1943, after which she worked up at Pictou before joining EG C-4. Late in Apr 1944 she returned to Pictou for a two-month refit, followed by additional repairs at Halifax, and early in Aug 1944 went to Bermuda to work up. She arrived at St. John's 02 Sep 1944, to join EG C-3. On 14 Jan 1945, while escorting the Milford Haven section of ON.278, she sank a coaster in collision and required five weeks' repairs, afterward resuming mid-ocean service until the end of the war. This ship was unique in that she spent her entire career as a mid-ocean escort, participating in three major convoy battles: SC.100 (Sep 1942); ON.166 (Feb 1943); and SC.121 (Mar 1943). She left St. John's on 27 May 1945, for the U.K., where she was returned to the RN at Milford Haven on 27 Jun 1945. Sold in 1947 for conversion to a whale-catcher, she entered service as the Honduran-registered Olympic Runner in 1950, Otori Maru 10 in 1956 and Kyo Maru No. 16 in 1959. Last in Lloyd's Register for 1972 / 1973.

(Note: Although the place & date of foc'sle extension for HMCS TRILLIUM K172 as listed on 27 Jun 43, at Boston, Mass, was obtained from official records, photographic evidence seems to prove this wrong. It is more likely that TRILLIUM'S Fo'c's'le extension was completed between Apr-Jun 42 Galveston TX. source: RCN news magazine)

Photos and Documents

Commanding Officers

LCdr Ronald F. Harris, DSC, RCNVR - 31 Oct 1940 - 13 Nov 1941

Lt H. D. Campsie, RCNR - 15 Nov 1941 - 08 Dec 1941

Skpr/Lt George E. Gaudreau, RCNR - 09 Dec 1941 - 25 Feb 1942

A/LCdr Philip Cabell Evans, RCNR - 26 Feb 1942 - 24 Mar 1943

Lt Ralph Marcus Wallace, RCNVR - 25 Mar 1943 - 17 Apr 1943

A/LCdr Philip Cabell Evans, RCNVR - 18 Apr 1943 - 21 May 1944

Lt Kenneth Elliott Meredith, RCNVR - 22 May 1944 - 27 Jun 1945

In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Lest We Forget

GREENWOOD, Clifford

Ord. Tel, RCNVR

killed - 12 Apr 1941

PETTIGREW, Jack R.

Sto, RCNR

killed - 12 Apr 1941

ROBERTSON, Donald

AB, RCN

killed - 12 Apr 1941

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

Sweeney, Chevalier R.P.M.

O'Trillium, Terry, AB

Former Crew Members

Hayes, Godfrey Harry, Slt, RCN - 06 Jun 1941

Miller, Donald Campbell, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1942

Pickering, William, CPO - Jan 1945

Seldon, William Frank, A/Lt, RCNVR - 31 Jan 1944

Smibert, James Melrose, Lt, RCNVR - 14 Mar 1944

Stone, Kennedy Albert, Slt, RCNVR - 12 Apr 1943

Sweeney, Richard Patrick Fortier, Slt, RCNVR - 25 Jun 1943

Wickett, William Percy, Slt, RCNVR - 22 Jun 1941

Photos and Documents

Larry Mofford and HMCS TRILLIUM Gunshield Badge

"My father painted this cartoon of Donald Duck chasing a U-boat onto HMCS TRILLIUM in the summer of 1941 while the ship was in port in Saint John, New Brunswick. He signed his artwork as "Hays" as Hays was the Captain of the TRILLIUM at the time and he and my father were good friends."

Courtesy of Glen Mofford

On 22-23 February 1943 HMCS TRILLIUM rescued 160 survivors from three merchant ships torpedoed by U-606. This view of TRILLIUM, taken from the United States Coast Guard Cutter Spencer, shows the corvette crowded with a total of some 250 crew and survivors. In the foreground, one of Spencer's boats carries that ship's doctor across to TRILLIUM to help tend to wounded mariners

Source: Canadian War Museum George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19780328-001

A/LCdr Philip Evans, CO, HMCS TRILLIUM at the Crow's Nest Officers Club with the ship's mascot, AB Terry O'Trillium. RCN photo # M-537

‘The first signatory of the guest book at the second anniversary party of the Seagoing Officer’s Club, St. John’s, Newfoundland, was AB Terry O’Trillium, mascot of the corvette H.M.C.S. “Trillium”. She went along to the party with her commanding officer, bearded Lt. Cdr. Phil Evans, R.C.N.R. of Washington, D.C., and was the only lady present at the epic gathering.’

Courtesy of Rick Rutherford

Deck awash on HMCS TRILLIUM circa 1943

Source: Government of Canada / National Archives of Canada PA-037474

Officers on the bridge of HMCS TRILLIUM circa 1943 - 1944

RCN Photo

The officer on the left has been identified as Lt Arnold Malcolm Brodie, RCNVR

HMCS TRILLIUM, nested with two other ships, being moved by a tug, Halifax, circa 1941

Though most sources give the location of these photos as Greenock and/or Gourock, Scotland in 1942. They are actually taken from Halifax, with Dartmouth in the background. According to the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, the church visible just to the left of the ship's bows in the first photo and in the upper right of the 2nd photo, just aft of the funnel of the minesweeper exiting the harbour, is the Emmanuel Anglican Church. This church is still in existence (though as a different name) at the corner of Dawson and Windmill Road (152 Windmill Road), Dartmouth, NS. That puts the location of these photos on the Halifax side of the Narrows at Jetty 5.

Photo credit: Library and Archives of Canada / RCN Photos

Research credit: Erling Baldorf, Senior Chief, Royal Danish Navy, retired / Joe Ballard, President, Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia