HMCS ARROWHEAD K145

Flower Class Corvette

Built for the RN, she was commissioned at Sorel on 22 Nov 1940 as HMS ARROWHEAD K145. After arriving  at Halifax on 03 Dec 1940 she carried out workups and sailed on 21 Jan 1941, with convoy HX.104 for Sunderland. There she was in dockyard hands for the two months' work required to complete her fully. After working up at Tobermory ARROWHEAD joined EG 4, Iceland Command (RN). On 15 May 1941, she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned as HMCS ARROWHEAD K145.  In Jun 1941 she transferred to the newly formed NEF. For the rest of 1941 she escorted convoys between St. John's and Iceland, proceeding early in Dec 1941 to Charleston, S.C. for refit. Returning to Halifax in Feb 1942, she made one round trip to Londonderry before joining WLEF. In Jul 1942 she transferred to Gulf Escort Force, escorting Quebec/Gaspé-Sydney convoys, and in Oct 1942 joined Halifax Force and for two months escorted Quebec-Labrador convoys. On 30 Nov 1942 she rejoined WLEF at Halifax, to remain with it until Aug 1944. When this escort force was divided into escort groups in Jun 1943, ARROWHEAD became a member of EG W-7, transferring to W-1 in Dec 1943. During this period she underwent two major refits: at Charleston, S.C., in the spring of 1943, and at Baltimore, Md., a year later. During the latter refit her fo'c's'le was extended. In Sep 1944, she joined Quebec Force and was again employed escorting Quebec-Labrador convoys. In De 1944 she transferred to EG W-8, WEF, and served on the "triangle run" (Halifax, St. John's, New York/Boston) for the balance of the war. On 27 May 1945, ARROWHEAD left St. John's to join convoy HX.358 for passage to Britain, where she was paid off and returned to the RN on 27 Jun 1945, at Milford Haven. Sold in 1947 for conversion to a whale-catcher and renamed Southern Larkspur, she was finally broken up at Odense, Denmark, in 1959.

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos

Commanding Officers

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

ROBERTSON, Henry W.

L/Sto, RCN

died - 23 Mar 1941

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

(ARH001) Ensign from HMCS ARROWHEAD K145 - This battered White Ensign from the corvette HMCS ARROWHEAD testifies to the North Atlantic's atrocious weather. Although this flag appears to have been through a battle, the damage is the result of wind and water, which have torn seams and frayed fabric. Before the switch to flags printed on nylon fabric, flags were made of strips of coloured cloth sewn together in the necessary patterns. This flag, damaged during a storm, was kept by Arthur Statham, who served aboard ARROWHEAD. From 1910 until 1965, Royal Canadian Navy ships flew the same white ensign as Britain's Royal Navy.  //  White Naval Ensign CWM 19680136-001.  Source: Canadian War Museum

(ARH002) Sailors on HMCS ARROWHEAD reading the Crow's Nest newspaper  -  LS A. MacLean of Saskatoon; AB G. Walker of London, ON; AB Jackson of White Rock, BC; LS N.A. Smith or Toronto, ON; AB A. Copeland of Toronto, ON; and, LS Brocher of Montreal  //  Crow's Nest Magazine - May 1944

(ARH003) HMCS ARROWHEAD K145  -  Click here to view a larger version of this photo - though of slightly lesser quality

(ARH004) HMCS ARROWHEAD K145 - RCN photo

(ARH005) Four crew of HMCS ARROWHEAD at a bar in New York, Jan 1945.  HMCS ARROWHEAD arrived in New York, escorting a convoy of empty ships returning from England. (L-R) Len Taylor, Ellwod Reynolds, Glenn Martin, Ted (Trevor) Hill  //  Courtesy of Barb Ishler and Douglas Harman

(ARH006) HMCS ARROWHEAD K145 Gun Shield Art  //  Original source unknown  //  Courtesy of Erling Baldorf

(ARH007) Colourized photo of HMCS ARROWHEAD K145  //  From the collection of Elmer Shunk  //  Courtesy of Lorne Shunk

(ARH009) Gaston Young (centre) on HMCS ARROWHEAD K145 - St. John's, NFLD to Iceland  //  From the collection of Gaston Young  //  Courtesy of Alan Young

(JW01) HMCS ARROWHEAD K145

(JW02) HMCS ARROWHEAD K145

(JW03) Hamilton, mascot of HMCS ARROWHEAD K145 with John Wampler

(JW04-JW05) Hamilton, mascot of HMCS ARROWHEAD K145

From the collection of John Wampler, SLt, RCNVR

Courtesy of Barb Ishler