HMCS COBALT K124
Flower Class Corvette
Built at Port Arthur and commissioned there on 25 Nov 1940, COBALT was taken to Halifax in advance of completion to beat the St. Lawrence freeze-up, arriving 24 Dec 1940. Completed early in Jan 1941, she worked up and joined Halifax Force, but left on 23 May 1941 with the other six corvettes and first formed NEF. For the next six months she operated as an ocean escort between St. John's and Iceland, proceeding in mid-Nov 1941 to Liverpool, N.S., for three moths' refit. Following completion she made two round trips to Londonderry before being assigned in May 1942, to WLEF, with which she was to spend the balance of the war. She served with EG W-6 from Jun 1943; with W-5 from Apr 1944; and with W-7 from Feb 1945. During the second of two other extensive refits at Liverpool, N.S., from Apr to 20 Jul 1944, her fo'c's'le was lengthened. She was paid off at Sorel on 17 Jun 1945, and subsequently sold for conversion to a whale-catcher, entering service in 1953 as the Dutch Johanna W. Vinke. She was broken up in South Africa in 1966.
Photos and Documents Ship's company photo The Ship's Bell
HMCS Cobalt - Cobalt's Namesake Goes to War by Charles Dumaresq // email: HMCSCobalt@gmail.com
Commanding Officers
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
Former Crew Members
Photos and Documents
(CBT001) HMCS COBALT K124 leaving Hvalfjord, Iceland, Nov 1941 // Source: IWM Official Admiralty Collection Photographer: Parnell, C.H., Lt (CBT002) Gunshield art on HMCS COBALT K124 // Courtesy of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum (CBT003) the artwork was given to the town in early 1943, and it is signed by the same artist who painted the original artwork on the Cobalt's gunshield. It is held by the Cobalt Mining Museum // Photo courtesy of Charles Dumaresq
(EF01-EF03) HMCS COBALT K124 in Liverpool, Nova Scotia where she underwent her fo'c's'le extension in Jul 1944
(EF04-EF07) HMCS COBALT arriving at St. John's, Newfoundland. Cabot Tower can be seen in photos 1 and 2
(EF08) HMCS COBALT K124 (EF09-EF10) HMCS Pictou K146 alongside HMCS COBALT K124 while convoy escort (note ships of the convoy on the horizon) (EF11) Depth charge explodes astern of HMCS COBALT K124 // Webmaster's note: Due to the large number of crew watching, this is very likely a training run for the depth charge crews From the collection of Edmund Ferris Courtesy of Edmund Ferris
(WK06) HMCS COBALT K124 and HMCS AGASSIZ K129 (WK07) HMCS COBALT K124 (WK08) Petty Officers quarters on HMCS COBALT K124. William E. Killam laying on settee (WK09) HMCS COBALT K124 (WK10) Unknown corvette
(WK11) Ratings mess deck HMCS COBALT K124 (WK12) A few crew members around the funnel on HMCS COBALT K124 (WK13) Unknown ship (looks to be one of the old 4-stack River Class) seen from HMCS COBALT K124 (WK14) Unknown merchant ships seen from HMCS COBALT K124 - place unknown (WK15) William E. Killam on HMCS COBALT K124 From the collection of William E. Killam, CPO, RCNVR Courtesy of Kathryn Killam
(DD02) Donald Douglas (right) and William Poshtar - 1945 (DD03) William Poshtar (DD04) Donald Douglas' letter about the Halifax VE Day riots - Donald was in Halifax for the V.E. Day riots. He wrote a letter to his family - giving his account of what happened in Halifax From the collection of Donald Douglas, SBA, RCNVR Courtesy of Al Douglas
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