HMCS KITCHENER K225

Flower Class Corvette

Laid down as HMCS Vancouver, she was renamed HMCS KITCHENER prior to commissioning. She was commissioned at Quebec City on 18 June 1942. KITCHENER arrived at Halifax on 16 Jul 1942 and carried out six weeks' workups at Pictou before briefly joining WLEF in Sep 1942. It may have been during this unusually long workup that she starred in the film Corvette K-225 with Randolph Scott. In Oct 1942 she was assigned to duties in connection with Operation "Torch," and arrived at Londonderry on 03 Nov 1942. For the next four and one-half months she escorted U.K.-Mediterranean convoys, returning to Halifax on 19 Apr 1943, with convoy ONS.2. In May 1943 she joined Western Support Force but in Jun 1943 transferred to EG C-5, MOEF, and during the following four months made three round trips to Londonderry. A major refit, commenced in Oct 1943 at Liverpool, N.S., was completed on 28 Jan 1944, followed by two weeks' working-up in Bermuda. In mid-Apr 1944 she arrived at Londonderry, where she was assigned to invasion duties with Western Approaches Command, based at Milford Haven. She arrived off the beaches on D-Day escorting a group of landing craft. From Aug 1944 until the end of the war she served with EG 41, Plymouth, returning home late in May 1945, to be paid off at Sorel 11 Jul 1945. She was broken up at Hamilton in 1949.

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos

Commanding Officers

LCdr William Evans, RCNVR - 28 Jun 1942 - 16 Jan 1944

Lt Jack Errington Moles, RCNVR - 17 Jan 1944 - 11 Jul 1945

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

RUDD, George

L/Stoker, V17436, RCNVR

died - 08 Jun 1943

       In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

(KIT001) HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  DND / RCN Photo Negative # GM1108-R (or GN1108-R)

(KIT002-KIT003) HMCS KITCHENER K225 on convoy duty - 1943  //  From the collection of Duce, Rex  //  Courtesy of Melanie Brough

(KIT004) Newspaper article on HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  From the collection of Alan Plester  //  Courtesy of Alana Davis

(KIT005) HMCS KITCHENER K225 with signatures around the photo

(KIT006) HMCS KITCHENER K225

(KIT007) HMCS KITCHENER K225 at anchor, Sydney, NS c1945  //  From the wartime photo collection of Raymond Burton  //  

This photo is not for reproduction, distribution or sale  //  Copyright Elizabeth Wagner

(KIT008) Sunday morning divisions at sea on HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  DND- RCN photo

(KIT009) Brief article on corvettes during the war  //  A censor had blacked out the ship's pendant number but left her signal flags which indicate she is HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  From the collection of J. Vincent Wesley, CPO, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of Marilynn Taylor

(KIT010) Three Corvette Commanding Officers in Gibraltar - 08 Mar 1943  //  Right to Left: Lt Wilfred Joseph (Red) McIsaac, RCNVR, HMCS PRESCOTT, LCdr W Evans, RCNVR, HMCS KITCHENER, and Lt LR Pavillard, RCNR, HMCS CAMROSE  //  Source: Imperial War Museum  //  https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205148542

(KIT011) HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  Courtesy of Bill Gard.  Original source unknown

(CN07) HMCS KITCHENER K225

(CN08) HMCS KITCHENER K225 in drydock

(CN09) Officer on HMCS KITCHENER K225 //  Webmaster's note: the album caption says this is the ship's commanding officer, however, both C.O.s of HMCS KITCHENER were RCNVR - this officer is RCNR

(CN10) Shipboard humour on HMCS KITCHENER K225

(CN11) Officers of HMCS KITCHENER K225  //  L-R  unknown;  ship's padre; Wt (E) Clyde Newman

From the collection of Clyde Newman

Courtesy of Lisa Spong