HMCS MERRITTONIA K688

Flower Class Corvette

Photo credit: Naval Museum of Alberta, Macpherson Collection, University of Calgary Archives

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

Laid down: 23 Nov 1943

Re-named: Mar 1944

Launched: 26 Jun 1944

Commissioned: 10 Nov 1944

Paid off: 11 Jul 1945

Sold: 16 Nov 1945 to K.C. Irving Ltd., Moncton, N.B.

Fate: Wrecked off the coast of N.S., on 30 Nov 1945

Laid down as HMCS Pointe Claire, she was renamed MERRITTONIA, Ont. in Mar 1944. Commissioned at Quebec City on 10 Nov 1944, she arrived at Halifax in mid-Dec 1944 and sailed to Bermuda for a month's workups. On her return MERRITTONIA was assigned to EG C-7 and left St. John's on 07 Feb 1945 to meet the group, which was westbound with convoy ON.283 from Britain. Thereafter continuously employed on North Atlantic convoy duty, she left Londonderry for the final time at the beginning of Jun 1945. She was paid off on 11 Jul and laid up at Sorel for disposal. Purchased by K.C. Irving Ltd., Moncton, on 16 Nov 1945, she was wrecked on the Nova Scotia coast on 30 Nov 1945.

Photos and Documents Ship's company photos

Commanding Officers

Lt Frank Kinnear Ellis, RCNVR - 10 Nov 1944 - 05 Apr 1945

LCdr John Fitzwilliam Stairs, RCNVR - 06 Apr 1945 - 25 Apr 1945

LCdr Robert Montagu Powell, RCNVR - 26 Apr 1945 - 06 May 1945

Lt Raymond John Keelan, RCNVR - 07 May 1945 - 11 Jul 1945

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

Former Crew Members

Horne, Bill, Wireless Operator/Decoder

Legris, Ernest Wilfred, Slt (El), RCNVR - 23 Feb 1945

McKellar, Kenny

Proud, Franklin Milford, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Apr 1945

Photos and Documents

	HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 Source: Home From the War website Credit: St. Catharines - Canada's Canal City - reprinted April 1993 - John N. Jackson / Sheila M. Wilson
	Leading Stoker Gilbert O.S. Davis on board HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 "Leading Stoker Gilbert O.S. Davis during his WW2 service on board the Flower class Corvette HMCS MERRITTONIA as part of the Canadian North Atlantic Convoy group 'C-7', Newfoundland to Londonderry." Copyright Gilbert Davis / David Witzer. This photo has been provided for use on For Posterity's Sake on the page for HMCS MERRITTONIA. The photo is not for reproduction, distribution or sale.
	HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 Photo Credit: Naval Museum of Alberta, Macpherson Collection, University of Calgary Archives. File # MC2616
	HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 Photo Credit: Naval Museum of Alberta, Macpherson Collection, University of Calgary Archives. File # MC2617
	John Dunsmore on HMCS Marrittonia K688 From the collection of John Dunsmore Courtesy of Lyle Dunsmore
	John Dunsmore (left) and shipmate having a pint ashore From the collection of John Dunsmore Courtesy of Lyle Dunsmore
	HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 From the collection of Nick Vukson Courtesy of John Vukson
	HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 From the collection of Nick Vukson Courtesy of John Vukson
	EG Departing Londonderry - HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 off to port of HMCS Parry Sound K341 From the collection of Dalton Kaye, Tel, RCNVR Courtesy of Steve Kaye
	HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 From the collection of Dalton Kaye, Tel, RCNVR Courtesy of Steve Kaye

HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 - from the builder's yard to the breaker's yard

These photos are from the wartime photo collection of Raymond Burton. They have been provided for use on For Posterity's Sake on the page for HMCS MERRITTONIA. The photos are not for reproduction, distribution or sale. Copyright Elizabeth Wagner

In the beginning ......

Ray Burton and soon to be shipmates were billeted in Quebec while waiting for HMCS MERRITTONIA to be completed

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(1) SBA Al Bergin (2) Raymond Burton (3) Cliff mending socks (4) Roy mending socks

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photo 9

(8 & 9) HMCS MERRITTONIA at the builder's yard in Quebec

HMCS MERRITTONIA arrived in Halifax in mid-Dec 1944 and then proceeded to Bermuda for a month's work-ups

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photo 2

(1) Hamilton, Bermuda seen from HMCS MERRITTONIA (2) Ships off Bermuda - HMCS Halifax K237 on the right

On completion of WUPS, HMCS MERRITTONIA was assigned to Escort Group - EG C-7 based out of St. John's, Newfoundland. HMCS MERRITTONIA took part in escort of 7 convoys.

East bound convoys - HX.340, HX.348 and HX.356 bound to Liverpool from NYC. MERRITTONIA sailed from St. John's and joined the convoy at the rendezvous point of Newfoundland escorting the convoys to Liverpool - detaching just off Liverpool and proceeding to Londonderry.

West bound convoys - ON.283, ON.291, and ON.299 bound from Liverpool to NYC. MERRITTONIA escorted the convoys to the rendezvous point off Newfoundland where they detached and proceeded to St. John's for fuel.

OS119 / KMS.91 bound from the Downs to Gibraltar. MERRITTONIA escorted this convoy from 18 to 21 March, when she detached and joined convoy ON.291 as escort on 22 Mar 1945.

Below are convoys from Raymond's collection - it is not know which convoys these photos were taken of.

convoy 1

convoy 2

convoy 3

convoy 4

convoy 5

convoy 6

convoy 7

convoy 8

(1 - 5) Ship approaches torpedoed / burning tanker (6) Sailor from torpedoed tanker being rescued (7 & 8) Corvette with burning tanker astern

Note: (1) Convoy photos 1 through 8 have been submitted by families of sailors who served in LANARK, MERRITTONIA and KAPUSKASING and appear to be official RCN photos. Written on the back of those from the collection of Charles Sigut HMCS Lanark K669 - "Taken from the bridge of Lanark 18 04 1945"

Note: (2) Convoy HX.348. Departed New York City on 03 Apr 1945 and arrived in Liverpool on 20 Apr 1945. The tanker Empire Gold, which was carrying petrol, was torpedoed and sunk by U-1107 on 18 Apr 1945. These photos are most likely that of the sinking of Empire Gold.

convoy 9

convoy 10

convoy 11

convoy 12

convoy 13

convoy 14

convoy 15

convoy 16

(11) Aircraft flying over convoy

convoy 17

convoy 18

convoy 19

convoy 20

convoy 21

convoy 22

convoy 23

convoy 24

(18) unknown ship - pendant number ?33 (19) HMCS MERRITTONIA's work boat returning to ship - convoy in background (22 & 23) Empire Class Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC) transporting Grumman fighters (24) HMCS Copper Cliff K495 in fog

convoy 25

convoy 26

convoy 27

convoy 28

convoy 29

convoy 30

convoy 31

convoy 32

(25) Passing a line to the flattop (26) Flattop (27) Baby flattop (28) Two Swordfish aboard flattop (29) Alongside flattop (30) HMCS MERRITTONIA's hedgehog mount - flattop in background (31) HMCS MERRITTONIA conducting a stern fueling at sea (32) HMCS MERRITTONIA in rough seas

webmaster's note: The flattop in these photos is a Merchant Aircraft Carrier - also known as a MAC.

convoy 33

convoy 34

convoy 35

convoy 36

convoy 37

(33-35) HMCS MERRITTONIA in rough seas (36 & 37) Merchant ship seen from HMCS MERRITTONIA in rough seas near St. John's, Newfoundland

Irish shoreline - HMCS MERRITTONIA transiting Lough Foyle and the River Foyle to (or possibly from) Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland

Foyle 1

Foyle 2

Foyle 3

Foyle 4

Foyle 5

Foyle 6

Foyle 7

Foyle 8

Foyle 9

Foyle 10

Foyle 11

Foyle 12

Foyle 13

Foyle 14

Foyle 15

Foyle 16

Foyle 17

Foyle 18

Foyle 19

Foyle 20

Foyle 21

Foyle 22

(4 - 7) Remains of old fort along the River Foyle (15-16) Passing Boom Hall near Derry

Londonderry (Derry) Harbour and around Derry

Derry 1

Derry 2

Derry 3

Derry 4

Derry 5

Derry 6

Derry 7

(2) HMS Ness K219 and HMCS Longueuil K672 (4) Derry Gate (5) Derry, Quayside St. (6) Derry Jail (7) Old Derry Waterside Railway Station

Escort Group Departing Derry

EG 1

EG 2

EG 3

EG 4

EG 5

EG 6

EG 7

(1) HMCS MERRITTONIA (foreground) and HMCS Perry Sound K341 alongside jetty (2) HMCS Parry Sound K341 underway (3) HMCS Parry Sound K341 following astern of HMCS MERRITTONIA ( 4) Derry Harbour (5) Lead ships of EG ahead of HMCS MERRITTONIA (6) HMCS Parry Sound K341 takes position following astern of HMCS MERRITTONIA (7) HMCS Parry Sound K341 in formation following astern of HMCS MERRITTONIA

HMCS MERRITTONIA K688 - photos of ship and crew

S&C 1

S&C 2

S&C 3

S&C 4

S&C 5

S&C 6

S&C 7

S&C 8

(1) HMCS MERRITTONIA's tally plate (2) 4" gun and bridge (3) Mast and Crow's nest (4) HMCS MERRITTONIA (5) 4" gun and bridge (6) Hedgehog (7) Work boat - rough seas (8) launching / recovering work boat

S&C 9

S&C 10

S&C 11

S&C 12

S&C 13

S&C 14

S&C 15

S&C 16

S&C 17

(9) Unknown MERRITTONIA sailors - Raymond Burton back row 2nd from right (10) Officers in Wardroom (11) Hosting the Ensign (12) Jim Barton on the Starboard depth charge thrower (13) John Carr (14) John Clarkson, duty QM (15) John Clarkson (16) Collins and McKellar (17) Roy Crookall

S&C 18

S&C 19

S&C 20

S&C 21

S&C 22

S&C 23

S&C 24

S&C 25

S&C 26

(18) Gill Davies (19) Doc Evans diving (20) Red Forbes (21 Pete Fylkow (22) Bank B & Ernie (23) Joe & EM (24) Joe King up the sick in the bucket (25) Mascot "Newfie" (26) Bob McIntyre (left) and Sylvester Norlock

S&C 27

S&C 28

S&C 29

S&C 30

S&C 31

S&C 32

S&C 33

S&C 34

S&C 35

(27) Raymond Burton (left) and Jack McKellar (28) Raymond Burton (left) and Larry Miller (29) Chuck Murphy riding the 4 inch gun (30) Chuck Murphy (left) and Ivan Reeves (31) Pat (32) Pat with Irish car (33 & 34) Bill Potter (35) Red - taking photo at tot time

S&C 36

S&C 37

S&C 38

S&C 39

S&C 40

S&C 41

S&C 42

S&C 43

S&C 44

(36) Tot issue while at St. John's, Newfoundland (37) Ivan Reeves at Starboard depth charge thrower (38) Rene, Jim and Clem (39) Paul Wilkins (and Sonja) (40 & 41) Hank on AA gun (42) Lt Frank Ellis, Commanding Officer (43) Bernard Walker, Cox's (44) Raymond Burton (right) and Russell

S&C 45

S&C 46

S&C 47

S&C 48

S&C 49

S&C 50

S&C 51

S&C 52

S&C 53

(45) Some of the boys (46) Relaxing on the quarterdeck - a beautiful afternoon out at sea (47) The buffer at work - Scott Thompson (48) Paul Wilkins (49) Paul Wilkins and Pat on the 4 inch gun (50) Bert - location unknown (51) Raymond Burton by the 4 inch gun (52) Raymond Burton on the fo'c's'le (53) Raymond Burton on the AA gun

S&C 54

Raymond Burton on the AA gun

S&C 55

Raymond Burton on the machine gun

S&C 56

Raymond Burton on watch

(54) Raymond Burton on the AA gun (55) Raymond Burton on the machine gun (56) Raymond Burton on watch

Allied ships at Greenock Scotland					HMCS MERRITTONIA at anchor off Barry Wales

Escort group transiting an ice field

St. John's, Newfoundland

STJ 1

STJ 2

STJ 3

STJ 4

STJ 5

STJ 6

STJ 7

STJ 8

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STJ 11

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STJ 14

STJ 15

(1) Smooth sailing, EG nearing St. John's (2) Smooth sailing - HMCS Parry Sound nearest ship (3) Approaches to St. John's, Newfoundland. Cabot Tower visible on the hill topo (4) Entering the Narrows (5) The Narrows - Fishermen's shacks along the shore (6) The Narrows (7) In St. John's Harbour - looking after towards the Narrows (8) Liberator flying over St. John's (9) St. John's Harbour (10) Newfoundland National War Memorial (11) St. John's West (12) St. John's Harbour (13) Coming alongside tanker in St. John's Harbour (13) "an up to date truck at St. John's" (15) Departing St. John's - the Narrows astern of HMCS MERRITTONIA

Drumhead Ceremony, St John's, Newfoundland

Surrendered U-boats at Lisahally, Northern Ireland - May 1945

Sydney, NS

Sydney 1

Sydney 2

Sydney 3

Sydney 4

Sydney 5

Sydney 6

Sydney 7

(1) Sydney Harbour (2 & 3) Waiting for liberty boat (4 & 5) Ship's work boat heading to the trot buoy (6) HMCS MERRITTONIA secured to trot buoys (7) Sailing at Sydney, NS

At a park in Sydney, NS

Park 1

Park 2

Park 3

Park 4

Park 5

Park 6

(1) Raymond Burton and Pete Susiak (2) Raymond Burton (30 Pete Susiak and JP (4) Pete Susiak (5) JP (6) JP and Raymond Burton

Webmaster's note: It is not known if these photos were taken while Raymond Burton was serving in HMCS MERRITTONIA or HMCS Restigouche. They have been added to the galleries of both ships.

The End - HMCS MERRITTONIA arrives at Sorel, QC to be paid off

Sorel 1

Sorel 2

Sorel 3

Sorel 4

Sorel 5

Sorel 6

(3) HMCS Parry Sound K341 - HMCS Lachute K440 (5) (L-R) HMCS St Lambert K343 - HMCS Camrose K154 - HMCS Kamsack K171 - HMCS Lunenburg K151 - HMCS Mimico K485

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