RN: Flower Class Corvettes

[Brian James]

Flower Class Corvette HMS Borage.
Borage was ordered in July 1939 as part of the Royal Navy's 1939 War Emergency building programme. She was laid down by George Brown & Co. of Greenock on November 27th 1940, launched on November 22nd 1941 and completed on April 29th 1942. After working up and sea trials she joined Western Approaches Command for Anti-Submarine Warfare and convoy escort duties
From July 1942 onwards Borage served with close escort groups for convoys on the North Atlantic, Gibraltar and South Atlantic routes. In three years she helped guard more than 50 merchant convoys (outbound and homebound); from these just two ships were damaged and none were lost. Borage contributed to the safe and timely arrival of more than 1,000 Merchant ships. In December 1943 she was part of the close escort to convoy JW 55B, which was subject to a failed attack resulting in the sinking of the German Battleship Scharnhorst. With the end of hostilities Borage was decommissioned and in 1946 she was sold.to the Irish Naval Service where she was commissioned as LÉ Macha.She was scrapped in November 1970.

[jbryce1437]

A couple more photos of Borage, the previous post shows her as the Irish Navy ship LÉ Macha, pennant 01.

Jim

borage (1940's.) at speed, pt.bow.jpg

hms borage ,during ww2,dated 51942.jpg

HMS_Borage 1.jpg

[jbryce1437]

The Flower Class corvettes were, perhaps, the most prolific class of vessels ever built for the Royal Navy. They also served with many of the allied navies and even with the German Kriegsmarine - which siezed four being built in France when they occupied the country (the three completed ones were sunk during a bombing raid on Le Havre in 1944). Nearly 300 of the original and modified versions of the class were built, which was based on the design of a whale catcher.
These vessels were the backbone of the convoy system and were responsible for the sinking of nearly 60 Axis submarines during the war. In the course of the war, 33 of the class were war losses, some 22 credited to submarines.
Some photos of the class, too many to include in one post so, alphabetically, the "A's" (sorry about the quality of some of them, if you have a better version you are welcome to add it):

Abelia

hms abelia during ww2 undated.jpg

Acanthus

acanthus-flower-class.jpg

Aconite

hms aconite ,built by ailsa sb co,troon,completed 2371941 dated 10 1943.jpg

Alisma

hms alisma,during ww2,dated 41943.jpg

Amaranthus

hms amaranthus during ww2 dated 1942.jpg

Anchusa

hms anchusa built by harland & wolff belfast completed 131941.jpg

Anenome

hms anemone,during ww2,dated 2971942.jpg

Arabis

hms arabis seen during ww2 dated 51942.jpg

Arbutus

arbutus.jpg

Armeria

hms armeria,during ww2,dated 101942.jpg

Asphodel

asphodel-(1942)-stb.qtr..jpg

Aubretia

hms aubretia,during ww2,dated 71941.jpg

Auricula

hms auricula,built by george brown & co,greenock,completed 531941.jpg

Azalea

hms azalea ,built by cook, welton & gemmell,beverley,completed 2711941 dated 121942.jpg

[jbryce1437]

More Flowers, alphabetically

Balsam

Balsam late 1942.JPG

Bergamot

hms bergamot ,during ww2.jpg

Bellwort

hms bellwort entering birkenhead dated 1151944.jpg

Betony

hms betony ,during ww2,dated 391943.jpg

Bluebell

hms bluebell ,dated 1940's-seen as a unit of the 22nd escourt group.jpg

Bryony

hms bryony during ww2 dated 71942.jpg

Bugloss

hms bugloss built by j.crown & sons monkwearmouth completed 8111943.jpg

Burdock

hms burdock 1947[1].jpg

Burnet

hms burnet seen during ww2 dated 111943.jpg

[jbryce1437]

Calendula

calendula.jpg

Camelia

hms camellia seen during ww2 dated 2391943.jpg

Campanula

hms campanula ,during ww2,dated 19121942.jpg

Campion

hms campion seen during ww2 dated 1942.jpg

Candytuft

candy.jpg

Charlock

hms charlock during ww2,undated.jpg

Chrysanthemum

hms chrysanthemum during ww2 dated 1943 -as the ffl commandant drogou.jpg

Clarkia

hms clarkia during ww2 dated 4101942.jpg

Clematis

hms clematis,during ww2,dated 1921942.jpg

Clover

hms clover ,built by fleming & ferguson,paisley,completed 3151941.jpg

Columbine

HMS%20COLUMBINE-K94-2-1940-1946TZ-CONV[1].jpg

Coreopsis (Compass Rose)

coreopsis2.jpg

coreopsisascompass rose cruel sea.jpg

Coriander

HMS CORIANDER-LATER FREE FRENCH COMMANDENT DETROYAT-K183-1-1941-1948.jpg

Cowslip

hms cowslip,during ww2,dated 2461944.jpg

Crocus

hms crocus during ww2,dated 91942.jpg

Cyclamen

hms cyclamen,during ww2,dated 29101942.jpg

Dianthus

hms dianthus sren view[1].jpg

Eglantine

hms eglantine during ww2 undated.jpg

Fennel

fennel-(1944)-stb.side.jpg

Fritillary

hms fritillary seen during ww2 dated 1944.jpg

[jbryce1437]

More Flowers


Gardenia

gardenia.jpg

Genista

hms genista, on a slip re-ftting,dated 1943.jpg

Gentian

hms gentian during ww2 dated 1941.jpg

Geranium

geranium-flower-class.jpg

Gloxinia

hms gloxinia ,seen at tripoli,dated 21943.jpg

Godetia

hms godetia ,built by j.crown & sons, monkwearmouth sunderland, completed 2321942.jpg

Heather

hms heather , during ww2, dated 81942.jpg

Heliotrope

hms heliotrope fitting out south docks 15.jpg

Hepatica

hms hepatica,-inboard alongside,windflower,-in the centre & snowberry, outside minus funnel and mast.jpg

Hibiscus

hms hibiscus,during ww2,undated.jpg

Hollyhock

hollyhock1940.jpg

Honesty

hms honesty ,during ww2,dated 1651943.jpg

Honeysuckle

honeysuckle-alongside-trump.jpg

Hyacinth

hms hyacinth during ww2 dated 1943.jpg

Hyderabad

hms hyderabad during ww2 no date.jpg

Hydrangea

hms hydrangea,built by ferguson bros,port glasgow,completed 311941.jpg

[jbryce1437]

Yet more Flowers


Jasmine

hms jasmine dated 1946.jpg

Jonquil

hms jomquil,during ww2,dated 41942.jpg

Larkspur

hms larkspur ,during ww2,dated 81941.jpg

Lavender

hms lavender ,during ww2,dated 111943.jpg

Linaria

hms linaria,at midland,ontario,dated 1943.jpg

Lobelia

hms lobelia , during ww2, dated 1944.jpg

Loosetrife

hms loosestrife ,during ww2,dated 641944.jpg

Lotus

hms lotus,built by robb,leith,completed 951942..jpg

Marguerite

hms marguerite.jpg

Meadowsweet

hms meadowsweet,during ww2,dated 71942.jpg

Mignonette

hms mignonette ,during ww2,dated 28101942.jpg

Monkshood

hms monkshood during ww2 dated 981942.jpg

Montbretia

hms montbretia during ww2 dated 1941.jpg

Myosotis

hms myosotis during ww2 dated 1941.jpg

Nasturtium

hms nasturtium nearest the camera & hms pentstemon beyond at malta 51947.jpg

Nigella

hms nigella during ww2 dated 111942.jpg

[ivorthediver]

What a wonderful bouquet of Flowers Jim , thank you for sharing your wonderful collection , cant imagine how long it must have taken to amass them all ...........a truly wonderful

[timlewin]

There is an excellent book called "50 North" by Alan Easton who commanded the Canadian Flower "HMCS Baddeck" and then "HMCS Sackville" which he wrote during the war and finished in 1946 but only published in the early Sixties; Truly excellent and tells in graphic detail how is was to both serve in, and command, these hard-worked little ships. Without these we would not have managed to maintain the Atlantic Convoys. I am sure its out of print now but should be available second hand. It really brings these brilliant photos from Brian to live, these were not just small ships, they were home to their people, and sometimes their graves, but they very probably saved us more that all the mighty battleships.
tim

[jbryce1437]

Thanks Ivor, lost my way so here is the rest of the Flower class - O onwards


Orchis

hms orchis,during ww2,dated 121942.jpg

Oxlip

hms oxlip,dated 1940.jpg

Pennywort

hms pennywort during ww2 dated 1031942.jpg

Pentstemmon

hms pentstemmon 1943[1].jpg

Petunia

hms petunia at devonport dated 1221946.jpg

Picotee

untitled.jpg

Pink

hms pink during ww2 no date.jpg

Polyanthus

hms polyanthus ,during ww2,dated 91943.jpg

Poppy

hms poppy during ww2 undated.jpg

Potentilla

potentilla4-k214.jpg

Primula

hms primula as a minesweeper during ww2 dated 2291943.jpg

Ranunculus

hms ranunculus,built by simons,renfrew,completed 2871941.jpg

Rhodendron

rhododendron-1943.jpg

Salvia

salvia k97.jpg

Samphire

hms samphire,built by smith's dock co,south bank,completed 3061941.jpg

Saxifrage

hms saxifrage,during ww2,dated 1942.jpg

Snowflake

hms snowflake,during ww2,dated 4111943.jpg

Spiraea

hms spiraea,built by inglis,pointhouse,completed 2721941.jpg

Starwort

hms starwort during ww2 undated.jpg

Statice

hms statice alongside hms louis.jpg

Stonecrop

hms stonecrop during ww2,dated 8101942.jpg

Sunflower

hms sunflower during ww2 dated 1942.jpg

Sweetbriar

hms sweetbriar ,during ww2,undated..jpg

Tamarisk

hms tamarisk during ww2 dated 121942.jpg

Thyme

hms thyme 1946.jpg

Tulip

hms tulip during ww2 no date.jpg

Verbena

hms verbena,dated 1940.jpg

Veronica (later transferred to United States Navy as Temptress)

Temptress%20PG62.jpg

Violet

hms violet seen during ww2 dated 2711945.jpg

Wallflower

hms wallflower,during ww2,undated.jpg

Willowherb

hms willowherb ,newly completed,at midland,ontario,dated 1943.jpg

Woodruff

hms%20woodruff%201942[1].jpg

Thats all folks!