HMCS West York (K369)

History
West York's bow during a transfer with HMCS Fergus
Canada
Name:	West York
Namesake:	Weston, Ontario
Ordered:	June 1942
Builder:	Midland Shipyards. Ltd., Midland
Laid down:	23 July 1943
Launched:	25 January 1944
Commissioned:	6 October 1944
Decommissioned:	9 July 1945
Identification:	Pennant number: K369
Honours and awards:	Atlantic 1945
Fate:	sold for mercantile conversion; sunk in collision 1960
General characteristics
Class and type:	Modified Flower-class corvette
Displacement:	1,015 long tons (1,031 t; 1,137 short tons)
Length:	208 ft (63.4 m)o/a
Beam:	33 ft (10.1 m)
Draught:	11 ft (3.35 m)
Propulsion:	single shaft 2 × water tube boilers 1 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed:	16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range:	3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement:	90
Sensors and processing systems:	1 × Type 271 SW2C radar 1 × Type 144 sonar
Armament:	1 × 4 in (102 mm) BL Mk.IX single gun 1 × 2-pounder. Mk.VIII single "pom-pom" AA gun 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon single 1 × Hedgehog A/S mortar 4 × Mk.II depth charge throwers 2 depth charge rails with 70 depth charges

HMCS West York was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Canadian Navy which took part in convoy escort duties during the Second World War. Named after Weston, Ontario, she was built by Midland Shipyards Ltd. in Midland, Ontario and commissioned on 6 October 1944 at Collingwood.

Flower-class corvettes like West York serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes. The "corvette" designation was created by the French as a class of small warships; the Royal Navy borrowed the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877. During the hurried preparations for war in the late 1930s, Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class, needing a name for smaller ships used in an escort capacity, in this case based on a whaling ship design. The generic name "flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants.

Corvettes commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were named after communities for the most part, to better represent the people who took part in building them. This idea was put forth by Admiral Percy W. Nelles. Sponsors were commonly associated with the community for which the ship was named. Royal Navy corvettes were designed as open sea escorts, while Canadian corvettes were developed for coastal auxiliary roles which was exemplified by their minesweeping gear. Eventually the Canadian corvettes would be modified to allow them to perform better on the open seas.

West York was ordered in June 1942 as part of the 1943-44 Increased Endurance Flower-class building program, which followed the main layout of the 1942-43 program. The only significant difference is that the majority of the 43-44 program replaced the 2-pounder Mk.VIII single "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun with 2 twin 20-mm and 2 single 20-mm anti-aircraft guns.West York was laid down by Midland Shipyards Ltd. at Midland, Ontario 23 July 1943 and launched 25 January 1944. She was commissioned into the RCN 6 October 1944 at Collingwood.

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Wikipedia