HMCS Jonquiere

There has been only one vessel named Jonquiere in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS Jonquiere (K318 / 318)

Far more habitable ships than the smaller corvettes, the frigates of the River class were also faster and had twice the endurance of the corvette. The ships of the Royal Canadian Navy were named for towns and cities. 

Commissioned at Québec City, Quebec on May 10, 1944, Jonquiere, a River class frigate, arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on June 5 and proceeded from there to Bermuda to work-up. Returning in August, Jonquiere was assigned to Escort Group C-2, and after 3 Atlantic crossings was transferred to Escort Group 26 at Londonderry, Northern Ireland. She was also based at Portsmouth and Plymouth, remaining in United Kingdom waters on anti-submarine patrol until May 27, 1945, when she sailed with convoy ON.305, the last westbound convoy.

Paid off on December 4, 1945 at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Jonquiere was later taken to Lauzon, Quebec, for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort, re-commissioning September 20, 1954. She was finally paid off on September 12, 1966, and broken up at Victoria, British Columbia, the following year.

• Builder: Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec
• Laid down: January 26, 1943
• Launched: October 28, 1943
• Date commissioned: May 10, 1944
• Date paid off: September 23, 1966
• Displacement: 1,445 tons
• Dimensions: 91.9 m x 11.1 m x 2.7 m
• Speed: 19 knots
• Crew: 141
• Armament: (River) two 4-inch (102-mm) guns (1 x II), one 12-pound (5.45 kg) gun, eight 20-mm guns (4 double mounts), Hedgehog, depth charges; (Prestonian) two 4-inch (102-mm) guns (1 double mount), six 40-mm guns (1 double mount, 4 single mounts), two Squid Mortars

Motto: Au sommet par le devoir (To the summit by duty)

Battle honours

Atlantic 1944