On 14 August 1942, the name Beacon was approved for PG 88, a modified Flower-class corvette being built at Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. Records indicate that Beacon was to have been accepted under "reverse lend lease", commissioned in Canada, and then taken to the Boston Navy Yard for outfitting. Assigned, first, to the United Kingdom on 30 January 1943, but reassigned to the US Navy on 7 March 1943, she was reassigned again to the Royal Navy on 31 May 1943, and commissioned as HMS Dittany, her original British name. She served under that name for the rest of the war.
The Flower-class corvette was a British class of 294 corvettes used during World War II by the Allied navies particularly as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the Battle of the Atlantic. Royal Navy ships of this class were named after flowers.
The Castle-class corvette was an ocean going convoy escort developed by the United Kingdom during the Second World War. It was the follow-on to the Flower-class corvette, and designed to be built in shipyards that were producing the Flowers. The Castle-class was a general improvement over the smaller Flowers which were designed for coastal rather than open ocean use.
USS Alacrity (PG-87) was an Action-class patrol boat acquired by the United States Navy for the task of patrolling American coastal waters during World War II.
HMCS Calgary was a Royal Canadian Navy revised Flower-class corvette which took part in convoy escort duties during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Calgary, Alberta.
HMS Arabis was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. The ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Arabis. She was transferred to the United States Navy in 1942, serving as USS Saucy. Returned to the United Kingdom in 1945, she was recommissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Snapdragon.
USS Beacon may refer to:
HMS Linaria was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy, which saw service during the Second World War. Originally built for the US Navy as Clash (PG-91), formerly CN-309, she was launched on 18 November 1942, by Midland Shipyards, Ltd., Midland, Ontario, Canada. Upon completion Clash was transferred to the Royal Navy on 19 June 1943, and commissioned as HMS Linaria. On 27 July 1946, she was returned to the US Navy. Never commissioned in the US Navy, Clash was sold on 15 January 1948 for commercial use and reportedly renamed Porto Offuro.
HMS Rosebay was a Flower-class corvette built for World War II. She was disposed of soon after the war.
When the United States entered World War II at the end of 1941, the United States Navy found itself deficient in ocean escort-type vessels. A crash building program was instituted; but, to meet more immediate needs, the government contracted with shipbuilding firms in England and Canada to build Flower-class corvettes. Vim (PG-99) was one of those British-type escorts. She was launched on 1 April 1943 at the Collingwood Shipyard in Collingwood, Ontario. Nine days later, however, she was transferred to the Royal Navy under the terms of the lend-lease agreement in return for another Flower-class corvette then under construction in Canada. The British renamed her HMS Statice, and she served the Royal Navy under the name through World War II. On 21 June 1946, she was returned to the United States Navy. Though carried on the Navy list as PG-99, the corvette never saw active service with the United States Navy. She was sold on 7 May 1947. To whom she was sold and to what purpose she was put is unknown.
During the first year and more after the United States entered the war against the Axis powers, the United States Navy suffered from an acute shortage of warships, particularly of antisubmarine warfare and escort types. To fill that need, an extensive ship construction and acquisition program was inaugurated. Part of that program consisted of placing orders with British and Canadian firms already tooled up to produce Flower-class corvette. Vitality (PG-100) was such a ship. However, before she was launched on 15 April 1943 by the Midland Shipyard in Canada, she was traded to the Royal Navy under the terms of the lend-lease agreement for a similar ship being constructed in Canada. The British renamed her HMS Willowherb, and she served in the Royal Navy for the duration of the war. On 11 June 1946, she was returned to the custody of the United States Navy. Though carried on the Navy list as PG-100 following the war, Vitality never actively served the United States Navy. She remained idle until sold on 7 May 1947. To whom she was sold and for what purpose is unknown, but one source indicates that she was not scrapped until 1961.
HMCS Weyburn was a Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette which took part in convoy escort duties during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Weyburn, Saskatchewan. She was sunk by mine in 1943.
HMS Seychelles (K592) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigateUSS Pearl (PF-88) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.
HMS Pasley (K564), ex-Lindsay, was a Captain-class frigate of the Evarts-class of destroyer escort, originally commissioned to be built for the United States Navy. Before she was finished in 1943, she was transferred to the Royal Navy under the terms of Lend-Lease, and saw service during the World War II from 1943 to 1945. She was the third ship of the Royal Navy to be named Pasley, after Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley (1734-1808), who commanded aboard his flagship HMS Bellerophon at the Glorious First of June in 1794.
HMCS Beauharnois was a modified Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic. After the war it was sold to a Jewish resettlement movement and eventually made its way into the nascent Israeli Navy.
HMCS Fennel was a Flower-class corvette that served primarily with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Originally commissioned into the Royal Navy, she served as an ocean escort in the Battle of the Atlantic.
HMCS Nanaimo was a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served on both coasts during the war. She was named for Nanaimo, British Columbia.
HMCS The Pas was a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily as an ocean escort in the Battle of the Atlantic and as a training ship. She was named for The Pas, Manitoba.
HMCS Trail was a Flower-class corvette that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She was named for Trail, British Columbia.
HMCS Port Arthur was a Royal Canadian Navy revised Flower-class corvette which took part in convoy escort duties during the Second World War. She fought primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Port Arthur, Ontario.
Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Beacon:
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