HMCS Buckingham

For other ships with the same name, see HMCS Royal Mount.

History
Canada
NameBuckingham
NamesakeBuckingham, Quebec
Ordered1 February 1943
BuilderDavie Shipbuilding, Lauzon
Yard number558
Laid down11 November 1943
Launched28 April 1944
Commissioned2 November 1944
Decommissioned16 November 1945
IdentificationPennant number: K 685
Recommissioned25 June 1954
ReclassifiedPrestonian-class frigate 1954
Decommissioned23 March 1965
Identificationpennant number: FFE 314
Honours and
awards		Atlantic 1945[1]
FateSold, scrapped 1966
BadgeGules, a swan, wings displayed argent gorged with coronet of Canada, or[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeRiver-class frigate
Displacement
  • 1,445 long tons (1,468 t; 1,618 short tons)
  • 2,110 long tons (2,140 t; 2,360 short tons) (deep load)
Length
  • 283 ft (86.26 m) p/p
  • 301.25 ft (91.82 m)o/a
Beam36.5 ft (11.13 m)
Draught9 ft (2.74 m); 13 ft (3.96 m) (deep load)
Propulsion2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed
  • 20 knots (37.0 km/h)
  • 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h) (turbine ships)
Range646 long tons (656 t; 724 short tons) oil fuel; 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km) at 15 knots (27.8 km/h)
Complement157
Armament

HMCS Buckingham was a River-class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War and as a Prestonian-class frigate from 1954–1965. She was named for Buckingham, Quebec. She is considered a significant part of Canadian naval history as used for some early trials of helicopter landings on smaller escort vessels. This led to the development of the future helicopter carrying destroyers.[2]

Buckingham was ordered 1 February 1943 as part of the 1943–1944 River-class building program.[3][4] She was laid down as Royal Mount[5] on 11 November 1943 by Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co. Ltd. at Lauzon and launched 28 April 1944. Her name was changed to Buckingham and she was commissioned on 2 November 1944 at Quebec City.[3]

  1. ^ a b Arbuckle, p.17
  2. ^ Thomas, Doug (Spring 2010). "Significant Canadian Warships" (PDF). Canadian Naval Review. p. 43. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  3. ^ a b Macpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910–1981 : a complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. ISBN 0-00216-856-1.
  4. ^ "HMCS Buckingham (K 685)". uboat.net. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  5. ^ Lenton, H.T.; Colledge, J.J. (1968). British and Dominion Warships of World War II. New York: Doubleday and Company Inc. p. 231.