HMCS Buckingham

There has been only 1 vessel named Buckingham in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS Buckingham (K685 / 314)

Commissioned on November 2, 1944 at Québec City, Quebec, the River class frigate HMCS Buckingham proceeded to Halifax, Nova Scotia. She sailed on December 18 for Bermuda to work-up. She returned in mid-January 1945, and in February was assigned to patrol duty with Escort Group 28 out of Halifax until Victory in Europe-Day. In May, she arrived at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, escorting the surrendered German submarine U-889. She began a refit at Liverpool, Nova Scotia in June, which continued at Shelburne until August 20, when it was suspended.

HMCS Buckingham was paid off on November 16 at Sydney, Nova Scotia, and placed in reserve at Shelburne until 1946, when she was sold to Marine Industries Ltd.

Reacquired by the Royal Canadian Navy; she was converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort in 1953 to 1954, and re-commissioned for training purposes. Further modified by the addition of a helicopter landing deck aft, she carried out trials from October to December 1956, preliminary to the design of the destroyer helicopter carriers. She was paid off for the last time on March 23, 1965, and broken up the following year at La Spezia, Italy.

• Builder: Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec
• Laid down: October 11, 1943
• Launched: April 28, 1944
• Date commissioned: November 2, 1944
• Paying off date (final): March 23, 1965
• Displacement: 1,445 tons
• Dimensions: 91.9 m x 11.1 m x 2.7 m
• Speed: 19 knots
• Armament: (River) two 4-inch (102 mm) guns (1 x II), one 12-pounder (5.45 kg) gun, eight 20-mm guns (4 x II), Hedgehog and depth charges; (Prestonian) two 4-inch (102-mm) guns (1 x II), six 40-mm guns (1 x II, 4 x I) and two Squid Mortars.