HMCS Sussexvale

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

HMCS Sussexvale (K683 / 313) / River-class frigate / Prestonian-class ocean escort

Alternatively named for Sussex, New Brunswick, because there was a ship of that name in another Commonwealth navy, the last River Class frigate launched for the Royal Canadian Navy, the HMCS Sussexvale was commissioned on 29 November 1944 at Québec City, and arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 16 December. She left on 8 January 1945 for a month’s workups in Bermuda, on completion of which she was assigned to Escort Group 26. She arrived in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, to join the group on 6 March and spent the remainder of the war in British waters, based primarily at Portsmouth, England.

She returned home in May to begin refit at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, but this was called off and the ship was paid off at Sydney, Nova Scotia, on 16 November 1945. Placed in reserve at Shelburne, she was subsequently sold to Marine Industries Ltd., but reacquired by the Royal Canadian Navy and converted to a Prestonian-class ocean escort. Re-commissioned 18 March 1955, she served as a training ship until paid off on 30 November 1966. She was scrapped in Japan in 1967.

• Builder: Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Ltd., Lauzon, Québec
• Date laid down: 15 November 1943
• Date launched: 12 July 1944
• Date commissioned: 29 November 1944
• Date paid off: 16 November 1945
• Re-commissionning as Prestonian Class: 8 January 1955
• Date paid off (final): 30 November 1966
• Displacement: 1468.2 tonnes
• Dimensions: 91.9 m x 11.1 m x 2.7 m
• Speed: 19 knots
• Crew: 141
• Armament: (River) two 4-inch (102-mm) (1 x II), one 12-pound (5.45 kg) gun, eight 20-mm guns (4 x II), one Hedgehog mortar 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
• Motto: “Non Nobis Sed Omnibus” (Not for ourselves alone, but for all)