Western Local Escort Force Western Local Escort Force ( WLEF ) referred to the organization of anti - submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys from North American port cities to the Western Ocean Meeting Point ( WOMP or WESTOMP ) near Newfoundland where ships of the Mid - Ocean Escort Force ( MOEF ) assumed responsibility for safely delivering the convoys to the British Isles . Background . On the basis of experience during World War I , the Admiralty instituted trade convoys in United Kingdom coastal waters from September 1939 . Convoys gradually extended westward until HX 129 left Halifax on 27 May 1941 as the first convoy to receive escort for the entire trip from Canada . The American Neutrality Zone offered some protection in North American coastal waters until United States declaration of war in December 1941 . Organization . The Royal Canadian Navy organized the Halifax - based Western Local Escort Force in February 1942 as U - boats began patrolling North American coastal waters during the " second happy time " . The Royal Navy provided the WLEF with twelve old , short - range destroyer s well - equipped for anti - submarine warfare and manned by experienced personnel . Newly commissioned Canadian Flower class corvette s and Bangor class minesweeper s were assigned to the WLEF . Town class destroyer s " St . Clair " , " Columbia " , and " Niagara " were assigned to the WLEF after their endurance proved inadequate for MOEF assignments . During the winter of 1942 – 43 , some of these destroyers were organized into Western Support Force ( WSF ) groupings of three ships to augment protection of convoys coming under attack in the western Atlantic . Operations . The WLEF was theoretically organized in to eight escort groups able to provide an escort of four to six ships to each convoy . WLEF escort group assignments were more dynamic than the MOEF escort groups , and WLEF escorts seldom worked with the same team of ships through successive convoys . A WLEF escort group would typically meet a westbound ON convoy at WOMP and then individual WLEF ships would be detached with elements of the convoy proceeding separately to Sydney , Nova Scotia , Halifax Harbour , Quebec ports on the St . Lawrence River , Saint John , New Brunswick , Boston , Massachusetts , or New York City . Some WLEF escorts were assigned to coastal convoys reaching as far south as the Caribbean . Eastbound HX convoys and SC convoys worked in reverse forming with a few WLEF escorts in New York City and picking up others as ships joined from New England ports or the Maritimes . Short range escorts or escorts experiencing mechanical problems might be similarly detached and replaced at intermediate points between WOMP and New York City . The most frequent location for escort exchanges was the Halifax Ocean Meeting Point ( HOMP ) off the WLEF home port of Halifax . The WLEF operated exclusively within range of anti - submarine patrol bombers ; although weather often limited flight operations . U - boats were deployed cautiously in areas where air patrols were expected , so single U - boat encounters were more common than wolf pack engagements . The name was shortened to " Western Escort Force " ( WEF ) in the summer of 1943 .