HMAS Inverell HMAS " Inverell " ( J233 / M233 ) , named for the town of Inverell , New South Wales , was one of 60 " Bathurst " class corvettes constructed during World War II , and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) . After World War II , the corvette was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy ( RNZN ) , where she served from 1952 to 1976 . Construction . " Inverell " was laid down by Mort ' s Dock & Engineering Co at Balmain , New South Wales on 7 December 1941 . She was launched on 2 May 1942 by Mrs . T . S . Punch , Mayoress of Inverell , and commissioned into the RAN on 17 September 1942 . Operational history . World War II . " Inverell " began service in November 1942 as a convoy escort along the eastern Australian coast . At the end of December , she was relocated to Darwin , and primarily performed escort runs between Darwin and Thursday Island . On 11 November 1943 , " Inverell " arrived at Williamstown Naval Dockyard for a month - long refit . On conclusion , she returned to Darwin and resumed escort duties . In early February 1943 , " Inverell " was required to rescue the crew of a United States Army Air Forces Liberator bomber , which had crashed on Croker Island . Of the eight survivors , one died onboard while the corvette was returning to Darwin . On 22 September 1944 , " Inverell " sailed to Fremantle . While based in Fremantle , the corvette ' s main duties was to perform training exercises with United States Navy and Royal Navy submarines , with secondary duties including convoy escort and patrol . " Inverell " departed Fremantle for Darwin on 4 May 1945 . Between 22 May and 11 July , the corvette was involve in minesweeping , before she , sister ship HMAS " Stawell " , and Services Reconnaissance Department vessel HMAS " River Snake " were assigned to Morotai . " Inverell " was required to tow " River Snake " for the first part of the voyage . Based in Morotai , " Inverell " was primarily used as a patrol vessel until the end of World War II , when she became involved in the transfer of Dutch East Indies territories from Japanese to Allied control . From 21 September to 18 November , she was designated as the command ship for Port Directorate Macassar . On 29 November , she left Morotai , and spent the next month operating off the coast of Queensland before arriving in Brisbane on 25 December 1945 and preparing for decommissioning . Several delays meant that " Inverell " was not paid off into reserve until 14 June 1946 . On 4 November 1946 , " Inverell " was towed to Sydney by sister ship HMAS " Echuca " , arriving on 17 November . The corvette received two battle honours for her wartime service : " Darwin 1942 " and Pacific 1942 - 45 " . RNZN service . On 5 March 1952 , " Inverell " and three other " Bathurst " class corvettes ( HMA Ships " Echuca " , " Kiama " , and " Stawell " ) were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy ( RNZN ) . " Inverell " was commissioned into the RNZN on 10 April 1952 , but was decommissioned into reserve after a refit . In 1965 , the corvette was refitted as a training and fisheries patrol ship to replace the frigate . The 4 inch gun was replaced by a second 40 mm Bofors gun , and minesweeping gear was removed . She was recommissioned on 15 August 1965 , and served until 19 August 1976 , when she was decommissioned . On 1 November 1977 , " Inverell " was sold to Pacific Scrap Limited of Auckland for scrapping .