HMCS Buctouche ( K179 ) HMCS " Buctouche " was a that served in the Royal Canadian Navy ( RCN ) during the Second World War . She served primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort . She was named for Bouctouche , New Brunswick . Background . Flower - class corvettes like " Buctouche " serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were different to earlier and more traditional sail - driven corvettes . The " corvette " designation was created by the French as a class of small warships ; the Royal Navy borrowed the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877 . During the hurried preparations for war in the late 1930s , Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class , needing a name for smaller ships used in an escort capacity , in this case based on a whaling ship design . The generic name " flower " was used to designate the class of these ships , which – in the Royal Navy – were named after flowering plants . Corvettes commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War were named after communities for the most part , to better represent the people who took part in building them . This idea was put forth by Admiral Percy W . Nelles . Sponsors were commonly associated with the community for which the ship was named . Royal Navy corvettes were designed as open sea escorts , while Canadian corvettes were developed for coastal auxiliary roles which was exemplified by their minesweeping gear . Eventually the Canadian corvettes would be modified to allow them to perform better on the open seas . Construction . Originally named " Bathurst " , but due to conflict with a Royal Navy vessel her named was changed to " Buctouche " . She was ordered on 22 January 1940 from Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co . Ltd . , Lauzon , Quebec as part of the 1939 - 1940 Flower - class building program . She was laid down on 14 August 1940 and was launched on 20 November that year . " Buctouche " was commissioned into the RCN on 5 June 1941 . In October 1943 , " Buctouche " was sent for a four month refit where her forecastle was extended at Saint John Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Ltd . on 29 January 1944 . Wartime service . After working up , " Buctouche " joined Newfoundland Escort Force in July 1941 . She escorted convoys from St . John ' s to Iceland from August 1941 to January 1942 . During that time under Lt . W . W . Hackney , RCNR she rescued 43 survivors from the British merchant ship " Empire Gemsbuck " that was torpedoed and sunk on 3 November 1941 by northeast of Cape Charles , Labrador at 52 - 18N , 53 - 05W . In June 1942 " Buctouche " transferred to the Western Local Escort Force ( WLEF ) . This posting was permanent until the end of the war with the exception of two months in the summer of 1944 where she was assigned to Quebec Force . On 7 July 1942 , " Buctouche " under Skr . Lt . G . N . Downey , RCNR , rescued 15 survivors from the Norwegian merchant ship " Moldanger " that was torpedoed and sunk by on 27 June at 30 - 03N , 70 - 52W . In June 1943 she was assigned to WLEF escort group W - 1 . Post - war service . " Buctouche " was paid off on 23 October 1945 . She was sold for scrap and broken up in 1949 at Hamilton . Trivia . While under the command of Skr . Lt . G . N . Downey , RCNR , Buctouche appeared in a feature length Hollywood war movie titled CORVETTE K225 , starring Randolph Scott as the Commanding Officer . She was only filmed from her Starboard side which carried the K225 number for the movie . Her port side carried her actual number K179 as she was still an active duty warship . The ship ' s badge depicted Hitler being tossed off a bucking bronco , a play being made both on the name " Buctouche " and the rolling pitching motion which " Flower " - class corvettes were renowned for .