HMS Coreopsis
Ship Number
1041
Vessel Type
Flower Class Corvette
Built
A&J Inglis
Slip Number
1
Launch Date
May 23, 1940
Delivered
August 17, 1940
Owner
Admiralty
Weight
925 grt
BP Length
190 feet
Breadth
33 feet
No. of Screws
Single
Speed (approx)
16.5 knots
Propulsion
One Steam Reciprocating Vertical Triple Expansion 4 cylinder 2750hp
Official No.
Registered
Fate
Scrapped
HMS Coreopsis

[Shown in the role of Compass Rose in the film the Cruel Sea]
Pennant No. K32
 
She served with the Hellenic Navy as Kriezis from 1943-52.
 
Returned to the Royal Navy in July 1952.
 
Sold to T. Young and scrapped on 22nd July 1952 at Sunderland.
 
Coreopsis - The Cruel Sea Adapting the novel was a formidable task. Its 416 succinctly-written pages were packed with incident, some of it horrifying, such as the vivid image of men from a torpedoed ship, roped together in the water and supported by their life jackets, grinning and bowing to each other because they are skeletons. Eric Ambler manfully prepared the script, discarding many sections and characters, telescoping scenes, and changing emphases. It was estimated that four million people in Britain alone had read the book and so the onus on Ambler was considerable. Finding a suitable corvette was another problem The Admiralty, while anxious to co-operate in the making of the film, had got rid of all its wartime corvettes, which were small escort ships that he been used to protect Atlantic convoys. Eventually one was located in Malta - the Coreopsis of the Flower Class - which had been loaned to the Greek navy and was now awaiting a tow back to England and the breaker's yard. A naval captain with war service in such vessels, Captain Broome, was dispatched to inspect and report, and he arranged for some repairs before sailing it back to Plymouth under its own steam. Jack Hawkins recalled asking him about the condition of the ship. 'We shall get her going all right,' was the reply, 'but God, what a state she's in. I can only tell you that when those Greek sailors went to the heads they must have turned cartwheels!' The ship was duly transformed into HMS Compass Rose and filming began. The Cruel Sea (GB, 1953, 126 mins.) Adaptation of celebrated Nicholas Monsarrat novel: the war as fought by the corvettes, their tragedies and very occasional triumphs. By the time this film came to be made, the Admiralty had got rid of all its corvettes; finally one was located in Malta - the Coreopsis, which had been on loan to the Greek Navy. With Jack Hawkins, Donald Sinden, Denholm Elliott. Dir Charles Frend