HMCS Pictou was a Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette which took part in convoy escort duties during the Second World War.

[2][3][4] 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.

[5] 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.

Her third major period of overhaul began in December 1942 after developing serious mechanical issues while on convoy escort.

The final period of yard work of Pictou's career took place from January to 31 March 1944 at New York during which her fo'c'sle was extended.

[10] "When the RCN took over from the British in Newfoundland in mid-1941, [Commodore Leonard W. Murray] saw escort ships streaming from the builders - and the shortage of skippers steadily worsening.

For want of experienced captains, the four-month-old corvette Pictou lay idle in St John's.

[10] On 5 August 1942, Pictou was rammed in fog by the Norwegian merchant SS Hindanger near St. John's.

In December 1942 she developed severe mechanical problems again and departed for repairs and then refit, not returning to service until May 1943.

[10] In May 1943 Pictou joined MOEF escort group C-3 and remained with them until departing for refit in January 1944.