Southern Pride was a steam-powered whaler built by the Smiths Dock Company of Middlesbrough in 1936. She was the initial design inspiration for the s used to escort convoys in the North Atlantic in World War II.[1] The final design for the Flower class was significantly modified from that of Southern Pride factoring in things like ease of construction.[2]
After World War II began Southern Pride was requisitioned by the Royal Navy, and converted into a warship. Her conversion took six weeks and cost 75,000 pounds. She was wrecked off Freetown in June 1944.