HMCS TRENTONIAN at Milford Haven, freshly painted in the Admiralty Disruptive paint scheme in July 1944.
Roger Litwiller Collection, Allen E. Singleton, RCNVR photo, courtesy Bruce Keir, RCNVR. (RTL-BK026)

Veterans of the Battle of the Atlantic – A Royal Canadian Navy Corvette Crew and their Stories

Join Roger Litwiller as he discusses the remarkable and poignant wartime service of the last corvette lost in action during WWII, HMCS TRENTONIAN.

This ship is the feature of Roger’s latest book, White Ensign Flying. In his research, he has interviewed over thirty members of this historic corvette’s crew, incorporating their astounding personal stories with the official records of the ship, transforming the reader into this extraordinary story as part of the ship’s company.

The men related their incredible tales of life at sea, escorting convoys, fighting storms, operations during the invasion, fishing off the Grand Banks and runs ashore in the many ports they visited.

TRENTONIAN survivors from the Maritimes are (left to right), ERA Mike Farmer, New Glasgow, NS., AB Harry Dye, Somerset, PEI., LS Ross Johnstone, Mahone Bay, NS. AB Donald Roberts, Debert, NS. February 1945
Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Douglas Campbell, RCNVR. (RTL-DC074)

The most heart-rending memory these courageous Canadian sailors related was during TRENTONIAN’s final moments, when she was torpedoed on 22 February 1945 in the English Channel, killing six of their shipmates. Sealing TRENTONIAN’s fate as the last corvette to be lost in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Many of the men also shared with Roger their own personal photographs taken while serving in TRENTONIAN, giving this ship an unprecedented photographic record of the comprehensive life of a sailor in a corvette at war.

These powerful stories, reinforced with photos from the crew are expressed with the same emotions of exhilaration, frustration, laughter, anxiety, joy, sadness and determination experienced by the men who lived, fought and sacrificed in TRENTONIAN.

Roger Litwiller is a Canadian author and naval historian. He has written White Ensign Flying, Warships of the Bay of Quinte as well as articles for magazines and newspapers. Roger has lectured across Canada, including the Crowsnest in St. John’s, NL and The Military Museums of Calgary, imparting our incredible naval history.

Roger was a Naval Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve. His interest in the Royal Canadian Navy began as a Sea Cadet in Kitchener. Later he volunteered with the Navy League of Canada, becoming the Area Officer for Eastern Ontario. Roger resides near Trenton, Ontario.

Roger will be signing his books following the lecture.  Copies of White Ensign Flying and Warships of the Bay of Quinte will be available for purchase onsite, or if you already have a copy, please bring it with you.

For additional information:
Richard MacMichael
902-424-8897
macmicrs@gov.ns.ca