HMCS IROQUOIS’s sea boat returns to the destroyer after sending a shore party to the liberated Channel Island of Ile d’Yeu on 27 August 1944. The grateful islanders showered the RCN sailors with flowers (visible on deck) and cake, being the first allied force to arrive on the island after the Germans had retreated. IROQUOIS’s […]
HMSubmarine SEA NYMPH
HMCS TRENTONIAN was diverted from St. John’s, NF. to find and rescue HMSubmarine SEA NYMPH (P225) off the cost of Newfoundland on 4 April 1944. Her dive planes were damaged by pack ice while on patrol in the North Atlantic. Unable to dive, the submarine was vulnerable to attack by both Allied and Axis forces. […]
HMCS NIAGARA I 57
HMCS NIAGARA I 57, Town class destroyer, ex-USS THATCHER. Originally built in 1919 for the USN and was in commission as USS THATCHER until 1922, when she was placed in reserve. The destroyer was transferred to the RCN and commissioned on 24 September 1940 as HMCS NIAGARA as part of the Lend-Lease Agreement. NIAGARA remained […]
Minesweeping
Sailors from HMCS WASAGA take a break during minesweeping operations off the coast of France. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Ross Milligan, RCNR. (RTL-REM113)
St. John’s NF at War
View of St. John’s harbour during the war in 1943. The ship repair facilities are on the left side of the photo, with several merchant ships anchored in the harbour for waiting repairs of damage sustained from UBoats. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Ross Milligan, RCNR. (RTL-RM276)
HMCS MAYFLOWER
Two sailors from HMCS MAYFLOWER’s ships company horse around. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Ralph O’Brien, RCNVR. (RTL-ROB036)
Funeral Capt F. J. Walker, RN
HMCS IROQUOIS ships company provides the Guard of Honor during the funeral of Captain, Frederic John Walker, RN, CB, DSO & Three Bars in Liverpool on 11 July 1944. The funeral was attended by more than 1000 people, RN ratings carried his body on a gun carraige, escorted by sailors from IROQUOIS, through the streets […]
Salvaging HMCS QUINTE
Salvage operations on HMCS QUINTE were begun by the Foundation Maritime’s ship Foundation Aranmore in November 1942, Cape Breton. QUINTE had grounded on Horse Head Shoal and was beached near St. Peter’s, Cape Breton. She was re-floated ten days later and moved to the wall at St. Peter’s Canal to continue pumping operations. The next […]
HMCS TRENTONIAN Killicks
Some of TRENTONIAN’s Killicks, slang for Leading Seaman. Pictured: LS Colin Harvey (Seal Cove, NB.), LS Thomas Williams (Winnipeg, MB.), LS Secord, LS Ken McDonald (Windsor, ON.), LS Aubrey Wells (Dartmouth, NS.), LS E. Scott, LS Arthur Slater (Winnipeg, MB.) , LS John Fournier, Buffer (Windsor, ON.) LS Raymond Lounsbury (Vancouver, BC.). Roger Litwiller Collection, […]
HMCS BELLEVILLE
HMCS BELLEVILLE during adoption ceremony in Kingston on 22 October 1944. The corvette built in Kingston was unable to visit her namesake city, due to the shallow water in the Bay of Quinte. So many Belleville citizens traveled the 100 km to Kingston to adopt their ship. The Curator of the Naval Museum of the […]