These two photos of HMCS TRENTONIAN tell an amazing story. They are the first and last photos of this historic Battle of Atlantic corvette. The first picture of TRENTONIAN was taken just before her commissioning on 1 December 1943, the Flower class corvette was newly built at Kingston, Ontario. She is finishing her acceptance trials […]
Listen to Roger Litwiller Interview on Northumberland Radio 89.7 “Words on The Hills”
Tune into Northumberland Radio 89.7 on Sunday September 20 at 1 pm for Roger Litwiller’s interview on the radio show, Words On The Hills. This is a wonderful weekly program with hosts Felicity Sidnell and Gwynn Scheltema with local authors from the Northumberland area of Ontario. Roger will be discussing the stories he has gathered […]
A Personal Milestone at The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Last night was an incredible milestone for me, as I spoke at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. This world class museum located on the waterfront of Halifax is considered one of the foremost maritime museums in the world and has earned this reputation from the quality of the work that the wonderful […]
Sudbury Has Strong Ties to the Royal Canadian Navy
This Saturday, 11 July 2015, I have been invited by the Sudbury Chapters store on Kingsway to sign copies of my books, White Ensign Flying and Warships of the Bay of Quinte. When I travel around this country many ask, why should we be interested in the Canadian Navy? For many Canadians believe there is […]
White Ensign Flying -Reviews
White Ensign Flying has been reviewed in several national and international magazines and journals. Below is a list of the various professional reviews to be published. REVIEWS The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord -Canadian Nautical Research Society -“Ships lend themselves to biographical studies as readily as people. Roger Litwiller’s White Ensign Flying, a scholarly but highly readable […]
Launching HMCS SUDBURY
HMCS SUDBURY being launched on 31 May 1941 at Kingston Shipbuilding Yards, Kingston, Ontario. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Hank Winsor. (RTL-HW011)
HMCS SHAWINIGAN
HMCS SHAWINIGAN, Flower class corvette was torpedoed and sunk by U1228 on 24 November 1944, off Cape Breton, NS. There were no survivors of her crew of seven officers and eighty-four ratings. SHAWINIGAN was assigned to escort the ferry Burgeo, from Sydney, Cape Breton to Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland. The previous ferry, Caribou, had been […]
HMCS LOUISBURG
HMCS LOUISBURG, Flower class corvette was attacked and sunk by Italian aircraft while deployed to the Mediterranean in support of Operation TORCH on 6 February 1943.  Of her crew of eighty-four sailors, forty were killed in the attack. At the time LOUISBURG was one of seventeen RCN corvettes moved from the North Atlantic convoys to support […]
SPIKENARD -“His Spike”
HMCS SPIKENARD, Flower class corvette, was lost 10 February 1942  when she was torpedoed by U136 in the North Atlantic while escorting Convoy SC-67.  Of her crew of 65, there were only 8 survivors, 57 killed. Prior to SPIKENARD’s last sailing, her officers were engaged in a friendly competition with the officers of the other […]
10 Foot Model of RCN WWII Corvette TRENTONIAN
Yesterday I was fortunate to spend the day with Bill Cullen and his wife Sandra at their home outside Gananoque, Ontario. Bill is truly a Master Model Shipwright.Bill has built a scale model of the Royal Canadian Navy corvette, HMCS TRENTONIAN. The model is incredible, at 1/20 scale it measures an impressive 10 feet and […]