HMCS COWICHAN, Bangor class minesweeper assigned to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Ross Milligan, RCNR. (RTL-REM007)
German POW’s -Cherbourg, FR.
HMCS TRENTONIAN had escorted several convoys to Cherbourg France, starting shortly after the port was liberated. On one of early trips, her skipper, Wm Harrison, gave his crew four hours of leave in the city in October 1944. The crew was instructed to stay in large groups of 10 or more. Reason being, German soldiers […]
Approaching Invasion Area
A single Landing Craft sails past HMCS MAYFLOWER as the corvette approaches the Normandy Invasion Area on 7 June 1944. Hundreds of ships of all types can be seen on the horizon. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Ralph O’Brien, RCNVR. (RTL-ROB052)
HMCS TRENTONIAN Smoke Screen
HMCS TRENTONIAN lays a thick smoke screen while escorting a convoy in the English Channel in August 1944. Roger Litwiller Collection, Allen Singleton Photo, courtesy Bruce Keir, RCNVR. (RTL-BK170)
HMCS IROQUOIS -Ile d’Yeu
On August 26 1944, HMCS IROQUOIS met a small boat from Ile d’Yeu, a small channel Island. On board was the local school teacher who stated the Germans had left the Channel Island the day before. In their retreat the post office, radar installations and lighthouse had been destroyed, nineteen citizens and the mayor were […]
HMCS WASAGA Mine Sweeping
HMCS WASAGA during mine sweeping operations off the coast of Normandy, France, post D-Day 1944. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Ross Milligan, RCNR. (RTL-REM111)
Canada’s Navy Honours the Sacrifice of our Sailors Past
By: Roger Litwiller -Canadian Naval Author and Historian Recently the Royal Canadian Navy unveiled two of Canada’s warships painted in a multi-coloured camouflage scheme. Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship REGINA (2nd), a Halifax class frigate and HMCS MONCTON (2nd), Kingston class maritime defence vessel, have been given the “new” paint scheme. The purpose of this remarkable […]
Operation Neptune -The Naval Operations for DDay
When we speak of the Normandy Invasion or D-Day as it is more commonly called, photos of soldiers hitting the beaches are usually the first images we think of. The hard fought assault on five beaches to gain a foot hold on Fortress Europe on the morning of 6 June 1944. Very little is discussed […]
A. B. O’Brian -Biography of a Ship’s Mascot
During the Second World War many Royal Canadian Navy ships had mascots. They ranged in a variety of dogs and cats, one ship was rumoured to have a pet pig. For many of the young sailors, away from home these fury shipmates brought a sense of normalcy, a sense of home to them. You might […]
Friendly Fire Incident -Normandy
A wounded sailor from the cableship HMTS Monarch is transferred to HMCS TRENTONIAN after the two allied ships came under friendly fire from USS PLUNKETT off the Normandy coast on the night of 12-13 June 1944. See HMCS TRENTONIAN: A Victim Of Friendly Fire Photo credit SBA A. Singleton courtesy of Bruce Keir, RCNVR, Stoker, HMCS […]