HMCS KENORA sits outboard of two Bangor class minesweepers in #3 Basin in Plymouth, UK, from 31st Minesweeping Flotilla. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Ross Milligan, RCNR. (RTL-REM126)
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 […]
PHOENIX 194 Under Control
The tow line was successfully reconnected to Phoenix 194 and the tug started towing the concrete caisson towards Normandy with HMCS TRENTONIAN escorting. The Caisson had proved to be a difficult tow and the line had broken several times. eventually towing through a gale force storm the line broke a final time and the caisson […]
HMCS TRENTONIAN -Portsmouth
HMCS TRENTONIAN landed wounded from the cablelayer HMTS MONARCH in Portsmouth on 13 June 1944. The two ships had been fired on by USS PLUNKETT during the night, with deadly consequences,  The crew of TRENTONIAN gather around the gangway after the wounded have been moved ashore. There will be no shore leave and this will be […]
Mulberry Caisson Sinking
On 19 October 1944, HMCS TRENTONIAN was escorting two Mulberry caissons and their respective tugs, to Normandy.  Towing of Phoenix 194 but had to be suspended when it was realized that the caisson was filling with water. She had a developed a large hole in the concrete and was now sinking. TRENTONIAN’s boats crew is […]
HMCS TRENTONIAN -Cardiff
HMCS TRENTONIAN in Cardiff, Wales for boiler cleaning, October 1944.  The corvette has been given a fresh coat of paint, changing the camouflage scheme to the “False Hull” pattern from the Western Approaches Disruptive. Roger Litwiller Collection, courtesy Douglas Campbell, RCNVR. (RTL-DC038) This photo and collection have been gathered from the crew of HMCS TRENTONIAN and have […]
TRENTONIAN Smoke Screen
HMCS TRENTONIAN laying a smoke screen in the Straits of Dover. The thick black smoke is produced from the ship’s boilers and would help conceal the convoy as they pass near the occupied French coast, in sight of the enemy’s guns. Roger Litwiller Collection, Allen E. Singleton, RCNVR photo, courtesy Bruce Keir, RCNVR. (RTL-BK170)