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)
HMC(Icebreaker)S TRENTONIAN
Newly constructed corvettes, HMCShips TRENTONIAN (foreground) and NORSYD received orders to sail from Quebec City to Halifax on 26 December 1943. NORSYD remains secured on the wall, while the local pilot uses TRENTONIAN to break the dense ice blocking the ships from sailing. The pilot continues to ram TRENTONIAN’s bow into the thick ice, despite her […]
Cherbourg Harbour
Cherbourg’s waterfront normally a postcard in real life, now shows the signs of battle, with windows broken and damage to the buildings in October 1944. Photo taken from HMCS TRENTONIAN as the corvette approaches the French harbour with a convoy for the advancing armies. Roger Litwiller Collection, A. Singleton, RCNVR photo, courtesy of Bruce Keir, […]
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 […]
Guest Speaker -Toronto Branch of the Naval Association of Canada
I am honoured to be invited as the Guest Speaker by the Toronto Branch of the Naval Association of Canada for their annual TRAFALGAR Day – NIOBE Luncheon. My talk will be “Voices of our Sailors Past -Stories from the Survivors of HMCS TRENTONIAN.” This is a collection of stories and recollections from the men that […]
Crossing the Atlantic
Two unidentified crew members from HMCS TRENTONIAN during the North Atlantic crossing in April 1944. It is still cold on the open ocean as there are icicles hanging from the kisby ring. Roger Litwiller Collection, Allen E. Singleton, RCNVR photo, courtesy Jack Harold, RCNVR. (RTL-JH067) This photo and collection have been gathered from the crew […]
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 […]
Mariner’s Park Museum, PEC -Talk
Join Roger at the Mariners Park Museum in Prince Edward County for a talk on the Royal Canadian Navy ships named for the Bay of Quinte Region on 16 July 2017 at 11 am. Roger will focus on HMCS HALLOWELL, a frigate named for Prince Edward County, served extensively during WWII and later in the […]
Warships Of The Bay Of Quinte Talk
Roger will be joining the members of the Probus Club of Presqu’ile to speak about the incredible stories of the Canadian Navy ships named for the Quinte area. The details of the ships has been recorded in Roger’s book, Warships of the Bay of Quinte.  Six navy ships have been named for local communities and have […]