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HMS BONAVENTURE 31
Dido Class Light Cruiser
HMS BONAVENTURE 31
This page is not meant to be a comprehensive history of HMS BONAVENTURE, but a record of sailors of the ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY who served in her, photos they took and stories they may have shared with their families.
HMS BONAVENTURE was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. BONAVENTURE participated as an escort vessel in Operation Fish, the World War II evacuation of British wealth from the UK to Canada. It was the largest movement of wealth in history.
On 10 January 1941 BONAVENTURE, along with HMS SOUTHAMPTON and/or HMS HEREWARD, shelled and sank the Italian torpedo boat Vega off Cape Bon, Tunisia, during Operation "Excess". Two members of her crew were killed by return fire.
On 31 March 1941 BONAVENTURE was hit amidships by two torpedoes launched by the Italian submarine AMBRA and sank south of Crete (33°20'N 26°35'E) with the loss of 139 of her crew. 310 survivors were rescued by HMS HEREWARD and HMAS STUART.
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In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget
