HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265

Annapolis Class Destroyer

Built at Halifax Shipyards Ltd., ANNAPOLIS was commissioned on 19 Dec 1964. She was the twentieth and last of the Cadillacs. ANNAPOLIS served most of her career with the RCN on the east coast.  On 27 Jul 1970, along with HMCS SKEENA and HMCS PROTECTEUR, she departed Halifax to celebrate Manitoba's Centennial with visits to Fort Churchill, Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet and Wakeham Bay. In June 1974, while flagship of SNFL, ANNAPOLIS went to the aid of a Sea King helicopter which had lost an engine and ditched. After rescuing its crew, the ANNAPOLIS recovered the helo and loaded it onto a barge and towed it to Den Helder, there bringing it onboard for return to Halifax. On 14 Aug 1989, ANNAPOLIS left Halifax for Esquimalt where she served primarily as a training ship. From 03 Jun to 07 Jun 1990, HMCS KOOTENAY, HMCS ANNAPOLIS, HMCS HURON had a port visit at Vladivostok, Russia. On 10 Mar 1994, HMCS ANNAPOLIS departed Esquimalt to participate in Operation Forward Action, Haiti. Arriving on station on 25 Mar 1994; she departed the Op Area on 23 Apr 1994. ANNAPOLIS was paid off from the RCN on 15 Nov 1996 and placed in reserve. She was paid off in 1998 and stripped of all weapons and sensors before being laid up at CFB Esquimalt. ANNAPOLIS was sold to the Artificial Reef Society of BC in 2008 and was sunk as an artificial reef near Gambier Island, BC on 04 Apr 2015.

Photos and Documents          Commissioning Booklet          Ship's Bells

Prince Charles pays unofficial visit to HMCS ANNAPOLIS - Jun 1974

SNFL 1974 Commemorative Book          SNFL 1977 Commemorative Book

The naming of HMCS ANNAPOLIS and HMCS NIPIGON - Minutes of the 573rd Meeting of the Naval Board, 17 July, 1958, and Minutes of the 575th Meeting of the Naval Board, 10 September, 1958, fond of Peter Haydon at the Naval Museum of Halifax. // Courtesy of Colin Darlington, Naval Museum of Halifax Volunteer

Commanding Officers

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

V

W

X-Z

Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

HMCS ANNAPOLIS Welcome Aboard pamphlet - 1966

From the collection of /  Courtesy of Heinz Gohlish, Lt (N), RCN / C.A.F.

(ANN001) Cdr R.C.K, Peers, first C.O., piped onboard HMCS ANNAPOLIS - Commissioning Day

(ANN002) HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265  //  RCN photo  //  Note: this photo was used for the cover of the welcome aboard pamphlet

(ANN003) 3"50 mount on HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265

(ANN004) HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265 with the Standing Naval Force Atlantic, Funchal, Madeira, 1977  //  Courtesy of Serge Joncas

(ANN005) HMCS ANNAPOLIS wins Anti-Submarine Warfare Training Proficiency Shield  //  Courtesy of Jean Viau

(ANN006) HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265, Jan 1969  //  Courtesy of Jean Viau

(ANN007) The ship's wheel of former HMCS ANNAPOLIS which was for sale at Trinity Marine

The Queen Mom chats with sailors on HMCS ANNAPOLIS during her visit to the ship - 18 Jul 1967

R-L: CPO Laye, CPO Hall, CPO Armston, PO2 Holland, LS Tanner, Pinkeron, and OS Normand Prevost

Courtesy of Bill Edison, P2ET

(NP01-NP02) The Queen Mother, accompanied by the CO of HMCS ANNAPOLIS inspected the ship's company - 18 Jul 1967

(NP03) OS Normand Prevost is introduced to the Queen Mother - 18 Jul 1967

(NP04) HMY BRITANNIA

(NP05-MP06) HMCS ANNAPOLIS - Escort to the Royal Yacht and the Queen Mother

Courtesy of Normand Prevost

(HG01) HMCS ANNAPOLIS - Escort to the Royal Yacht and the Queen Mother

(HG02) Memo accompanying change to the MARESC orders from HMY BRITANNIA

(HG03) The Queen Mum on HMCS ANNAPOLIS

(HG04) HMCS ANNAPOLIS conducts a sail-past of the BRITANNIA on completion of her escort duties and salutes the Queen Mother

HMCS ANNAPOLIS and Centennial Year

ANNAPOLIS spent the summer of 1967 in local waters. Her deployment can be divided into three phases: port visits to towns and cities in Eastern Canada, as escort for HMY Britannia for two weeks and as guard ship at Expo 67 in Montreal for three weeks. It was a wonderful summer and my recollection is that the crew thoroughly enjoyed showing the flag in local venues, some persons in places where they grew up. The only downside that summer was the unusually heavy fog across almost the entire Maritimes which made some port entries a bit tense and took away some of the festive atmosphere.

The ports visited for "Centennial Visits" over the period May to August were the following:  Baie-Comeau, St. John's, Bathurst, Corner Brook, Newcastle, Port aux Basques, Charlottetown, Quebec City, Souris and finally Montreal.

In July, ANNAPOLIS spent two weeks in station 1000 yards astern of HMY Britannia, with HM the Queen Mother on board and with only the occasional glimpse of the royal yacht. Almost all navigation and station keeping was done with radar.

The ports visited were the following, with HM seldom seeing the place she was visiting until she stepped ashore: Saint John, Summerside, St. Andrews, Shediac, Campobello, Sydney, Canso Lock, Charlottetown, Arisaig and St. John's where HM visited ANNAPOLIS to meet some of the ship's company. 

Note on the sail past photo: Prior to final departure as escort for the royal yacht we were stationed on HMY's port quarter. We cranked up to 25 knots. The wind was light and the sea was completely flat but there was a considerable swell causing the ship to pitch heavily, especially at speed. The foc'sle crew was hanging on for dear life.

ANNAPOLIS was one of the first DDHs with an operational Helicopter Air Detachment (helairdet). Trials were conducted in early 1967 and a CHSS-2 was deployed with ANNAPOLIS for the remainder of her commission.

(HG05) HS50 Helairdet 1967

(HG06)  Beartrap trials in Halifax Harbour Apr 1967

(HG07) A clean flight deck is a safe flight deck

(HG08) This is how it's done

HG09) Helairdet commander, LCdr. Jean Véronneau

( HG10-HG12) HMCS ANNAPOLIS covered in ice during Helo Heavy Weather Trials - Jan 1968.  In  early 1968 ANNAPOLIS was tasked with heavy weather trials for the flight deck. We sailed in January looking for rough weather – and found it! The ship iced up so severely that, on at least one occasion, lower decks were cleared to chip ice – a rather unpleasant experience. I don’t recall what useful work got done under these conditions but suspect it was not very much.

(HG13-14) Storm Damage - Jan 1968

(HG15-HG16) HMCS OTTAWA 229, HMCS FRASER 233, HMCS ASSINIBOINE 234, HMCS RESTIGOUCHE 257 and HMCS NIPIGON 266 alongside in San Juan, PR during WUPS - Feb/Mar 1967.  Flags are at half-mast for the death of Governor General George Vanier

(HG17) Naval Assembly in Halifax - 1967

(HG18) HMCS ANNAPOLIS arrival at Dublin, Ireland 12-15 Sep 1968

(19) USSR Kotlin Class during Exercise Silver Tower 16-29 Sept 1968

(HG20) ANNAPOLIS Helairdet Sept 1968 including deployment to Europe and the Eastern Arctic for Exercise Silver Tower 16-29 Sept.  //  (Standing L-R)  "Goose" McClellan, Doug Robinson, Herb Harzan, Herb Parsons, Willie Madder, Ron Zboril. (Front)  Bob Henderson.

(HG21) HMCS PROVIDER - photo taken from HMCS ANNAPOLIS during a RAS  - Sep 1968

(HG22) HMCS ANNAPOLIS arriving at Portsmouth, England for a port visit 14-22 Oct 1968

(HG23) HMCS ANNAPOLIS at Norfolk, VA Norfolk, 30 Nov - 4 Dec 1968. The Commissioning of HMCS RAINBOW taking place across the jetty on 02 Dec 1968

(HG24) Port visit to USNA Annapolis, Maryland 5-10 Dec 1968

From the collection of /  Courtesy of Heinz Gohlish, Lt (N), RCN / C.A.F.

(AF01) Newspaper article on the last tot issued on HMCS ANNAPOLIS

(AF02) Garnet Estabrooks preparing to issue the last tot on board HMCS ANNAPOLIS, Mar 1972

(AF03) Art Fallas (right) receiving his last official tot on HMCS ANNAPOLIS, March 1972

(AF04) LS Sonny Gray on the flight deck of HMCS ANNAPOLIS, circa 1971-1973

(AF05) Lorne Baird and Art Fallas "up the stick" on HMCS ANNAPOLIS

(AF06) HMCS ANNAPOLIS tied up outboard of HMS BELFAST, London, England

Life below decks in #1 Mess, HMCS ANNAPOLIS, 1971-1973

(AF07-AF08) Tot time in #1 Mess

(AF09) L-R: Brian Patrick and Harry Israel

(AF10) L-R: Thom Scheldrick and Harry Israel

(AF11) L-R: Wayne Oliver and Harry Israel, Feb 1972

Life below decks in #1 Mess, HMCS ANNAPOLIS, 1971-1973

(AF12) L-R: Thom Scheldrick, Rick Rogers and Art Fallas

(AF13) L-R: Wayne Oliver, Mo Alain, Art Fallas, ??, Harry Israel

(AF14) L-R: Lorne Baird, Mo Alain, Art Fallas

(AF15) L-R: Lorne Baird, Wayne Oliver and Art Fallas

(AF16) Mo Alain

Life below decks in #1 Mess, HMCS ANNAPOLIS, 1971-1973

(AF17) Rick Rogers

HMCS ANNAPOLIS - Sailing south to the Caribbean - Canada at War Series 1971-1973

Webmaster's note:  Canada was not at war at this time ... this is just sailor's humour

(AF18) Tanning Stations - Art Fallas relaxing on the foc'sle. Note the can of Olands beer

(AF19-AF20) Tanning Stations

(AF21) Three sailors modeling the latest Canadian Armed Forces tropical rig

(AF22) Art Fallas on the STBD wing

Courtesy of Art Fallas

HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265 conducting a RAS with RAS Hr Ms Poolster - NATO 1975

Photo taken from Hr Ms Hr MS Poolster

Courtesy of Cor van Dongen, Ttelegrafist Royal Dutch Navy 1972-1979

Crossing the line on HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265 in 1988

Crossing the line on HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265 in 1988

Courtesy of Stephane Tardif

HMCS ANNAPOLIS 1982 - The Happy Ship

After about 30 days at sea during an extended exercise the heads of department and crew members were asked for creative ideas to boost morale and relieve boredom. The Air Department came up with using Happy Faces. These photos show the result.  Gary recalls learning a valuable lesson in planning ahead ... on the return trip to Halifax he discovered there wasn't any shipside grey paint left to restore the hanger door. So she was showing her happy face to the world for several days back alongside.

Artwork by A/B Tom Taylor and M/S Gary Gunnell

Gary Gunnell provided these photos and anecdote

Courtesy of Dave Borrowman