HMCS COWICHAN J146

 

Bangor Class Minesweeper

 


 

HMCS COWICHAN J146

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Battle honours and awards:  Atlantic  1941-43,   Normandy  1944

 

 

Laid down: 24 Apr 1940

Launched: 08 Sep 1940

Commissioned: 04 Jul 1941

Paid off: 09 Oct 1945

Fate: Sold in 1946. Final disposition unknown

 

Built by North Vancouver Ship repairs Ltd., she was commissioned at Vancouver on 04 Jul 1941. She sailed from Esquimalt for Halifax on 06 Aug 1941 arriving on 10 Sep 1941. After working up in Bermuda she was initially assigned to Halifax Local Defence Force, but was transferred in Jan 1942, to Newfoundland Force and in September to WLEF. With WLEF's division into escort groups in Jun 1943, COWICHAN became a member of EG W-6. She remained with the group until Feb 1944, when she was ordered to the U.K. for invasion duties. She left Halifax on 19 Feb 1944 with CARAQUET, MALPEQUE and VEGREVILLE via the Azores for Plymouth, arriving on 13 Mar 1944. Assigned to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla, she was present on D-Day. COWICHAN returned to Canada for refit late in 19 Feb 1945, but resumed her duties overseas in June.  Proceeding home in Sep 1945, she was paid off on 09 Oct 1945, and placed in reserve at Shelburne. Sold in 1946 to a New York buyer and converted for mercantile purposes under Greek flag, she still existed in 1956 under her original name.

 


 

Photos and Documents          Ship's Company Photos

 

Currie McMillan - A witness to history marks solemn day          The Thirty-First Minesweeping Flotilla

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

Lt Ronald Jackson, RCNR - 13 Jun 1941 - 01 Dec 1941

Lt Richard Jackson, RCNR - 02 Dec 1941 - 14 Feb 1943

A/Lt John Richard Kidston, RCNVR - 15 Feb 1942 - 25 Oct 1942

A/LCdr Kenneth William N. Hall, RCNR - 26 Oct 1942 - 22 Apr 1945

Skpr/Lt Henry William Stone, RCNR - 23 Apr 1945 - 09 Oct 1945

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

O'LEARY, Stanley M.

SA, RCNVR

died - 13 Nov 1944

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Allen, William Graham, SLt, RCNVR - 02 May 1942

 

Artmont, Joseph Aloysius, SLt, RCNVR - 02 Apr 1945

 

Barbour, John, Wt (E), RCNR - 02 May 1945

 

Bolt, Lew (of St. Thomas, ON)

 

Calland, John Christopher Hatton, Lt, RCNVR - 02 Jul 1942

 

Carcaud, John James, Mate, RCNR - 01 Jul 1941

 

Collier, Bud, Sig

 

Douglas, James Forsyth, Lt (E), RCN(R) - 04 Jul 1941

 

Enright, Vern (of Ottburne, MB)

 

Feeban, Vince, Tel

 

Goddard, Perry, Coder

 

Graham, Adam Henry, SLt (E), RCNVR - 24 Jul 1943

 

Hare, Patrick David, Lt, RCNVR - 29 May 1945

 

Henshaw, Bill, Tel

 

Humphries, James Gordon, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Feb 1943 / 07 Mar 1945

 

Kelly, John, Coder

Kidston, John Richard, Lt, RCNVR - 01 Jul 1941 / 04 Jul 1941

 

Kimbo, Charles (of Newton Brook, ON)

 

Lane, Ken (of Verdun, QC)

 

Levitt, Rick, V33669, RCNVR - 26 Jan 1944

 

MacFarlane, Mel (of Calgary)

 

MacKenzie, Donald Allan, SLt, RCNVR - 01 Jul 1941 / 04 Jul 1941

 

Maxwell, Pat, Tel (of Winnipeg)

 

McVicer, John Anthony, SLt, RCNVR - 28 May 1945

 

Norman, Stan, Sig (of Toronto)

 

Slone, Al, L/Sig

 

Smith, Tom, L/Tel

 

Stock, Valentine Norbert, SLt, RCNVR - 24 Apr 1945

 

Stone, Henry William, Ch/Skpr, RCNR - 07 Feb 1942 / 31Jul 1943

 

Tait, John Cameron, SLt, RCNVR - 01 Jun 1945

 

Tarleton, Grafton Weedon, Lt, RCNVR  12 Feb 1944

 

Thomas, Gordon James, SLt, RCNVR

 

Wight, Bruce (of Winnipeg)

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

 

HMCS COWICHAN J146

 

DND / RCN Photo

HMCS COWICHAN J146

 

DND / RCN Photo

HMCS COWICHAN 31st Minesweeping Flotilla jacket patch

 

Courtesy of Ted Orlowski

 


 

JL01

JL02

JL03

JL04

JL05

(JL01) HMCS COWICHAN J146

(JL02) The totem pole of HMCS COWICHAN mounted on her bridge. This was given to the ship for good luck by the Cowichan First Nation and it was never to be painted.

(JL03) Sailors on HMCS COWICHAN J146 prepare her minesweeping gear. Other minesweepers visible astern

(JL04) Harold Hague by the 20-inch signal lamp on the bridge of HMCS COWICHAN J146

(JL05) Jim Leslie (left) and Pat Maxwell onboard HMCS COWICHAN J146

 

JL06

JL07

JL08

JL09

JL10

(JL06) Painting onboard HMCS COWICHAN J146 - front: Harold Hague - back: Stan Norman (left) and Jim Leslie

(JL07) Mel MacFarlane ashore - location unknown

(JL08) Sig Jim Leslie on HMCS COWICHAN J146

(JL09) Unknown minesweeper - possibly HMCS LACHINE J266 or HMCS TRURO J268

(JL10) Communicators mess on HMCS COWICHAN J146

From the collection of Jim Leslie, Sig, RCNVR

Courtesy of Norm Leslie


 

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