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For Posterity's Sake
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS
CRESCENT R16 / 226
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HMCS Crescent R16
From the collection of H.J. Simmons
Courtesy of RCSCC Bowmanville
Click on the photo to view a larger image
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Laid down: 16
Sep
1943
Launched: 20
Jul 1944
Commissioned: 10
Sep 1945
Paid
off: 25 Feb 1953 for Type 15 conversion refit
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Re-commissioned:
1956
Paid off: 01
Apr 1970
Fate:
Broken up in or after 1971
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In Jan 1945, after a year's discussion, the British Admiralty
agreed to lend the RCN a flotilla of "C" Class destroyers
for use against the Japanese. The Pacific war ended, however, before
any of the eight ships had been completed, and only two were
transferred. The previous ships to bear their names, Crescent and
Crusader, had been lost during the war as HMC Ships Fraser and
Ottawa; this time they retained their names although the transfer
was made permanent in 1951. Crescent
and Crusader were virtually identical to Algonquin and Sioux,
differing principally in having only one set of torpedo tubes and in
being armed with 4.5-inch guns instead of 4.7-inch. Both ships were
commissioned on the Clyde in 1945, Crescent on 10 Sep 1945 and
Crusader on 15 Nov 1945. Crescent
arrived at Esquimalt in Nov 1945, having made the journey via the Azores and the West
Indies. Crescent
carried out training duties until taken in hand for a major
conversion. She emerged in 1956 as a "fast A/S frigate,"
following an RN pattern which entailed stripping her to deck level,
extending the fo'c's'le right aft, erecting new superstructure, and
fitting completely new armament. She was now a near-sister to
Algonquin, which had undergone similar transformation earlier. On 15
Jan 1958 HMCS Cayuga 218,
HMCS Crescent 226, HMCS Fraser 233, HMCS Margaree 230, HMCS Skeena
207 departed Esquimalt, BC, for a Far Eastern Training cruise. In
Feb 1959, HMCS Crescent and HMCS Assiniboine met at San Diego and exchanged
crews. Crescent was paid off at Esquimalt on 01 Apr 1970. She left
Victoria with Algonquin on 21 Apr 1971, for Taiwan, to be broken
up. She arrived at Taiwan on 15 May 1971.
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Commanding Officers |
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LCdr Charles Patrick Nixon, DSC,
RCN - 10 Sep 1945 - 17 Dec 1946
LCdr J.C. O'Brien,
RCN - 18 Dec 1946 - 04 Jan 1948
LCdr John Alexander Charles,
RCN - 05 Jan 1948 - 15 Nov 1948
LCdr D.W. Groos, DSC,
RCN - 16 Nov 1948 - 01 Dec 1949
LCdr G.H. Hayes, DSC,
RCN - 26 Sep 1950 - 24 Sep 1951
Lt J.K. Hason, MBE,
RCN - 25 Sep 1951 - 12 Oct 1951
Cdr J.C. Littler,
RCN - 13 Oct 1951 - 14 Sep 1952
LCdr James Robert Boardman Coulter,
RCN - 15 Sep 1952 - 15 Feb 1953
LCdr Donald Lloyd Davies,
RCN - 16 Feb 1953 - 25 Feb 1953
Capt Paul Darymple Taylor, DSC,
RCN - 31 Oct 1955 - 10 Mar 1957 |
Capt Michael Grote Stirling,
RCN - 11 Mar 1957 - 17 May 1957
LCdr Lloyd Irwin Jones,
RCN - 18 May 1957 - 15 Aug 1957
Capt Michael Grote Stirling,
RCN - 16 Aug 1957 - 20 Jun 1958
Capt James Charles Pratt,
RCN - 21 Jun 1958 - 18 Feb 1959
Cdr James Robert Boardman Coulter,
RCN - 19 Feb 1959 - 14 Sep 1959
Capt R.W. Murdock,
RCN - 15 Sep 1959 - 11 Jun 1961
Cdr Peleg Howland Cayley,
RCN - 12 Jun 1961 - 11 Jul 1962
Capt Arthur David McPhee,
RCN - 12 Jul 1962 - 11 Apr 1963
Cdr Vincent John Murphy,
RCN - 12 Apr 1963 - 22 Oct 1964
Cdr H.C. LaRose,
RCN - 23 Oct 1964 - 12 Aug 1966 |
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In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget
- Book of Remembrance entry 
- Grave or burial information
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KELLY,
James Aubrey
LS, 3670,
RCN
MPK - 04 Nov 1946
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MASON,
John Kingsford Herbert
Lt, O-46990, RCN
died - 17 Apr 1952
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten |
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A-B
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Anderson, Hugh Lorne
____-____ |
Andrews,
James Kenneth
1928-2008 |
Anslow,
John R.B. ____-2009 |
Bagshaw,
Lawrence Brian
1914-1998 |
Bernard, Pierre
1918-2015 |
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Berryman,
Bryan John
____-2014 |
Birch-Jones,
Peter Meredith
1925-2009 |
Boggild,
Kai Hugh
____-2002
Served in Crescent in 1949 as Lt
(N), RCN, NavO
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Bond,
Jean-Noel
1931-2017 |
Bonoyer,
Roger Agenor 1922-2007
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Bowness,
Kendrick Warren
1928-2016
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Bradford,
Sydney Howard 1929-2016 |
Bridges,
Richard James Baskerville
1923-1998
Served in Crescent 1947 - 1948
as P1RP and 1958 - 1959 as P1RPI |
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C-D |
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Cairney,
John Dorrian
1929-2010 |
Cavenagh,
Orfeur John Alan
1925-2015
Served in Crescent in 1951 as
NavO |
Charles,
John Alexander 1918-2010
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Clackson,
Donald Richard
1935-2014
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Coady,
Francis Earl Matthew
____-2004
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Cormier,
Clarence Noel
1938-2016 |
Coulter,
James Robert Boardman
1920-2004
8th Commanding Officer
15th Commanding Officer |
Crossley,
Sidney Ross
1920-2008
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Crowley,
Michael Joseph Patrick
1929-2015
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Davies,
Harold Lindsay
1936-2011
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Down,
John Trenchard 1921-2003
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Dubowski,
Steve John
1922-2013
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E-F |
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Etherington, J.E.
1932-2015 |
Flanagan,
Leonard George
1931-2013 |
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G-H |
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Gammon,
Bryan T.
1929-2008 |
Graydon,
Leslie Patrick
1929-2015 |
Guy,
Rex Geoffrey ____-2006 |
Hughes,
Victor Wesley
1929-2001 |
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I-J |
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Jeffers,
William Cameron
____-2015 |
Johnson,
Kenneth E.
1931-2017 |
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K-L |
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Kilbride,
Gerald
1931-2006 |
Kirby,
Richmond Hill
1929-2006
Served in Crescent in 1963 as
CCC1 SQN TAS Officer |
Lambie,
Vincent Frederick
1927-2009
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Leroux,
Lorne Emeril
1942-2011
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Little, Vernon
Earle
1924-1979
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M-N |
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MacDonald,
John
____-1963 |
MacFarlane,
George Richard
1922-2000
Drafted to Crescent 28 Jul 1947
as Lt, RCN, NavO |
Marcus,
Daniel Leonard
____-2008 |
McArdle,
Christopher Charles
1934-2017 |
Melvin,
Dave Wallace
1928-2013 |
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Muncaster,
Douglas Albert
1925-2008 |
Munday,
Robert William
1938-2009 |
Murphy,
Vincent
John
1923-2011
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Myers,
Frank S. 1928-2017
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Neale,
John
____-2010
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Nixon,
Charles Patrick
1917-2008
1st Commanding Officer |
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O-P |
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Paulson, Frank
1931-1993 |
Peers,
Robert Claude Kenrick
1927-2017
Served in Crescent in 1949 |
Peters,
Joseph Henry
1923-2009 |
Pratt,
James Charles
____-1994
14th Commanding Officer |
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Q-R |
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Rhymes,
Reginald Heber
1926-2006
Served
in Crescent 23 Nov 1964 - 04 Nov 1965 as a P1SN3, RCN
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Roberts,
Ralph
Donald
1931-2012
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S-T |
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Sauder,
Wilton H.
1927-2016
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Simpson,
John Burton
1939-2012
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Smedley,
Charles Stanley
1910-1969
Served in Crescent in 1947 as CD
Gunner (T)
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Smith, Ronald Lorne
____-2014
Drafted to Crescent in 1957
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Spalding,
James Dixon
1938-2016
Served in Crescent in 1964 as Lt,
RCN, OpsO
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Squire,
Thomas Alan
1927-2009
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Staicue,
Roy
____-2017
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Sutherland,
George Ross
1927-2014
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Taylor,
Paul Dalrymple
1910-1989
10th Commanding Officer
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Taylor,
Robert Dewey
1920-2010
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Teeple,
Clarence Norman
1935-2015
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Tilley,
Harold
1923-2013
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U-V |
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Vassos,
Jack
1928-2014
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W-X |
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Whitley,
Lloyd Arnold
1939-2015
Served in Crescent as a PO Shipwright/Hull Tech |
Williams,
William Robert
1925-2001
Served in Crescent 11 Jul 1946
- 28 Apr 1948 as AB LTO, Elect. Mate 1c and Elect 5c, RCN
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Witwicki,
Anthony 1927-2006 |
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Former Crew Members
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Abraham, John Edward, A/Cd/Gnr - 25 Jun 1951
Andrews, Harvey John, A/Bosn, RCN - 01 Jul 1945
Bennetts, Hank - 1948
Brown, Donald (Buster), RCN - Jan 1958 - Apr 1958
Brown, Harry - 1948
Carr, Alister Gordon, A/Lt (L), RCN - 18 Jun 1951
Chambers, (Popeye) - 1948
Clements, Bob - 1948
Crump, David Ainslie, Slt, RCN - 28 Jul 1947
Denison, Frederick Edwin, Wt/Ord, RCN - 28 Jun 1948
Gardner, Melvin Thomas, A/Lt, RCN - 28 Jun 1948
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German, Andrew Barry Carford, Lt, RCN - 19 Jun 1947
Greene, Justin Wilfred de Puisaye, Lt, RCN(R) - 01 Apr 1946 / 18 May
1946
Hunt, William George, Slt, RCN(R) - 26 Jun 1946
James, Dick - 1948
Jamieson, William Malcolm, Lt (S), RCN - 29 May 1948
Kruncki, Ned - 1948
Lawrence, Harold (Hal) Ernest Thomas, Lt (G), RCN - 26 May 1947
Malott, Fred
Moore,
Art D. - 04 Sep 1964
Ridge, Samuel Archibald, A/Gnr (T) - 13 Apr 1946
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Savory, John Alfred, LCdr (E), RCNVR - 29 May 1945 (Stand by)
Schleen, Donald C. 
Stewart, George Charles, Lt (E), RCN - 04 Jun 1949
Tofflemire, Bob, RP
Treherne, Thomas Claude, Lt (S), RCN - 13 Apr 1947
Turner, John Russell, Cd (E), RCN - 28 Jun 1946
Tuttle, Ernest, PO - 1949
Waters, Donald Mackenzie, Lt, RCN - 12 Jul 1945
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Photos
and Documents
Links
Personal
photo gallery of Reginald Heber (Smokey) Rhymes
Personal
photo gallery of Vernon Little
Personal
photo gallery of William Robert Williams
"To
Many Chiefs and Not Enough Seamen" - The case of HMCS Crescent, 1949
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