HMCS IROQUOIS 280

IROQUOIS Class Destroyer

First of her class, she was built by Marine Industries Ltd. at Sorel and commissioned on 29 July 1972.  In 1978, a fairly typical year for the period, she took part in exercises off Portugal, with French units in the Bay of Biscay, and with German units off the coast of Denmark, returning home on 07 Jul 1978 after logging some 14,300 nautical miles. In Sep 1980, IROQUOIS was the subject of shock trials for the 280 class. These took place off the coast of Nova Scotia.  After the 3rd and largest of the explosions, IROQUOIS had to be towed. During this evolution, one of the tow lines parted and killed a crewman, Robert J. Purcell, on the tug Glenevis. On 4/5 Dec 1983, while on fishery patrol off the Grand Banks, IROQUOIS answered a SOS from the Panamanian-registered Ho Ming 5, in danger of capsizing owing to shifting cargo. In gale-force winds, the destroyer’s Sea King took off eleven of the twenty-man crew, the remaining nine being rescued by her Zodiacs. Eighteen of her ship’s company were decorated for their bravery during the episode. She underwent her TRUMP refit between 01 Nov 1989 and 03 Jul 1992. Between 25 Sep 1993 and 15 Apr 1994 served with the blockading force off the former Yugoslavia. While so employed she conducted 98 boarding. Relived by HMCS HALIFAX on 15 Apr 1994, she returned to Halifax, arriving on 25 Apr 1994. She was appointed flagship of Maritime Operations Group 1 (MOG 1) on 17 Jun 1995. Maritime Operations Group 1 left Halifax on 22 Feb 1996 and headed south for exercises, stopping in Grenada where she played host to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and a number of Caribbean heads of state. Aug 1998 saw IROQUOIS replace ATHABASKAN as flagship of the NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic (SNFL). She returned to Halifax on 15 Dec 1998.

On 21 Mar 2000, IROQUOIS, as a member of a Canadian Task Group, left Halifax and headed south for spring exercises. While enroute south, news arrived that the bulk carrier Leader L. had gone down some 700 kilometres northeast of Bermuda. The task group was re-directed to offer assistance. When all was said and done, 13 survivors were picked up along with six bodies, 12 sailors were missing. IROQUOIS landed the survivors and bodies in Bermuda before rejoining the task group.  Click here to read a write-up by Rear-Admiral John Newton on the Leader L. rescue

On 17 Oct 2001, with CHARLOTTETOWN and PRESERVER, IROQUOIS departed Halifax for the Arabian Sea to support a U.S.- led coalition against international terrorism. Returning to Halifax on 27 Apr 2002, in the course of that 193-day deployment, she spent 171 days at sea, 51 of them consecutively, one of the longest continuous patrols in the history of the RCN. Soon after departing Halifax for a second deployment to the Arabian Sea, on 27 Feb 2003 she suffered a Sea King crash on deck, fortunately without serious injuries. Upon arriving in the Arabian Sea, she served as the flagship of the multi-national Task Force 151 from Mar to July 2003. She made a third deployment to the Arabian Sea as flagship of the multi-national Task Force 150, Jun-Sep 2008. In her last years of service, she performed two major representational voyages: to Baltimore MD in Jun 2012 for the War of 1812 Bicentennial; and to Liverpool UK in May 2013 for the 70th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic. In 2014, it was found the rust had caused extensive damage to her hull and she was laid up alongside Halifax - deemed not worth repairing. IROQUOIS was paid-off on 01 May 2015 at HMC Dockyard, Halifax.  At 1600 on 24 Nov 2016, under tow from the tug Atlantic Spruce, the former HMCS IROQUOIS departed Halifax en route to Liverpool, NS and the breaker's yard.

The 5"54 cal gun on the 280s were named after the Oto Melara technicians who built and did the FSR work in Canada.  The names for the guns were as follows:  IROQUOIS - Pasquale, HURON - Tulio, ATHABASKAN - Leno and ALGONQUIN - Luigi.

RCN Memories:     My First Voyage     Out of Bounds to Unauthorized Personnel     Shock Trial Memories - HMCS IROQUOIS

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos          The Ship's Bell          Commissioning book          Paying off book

Commanding Officers

Coxswains

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

GRAHAM, Brian J.

MS, RCN / C.A.F.

died - 27 Oct 1980

     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

Former Crew Members

(CC) commissioning crew

Photos and Documents

IRO001

(IRO001) HMCS IROQUOIS under construction at Sorel, Que, 21 Jan 1971

Courtesy of Mike England

(IRO002 - IRO003 HMCS IROQUOIS 280 under construction at Marine Industries Ltd.,  Sorel, Que  //  DND Photos

(IRO004 - IRO007) HMCS IROQUOIS 280 under construction at Marine Industries Ltd.,  Sorel, Que  //  DND Photos

(IRO008 - IRO11) The launching of HMCS IROQUOIS 280 at Marine Industries Ltd.,  Sorel, Que. 28 Nov 1970  //  DND Photos

(IRO012 - IRO016) Photos of HMCS IROQUOIS 280 taken at various time frames - pre-Trump  //  DND Photos

(IRO017 - IRO021) Photos of HMCS IROQUOIS 280 taken at various time frames - pre-Trump  //  DND Photos

(IRO022) Artist's rendition of a 280 at sea  //  Courtesy of Hugh Muir

(IRO023) Battle board for HMCS IROQUOIS 280  //  Courtesy of Jarrod David

(IRO024) HMCS IROQUOIS 280 launches a Sea Sparrow missile off Peurto Rico, 1976

(IRO025) Willy Wilson lucky winner of a charity raffle to fly off IROQUOIS early before arrival in Halifax c1978  //  Courtesy of Brian Lapierre

(IRO026) HMCS IROQUOIS - 22 Oct 1979  //  Courtesy of Jim Brannen

(IRO027 - IRO029) Up Spirits!! HMCS IROQUOIS 1979

(IRO030 - IRO034) Up Spirits!! HMCS IROQUOIS 1979

Tot time HMCS Iroquois 1979 - Then Commodore Edwards bought himself the rum barrel and wanted to commission it properly. What better way to do it than at sea, on a Sunday, off Trafalgar. UP SPIRITS ME LADS. Most famous comment of the day was by one OS who looked at me with glassy eyes and asked "Chief, is it true you guys did this every day?". Even the Commodore laughed.

Courtesy Ted Kendall, Communicator

HMCS IROQUOIS 280 - Shock Trials - Sep 1980

Fifteen photos taken during HMCS IROQUOIS' shock trials.  Photos were taken at 1/2 second intervals.

            © / Courtesy of Michael Sleigh - 1980

Click here to view the photo of the Shock Trials Crew - taken O/C of the shock trials

(IRO049) HMCS IROQUOIS 280 during Shock Trails - Sep 1980  //  Courtesy of Michael Gilbert

(IRO050) Write-up on the rescue of the crew of the Ho Ming 5 by HMCS IROQUOIS 280 on 05 Dec 1983.  Four of HMCS IROQUOIS' Crew awarded the Star of Courage

(IRO051) Chief of Defence Staff Commendation to the crew of HMCS IROQUOIS for the Ho Ming 5 rescue  //  Courtesy of George Damczyk

(IRO052) Admiral Wood presenting PO2 Willy Wilson with a certificate relating to the Ho Ming 5 Rescue in Dec 1983  //  Courtesy of Brian Lapierre

(DM01) The rescue of the crew of Ho Ming 5 by HMCS IROQUOIS - 05 Dec 1983.  One of IROQUOIS' zodiacs is at the bottom right just below the stern of the Ho Ming 5

(DM02-DM06) Newspaper articles on the rescue of the Ho Ming 5 by HMCS IROQUOIS on 05 Dec 1983

DM07

(DM07) Article from the SENTINEL magazine on the rescue of the Ho Ming 5's crew by HMCS IROQUOIS

Courtesy of Dennis Morrison

(IRO053) HMCS IROQUOIS 280 - NATO 1985 entering Den Helder, Holland  //  Courtesy of Dennis Burton

(IRO054 - IRO057) HMCS IROQUOIS crew members jigging cod at Virgin Rocks, Grand Banks, 1986 on the way home from a four month Standing Naval Force Atlantic deployment  //  Courtesy of John Newton, Rear-Admiral, RCN

(JL01) IOL preparations on HMCS IROQUOIS 280

(JL02) Deck Department HMCS IROQUOIS with Buffer front and centre

(JL03) Deck department HMCS IROQUOIS

(JL04) Deck dept. and FX part ship hands prepare HMCS IROQUOIS to be taken in tow by HMCS Charlottetown 339

(JL05) A few crew members of HMCS IROQUOIS

(JL06) Deck Department HMCS IROQUOIS 280

(JL07) Deck department HMCS IROQUOIS 280 at Christmas time

(JL08) CO and XO of HMCS IROQUOIS 280 on bridge wing

(JL09) Naval Landing Boarding Party from HMCS IROQUOIS 280

(JL10) "Another nice day at sea" on HMCS IROQUOIS 280

(JL11) Prayers onboard HMCS IROQUOIS 280

(JL12) 27 Feb 2003 - Sea King helicopter crashes on flight deck of HMCS IROQUOIS three days after departing Halifax to become flagship of multi-national Task Force 151 in Persian Gulf region. Two of the four helicopter crewmembers sustained minor injuries in the crash. IROQUOIS forced to return to Halifax

Courtesy of John Le Forte

(MC001 - MC004) Sequence of 4 photos showing an A/S mortar exploding astern of HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC005) Flying fish dinner on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC006) Hangar on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 with two Sea Kings on board circa 1982-84

(MC007) Banyan on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC008 - MC009) Banyan on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC010) Lorn Joudry and Lionel MacEachran. Banyan on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC012) Preparing for TOWEX on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC013) Banyan on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84. Someone drinking beer through a pipe

(MC014) Wardroom of HMCS IROQUOIS 280 set for breakfast circa 1982-84

(MC015) Storm in the Bermuda Triangle. Photo taken from IROQUOIS

(MC016) "That's gotta hurt".  Casualty clearing exercise on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC017) "Lionel is okay".  Casualty clearing exercise on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC018) Billy Boulet and Lionel MacEachran. 1 Mess settee area HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC019) Breakfast being served in the wardroom circa 1982-84

(MC020) Leading Seaman Danny Nadeau circa 1982-84

(MC021) Master Seaman Guy Simms circa 1982-84

(MC022) PO1 Ron Halverson, HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC023) (L-R) Guy Simms, Mitch Cormier, Ron Halverson, Jack Budge and Serge Poulin on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC024) Sea Sparrow Missile on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC025) Billy Boulet on the flight deck of HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC26) Torpedo tubes on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

(MC027) Zodiac on the quarterdeck of HMCS IROQUOIS 280 circa 1982-84

Courtesy of Mitch Cormier

(IRO058) Mortar well door on HMCS IROQUOIS during EX MARCOT 84  //  Courtesy of Pierre (Landry) Hébert

(IRO059) Mario Cordeau, Met Tech (aka Weather Witch) on HMCS IROQUOIS 280 - 1987  //  Courtesy of Mario Cordeau

(IRO060) HMCS IROQUOIS' Schedule for 1988

(IRO061) "Stand Easy", HMCS IROQUOIS 10 Mess Mascott

(IRO062) "Battle Ensign" for HMCS IROQUOIS 280 - this flag was flown at ships events and while conducting a RAS

(IRO063) Article on HMCS IROQUOIS rescuing crew of the stricken Leader L.  //   March 25, 2000. From: Associated Press

(IRO064) HMCS IROQUOIS 280 departing St. John's, Newfoundland - 2010  //  Photographer: Gary Morgan

(IRO065) HMCS IROQUOIS lit up for Christmas 2013

(IRO066) HMCS IROQUOIS - date unknown

(IRO067) Photo of waterspouts in the Mediterranean. Seen from HMCS IROQUOIS  //  Courtesy of Stevan Ellis Hulan

The last missile shoot by HMCS IROQUOIS 280

This photos are screen captures from the videos taken of the missile shoot

Courtesy of  Robert Cox

(IRO068) The last missile being removed from HMCS IROQUOIS, Oct 2014

Source: Facebook / Photographer: unknown