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For Posterity's Sake 
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS MINAS
J165 / 189
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Gunshield art |
HMCS Minas J165
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Post wartime badge
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Battle honours and awards: Atlantic
1941-44, Normandy 1944
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Laid down: 18
Oct
1940 Launched: 22
Jan 1941
Commissioned: 02
Aug 1941
Paid off: 06
Oct 1945
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Re-acquired by RCN: 1952
Re-Commissioned: 15 Mar 1955
Paid off:
07 Nov 1955
Fate: Sold for scrap in 1958. Broken up in 1959
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Named for Minas Basin in the Bay of Fundy, she
was built at Vancouver and commissioned there 02 Aug 1941. She
sailed for Halifax on 13 Sep 1941, arriving on 19 Oct 1941. After
brief service with Sydney Force, she was assigned in Jan 1942,
to Newfoundland Force. In Nov 1942 she transferred to WLEF, and
when WLEF was divided into escort groups in Jun 1943, she became a
member of EG W-7. That December she was re-assigned to W-4. On 01
Feb 1943, she collided with HMS Liscomb outside Halifax, necessitating
a month's repairs. Minas left Halifax for the U.K. on 20 Feb
1944, with Blairmore, Fort William and Milltown, via the Azores. on
arrival in the U.K. on 08 Mar 1944, she was assigned to the 31st
Minesweeping Flotilla for invasion duties, and was on hand on D-Day.
In Sep 1944 she proceeded to Canada to refit at Dartmouth, N.S.,
returning to Plymouth in Jan 1945. There she rejoined the 31st
Flotilla until she sailed again for Canada on 04 Sep 1945. She was
paid off into reserve at Shelburne on 06 Oct 1945, and later
moved to Sorel, but was re-acquired by the RCN in 1952 and
re-commissioned on 15 Mar 1955 for training on the west
coast. Paid off on 07 Nov 1955, she was sold in Aug
1958, and broken up at Seattle in 1959.
Minas' return to Canada:
After the invasion of Normandy and after we had completed most of the work
that we needed to do there, we got sent back to Canada for a refit and I
remember the day, we got word, pick up a convoy that was sailing back to
Canada, to America. And we headed from the English Channel out, we were
working in the English Channel at the time and we headed into the Atlantic
to pick this convoy and we went by the Channel Islands. At this time, the
Channel Islands had not yet surrendered and they’re still occupied by
Germans. And of course, to us, I guess we didn’t know it at the time and
we could see the beach over there on our left and we could see the water
actually slopping up on the beach and we were sailing past it, happy as
hell, heading back to Canada when all of a sudden, the big guns on the
island start firing on us. We were a little minesweeper all by ourself. The
old man [Lt. James Barrett Lamb], quick thinking guy, he just ordered the
ship to turn toward the island and the next salvo, you know, these are 12
inch guns I think, and the next salvo went over the top and some of them
exploded in the air and some of them, when they hit the water. And then he
ordered black smoke. (Source: The Memory Project - excerpt for the entry
of William Lorne Empey)
Minas' return to Canada: Minas
had been working off the coast of France when it was ordered back to Canada
and the skipper, James B Lamb, wanted to take the shortest route possible.
He didn’t take into account that the Channel Islands were still in German
hands and that his course was well within the range of their big guns. All
hell was breaking loose around them and the skipper had ordered smoke but
for some unknown reason there was none. My father (Hugh Menzies) was not on
watch at the time and made his way to the engine room as fast as he could
and was able to produce the requested smoke screen. According to my father,
the stoker on duty was quite notorious for making smoke when not required or
wanted and when they needed it badly it couldn’t be produced. He explained
that the some damage was done to the superstructure and the crew was told to
keep quiet about it and as far as I know the incident was never reported. My
father and the rest of the crew had a good deal of respect for Lamb even
though he was younger than many of them. (From the memoirs of Hugh
Cameron Menzies, Sto PO, submitted by his son Bill Menzies)
Photos and Documents
Ship's
company photos The
Ship's Bell
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Commanding Officers |
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Lt J.C. Barbour,
RCNR - 02 Aug 1941 - 24 Nov 1941
Lt J.C. Barbour,
RCNR - 02 Dec 1941 - 13 Sep 1942
Lt William Frederick Wood,
RCNR - 14 Sep 1942 - 17 Jun 1943 |
Lt James Barrett Lamb,
RCNVR - 18 Jun 1943 - 25 Oct 1944
Lt John Gault Kingsmill,
RCNVR - 26 Oct 1944 - 01 Sep 1945
LCdr Kenneth Albert Stone,
RCN - 15 Mar 1955 - 07 Nov 1955 |
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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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Bailie,
Theodore S.
1922-2014 |
Balch,
Kenneth James
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Baxendale,
Francis Wilmont
____-2003
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Brown,
Norman Frank
1917-2005
Served in Minas 03 Sep 1942
to 29 Sep 1942
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Bruce,
Frank
1925-2001
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Burns, H.W.
Marshall |
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C-D |
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Cockburn,
Alfred J.
____-2011
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Dimond, Douglas
____-____ |
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G-H
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Gillespie,
James E.
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Goodwin,
Willard
1924-2016
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K-L |
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Kerr-Wilson,
John R.
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Lamb,
James Barrett
1919-2000
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M-N |
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McCombie,
Gerald
1920-2010 |
McKenzie,
J.W.
____-2004 |
Menzies,
Hugh C. |
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O-Z
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Palmquist,
Rolf Challinor
1917-1975 |
Salvisburg,
John |
Savage,
Gordon T.
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Sharpe,
John W.
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Former Crew Members
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Bernatchez, Joseph Jean Thomas Henri Maurice, Lt, RCNVR - 28 Apr
1943
Bosley, Raymond Sedgemore Locke, Slt, RCNVR - 11 Feb 1944
Campbell, R., L/Tel - 1945
Churchward, R., ERA - 1945
Milink, W., L/Ck - 1945
Cunningham, F.A., Lt - 1945
Emond, J.L., Ck - 1945
Eriksen, Thorstein, Lt (E), RCNR - 07 Jun 1942
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Hawkesford,
Ronald Carstairs, A/Wt (E), RCNVR - 10 Apr 1942
Hebert,
Joseph Andre Leopold, A/Lt, RCNVR - 20 Feb 1944
Hoffman,
Ward Roderick, Slt (E), RCNVR - 31 May 1943
Howarth,
W., Sto - 1945
Jamieson,
R., Tel - 1945
Kingsmill, John Gault, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1942
Lillie, Edward Burns, Slt, RCNVR - 19 Feb 1943
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McCarthy, John Alt, Lt, RCNVR - 01 Apr 1945
Miller, L.H., S/Sto
Needham, D., Sto - 1945
Nichols, W.A., AB - 1945
Rosser, Ralph F., Electrician - 1945 
The
Memory Project
Williams, Ian Graham Harvard, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1943
Wolff, R., Sto - 1945
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Photos and
Documents
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Gunshield art on HMCS MINAS J165
Courtesy of the Naval Museum of Halifax |
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HMCS New Minas' hockey team
Crow's Nest newspaper - Feb 1944 |
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HMCS Minas J165 - This photo was taken in the
English Channel shortly before the D-Day assault on the beaches of
Normandy
Photo from the collection of Rolf "Pelle"
Palmquist, published here courtesy of his nephew Ben. |
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HMCS Minas J165
From the collection of Ken Balch
Courtesy of Mary Kienapple
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PO ERA Ken Balch on HMCS Minas J165
From the collection of Ken Balch
Courtesy of Mary Kienapple
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District Naval Men Back From Overseas
The Free Press, London, ON, 09 Oct 1945
Crew members of HMCS Minas return home
Sailors
listed in article: AB R.F. Rosser, AB W.A. Nichols, L/Tel R.
Campbell, Tel R. Jamieson, Cook J.L. Emond, CERA K.J. Balch, Lt F.A.
Cunningham CO, ERA R. Churchward, L/Cook W. Milink, Sto W. Howarth,
Sto D. Needham, Sto R. Wolff, Sto J. Salvisburg, L/Sto L.H. Miller
From the collection of Ken Balch
Courtesy of Mary Kienapple
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(MB01)
Marshall Burns and shipmates on HMCS MINAS. Marshall leaning on Kisby
ring (MB02) Marshall Burns with ammunition belt on HMCS MINAS
(MB03) Marshall Burns sitting on minesweeping paravane on HMCS MINAS
(MB04) Marshall Burns on HMCS MINAS (MB05) Marshall Burns on the
quarterdeck of HMCS MINAS
(MB06-MB09)
Unknown sailor at various positions on the quarter deck of HMCS
MINAS (MB10) Marshall Burns in quarterdeck hatch to
minesweeping stores on HMCS MINAS
(MB11-MB12) Marshall Burns
standing on the jetty - on duty as
Quartermaster of HMCS MINAS - note the lanyard attached to the pistol on his
belt (MB130MB14) Unknown sailor on the jetty - HMCS MINAS in the
background (MB15) Unknown sailor on duty as Quartermaster on the
jetty beside the brow of HMCS MINAS
(MB16)
Marshall Burns on the jetty with his foot on the brow of HMCS MINAS
(MB17) Marshall Burns on the quarterdeck of HMCS MINAS (MB18) Unknown
sailor on duty as Quartermaster on HMCS MINAS (MB19-MB20) Unknown
vessels seen from HMCS MINAS - location unknown - possibly St. John's, NFLD
(MB21)
Marshall Burns on gun deck of HMCS MINAS (MB22) Sailors doing gunnery
drills on HMCS MINAS (MB23) Unknown sailors on the quarterdeck of HMCS
MINAS at St. John's NFLD (MB24) Marshall Burns on the quarterdeck of HMCS MINAS
at St. John's, NFLD. Note the ice-covered corvette in the background
(MB25)
Ice-covered corvette alongside St. John's, NFLD
(MB26-MB28)
Gun and gun deck of HMCS MINAS iced-up at sea. Sailor using steam hose
to clear ice off the gun ... and gun deck cleared of ice
HMCS
MINAS being repaired after her collision with HMS LISCOMB off Halifax on 01
Feb 1943
(MB29)
Unknown sailor sitting on the screw of HMCS
MINAS in dry dock (MB30) HMCS MINAS in dry dock (MB31) Damage to HMCS MINAS
- view from
inside the seaman's mess deck (MB32) Two sailors looking out their new
window. Damage to HMCS MINAS -
looking into the seaman's mess deck. All that remains of her pendant
number is the "5" - the J16 are missing due to the damage
(MB33) Sailor looking out off the hole in the hull of the seaman's
mess deck - note that the LISCOMB hit MINAS at Frame 19.
HMCS
MINAS being repaired after her collision with HMS LISCOMB off Halifax on 01
Feb 1943
(MB34)
Marshall Burns sitting on the edge of the gun deck above the new entrance to
the seaman's mess in HMCS MINAS (MB35) Unknown sailor sitting above
the new entrance to the seaman's mess on HMCS MINAS (MB36-MB37)
Sailors sitting on the anchors of HMCS MINAS while she is in dry dock - note
that neither sailor has any form of safety line.
(MB38)
HMCS MINAS at sea - view from the ship's boat (MB39) Unknown sailor
working by the depth charge thrower on HMCS MINAS (MB40) Ammunition on
the deck of HMCS MINAS by the forward gun (MB41) Unknown sailor doing
some gun maintenance on HMCS MINSA (MB42) Unknown sailor on duty as
Quartermaster, sitting on depth charges on HMCS MINAS. Note that a
number of the depth charges have had their fuse removed
(MB43-MB46)
Sailors posing with the .50 Cal machine guns on HMCS MINAS
(MB44) Marshall Burns (MB47) Twin .50 Cal machine gun mounts on
HMCS MINAS
(MB48)
Unknown sailor sitting with the ship's mascot on HMCS MINAS
(MB49) Unknown sailor by one of the two QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns on HMCS
MINAS. These guns were later replaced by the twin .05 cal
machine gun mounts (MB50) HMCS MINAS J165
From the collection of H.W.
Marshall Burns, LS, RCNVR
Courtesy of Joe Burns
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