HMCS NEW WATERFORD K321 304 - For Posterity's Sake

HMCS NEW WATERFORD K321 / 304

River Class / Prestonian Class Frigate

HMCS New Waterford

K321 jacket crest

HMCS New Waterford K321, as seen from the deck of the Royal Navy escort carrier HMS Fencer D64.

Source: Imperial War Museum, Admiralty Official Collection, A26130.

Photographer: Mason, H.A. (Lt)

Click on the above photo to see a larger image

Post wartime badge

Battle honours and awards: Atlantic 1944

Laid down: 17 Feb 1943

Launched: 03 Jul 1943

Commissioned: 21 Jan 1944

Paid off: 07 Mar 1946

Re-commissioned: 31 Jan 1958

Paid off: 02 Dec 1966

Fate: Broken up in 1967

Built at Esquimalt, she was commissioned on 21 Jan 1944, at Victoria. She arrived at Halifax on 09 Mar 1944 and in Bermuda on 22 Apr 1944 to work up.

From the notes of Tel Austin Innes, RCNVR: "May 13 at 4:30 - We left Ireland Island in afternoon after painting all day. We spliced the main brace tonight for my first-time. Nice weather today.

Returning to Halifax, she was assigned to EG 6 as a replacement for the damaged HMCS Teme, sailing for Londonderry on 19 Jun 1944. She remained with EG 6 until the end of the war. On 16 Oct 1944, while EG 6 was on A/S patrol south of the Faeroes, HMCS Annan engaged and sank U-1006.

The following is from New Waterford's Radar Operator, Lawrence Restall. "After depth charges were dropped, the sub surfaced and opened fire. Now evening. We fired star shells and 20mm guns with red tracers. The sub used green tracers. Eight men injured on HMCS Annan. 46 survivors picked up from sub, many injured including the u-boat's commanding officer who was brought to our ship for medical treatment. I had the opportunity to speak with the CO of the U-boat. He told me that he had the ship in the crosshairs, just aft of the pendant number and was about to fire a torpedo when another ship (HMCS Annan) came out of the fog and forced him to dive. I replied that I was glad he didn't fire as I was in my bunk at the time and it was in that area."

New Waterford remained with EG 6 until the end of the European war, detached for short periods to Portsmouth and Plymouth, and in Apr 1945, returned home for tropicalization refit at Liverpool, N.S. This was completed in Nov 1945, and New Waterford left in Jan 1946, for the west coast, where she was paid off to reserve at Esquimalt on 07 Mar 1946. Briefly re-commissioned in 1953, she later underwent conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort, commissioning as such on 31 Jan 1958. In late 1959 / early 1960 she left Esquimalt for a coast transfer to Halifax. During this coast transfer, she had an unusual cargo - a totem pole carved by BC First nations destined for England. When she arrived in Halifax it was transferred to the gunnery school where it was stored till summer, then transferred to HMCS Kootenay for the voyage to England. During the year 1962 the New Waterford steamed 24,218.3 miles and spent a total of 114 days at sea. It was a full year for one ship-a cruise to Africa, three months in refit at Sydney, Nova Scotia, five weeks of WUPs, anti-submarine exercises off the Nova Scotia coast and· a two-week cruise to Bermuda and Boston. With Christmas and the New Year festivities over, the New Waterford put to sea for a further week of exercises and on January 28 sailed from Halifax as part of the Seventh Escort Squadron, destination Bermuda and Exercise maple Spring '63. She was paid off for the last time on 22 Dec 1966, and broken up the following year at Savona, Italy.

RCN Memories: Slow ahead on Port, Sir

Photos and Documents Ship's company photos

Commanding Officers

A/LCdr Eric Rigby Shaw, RCNR - 21 Jan 1944 - 23 Mar 1944

A/Cdr William Edward Slade Briggs, RCNR - 24 Mar 1944 - unk

Lt Blyth Alexander Mitchell, RCNR - 09 Jun 1944 - unk

LCdr John McWhannell Leeming, RCNVR - 12 Nov 1945 - unk

Lt John Charles Payne, RCN - 09 Jan 1953 - 28 Aug 1953

LCdr Walter Stairs Blandy, RCN - 31 Jan 1958 - 26 Oct 1958

LCdr Ian Butters, RCN - 27 Oct 1958 - 17 Dec 1959

LCdr F. Lubin, RCN - 18 Dec 1959 - 14 Jan 1960

LCdr Christopher Gratrix Pratt, RCN - 15 Jan 1960 - 22 Jun 1961

LCdr John Hilton Wilkes, RCN - 23 Jun 1961 - 09 Oct 1962

LCdr R.C. Brown, RCN - 10 Oct 1962 - 28 Jun 1964

LCdr Neil St. Clair Norton, RCN - 29 Jun 1964 - 31 Oct 1965

unknown - 01 Nov 1965 - 15 May 1966

LCdr Nigel David Scott-Moncrieff, RCN - 16 May 1966 - 22 Dec 1966

In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Lest We Forget

JACQUES, Raymond J.

OS, RCN

died - 01 Aug 1964

LEWIS, John C.L.

Paym/Lt, RCNVR

died - 22 Oct 1944

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

Colclough, Frederick J.

Cowell, Stephen

Cox, Clarence E.

Crossley, Sidney R.

Cruickshank, Robert D.

Littlefair, W. Kenneth

Partridge, William E.

Sweeny/Sweeney, Charles

Tarves, Terrance J. J.

Former Crew Members

Fall 1965 = Crew members in ship's company photo taken on completion of "Ocean IV" Autumn 1965

Anderson, Donald Edward, SLt, RCNVR - 14 May 1945

Anderson, Ivor, RCNVR - 1944 (of Vancouver)

Arnold, P2NS - Fall 1965

Bakody, David, LS.ER

Ballentine, Patrick Blake, SLt, RCNVR - 10 May 1945

Belzile, LSVS - Fall 1965

Benson, ABEM - Fall 1965

Berry, Herby, R.A. - 1944-1945

Blue, ABAF - Fall 1965

Branscombe, OSCK - Fall 1965

Brault, ABLM - Fall 1965

Brook, Clive, CMDO - Fall 1965

Brown, P1LT - Fall 1965

Brown, P2ER - Fall 1965

Burton, Len, RCNR

Butchart, James, RCNVR - 1944 (of Vancouver)

Campbell, P1ER - Fall 1965

Carter, LSNS - Fall 1965

Childs, Kenneth, AB, RCNVR - 1944 (of Peterborough, ON)

Clarke, Ritchie, Lt - Fall 1965

Code, Clark B. - WW II

Cooper, OSBM - Fall 1965

Cooper, Bob, Yeoman of Signals - WW 2

DeChamplain, OSRP - Fall 1965

Dogherty, LSRP - Fall 1965

Dole, ABWU - Fall 1965

Estabrooks, ABAR - Fall 1965

Farrell, Lou, Lt - Fall 1965

Ferguson, ABVS - Fall 1965

Fladgate, David Frederick Gauntlet, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1944

Forbes, LSWS - Fall 1965

Gibbons, Frank, PO, RCNVR - 1944 (of Montreal)

Goodine, OSAR - Fall 1965

Gotell, George, PO.QR2 - WW 2

Gray, George, SPO.SHPT - WW 2

Gunn, Terry, OS.WU, RCN

Hall, LSAW - Fall 1965

Hamilton, ABAR - Fall 1965

Hancock, P2SW - Fall 1965

Hanington, Daniel (Dan) Lionel, Lt, RCNVR - 13 Mar 1944

Hill, Roy, Tel, RCNVR - 1944 (of Oshawa, ON)

Hood, P1ER - Fall 1965

Horseman, OSRP - Fall 1965

Hubbard, OSRP - Fall 1965

Hynes, OSEM - Fall 1965

Jenkins, Raymond, RCNVR - 1944 (of Vancouver)

Johnston, ABSM - Fall 1965

King, Ken, ABLM - 1960

Knighton, OSHM - Fall 1965

Latham, P1CM - Fall 1965

Lewis, John Ceredig, Paym/Lt, RCNVR - 03 Apr 1944

LeBarron, OSEM - Fall 1965

Mace, Peter, SLt - Fall 1965

Maloney, ABEM - Fall 1965

Marchand, OSBN - Fall 1965

Mason, ABWU - Fall 1965

Mason, Lynn, SLt - Fall 1965

McCausland, P1WS - Fall 1965

McGibbon, ABWS - Fall 1965

McGregor, ABSW - Fall 1965

McKay, LSNS - Fall 1965

McKenzie, Norman Lt (E), RCNR - 07 Jul 1943 / Jan 1944

McLeod, OSRP - Fall 1965

McMullin, P2ER - Fall 1965

McPherson, ABRM - Fall 1965

Mitchell, Lt - 1944

Mitchell, PSPW - Fall 1965

Newman, George, P2BN - Fall 1965

Niell, LSWU - Fall 1965

Olney, George, PO.QR2 - RCNVR

Orr, Bob, CMDO - Fall 1965

Pimm (?), OSEM - Fall 1965

Pond, P1VS - Fall 1965

Richard, LSCK - Fall 1965

Richards, "Doc" - 1944-1945

Roed, Botha, Mate, RCNR - Jan 1944

Roy, OSRP - Fall 1965

Ruddle-Browne, Herbert William, Lt, RCNR - 24 Mar 1944

Ryan, P2SG - Fall 1965

Shaver, ABRP - Fall 1965

Sleeth, Bert, PO.LTC - WW 2

Smith, Thomas J (Snuffy) - 1964

Smithson, LSEM - Fall 1965

Southam, Gordon Thomas, Lt, RCNVR - 16 Apr 1944

Sovie, P1ER - Fall 1965

Sparkes, OSRP - Fall 1965

Stevens, ABCK - Fall 1965

Storey, C2ER - Fall 1965

Sweline, LSEM - Fall 1965

Tarry, Dave, LSSG - Fall 1965

Taylor, James, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1944

Thomson, John Lt (E), RCNVR - Jan 1944

Todd, Fred, Lt - Fall 1965

Twyman, ABWS - Fall 1965

Waal, Eric, SLt - Fall 1965

Wales, P1HT - Fall 1965

Walters, Ken, PO.EA - WW 2

Watt, P1ER - Fall 1965

Wheelock, Sidney Prince, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1944 - 1945

Whiteley, Nigel, Lt - Sep 1963 - Jan 1965

Wilkins, Neil Merton, Skpr, RCNVR - 13 Mar 1944

Williams, ABAR - Fall 1965

Willis, ABWS - Fall 1965

Yoeger, John Sheldon, Lt (S), RCNVR - 13 May 1945

Zwicker, LSEM - Fall 1965

Photos and Documents

HMCS NEW WATERFORD K321

HMCS New Waterford K321 - pages from the ship's logs

Instruction pages

01 Jun 1944 - 08 Jun 1944

20 Oct 1944 - 25 Oct 1944

13 Apr 1945 - 16 Apr 1945

Research by / Courtesy of Anne Gafiuk

Claude Kimble on the 4-inch guns of HMCS New Waterford K321, 15 Sep 1941. HMCS Sea Cliff K344 in the background

Source: City of Kawartha Lakes digital archives

HMCS NEW WATERFORD envelope addressed to LS D.A. Hartman, Mess 4, HMCS RESTIGOUCHE

Postmarked 02 Nov 1943, New Waterford, NS

Courtesy of Michael Erwin

WL01

WL02

WL03

WL04

(WL01-WL03) Survivors from U-1006 being brought on board HMCS New Waterford K321 (WL04) Petty Officer's Mess, HMCS New Waterford K321 - L-R: W.K. Littlefair, TEL, Geo. Gotell, QR2, Geo. Gray, SHIPT, Gordy Scougal, PING, Bob Cooper, YEO, Bert Sleeth, LTC, Ken Walters, EA, Larry Restall, RADS, Geo Olney, QR2 (WL05) Radio room on HMCS New Waterford. L-R: PO Tel Littlefair, Yeoman of Signals, Communications Officer, unknown

From the collection of William Kenneth Littlefair, PO Tel, RCNVR

Courtesy of Bill Littlefair

Charles Callow relaxing getting some sun on HMCS New Waterford K321

"Charles was burned severely when the coffee urn broke loose in rough seas. Here he's taking some sun. Shorty after the photo was taken the ship was strafed by a German fighter, and Charles was forgotten on deck for a short period."