HMCS NIAGARA I57

 

Wickes Class Destroyer (USN)

 

Town Class Destroyer (RCN)

 


 

HMCS NIAGARA

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Laid down: 08 Jun 1918

Launched: 31 Aug 1918

Commissioned: 14 Jan 1919

Paid off: 1922

Re-commissioned: 1940

Transferred to RCN: 24 Sep 1940

Commissioned: 24 Sep 1940

Paid off: 15 Sep 1945

Fate: Broken up in 1947

 

Commissioned on 14 Jan 1919 as USS THATCHER, she served with the Pacific Fleet until 1922, when she was placed in reserve at San Diego. Briefly re-commissioned and overhauled in 1940, she was transferred to the RCN as HMCS NIAGARA at Halifax on 24 Sep 1940, and sailed for the U.K. on 30 Nov 1940. There, in Mar 1941, she was assigned to EG 4, Greenock, but in Jun 1941 joined the newly formed NEF. On 28 Aug 1941 she was on hand to take aboard the crew of U 570, which had surrendered to a Coastal Command aircraft south of Iceland. In Mar 1942, she joined WLEF, in June 1942 becoming a member of EG W-9 and, in Oct 1942, of W-10. In common with the other "Towns," she required major refits on a number of occasions and on 02 Mar 1944, following one of these, she became a torpedo-firing ship for training Torpedo Branch personnel at Halifax. She was paid off at Sydney on 15 Sep 1945, and broken up in 1947.

 


 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos          The Ship's Bell

 

The Surrender, Capture and Recovery of U-570 - Re-published on For Posterity's Sake with permission of the Canadian Nautical Research Society and the author, Derek Waller, Air Commodore, RAF, ret'd.

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

A/Cdr E.L. Armstrong, RCN - 24 Sep 1940 - 02 Jul 1941

LCdr Thomas P. (Two-Gun) Ryan, RCN - 03 Jul 1941 - 22 Feb 1942

LCdr Ronald Fraser Harris, RCN - 23 Feb 1942 - 04 Oct 1942

A/LCdr G.H. Davidson, RCN - 05 Oct 1942 - 14 Oct 1942

LCdr R.F. Harris, RCN - 15 Oct 1942 - 09 Sep 1943

A/LCdr William Herbert Willson, RCN - 10 Sep 1943 - 05 Mar 1944

Lt Jack Cranfield Smyth, RCNR - 06 Mar 1944 - 22 Jun 1944

Cdr Raymond Butler Mitchell, RCNR - 23 Jun 1944 - 29 June 1944

Lt Raymond Nelson Smillie, RCNVR - 30 Jun 1944 - 18 Jul 1944

Cdr Raymond Butler Mitchell, RCNR - 19 Jul 1944 - 15 Sep 1945

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

WALDEN, Richard W.

AB, RCNVR

MPK - 05 Jun 1941

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

Acton, Joseph W.J.

Angus, Thomas D.

Atkinson, Roy T.

Blakelock, John .

Blinkhorn, Arthur

Bowditch, William W.

Brocking, Ronald H.

Brooking, William J.

Cotey, John B. 

Cunningham, George

Curley, Richard J.

Devaney, Murray L.

Freeman, David H.

Geddes, Frederick E.

Glasgow, Charles E.

Gray, Walter E.

Grossman, Henry

Hermiston, Jack S.

Hicks, Arthur J.

Holmes, Raymond W.

Howell, Ernest H.

Irving, James C.

Jenson, Latham B.

Johnson, Earl F.

Johnston, Lloyd A.

Langille, Ernest G.

Leggett, William

MacDonald, John S.

Martin, Kenneth W.

Mason, John W. R.

McCormick, Jack E.

Myles, Orville R.

Naysmith, David M.

Newman, H. Douglas

Prowse, Louis H.

Robertson, Theodore M.

Rousseau, Charles H.

Sauberli, Robert J.

Smardon, Walter E.

Sommerville, Robert L.

Spencer, Frederick

Sproule, James A.

Strefiuk, George

Tanner, Vincent W.

Whittier, Harold W.

Williams, David A.

Withers, Kenneth R.

 

 

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Bird, Horatio Alfred Thomas, Lt, RCNVR - 18 Jul 1942

 

Bosworth, William John, SLt, RCNVR - 07 Jul 1944

 

Campbell, Gordon David, Lt, RCNVR - 20 Jul 1942

 

Chapman, Neil Henley, Lt, RCNVR - 17 May 1943

 

Crighton, William Barclay, Lt (E), RCNR - 10 May 1942

 

Cull, James Albert, A/Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1945

 

Fairlie, John Neil, SLt, RCNVR - Jan 1943

 

Flatt, William Delos, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 07 Apr 1942

Gould, George Cummings, SLt, RCNVR - 08 Mar 1944

 

Hartie, Ralph, Heber, Lt, RCNVR - 04 May 1943

 

Hogan, James Andrew, Lt, RCNVR - 11 Apr 1944

 

Kirk, Claude Murray, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 20 May 1941

 

Lennox, Duncan Craig, Lt, RCNVR - 24 Jan 1944

 

Little, Robert Ernest, SLt, RCNVR - Jan 1945

 

Lumb, Harold Mather, Lt (E), RCNVR - 02 May 1945

 

McColl, Robert Caldwell, SLt, RCNVR - 20 Jul 1942

Michon, Joseph Jean, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1944

 

Petersen, Charles, Lt, RCNR - 27 Jan 1942

 

Reid, Donald Thorburn, Lt, RCNVR - 06 May 1943

 

Ross, Rupert, SLt (E), RCNVR - 01 Mar 1944

 

Smith, Alexander George, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 20 Jul 1942

 

Thomson, Robert Kidd, Ch/Skpr, RCNR - 20 Jul 1942

 

Webster, Allan Ross, Lt, RCNVR - 29 Jul 1941

 

Wickett, William Percy, Lt, RCNVR - 18 Apr 1942

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

HMCS NIAGARA Christmas Card

 

From the collection of Kenneth W. Martin, Shpt 4c, RCNVR

 

Courtesy of John Martin

HMCS NIAGARA I57

 

RCN Photo

 


 

DN27

DN28

DN29

DN30

DN31

(DN27) Poem "The Fighting NIAGARA" by H. O'Reilly, AB, RCN  (DN28) Ship's Writer on HMCS NIAGARA  (DN29) Christmas 1941 on HMCS NIAGARA alongside St. John's, NFLD  (DN30) "Shipmates on NIAGARA - Xmas 1941"  (DN31) Howe - Captain for the Day, Christmas 1941 - HMCS NIAGARA

 

DN32

DN33

DN34

DN35

DN36

(DN32) "Two Gun Ryan"  - LCDR Thomas Ryan, Commanding Officer HMCS NIAGARA  (DNDN33) Unidentified ship on the River Clyde - 1941  (DN34-DN35.) Battlecruiser HMS REPULSE on the River Clyde - 1941  (DN36) Doug Newman on HMCS NIAGARA

 

DN37

DN38

DN39

DN40

DN41

(DN37-DN41) HMCS NIAGARA rescuing sailors off Bermuda after 14 days adrift at sea

 

DN42

DN43

DN44

DN45

DN46

(DN42) Unknown visitor departs HMCS NIAGARA and can be seen stepping onto stern of awaiting boat  (DN43) HMCS NIAGARA arriving at unknown port.  (DN44) Sinking merchant vessel. Note all the lines hanging down indicating that they were able to lower their life boats.  (DN45) Galley on HMCS NIAGARA - 1941  (see note below)  (DN46) Unknown sailors on HMCS NIAGARA - 1942

 

Webmaster's Note: For DN45 - the caption reads "HMCS NIAGARA Galley - 1941" - This looks like some form of shelter built on the upper decks for jury-rigged galley.  There is a a stove and you can see the stove pipe and what look to be a tea pop on it. Perhaps work was being done in the ship's galley and the built this on the upper decks to make basic meals.

 

DN47

DN48

DN49

DN50

DN51

(DN47) Unknown sailors on HMCS NIAGARA - 1941  (DN48) Unknown sailor on HMCS NIAGARA - 1941  (DN49) HMCS NIAGARA - location likely Halifax  (DN50) Unknown sailors on the quarterdeck of HMCS NIAGARA  (DN51) Doug Newman throwing a ball on the jetty in Bermuda

 

DN52

DN53

DN54

DN55

DN56

(DN52) Unknown sailor throwing a ball on the jetty in Bermuda  (DN53) Doug Newman being helped back up on the jetty after retrieving the ball from the harbour in Bermuda   (DN54) HMCS NIAGARA in the slips, Dartmouth, NS - Dec 1941  (DN55) HMCS NIAGARA, Pictou, NS, 1942  (DN56) Doug Newman by the depth charge rails on HMCS NIAGARA, Pictou, NS, 1942

 

DN57

DN58

DN59

DN60

(DN57) Davis, Doug Newman and Hukish on HMCS NIAGARA, Pictou, NS, 1942  (DN58) Wilson, Smardon and Doug Newman, Pictou, NS, 1942  (DN59) Huskish, Doug Newman and Smardon, Pictou, NS, 1942  (DN60) Doug Newman, Pictou, NS, 1942  

 

DN62

DN63

DN64

DN65

DN66

(DN62) Wilson, Huskish and Doug Newman, Pictou, NS, 1942  (DN63) Wilson of Vancouver, BC at Pictou, NS, 1942  (DN64) Smardon of Montreal, QC at Pictou, NS, 1942  (DN65) Shipmates (names not known), Pictou, NS, 1942  (DN66) Shipmates.  Doug Newman in middle with eyes closed, Pictou, NS, 1942

 

Webmaster's Note:  L/Tel Walter Edwin Smardon died when HMCS GUYSBOROUGH was sunk on 18 Mar 1945

 

DN67

DN68

DN69

DN70

DN71

(DN67) Unknown sailors on HMCS NIAGARA in Bermuda - Apr 1942  (DN68) Unknown sailors on the fo'c's'le of HMCS NIAGARA in Bermuda - Apr 1942  (DN69) Unknown sailor climbing the mast on HMCS NIAGARA.  Note that her crow's nest has been removed  (DN70) Ship's Writer and Doug Newman ashore in Bermuda - Apr 1942  (DN71) Sailors from HMCS NIAGARA ashore in Bermuda - Apr 1942.  Doug Newman 1st on left

 

DN72

DN73

DN74

DN75

DN76

(DN72) Doug Newman and Jack ashore in Bermuda, Apr 1942  (DN73) Bermuda, Apr 1942  (DN74) Doug Newman beside an old car in Bermuda, Apr 1942  (DN75) Bermuda railway, Apr 1942  (DN76) Home in Bermuda, Apr 1942

 

From the collection of Harry Douglas (Doug) Newman, PO.HSD, RCNVR

 

Doug Newman served in HMCS NIAGARA 22 Jul 1941 - 16 Jun 1942

 

Courtesy of Brian Newman

 


 

FM723

FM724

FM725

FM726

FM727

(FM723-FM727) HMCS NIAGARA I57.  Photo FM725 is dated Apr 1944

 

FM728

FM729

FM730

FM731

FM732

(FM728) HMCS NIAGARA jettisoning ammunition - Sep 1944  (FM729-FM731) Depth charges exploding astern of HMCS NIAGARA - Sep 1944. Photographer unknown (FM732) Looking aft from the mast of HMCS NIAGARA - Sep 1944. Photographer unknown

 

FM733

FM734

FM735

FM736

FM737

(FM733) Loading practice torpedoes on HMCS NIAGARA - Sep 1944.  Not the dents in the one torpedo on deck  (FM734) HMCS NIAGARA fires a practice torpedo  (FM735) The practice torpedo heads off in the direction of a merchant ship (the merchant ships is barely visible in the photo) - Sep 1944  (FM736) Its run complete, the practice torpedo floats on the surface - Sep 1944  (FM737) Practice torpedo being recovered

 

FM737

FM739

(FM738) HMCS NIAGARA hosting the practice torpedo back onboard - Sep 1944  (F,739) HMCS NIAGARA in the Dartmouth Slips for repairs - Sep 1944

 

From the collection of François Messier, AB, RCNVR

 

Courtesy of Denis Messier

 


 

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