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HMCS SARNIA J309 / 190
Bangor Class Minesweeper
Commissioned at Toronto on 13 Aug 1942, SARNIA arrived at Halifax on 22 Sep 1942, having escorted a Quebec-Sydney convoy en route, and was assigned to Newfoundland Force. In Sep 1944, she underwent a major refit at Lunenburg, and on completion went to Bermuda in Nov 1944 to work up. On her return to Canada she was assigned to Halifax Force and, later, to Halifax Local Defence Force until Jun 1945. On 16 Apr 1945, she rescued survivors of HMCS ESQUIMALT, torpedoed outside Halifax. She then performed miscellaneous duties until paid off on 28 Oct 1945, at Sydney and laid up at Shelburne. In 1946 she was placed in strategic reserve at Sorel and in 1951 re-acquired by the RCN and extensively refitted. She did not re-commission, however, and on 29 Mar 1958 was transferred to the Turkish navy to serve until 1972 as Buyukdere.
The following was submitted by Liam Dwyer, PO ERA, HMCS SARNIA - When we were operating out of St. John's, it was not unusual to sweep up to 12 to 15 mines in a patrol. We had both the paravane sweep and the electrical magnetic field sweep known as the LL Sweep. When we were in operating out of Newfie John you could cut the tension on the ship with a knife. One stoker PO sabotaged the steering hydraulics on the ship and was taken ashore under handcuffs by the Mounties; the Captain became a hopeless alcoholic and had to be taken off; and a seaman went nuts and thought he was some one else. When we did the LL Sweep I had to start up a big Allis-Chalmer diesel to supply electricity to a bladder with two electrodes on it. This bladder was paid out from the stern from a great spool of rubber coated wire. The sparking of the two electrodes would set up a magnetic field triggering the mechanism of the German mines tethered to the bottom the mine would surface and we would destroy it with gun fire. One time we had to bring a mine in for examination by a RN specialist. It broke loose from it's lashing and was free on the deck. The captain mustered all the crew forward of the bridge. Me, being junior ERA got stuck in the engine room with one oilier. (Webmaster's note: This is the oft forgotten part of the war - everyone has heard about the minesweeping operations for D-Day, but nothing is mentioned about the minesweeping off of Canada's shores and the hardships these sailors endured.)
The following was submitted by Lou Howard, SLt, HMCS SARNIA - The following officers were on HMCS SARNIA when she rescued the crew from HMCS Esquimalt - Lt. R. Douty, CO; Lt. Morris C. Shonfield, XO; SLt Pat Salter, E.O.; Lt. Jack Cantril, Signals; Lt. Bill Brown, NavO; Lt. Doug Kirby, Asdic; SLt Lou Howard, bridge watch keeper (and took over from Brown and Kirby as Nav & Asdic)
Photos and Documents Ship's company photos The Ship's Bell
RCN Memories: Crew Member Purrfected Direction Finding SARNIA Sails With WRENS .... And A Wife The Picnic
Commanding Officers
They shall not be forgotten
Photos and Documents
(GM05) HMCS SARNIA J309 (GM06) HMCS ESQUIMALT survivors on a carley float (GM07) Survivors from ESQUIMALT being picked up by the ship's boat from East Halifax Lightship (GM08) Ship's workboat picking up ESQUIMALT survivors (GM09) ESQUIMALT'S dead lay on the quarterdeck of HMCS SARNIA
From the collection of Gordon H. Marsh, Stoker, RCNVR
Courtesy of Murray Marsh
(MA01) HMCS SARNIA'S gunshield art after it was moved to the bridge face - 1944 (MA02-MA03) HMCS SARNIA J309 cloth jacket patches
From the collection of Maurice (Moe) Ahern, RCNVR
(HF08) U.S. Cutter (HF09) "Burgeo on our trip over" (HF10) Coast of Newfoundland dead ahead (HF11) "Frenchy" (HF12) Minesweeping paravane on the quarterdeck of HMCS SARNIA J309
(HF13) "Sub Sighted" - British submarine N23 - St. John's Newfoundland (HF14) HMCS KENTVILLE J312 (HF15) SBA Howard Finkbeiner on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF16) Unknown sailor with the ship's mascot on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF17) HMCS SARNIA J309 transiting an ice field
(HF18) HMCS MAHONE, HMCS KENTVILLE, HMCS WESTMOUNT, HMCS SARNIA, HMCS NIPIGON
(HF19) Ted Balshaw (left) and Les Steadman on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF20) Bruce Beaupit (left) and Bill Kestle on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF21) L-R: Petrie (Pete), Tonkin (Tonk's) and Dargavel (Darts) on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF22) Howard Finkbeiner (left) and Jean LaPointe on HMCS SARNIA J309
(HF23) Unknown sailor posing at a machine gun mount on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF24) Unknown minesweeper and corvette (HF25) Cable ship SS Lord Kelvin (HF26) Benny Beadle (HF27) Hospital ship SS Lady Rodney
(HF28) Unknown sailors in an air intake on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF29) Boat's crew in the whaler on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF30-HF32) SBA Howard Finkbeiner (left) with 2 unknown shipmates on the quarterdeck of HMCS SARNIA J309
(HF33) Unknown sailors on the fo'c's'le of HMCS SARNIA K309 (HF34) Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC) with Swordfish ranged on deck (HF35) SBA Howard Finkbeiner on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF36) Unknown rating on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF37) Unknown sailor and officer by a machine gun on HMCS SARNIA J309
(HF38) Unknown sailor on HMCS SARNIA J309 - starboard side looking forward from under the bridge wing. (HF39) Unknown sailor on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF40) Unknown ship in drydock at St. John's, Nfld (HF41) Unknown merchant ship as anchor in harbour, St. John's, Nfld (HF42) Unknown sailors on the fo'c's'le of HMCS SARNIA J309
(HF43) Unknown sailor on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF44) Telegraphist George Lawson - at sea on HMCS SARNIA J309 - April 1943 (HF45) Fo'c's'le of HMCS SARNIA J309 manned for entering Halifax harbour (HF46) A couple unknown sailors posing with machineguns on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF47) Unknown sailor by the forward gun on HMCS SARNIA J309
(HF48) Unknown sailors manning the pom-pom on HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF49) Unknown sailors posing with machinegun on the fo'c's'le of HMCS SARNIA J309. Note the sailor catching a nap on the right had side of the photo. (HF50) Unknown sailors on duty as Quartermaster (left) and jetty sentry on the jetty by HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF51) Unknown sailors working on the quarterdeck of HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF52) Unknown sailor relaxing on the quarterdeck of HMCS SARNIA J309
(HF53) Howard Finkbeiner on his 21st birthday - 1945 (HF54-HF55) Diving Tender working alongside HMCS SARNIA J309 with the diver climbing back on to the Diving Tender (HF56-HF57) Depth charge exploding astern of HMCS SARNIA J309
(HF58) HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF59) Merchant ship with its stern missing at anchor Halifax Harbour (HF60) An officer and 7 ratings on HMCS SARNIA J309. All unknown except for SBA Finkbeiner, rear, 2nd from left (HF61) - Lou Howard, Bill Cowie, Katzberg (HF62) Ship's Company HMCS SARNIA J309 - Church Parade to St. John's Anglican Church, Lunenburg, NS 09 Sep 1944
(HF63) ESQUIMALT'S dead on the quarterdeck of HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF64) HMCS ESQUIMALT'S survivors on a raft (HF65) HMCS ESQUIMALT'S survivors on a raft. On the back of the photo - "I am sitting in the middle, Joe Wilson on the stern, only six of us were alive when the Sarnia came alongside and Joe and I told the Sarnia to get the others first." (HF66) survivors from ESQUIMALT being picked up by the ship's boat from East Halifax Lightship (HF67) Heading back into Halifax
HMCS ESQUIMALT'S survivors being assisted or carried off HMCS SARNIA J309 (HF68) An ESQUIMALT survivor being carried off HMCS SARNIA in a stretcher. SBA Howard Finkbeiner left hand side of photo. (HF72) This is the same photo as HF71, but has 3 names - Mike Brisky, Maurice Ahern and Andy Searles - listed on the bottom of the photo. It is not known which 3 sailors they are. From the collection of Howard Finkbeiner, SBA, RCNVR Courtesy of Carole Finkbeiner Thomas
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar 
