HMCS SKEENA H01 / D59/ H43 / I59

River Class Destroyer

Commissioned at Portsmouth on 10 Jun 1931, she arrived at Halifax with SAGUENAY on 03 Jul 1931 and proceeded to Esquimalt the following month. On 24 Jan 1932 HMCS SKEENA and HMCS Vancouver provided protection to British assets and civilians in El Salvador at the request of the British Consul in San Salvador following the outbreak of a peasant uprising. A landing party was briefly sent ashore at Acajutla, but the situation there improved and the sailors saw no combat, although the two ships remained in the area until the end of the month. On 05 Jan 1935, HMCS SKEENA and HMCS VANCOUVER departed Esquimalt for exercises in the Kingston, Jamaica area with HMCS CHAMPLAIN and HMCS SAGUENAY, SKEENA returned to Halifax in Apr 1937. In the 1938, HMCS SKEENA, HMCS Fraser, HMCS SAGUENAY and HMCS ST LAURENT paid a port visit to San Diego as part of the spring training cruise. The East and West ships rendezvoused at the Panama Canal for joint exercises. When war broke out, SKEENA was engaged in local escort duties until ordered to the U.K. On her arrival at Plymouth, on 31 May 1940, she was assigned to Western Approaches Command taking part in the evacuation of France and escorting convoys in British waters. On 23 Nov 1940, while escorting convoy SC.11, SKEENA rescued 6 survivors from the torpedoed merchant ship SS Bruse. She returned to Halifax on 03 Mar 1941, for refit, then joined Newfoundland Command, Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF). In Apr 1942, she became a member of EG C-3. During this period she saw continuous convoy duty and on 31 Jul 1942, while escorting convoy ON.115, shared with WETASKIWIN in the sinking of U 588. In May 1944, she was assigned to EG 12 for invasion duties, and was present on D-Day. On 08 Jun 1944, HMCS SKEENA was attacked by U-953 (Oblt Karl-Heinz Marbach). The Gnats (acoustic torpedoes) exploded in the ship's wake with no damage to the ship. HMCS SKEENA participated in operation "Dredger" against German escort vessels at the U-boat meeting points off Brest and southward. During the night of 5/6 Jul the 12th EG, comprising of QU'APPELLE, SASKATCHEWAN, SKEENA and RESTIGOUCHE, attacked 3 patrol boats off Brest: V715 was sunk but not before hitting QU'APPELLE and SASKATCHEWAN many times with small calibre gunfire. That Sep 1944 she was transferred to EG 11. On the night of 24/25 Oct 1944, SKEENA was wrecked in a storm. She was anchored off Reykjavik, Iceland and dragged her anchor and grounded in 50-foot (15 m) waves off Viðey Island with the loss of 15 crewmembers. Her hulk was written off and sold to Iceland interests in June 1945; she was then raised to broken up. Her propeller was salvaged and used in a memorial near the Viðey Island ferry terminal.

U-Boats Sunk:  U-588 (Kptlt Viktor Vogel) sunk on 31 Jul 1942 by HMCS WETASKIWIN K175 and HMCS SKEENA I59 in position 49-59 N, 36-36 W. No survivor from crew of 46.

RCN Memories:     The Loss of HMCS SKEENA

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

Commanding Officers

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

(s) - Survived the grounding / wreck of HMCS SKEENA

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

Ma

Mc-My

N

O

P

R

S

T

W

Photos and Documents

(SK000) HMCS SKEENA H01  //  Courtesy of the Naval Museum of Halifax

(SK001-SK002) A HMCS SKEENA postcard postmarked 02 Nov1932  //  Courtesy of Ed Paquette

(SK003) HMCS SKEENA'S Row Team circa 1933-1934.  Amedee Gagnon, standing, 2nd from right  //  From the collection of Amedee Gagnon  //  Courtesy of Ian McDonald

(SK004) HMCS SKEENA entering Willemstad Harbour, Netherlands Antilles, 1934.  In the winter of 1934, HMCS SKEENA, HMCS SAGUENAY, HMCS CHAMPLAIN and HMCS VANCOUVER took part in Winter exercises off South America  //  From the collection of James A. Senior  //  Courtesy of Bob Senior

(SK005) HMCS SAGUENAY and HMCS SKEENA sail for the Coronation Review for King George the VI - 1937  //  From the collection of James A. Senior  //  Courtesy of Bob Senior

(SK006) HMCS SKEENA D59's original band, Manzanillo, Mexico  //  Courtesy of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum

(SK007) HMCS SKEENA I59 - "Spent 3 weeks on SKEENA on loan from DONNACONA".  Photo from a postcard  //  From the collection of Kenneth Medford  //  Courtesy of Gary Medford

(SK008) Admiral's barge departs HMCS SKEENA circa 1937  //  From the collection of John James Ashworth Clarke  //  Courtesy of Eric Clarke

(SK009) HMCS SKEENA Crossing the Equator Certificate - 1938  //  From the collection of Hugh C. Dunbar  //  Courtesy of Jeanie Dubberley

(SK009) HMCS SKEENA Crossing the Line certificate 04 Feb 1938

(SK011) HMCS SKEENA transits the Panama Canal  //  From the collection of John James Ashworth Clarke  //  Courtesy of Eric Clarke

(SK012)  HMCS SKEENA D59 in the Barbados  //  From the collection of John James Ashworth Clarke  // Courtesy of Eric Clarke

(SK013) HMCS SKEENA bites into a wave off the Azores  //  From the collection of John James Ashworth Clarke  //  Courtesy of Eric Clarke

(SK014) HMCS SKEENA I59  //  From the collection of Ivan Chamberlain  //  Courtesy of Dave Chamberlain

(SK015) Signals department on HMCS SKEENA - circa 1939.  "Squeek" Benson - front right  //  From the collection of Thomas Carson  //  Courtesy of June Copley

(SK016) HMCS SKEENA and HMCS ST LAURENT visit New York - The Halifax Mail, Fri., 30 Jun 1939  //  Researched by / Courtesy of George Newbury

(SK017) HMCS SKEENA visits New York, NY - The Halifax Mail, Mon., 03 Jul 1939  //  Researched by / Courtesy of George Newbury

(SK018) Stokers on HMCS SKEENA c1939/40.  Sto PO Robert F. Dallin, top left  //  From the collection of Robert F. Dallin, Chief Stoker Mechanic, RCN  //  Courtesy of Peter White

(SK019) Peter Meek and John Pinkney on HMCS SKEENA during WW2  //  Courtesy of the Battle of the Atlantic Society Canada's Naval Memorial Trust Collection

(SK020) Lt Peter Chance and Wren L/Tel Margaret Parker, WRNS on HMCS SKEENA on their wedding day, 13 Sep 1944  // Courtesy of Peter Chance

(SK021) A convoy seen from HMCS SKEENA - 1943  //  RCN photo 166889-A4

(SK022) Arthur (Daisy) Bell holding HMCS SKEENA'S badge  //  From the collection of Arthur Bell  //  Courtesy of Donna Bell-Croft

( SK023) HMCS SKEENA I59  //  Courtesy of Roger Litwiller

(SK024) From undated newspaper - Account of the action that took place during Operation Dredger  // From the collection of AB Dave Christison, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of Thomas Christison

(SK025) Article on HMCS SKEENA'S participation in action in the English Channel  //  From the collection of Robert James Hackwood  //  Courtesy of Joanne Hackwood

(SK026) World Wide Gum, Marine Series, 1944 - #98 HMCS SKEENA

(SK027) HMCS SKEENA I59 // From the collection of Ron Critchley // Courtesy of Diane Brown

(SK028) HMCS SKEENA, Acapulco, 12 Mar 1938  // Courtesy of the Naval Museum of Halifax

(SK028-SK028b) HMCS SKEENA aground on Vidoy Island. Deemed unsalvageable she was eventually sold to an Icelandic company in June 1945 and later broken up.

(SK029) HMCS SKEENA hard aground on Vidoy Island.  Photo taken by a RN sailor May 1945

(SK030-SK031) Articles on the loss of HMCS SKEENA I59  //  From the collection of J. Vincent Wesley, CPO, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of Marilynn Taylor

(SK032) Announcement of the loss of HMCS SKEENA D59 From a Prince Edward Island newspaper  //  From the collection of John Acorn  //  Courtesy of Barry Acorn

(SK033) Casualty list for HMCS SKEENA from the Globe and Mail, 18 Nov 1944.  Note:  LS Blais, Joseph Frederic Andree is missing from this list

(SK034) newspaper article on the loss of HMCS SKEENA from the Globe and Mail May 17, 1945

(SK035)Newspaper article on the loss of HMCS SKEENA from the Hamilton Spectator, May 16, 1945

(SK036) Article on five survivors from HMCS SKEENA - Sto Harold French, AB Wilbert Brown, L/SA Stewart McRae*, Sto Joseph Bell and LS W. Belling  //  Courtesy of Kevin Lee  //  According to his family, L/SA Stewart McRae is L/SA Willard Stewart MacRae

HMCS SKEENA with her "B" turret removed for a Hedge Hog mount  //  Photo taken from HMCS TRENTONIAN

Roger Litwiller, RTL-BK069, Bruce Keir from the Allen E Singleton collection

(JD02) HMS WATCHMAN D26 - photo taken from HMCS SKEENA

(JD03) HMCS SKEENA at anchor - location unknown

(JD04) Sailors on HMCS SKEENA holding a Championship award. The name at the top of the plaque is not legible.

HMCS SKEENA entering Willemstad Harbour, Netherlands Antilles, 1934

(JD06) Unknown warship at anchor - location unknown

(JD07) HMCS SKEENA at anchor off Alaska

(JD08) Chief "Chippy" Claire and Chief Cox of HMCS SKEENA ashore in Alaska

(JD09) Carved plaque with the badge of HMCS SKEENA surrounded by her Battle Honours

(JD10) HMCS SKEENA'S whaler with 2 unknown sailors on a beach somewhere

(JD11) Lance Rutherford (left) and McFayden on HMCS SKEENA

(JD12) Signalmen Andrews (left) and Squeek Benson on HMCS SKEENA

(JD13) Signalman Squeek Benson (right) with unknown sailor on HMCS SKEENA

(JD14) L-R: Dunick, Eaton, Holt on HMCS SKEENA

(JD15) L-R: Holt, Sewall and Dunick with Les Coll being held upside down on HMCS SKEENA

(JD16) Dunick (left) and Tommy on HMCS SKEENA

(JD17) John Dunick ashore - location unknown

(JD18) John Dunick onboard USF Constitution

From the collection of John Dunick, CPO1, RCN

Newspaper articles on operation "Dredger" against German escort vessels at the U-boat meeting points off Brest and southward. During the night of 5/6 Jul the 12th EG, comprising of QU'APPELLE, SASKATCHEWAN, SKEENA and RESTIGOUCHE, attacked 3 patrol boats off Brest.

(IN01) Night Insane As RCN Mangled German Ships - Toronto Star 18 Jul 1944  (IN02) Canadian Sink 3 Ships As Star Shells Light Sky - Toronto Star 11 Aug 1944  (IN03) 6 Supply Ships Sunk By Allies Off France - undated newspaper article  (IN04) Naval Forces Fight in Channel - undated newspaper article

From the collection of Innes Neil van Nostrand

Courtesy of Hugh van Nostrand