
HMCS ST.
BONIFACE J332
Algerine
Class Minesweeper
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HMCS St. Boniface J332
Source: Naval
Museum of Manitoba
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Battle honours and awards; Atlantic
1944-45
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Laid down: 21 May 1942
Launched: 05
Nov 1942
Commissioned: 10
Sep 1943
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Paid off: 25
Sep 1946
Fate:
Unknown
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Built at Port Arthur, Ont., she
was commissioned there on 10 Sep
1943, St. Boniface arrived at Halifax late in Oct 1943, and worked up
at Pictou from Nov to Dec 1943. She was then assigned as Senior
Officer's ship to EG W-5 of Western Escort Force until mid-Apr
1944. She then transferred to W-4, again as S.O., until early Dec
1944 when, following minor repairs at Halifax, proceed to Bermuda
to work up. Upon returning to Canada, she rejoined W-4 until the
group was disbanded in Jun 1945. On 18 Apr 1945, St. Boniface
was in collision with SS Empire Chamois in the Halifax approaches,
as the freighter's convoy, SC.173, was forming up for passage to the
U.K. St. Boniface suffered extensive damage to her bows, but made
Halifax under her own power and was under repair there for three
months. In Aug 1945, she became a training ship at HMCS
Cornwallis until Jan 1946, when she was placed in reserve at
Halifax. She was finally paid off on 25 Sep 1946, and sold
for mercantile use. She was last noted under Panamanian flag as Bess
Barry M. in 1954.
The
wedding ceremony of Kathleen
(Kitty) Keen and Russell Daniels, Stoker 1st Class, took place on board
HMCS St. Boniface while the ship was at Port Arthur, Ontario
Photos
and Documents Ship's
company photos The
Ship's Bell
HMCS
ST BONIFACE - Deck Log - 10 Sep 1943 - 06 Dec 1943
HMCS
ST BONIFACE - Deck Log 14 - 22 Nov 1943
Commanding Officers
LCdr John James Hodgkinson,
RCNR - 10 Sep 1943 - 12 May 1944
A/LCdr John de la Fosse Frewer,
RCNVR - 13 May 1944 - 14 Apr 1945
LCdr John Manuel Watson,
RCNR - 15 Apr 1945 - 25 Jun 1945
Lt Charles William King,
RCNVR - 26 Jun 1945 - 19 Aug 1945 |
LCdr R.N. Smillie,
RCNVR - 20 Aug 1945 - 29 Jan 1946
Lt Harold Richard Tilley,
RCN - 21 Mar 1946 - 26 Apr 1946
Skpr/Lt Paul Perrault,
RCNR - 27 Apr 1946 - 25 Sep 1946 |
In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten
Beckner,
Floyd W.
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Boyce,
Hugh E.
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Connor,
William
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Daniels,
Russell J.
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Desjardins,
Laurent L.
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Dougall,
Allan T.
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Frewer,
John de la F.
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Gates, George
P. |

Gilbert,
William V.
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Goodlad, Thomas A.A. |

Grossman, Henry
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Hampson, Lawrence G.
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Hicks,
James G.M
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Hill,
William Mc.
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James, Paul T. |

Killoran,
Clarence
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Kirby,
Douglas E.
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Lane,
William V.
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Leeder,
Henry G.
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Macklem,
Robert J.
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Mason, Eric
B.
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Muzzerall,
Cecil R.
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Newman,
John J.
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Patterson,
Donald M.
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Patterson,
Thomas M.
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Redden,
Gerald
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Sweeney,
Francis J.D.
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Tilley,
Harold R.
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Wilcox, John
F.
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Wonnacott,
Frank
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Young, Hugh
B.
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WUPS - Ship's Mascot
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Former Crew Members
Apple,
Barnabas William Nixon, SLt, RCNVR - 24 Jul 1944
Cordes,
James
Dickson,
Robert Hamilton, Lt, RCNVR - 29 Feb 1944
Dyson,
John (Jack)
Harrison,
John Ross, Lt, RCNVR - 05 Feb 1945
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Jackson,
George Alexander, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 16 Mar 1945
Kirby,
Charles Douglas, A/Lt, RCNVR - 27 Jul 1944
MacKenzie,
Donald Allan, Lt, RCNVR - 02 Feb 1943 / 02 Feb 1944
Montgomery,
Richard Alan, SLt (SB) (R), RCNVR - 03 Feb 1944
Moreton,
Alan Winsford, Lt, RCNVR - 18 May 1944
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Photos and
Documents

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Article on the Christening of HMCS ST BONIFACE
From the collection of Sto
1c Russ Daniels
Courtesy of Greg Daniels
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LCdr John James Hodgkinson, RCNR
1st Commanding Officer, HMCS St Boniface J333
10 Sep 1943 - 12 May 1944
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HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter
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Unknown crew on the bridge wing of HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown crew on the bridge wing of HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |


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William (Bill) Connor on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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William Gilbert on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown sailor on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown sailors on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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William (Bill) Connor (holding a stuffed toy
rabbit) on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown sailor (holding a stuffed toy rabbit)
on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown sailor (holding a stuffed toy rabbit)
on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown sailor (seen in photo above holding
stuffed rabbit)
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown sailors on the Quarterdeck of HMCS St
Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Jacking around for the camera. Unknown
sailors on the Quarterdeck of HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown sailors on the Quarterdeck of HMCS St
Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown Petty Officer on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter |

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Unknown ship astern of HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter
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Unknown sailor on the Quarterdeck of HMCS St
Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter
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Unknown sailor sitting on the breakwater on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter
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Unknown sailor by the air vents / carley float
rack on HMCS St Boniface J332
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Salter
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HMCS St. Boniface J332 transiting the locks at
Sault Ste Marie
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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Minesweepers in formation - altering course - HMCS St. Boniface lead
ship
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"Blow Gentle Breeze"
White Ensign flying on HMCS St. Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"Boys on the St. Boniface"
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
The two men in the
photo with beards are (left) Al Barker and (right) Sam.
Crouching, front right is Cecil Muzzerall

Al Barker (left), and Sam (right)
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"Dhobying on Blue Monday"
HMCS St. Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"Gone to Bed"
Machine guns on HMCS St. Boniface J332 covered up
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"the Haystack"
Storage rack for depth charges on HMCS St. Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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Two sailors standing behind the breakwater of HMCS St. Boniface J332
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unknown River class destroyer off port beam
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"Hello again!"
Unknown River class destroyer off Starboard quarter of HMCS St.
Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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Unknown sailors on the quarterdeck of HMCS St.
Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"In the Gates"
Convoy astern of HMCS St. Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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Looking astern on HMCS St. Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"Results Nil"
Depth charge explodes astern of HMCS St.
Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"Our better half"
Looking after from the crows nest of HMCS St.
Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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Unknown corvette, seen from HMCS St. Boniface
J332, rolling heavily in the seas
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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"Skyward Bound"
Looking up towards the mast from the
quarterdeck of HMCS St. Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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Twin machine gun mounts on HMCS St. Boniface
J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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Looking up the mast on HMCS St. Boniface J332
From the collection of Robert Macklem
Courtesy of Kelly Macklem
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Newspaper article on HMCS St Boniface's
Basketball undefeated team
The Crow's Nest newspaper - Apr 1945
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HMCS St Boniface with a damaged bow after her collision
with SS Empire Chamois in the Halifax approaches - 18 Apr 1945
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Splice the Mainbrace on HMCS ST BONIFACE J332
Note: possibly VE day
Cecil Muzzerall - centre, far back, immediately
above the cox'n who is issuing tots
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Don Patterson with ship's mascot WUPS
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(PJ09) Paul James on HMCS ST BONIFACE
J332 just
forward of the after gun mount (PJ10) USN Blimp searching for U-boats
(PJ11)
Paul James with shipmates on HMCS ST BONIFACE J332 (PJ12-PJ13) HMCS ST
BONIFACE J332 iced-up all the way to New York
*
PJ11 - Click
here to view the photo with sailors numbered for identification
(PJ14)
HMCS ST BONIFACE J332 conducting a stern fueling at sea (PJ15) HMCS ST
BONIFACE J332 Christmas card (PJ16) Frigate HMS GLENARM K258
approaching HMCS ST BONIFACE J332 (PJ17) HMCS GALT K163 at St. John's,
NFLD (PJ18) Unknown frigate alongside HMCS ST BONIFACE J332
(PJ19-PJ23)
Unknown sailor on HMCS ST BONIFACE J332
(PJ24)
Shipmates Pete Dalphe and Jack Dyso (PJ25) HMCS ST BONIFACE J332
jacket patch - based on the ship's badge (PJ26) Convoy escorts in line
ahead - photo taken from HMCS ST BONIFACE J332 (PJ27) A foggy day at
sea - with a ship barely visible, approaching HMCS ST BONIFACE J332
(PJ28) HMCS ST BONIFACE J332 bites into a wave in heavy seas
(PJ29)
Paul James and shipmates on weekend R&R (PJ30) Stray dog that was
on HMCS ST BONIFACE J332 for a while (PJ31) Stoker Al Gardener on HMCS
ST BONIFACE, Halifax, NS (PJ32) Stoker Paul James on HMS ST BONIFACE
J332, Halifax, NS (PJ33) Stokers from HMCS ST BONIFACE J332 on the
jetty with HMCS ALGONQUIN R17 in the background
(PJ34-PJ37)
Unknown sailors on HMCS ST BONIFACE J332
(PJ38)
HMCS VALLEYFIELD K329 - taken not long before she was torpedoed and
sunk (PJ39) Tribal Class destroyer HMCS IROQUOIS G89 (PJ40)
Damage of HMCS ST BONIFACE J332 after her collision with the freighter SS
EMPIRE CHAMOIS on 18 Apr 1945 in the Halifax approaches as the freighter was
forming up for convoy SC173 (PJ41) Unknown sailor sitting on the
damaged fo'c's'le of HMCS ST BONIFACE J332
(PJ42-PJ43)
Troopship Ile De France in convoy (PJ44) Merchant Aircraft Carrier
(MAC) (PJ45) Anti-aircraft balloon - possibly somewhere in England
(PJ46)
Volunteers for the Pacific Theatre before they go on leave
Webmaster's
note: it is not known if these sailors are all from ST BONIFACE J332 or if
the are from various ships
HMCS U-190 (former German U-boat U-190) arrives in
Halifax
Photos taken from HMCS ST BONIFACE J332
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PJ64 |
PJ64 |
(PJ64) William Edward,
son of SLt (E) and Mrs. Carl B. Britnell christened on ship
From the collection of Paul
James, Stoker, RCNVR
Courtesy of Gary James
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WD153
RCN Neg # S-1329
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WD154
RCN Neg # S-1330
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(WD153-WD154)
Christening of William
Edward, son of SLt and Mrs. Carl B. Brittnell aboard HMCS ST BONIFACE.
Godparents
Lt John De La Fosse Frewer, CO, HMCS ST BONIFACE and Mrs. H.F. Richardson,
of Larder Lake, Ont.
From
the collection of William (Bill) Dougall,
LTO (LP), RCNVR
Courtesy
of Grant Dougall
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