HMCS TRAIL K174

 

Flower Class Corvette

 


 

HMCS Trail K174

 

Laid down: 20 Jul 1940

Launched: 16 Oct 1940

Commissioned: 30 Apr 1941

Paid off: 17 Jul 1945

Fate: Broken up at Hamilton, Ont., in 1950

 

Commissioned at Vancouver on 31 Apr 1941, she left Esquimalt 31 May 1941 for the east coast, arriving at Halifax on 27 Jun 1941. In Aug 1941 she joined Newfoundland Command, departing St. John's on 23 Aug 1941 to escort convoy HX.146 as far as Iceland. During the year she made four round trips there, and on 20 Jan 1942, left St. John's to join SC.65 for the first of two round trips to Londonderry. She returned to Halifax on 02 Apr 1942 and, after a brief refit at Liverpool, N.S., joined Halifax Force for Northern Waters in June. Between Jul and Nov 1942 she was employed escorting convoys between Labrador and Quebec City, also calling at Gaspé and Hamilton Inlet. She arrived at Halifax in Nov 1942 to join WLEF for the balance of the war, as a member successively of escort groups W-6 (from Jun 1943); W-5 (from Apr 1944) and W-4 (from Dec 1944). She underwent a refit at Lunenburg from mid-Jul to 03 Sep 1943, followed by workups at Pictou, and a further refit at Liverpool, N.S., between mid-Jul and 23 Oct 1944. Following the latter, which included extension of her fo'c's'le, she underwent additional repairs at Halifax and then proceeded to Bermuda to work up in Dec 1944. She left there on 07 Jan 1945, for Boston to resume service with WLEF until paid off on 17 Jul 1945 at Sorel. In August 1950, Trail was sold to the Steel Co. of Canada, Hamilton, ON, and was ship was broken up at Hamilton.

 


 

Photos and Documents          The Ship's Bell

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

Lt George Stanley Hall, RCNR - 30 Apr 1941 - 08 Oct 1943

Lt G.M. Hope, RCNVR - 09 Oct 1943 - 20 Aug 1944

Lt D.G.B. Hueston, RCNVR - 21 Aug 1944 - 09 Oct 1944

Lt Donald James Lawson, RCNVR - 10 Oct 1944 - 17 Jul 1945

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

ROGERSON, George S.

S.B.A., RCNVR

died - 12 Dec 1942

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Armitage, Nelson

 

Beattie, Art

 

Cowan, Russell F., SLt, RCNVR - 11 Feb 1945

 

Davey, James Wilkie, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Jul 1943

 

Dungay, Harold

 

Gain, Howard Francis, Lt, RCNVR - 12 May 1945

 

Housten, Bruce, Lt, RCNVR

McLean, Jock

 

Money, Roland (Cash)

 

Muszanowski, Cornelius (Corny)

 

Nash, Thomas Raymond, SLt, RCNVR - Jan 1943

 

O'Neil, John

 

Palmer, Hugh Mallogh, SLt, RCNVR - 18 Feb 1942

 

Ranson, Herbert Samuel, SLt, RCNVR - 24 Jul 1944

Reed, Ronnie

 

Schmeisser, Chester James, SLt, RCNVR - 02 Jul 1942

 

Starkey, Jack

 

Stevens, Allan Wilday, SLt, RCNVR - 02 Apr 1942

 

Wallace, Mathew Howard, Mate, RCNR - 30 Apr 1941

 

Wesley, Ed

 

Wilson, Bill

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

HMCS Trail K174

HMCS Trail K174

From the collection of Robert Macklem

Courtesy of Kelly Macklem

HMCS Trail K174 jacket patch

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

Sailors on HMCS Trail K174 - note the gun shield artwork

 

Back: (L-R)  Bruce Housten, Nelson Armitage, Jock McLean, Roland (Cash) Money

Front: (L-R) Harold Dungay, Art Beattie, Ronnie Reed, Cornelius (Corny) Muszanowski

 

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

Sailors from HMCS Trail K174 ashore

 

Left to right:  Bill Wilson from BC;  Ernest Marentette from Windsor, ON;  John O’Neil from Sudbury;  Ed Wesly from Windsor, ON

 

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

Sailors from HMCS Trail K174 ashore at the Silver Dollar Bar, Boston, Mass

 

Left to right: Bill Wilson from B.C.;  John Inglis from Regina;  Ernest Marentette; Cornelius Muszanowski from BC; and Gibbons, from Montreal.

 

Ernest was a Steward and his battle station was on one of the depth charge throwers.

 

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

HMCS Trail K174

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

HMCS Trail's builder plate

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

Ernest Marentette and Jack Starkey on HMCS Trail k174 in Halifax goofing around

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

Ernest Marentette off duty relaxing aboard the HMCS Trail K174

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

Jack Starkey and Ernest Marentatte on the rocks at Peggy's Cove, NS

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

HMCS Trail pillow case

From the collection of Ernest Marentette

Courtesy of Terry Marentette

 


 

HOME PAGE     SHIP INDEX      CONTACT