HMCS TRENTONIAN K368

 

Flower Class Corvette

 


 

HMCS TRENTONIAN K368

Courtesy of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum

 

Laid down: 19 Feb 1943

Launched: 01 Sep 1943

Commissioned: 01 Dec 1943

Fate: Sunk on 22 Feb 1945 by  U-1004

 

Commissioned at Kingston on 01 Dec 1943. She departed for Halifax on 26 Dec 1943. The following is an excerpt from her logs "26 Dec 1943 (1415 Zulu) Now with Christmas over, we slipped our lines and are now heading for Halifax, in company with HMCS NORSYD and HMC Tug NORTON. Soon after, we were met by some choppy seas. For most of the crew this is their first time in a ship and their first taste of seasickness. Unfortunately, the cooks seem to be the hardest hit. One cook is completely incapacitated. Those of the crew that have not succumbed, are taking turns in the galley to lend a hand. Unfortunately, the shipboard cuisine of these amateurs, could not be palatable even in fair weather." TRENTONIAN arrived at Halifax late in Dec 1943 and, after further fitting-out at Liverpool, N.S., and Halifax, left the latter port for Bermuda on 18 Feb 1944, to work up. Returning at the beginning of Mar 1944, she was assigned to Western Approaches Command and left for Londonderry on 23 Apr 1944 to join. For three months she carried out escort duty in connection with the invasion and on 13 Jun 1944, while escorting the cable vessel Monarch off Normandy, she was shelled in error by a U.S. destroyer. The Monarch was hit several times resulting in numerous casualties, luckily however, the TRENTONIAN was not hit during this incident. Late in Aug 1944 she transferred to EG 41 (RN) and, based at different times at Plymouth and at Milford Haven, escorted Channel convoys. While so engaged on 22 Feb 1945, she was torpedoed and sunk near Falmouth by U-1004, with the loss of six lives. The U-boat that sank TRENTONIAN, U-1004 was eventually scuttled in Operation Deadlight. Operation Deadlight was the code name for the scuttling of unwanted German U-boats which the allies got their hands on after the end of World War II. Most of these (if not all) operations took place from Lisahally, Northern Ireland or Loch Ryan, Scotland.

 


 

Photos and Documents          Ship's Company Photos

 

Sons of the Waves - HMCS TRENTONIAN (Youtube)

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

A/LCdr William Edward Harrison, RCNR - 01 Dec 1943 - 30 Jan 1945

 

Lt Colin Stinson Glassco, RCNVR - 31 Jan 1945 - 22 Feb 1945 

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

BECK, Moyle K.

LS, RCNR

MPK - 22 Feb 1945

CATHRINE, Robert T.

AB, RCNVR

MPK - 22 Feb 1945

FOURNIER, John A.

LS, RCNVR

MPK - 22 Feb 1945

HARVEY, Colin B.

LS, RCNR

MPK - 22 Feb 1945

MCCORMICK, John

Sto 1c, RCNVR

MPK - 22 Feb 1945

 

STEPHEN, Gordon K.

Lt, RCNVR

Killed - 22 Feb 1945

WELLS, Aubrey C.

LS, RCNR

killed - 16 Nov 1944

AB O'Brian

 

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

(s) - survived the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN

 

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

(s) - survived the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN

 

Abbott, Pat, Lt, NavO - 20 Jul 1944 (s)

 

Baker, E. - 1944

 

Baril, Dick - 1945

 

Beaumont, D. - 1944

 

Campbell, Douglas (s)

 

Chadbolt, George, L/Tel (s)

 

Clark, Henry, Tel (s)

 

Farrell, Thomas, Tel (of Montreal, QC) (s)

 

Goar, George, ERA (s)

 

Gray, Robert, AB (s)

 

Hadley, Vincent (of Prince Albert, SK) - 1944

Harley, Gordon, LS (s) 

 

Harold, Jack (of Aurora, ON) - 1944

 

Hindle, Harry, Wt (E) (s) 

 

Keir, Bruce, Sto (s)

 

Kevins, Philip (of Verdun QC), 1944

 

Majors, Leslie, Stoker (s) 

 

Manson, John (of Winnipeg, MB) - 1944

 

McKay, John (of Terrebonne, QC) - 1944

 

Meyer, Barrie, Coder (s)

Meyer, Peter (of Regina, SK) - 1944

 

Muff, Eric, AB (s)

 

Poulin, Edmund (of Ottawa, ON) - 1944

 

Salmon, Harold, AB (s) 

 

Scott, Jack (s)

 

Simpson, Gordon, AB (s)

 

Stephen, Gordon Kent, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1944

 

Straw, Jack, L/Sig, RCNVR (of Hamilton, ON) (s) 

 

Terrell, Jack, Sig(s)

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

HW04

HW05

HW06

HW07

The Launching of TRENTONIAN at Kingston Shipbuilding Yards, Kingston, ON on 01 Sep 1943

 

(HW04-HW05) TRENTONIAN ready for launching  (HW06) Members of HMCS CATARAQUI line the path to TRENTONIAN for the guests on launch day  (HW07) TRENTONIAN being launched

 

From the collection of Henry J. (Hank) Winsor, RCNVR

 

Courtesy of Roger Litwiller

 


 

HMCS TRENTONIAN K368 at Montreal just after commissioning in December 1943. Not fully complete. She left the builders yards in Kingston to beat the winter ice on Lake Ontario. She was fitted out with her after 2 pound pom-pom; searchlight, asdic and other equipment  when she arrived on the east coast

 

Roger Litwiller Collection - Photo courtesy Gary McGregor

(RTL-GM001)

HMCS TRENTONIAN K368 at anchor

 

Courtesy of John Hawley

 

AB O'Brian, HMCS TRENTONIAN's mascot

 

Roger Litwiller Collection, Allen E. Singleton, RCNVR photo, courtesy Bruce Keir, RCNVR. (RTL-BK200)

 

HMCS TRENTONIAN K368 - 1944

HMCS TRENTONIAN K368

 

From the collection of Ivan Chamberlain

 

Courtesy of Dave Chamberlain

"GERMAN U-BOAT VICTIM - HMCS TRENTONIAN, one of the Royal Canadian Navy's corvettes was sunk recently by a torpedo from a German U-boat, it was revealed today. One officer was killed and five ratings are missing. The TRENTONIAN is shown in the above layout as she appeared last year while taking part in invasion operations off the French coast. At upper right is shown the ship's skipper, Lieut. Colin S. Glassco, Hamilton, who was among the survivors. A veteran seagoing officer, Lieut. Glassco had taken up his appointment as commanding officer just three weeks before the ship was torpedoed. He joined the navy in January, 1941. Upper left shows Leading Signalman Jack Straw, RCNVR, also of Hamilton, who was another of the survivors. Also saved were Stoker William Shields, Oakville; A.B. Harold Salmon, Stoker Leslie Majors and Leading Seaman Gordon Harley, all of Hamilton, shown from left to right at the bottom of picture."

 

Source: Southwest Mafia Website

Newspaper article on the loss of HMCS TRENTONIAN

 

Source: Southwest Mafia Website

Newspaper article on the loss of HMCS TRENTONIAN

 

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Newspaper article on 10 survivors from HMCS TRENTONIAN

 

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Newspaper article on the pending wedding of Lt. Stephen who was lost when HMCS TRENTONIAN

 

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Newspaper article on TRENTONIAN Casualties

 

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Newspaper article on the loss of the TRENTONIAN

 

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Newspaper article on the loss of the TRENTONIAN

 

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Newspaper clipping - announcement of the death of LS Colin Harvey

 

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

D. Beaumont and E. Baker on HMCS TRENTONIAN - 1944

 

photo credit: Roger Litwiller

Rear-Admiral Bernard William Murry Fairbairn, RN, Flag-Officer in Charge, Milford Haven, inspects HMCS TRENTONIAN, Oct 1944

 

Photograph by Allen Singleton

 

From the collection of Roger Litwiller

Newspaper article on the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN

 

Crow's Nest newspaper - Apr 1945

DJ60

Article on the torpedoing of HMCS TRENTONIAN K368

 

From the collection of Donald R. Johnston, Stoker, RCNVR

 

Courtesy of William Johnston

 


 

JR33

JR34

JR35

(JR33) James Allen Rickard and Douglas Campbell - survivors of the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN K386 in hospital - 27 Feb 1945

 

(JR34) Article on the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN. Crew listed in the article:  Lt Cotin S. Glassco, CO;  Lt W. Burnley Kinsman;  Lt J.K. Mowat; Wt (E) H.F. Hindle;  M.R. Angus; Douglas Excess; George Goar;  Coder Barrie Meyer;  AB Mike Vak;  AB Jimmy Rickard;  Jack Scott.  Also mentioned, Officers Steward Samuel Vak, brother of Mike Vak.  Samuel Vak was not a crew member of TRENTONIAN - dated 26 Mar 1945

 

(JR35) Survivors of HMCS TRENTONIAN from Ontario:  AB James Davidson (of Sudbury);  AB Michael Vak (of Port Arthur); Jack Scott (of Port Arthur);  AB Weldon Runtz (of Arnprior); CERA Murray Angus (of Kingston);  L/Ck Norman McIntyre (of Sault Ste. Marie) and A/Sto PO Norman Crampton (of Carleton Place) - Dated 26 Mar 1945

 

From the collection of John A. Rickard, AB, RCNVR

 

Courtesy of  John H. Rickard

 


 

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