HMCS WENTWORTH K331

 

River Class Frigate

 


 

HMCS Wentworth K331

DND/RCN photo

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Battle honours and awards:  Atlantic  1944-45

 

 

Laid down: 11 Nov 1942

Launched: 06 Mar 1943

Commissioned: 07 Dec 1943

Paid off: 10 Oct 1945

Fate: Broken up in 1947

 

Wentworth was commissioned on 07 Dec 1943, at Victoria and arrived at Halifax 24 Jan 1944. She left for Bermuda to work up, but defects forced her to return and the working-up exercises were carried out in St. Margaret's Bay. In Jun 1944 she joined EG C-4, becoming Senior Officer's ship in Aug 1944, and remained continuously on convoy duty until Feb 1945, when she commenced a major refit at Shelburne, from 07 Mar to 09 Aug 1945. She was paid off on 10 Oct 1945, to reserve in Bedford Basin, and broken up in 1947 at Sydney.

 


 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

LCdr Stanley Warren Howell, RCNR - 07 Dec 1943 - 04 Jul 1944

LCdr Roderick John Cornell Pringle, RCNVR - 05 Jul 1944 - 15 Jan 1945

A/LCdr John Boyd Graham, RCNVR - 16 Jan 1945 - 10 Apr 1945

Lt G.C. Campbell, RCNVR - 25 Aug 1945 - 10 Oct 1945

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

LAWRENCE, Frank

PO, RCNVR

MPK - 04 Jan 1944

MENNELL, William R.

AB, RCN

MPK - 04 Jan 1944

PHILLIPS, Robert R.

OS, RCNVR

MPK - 04 Jan 1944

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Bardall, J. - 1944-1945

 

Clark, William, Lt - 1944-1945

 

Dery, Pierre Yvon, Lt, RCNVR - 30 May 1944

 

Finch-Noyes, Edward (Ted) William, A/Cdr, RCN - 27 May 1944

 

Graham, Bertram Rawlinson, A/Lt, RCNVR - 28 Jan 1944

 

Kerrigan, Thomas Richard, Lt (S), RCNVR - 05 Jul 1945

Mills, Timothy Stuart, A/Lt, RCNVR - 18 Mar 1944

 

Palmer, Winston John, SLt, RCNVR - 14 Mar 1945

 

Plamquist, David Ernest, Lt (El), RCNVR - 31 May 1945

 

Puncheon - 1945

 

Robinson, Michael Dennis Edward, Slt, RCNVR - 14 May 1945

 

Rowlings, Harry Winfred, Lt, RCNVR - 27 May 1944

Shuttleworth, James Murray, A/Lt, RCNVR - 06 Jul 1944

 

Sturrock, Bernard James Archibald, Lt, RCNVR - 01 Feb 1944

 

Stocker, George Clifford, SLt, RCNVR - 05 Mar 1945

 

Sullivan, Richard, Lt (E), RCNR - 26 May 1943

 

Turner, Leslie Charles, Lt (E), RCNVR - 28 Feb 1944

 

Wilson, Thomas Bruce, Lt (E), RCNVR - 12 Jul 1944

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

Lieut. Tim Mills, 21, RCNVR, of Toronto, has a personal score to settle with German E-boats in the English Channel. His brother, Mike, was killed in a running battle with eleven of them in the fall of 1941 while commanding a British motor gunboat. Tim is gunnery officer aboard the new frigate H.M.C.S. Wentworth and likes it, but his ambition still is to take his brother's place in the M.G.B. flotillas. The young officer was a student at the U. of T. before joining the Navy two years ago.

 

Source: City of Kawartha Digital Archives

HMCS Wentworth K331 postcard

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

"Wentworth" at Lt. Clark's wedding, St. John's, NFLD

Ken Medford, front row, 1st on left

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Unknown sub in St. John's Harbour - possibly the surrendered U-190

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Chain Rock, NFLD

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Launch from HMCS Wentworth K331 (foreground) - HMCS Chebogue K317 in background

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Ken Medford (left) and Bill Clark with ship's mascot

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Bill Clark (left) and Ken Medford with ship's mascot

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Castle class corvette

Photo taken from HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Unknown merchant ship

Photo taken from HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Ken Medford on HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Ken Medford on HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Quarterdeck of HMCS Wentworth K331 awash in rough seas

 

        

 

     

 

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

HMCS Wentworth K331 - aft looking forward

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Hedgehog on HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Ken Medford on HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford


Castle class corvette

Photo taken from HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Convoy seen from HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

HMCS Wentworth K331, Christmas, 1944, Londonderry, Ireland

 

     

 

1st photo: Ship's Cox'n Ken Medford, DSM stands beside Ordinary Seaman Pringle.  Following tradition, OS Pringle is the ship's CO, Cdr Pringle, who exchanged places with the youngest sailor on the ship for the day at Christmas.

 

2nd & 3rd photo:  OS Pringle 

 

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

J. Bardall and W. Clark

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Kenneth Medford, DSM, Cox'n, HMCS Wentworth K331

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Londonderry, Ireland (from the bog side)

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Summer 1945

 

Photos taken while HMCS Wentworth K331 was in refit at Shelburne from 07 Mar 1945 to 09 Aug 1945

 

        

 

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Puncheon from Toronto, ON at Shelburne, NS

From the collection of Kenneth Medford, DSM

Courtesy of Gary Medford

Gerald Jenson on shore leave from HMCS Wentworth - location unknown

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

Gerald Jenson on HMCS Wentworth by the aft gun platform

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

Gerald Jenson peeling potatoes on HMCS Wentworth

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

A makeshift shower on the quarterdeck of HMCS Wentworth

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

 

Rough seas washing over the quarterdeck of HMCS Wentworth

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

Sailors scrubbing the quarterdeck on HMCS Wentworth

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

HMCS Wentworth's after gun - the sailor on the left is holding a shell

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

Gerald Jenson on HMCS Wentworth

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

Photos of unknown vessels taken from HMCS Wentworth

 

           

 

(1) submarine  (2) frigate  (3) possibly a Battle class trawler  (4) corvette  (5) aircraft carrier

 

        

(6) Bi-plane flying past HMCS Wentworth  (6) corvette  (7) corvette  (8) convoy  (9) convoy

 

  

(10) Convoy (11) corvette

 

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

HMCS Wentworth's quarterdeck awash in rough seas

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

Two unknown sailors on HMCS Wentworth

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

HMCS Wentworth flying the White Ensign

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

 

Getting into HMCS Wentworth's work boat the hard way - sailors climb down the ropes to the work boat

From the collection of Gerald Jenson

Courtesy of James Jenson

HMCS WENTWORTH K331 and HMCS MATAPEDIA K112 alongside in Halifax

 

From the collection of François Messier, AB, RCNVR

 

Courtesy of Denis Messier

 


 

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