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HMCS BEACON HILL K407 / 303
River Class / Prestonian Class Frigate
Built by Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt, BC, she was commissioned there on 16 May 1944. BEACON HILL arrived at Halifax on 11 Jul 1944, having escorted Puncher from New Orleans to New York en route, and proceeded to Bermuda to work up. On her return to Halifax she left in Sep 1944 to join EG 26, an RCN support group based at Londonderry, but for varying periods was detached to Plymouth and Portsmouth. She remained in U.K. waters for the balance of the European war, leaving Greenock for home on 28 May 1945. Intended for Pacific service, she underwent tropicalization refit at Liverpool, N.S., from Jun to Nov 1945, and sailed from Shelburne for Esquimalt on 22 Dec 1945. She was paid off at Esquimalt on 06 Feb 1946, but re-commissioned in the summer of 1949 for cadet training. Paid off later in 1949, she was re-commissioned on 15 Feb 1950 and paid off at the end of the summer training cruises. She was re-commissioned again on 15 Apr 1951. During 1951, the West Coast training flotilla, consisting of the CRUSADER, ANTIGONISH and BEACON HILL, sailed on three 21-day UNTD cadet training cruises to Pearl Harbor - 08 May, 27 Jun and 08 Aug. BEACON HILL was again paid off in 1954 for conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort, was commissioned as such on 21 Dec 1957, and served on the west coast until finally paid off on 15 Sep 1967. She was broken up in 1968 at Sakai, Japan.
RCN Memories: Gut Instincts or Don't forget the funnel covers
Photos and Documents Ship's company photos The Ship's Bell
Commanding Officers
Captain for the day
Captain for the day is a tradition in the RCN where during the ship's Christmas celebrations, the Commanding Officer changes places with the youngest member of the ship's company.
OS Tillie - 1950
They shall not be forgotten A
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Former Crew Members
Photos and Documents
(BCH001) Newspaper article on the commissioning of HMCS BEACON HILL in Esquimalt // Kenneth Dawson - 2nd from left // From the collection of Kenneth Dawson // Courtesy of Randy Dawson (BCH002) HMCS BEACON HILL K407 // DND- RCN Photo (BCH003) Splice the Mainbrace on HMCS BEACON HILL circa 1945 // Gordon Sommer front, centre. Other three sailors unknown // from the collection of Gordon Sommer // Courtesy of Janet Hillaby (BCH004) Music in the mess deck on HMCS BEACON HILL K405 circa 1944-1945 // Gordon Sommer in front playing guitar. Other sailors unknown // From the collection of Gordon Sommer // Courtesy of Janet Hillaby (BCH005) HMCS BEACON HILL K407 circa 1944 // Courtesy of the Naval Museum of Halifax
V.E. Day on HMCS BEACON HILL K407 - Cdr Ted Simmons addresses his crew From the collection of Dick James, Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Gunnery Instruction, RCN Courtesy of Steve Hlasny
(KD002) Messmates on BEACON HILL L-R: Tommy Stephens, ERA4c of North Vancouver, BC; A. MacFarlane, ERA5c of Toronto, ON; Kenneth N. Dawson, ERA4c of Oshawa, ON; John E. Cooper, ERA4c of Vancouver, BC; Thomas Benny Graham, ERA4c of Montreal, QC; Jack Danes, ERA3c, of Victoria, BC; Andy Lamont, ERA4c of Edmonton, AB // Click here to view the names on the back of the photo (KD003) Lt Longworthy on his way up to the bridge. Taken 3 weeks before Xmas 1944 (KD004) "A picture of the boys while at Bermuda. It was taken while waiting for the boat race to start. We are sitting on the port anchor chain up on the fo'c's'le. Just the way everyone goes around in the tropics. Doc Cooper, Benny Graham, unknown, Andy Lamont, Jack Danes" (KD005) "Some prisoners being taken off HMCS THETFORD Mines. The sub was sunk by our group (E.G. 26) when the sub ran into the New Glasgow. (last sub got by Canadians in the war)" Webmaster's note: The prisoners were from U-1003 which was rammed by NEW GLASGOW (KD006) Ken Dawson holding a couple of fish on HMCS BEACON HILL. Back of photo - "Myself holding up some real fish we picked up after dropping a pattern of charges."
(KD007) HMCS NEW GLASGOW K320 alongside HMCS BEACON HILL at sea (KD008) HMCS JONQUIERE alongside HMCS BEACON HILL at sea. Back of photo - "HMCS JONQUIERE came alongside to transfer some mail to us. In the same group as us." (KD009) Depth charge exploding astern of HMCS BEACON HILL (KD010) Jack Danes, Alex MacFarlane and Andy Lamont standing in front of the 12-pounder (KD011) "Floating fortress anchored down outside of Portsmouth" (Historical note: The floating fortress in photo #11 is the NAB Tower Lighthouse, located in the English Channel southeast of Bembridge, just off the eastern end of the Isle of Wight. Click on the link to read the history of the NAB Tower Lighthouse)
(KD012) A German escape Life belt taken from a sub got by MONTREAL and RIBBLE at X-mas. (Historical Note: On 17 Dec 1944, Montreal rescued survivors of U 1209, which ran aground and was wrecked on Wolf Rock southwest of Land's End.) (KD013) "ERAs gun crew. A. Lamont sighting gun; J. Danes holding tray for shell; A. McFarlane going to fire gun; a stoker holding a star shell" (KD014) V.E. Day on HMCS BEACON HILL - Back Row PO James; MacFarlane / Middle Row OA Sunby; EA Hancock, Dallin, Sto PO Olive, Tommy and Doc; TGM Butler; Sto PO Jelleau; Jack Danes / Front Row - Shipwright Tompson; PO Carrey; Sarg Iszy; ERA Louches; PO Rafuse; ERA MacDonald (KD015) VE Day on HMCS BEACON HILL - James & MacFarlane / Sunby, Hancock, Dallin, Olive, Stephens, Cooper, Edwards / Carey, Thompson, Louches, Rafues, MacDonald / Iszy - Sergeant Dental Corp (KD016) HMCS BEACON HILL heading to sea.
(17) "taken one Sunday in Bermuda right after divisions with everyone dressed in whites. Back Row - MacFarlane, Cooper, Danes, Stephens. Front Row - Lamont, Graham, Dawson (18) "Lt Hardy Gunnery Officer singing a song on the quarter deck at V.E. day celebration" (19) "Lt Longworthy Engineering Officer singing a song at V.E. day celebration" From the collection of Kenneth Dawson, Engine Room Artificer4th Class, RCNVR Courtesy of Randy Dawson
(BCH100) HMCS BEACON HILL 303 - 09 May 1959 // Source: City of Vancouver Archives. Photographer: Walter E. Frost (BCH101) HMCS BEACON HILL 303 // Courtesy of Gary Robertson (BCH102) HMCS BEACON HILL 303 // Courtesy of Gary Robertson (BCH103) HMCS BEACON HILL 303 // DND- RCN Photo
(RB019) Lowering the ensign for the last time on HMCS BEACON HILL. P2SG Rosie Dale on the right and LSSG Robert Berbeck on the left (RB020) Article on the paying-off of HMCS BEACON HILL 303 Courtesy of Robert Berbeck
(GB-BCN-001) Newspaper article on the collision between HMCS BEACON HILL 303 and HMCS NEW GLASGOW 315 off Hawaii - year unknown (GB-BCN-002) HMCS BEACON HILL 303 // From the collection of Gordon Arnold (Art) Broster (GB-BCN-003) G.A. Broster (left) on HMCS BEACON HILL - date unknown // From the collection of Gordon Arnold (Art) Broster
Christmas 1950 onboard HMCS BEACON HILL (GB-BCN-004) A bit of fun on Christmas morning. “A funeral for Don Hamilton. Boy was he suffering from a hangover.” On Left: Stan Hill/Stan Stark. On Right: John Hodaseck, George (Shorty) Don Lampert. Under the flag and wreath is Don Hamilton (GB-BCN-005) The other end of the table (GB-BCN-006) The drinking session before the dinner Christmas 1950
Christmas 1950 onboard HMCS BEACON HILL (GB-BCN-007) Dishing out dinner. The server is Norm Dawe (GB-BCN-008) Some of the boys preparing the meal. The 3 PO’s in the back served everyone (GB-BCN-009) The Captain for the Day and the Captain – OS Tillie (CO for the day) and LCdr Murdock (GB-BCN-010) The 3 cooks that cooked the dinner. Left: P.O. Ralph Caldwell, Right: holding cakes is Gordie Long. Two of the six tturkeys are on Ralph’s right. From the collection of Gordon Arnold (Art) Broster Courtesy of Cathy Robinson
(HWB001) CPO2 BN4 Harold Wesley Bingham receiving his CD (HWB002 - HWB003) CPO2 (BN4) Harold Wesley Bingham was the last Cox'n on the BEACON HILL before she was paid off. Her last cruise was a West Coast "show the flag" down the Pacific Coast as far as Mexico before working her way home back to Victoria. Dad was fortunate to receive one of the original ship's copper rum tots with BEACON HILL's crest attached and it was engraved by the boys onboard "HMCS BEACON HILL 1944-1957" with Dad's name on the back. From the collection of Harold W. Bingham, C2BN, RCN Courtesy of Stafford Bingham
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar 
