HMCS MATANE K444

River Class Frigate

Launched at Montreal on 29 May 1943, she was commissioned there on 22 Oct 1943, MATANE arrived at Halifax 13 Nov 1943 and began working up in St. Margaret's Bay completing the process at Pictou. In Apr 1944, she joined EG 9, Londonderry, as Senior Officer's ship, thereafter serving mainly on escort and patrol duty in U.K. waters. On 22 Apr 1944 HMCS MATANE sunk German U-boat U-311 in the North Atlantic south west of Iceland in position 52°09'N, 19°07'W, by depth charges from the Canadian frigates HMCS MATANE (LCdr. A.F.C. Layard, DSO, RN) and HMCS SWANSEA (A/Cdr. C.A. King, DSO, DSC, RCNR). The fact that U-311 was destroyed by the depth charge attacks of MATANE and/or SWANSEA, was unknown until years after WWII, when German and British intelligence attributed the kill to these two ships, as opposed to attack by aircraft, the latter having been thought to be the case prior to the post-war analyses. She was present on D-Day. On 20 Jul 1944 she was hit by a German glider bomb off Brest and towed, badly damaged, to Plymouth by HMCS MEON. In Apr 1945, she completed eight and one-half months' repairs at Dunstaffnage, Scotland, working up at Tobermory and, on 12 May 1945, sailed from Greenock to escort convoy JW.67 to North Russia. She was detached on 14 May 1945, however, to help escort 14 surrendered U-boats from Trondheim to Loch Eriboll (click here to see photos in HMCS Monnow's gallery). In June, after one round trip to Gibraltar as convoy escort, she left Londonderry for Esquimalt via Halifax. She arrived at Esquimalt in Jul 1945 and on 11 Feb 1946, was paid off into reserve there. She was sold in 1947 and her hull sunk in 1948 as part of a breakwater at Oyster Bay, B.C.

U-Boats Sunk: U-311 (Kptlt Joachim Zander) sunk on 22 Apr 1944 by HMCS SWANSEA K328 and HMCS MATANE K444 in position 52-09 N, 19-07 W. Of her crew of 51 there were no survivors.

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos

Canadian Naval Officer Took Surrender of the German Submarine U-968

HMCS MATANE - A Remembrance Day Tribute by Grant Bailey

Protecting the Sea Lane by Martin Bondy

The Royal Canadian Navy and the Narvik U-Boats - May 1945 by Derek Waller, Air Commodore, RAF, ret'd

Commanding Officers

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

(MAT001) HMCS MATANE jacket patch  //  From the collection of Harold (Hal) Stevens, CPO1 Boatswain, RCN  //  Courtesy of Rob Stevens

(MAT002) HMCS MATANE jacket patch  //  Courtesy of David Freeman

(MAT003) HMCS MATANE K444 (foreground) towing HMCS SPRINGHILL K323  //  RCN Neg # GM-1442  //  Courtesy of the Naval Museum of Halifax

(MAT004) Amedee Patrick Aucoin, died 15 Jun 1944,  being buried at Londonderry Cemetery, Londonderry, Ireland. Standing beside the priest is Amedee's best friend, Paul Bert Aucoin. Paul was killed on 21 Jul 1944 when HMCS MATANE was hit by a glider bomb.  //  Courtesy of Lisa Haverty

(MAT005) Officers of HMCS MATANE K444 near Halifax, January 1944  //  LCdr Alan H. Easton in the light coloured pants  //  Also in photo (but not identified) Lt. Colin Carruthers  //  Photographer: Gilbert Milne  //  From the collection of Peter Cox  //  Courtesy of Gary Medford

(MAT006) LCdr Alan H. Easton smoking his pipe on the bridge of HMCS MATANE K444  //  From the collection of Peter Cox  //  Courtesy of Gary Medford

(MAT007) LCdr Alan H. Easton, while in command of HMCS MATANE, 1944  //  photo credit: LAC PA-206442

(MAT008) An unidentified sailor checking the stowage of depth charges at the stern of the frigate HMCS MATANE in heavy seas off Bermuda.  //  Source: Lt Gilbert Alexander Milne / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-134326  //  Webmaster's note: This sailor in this photo has been identified as Telegraphist Ron Bailey - the source is a Remembrance Day project posted by his son Grant Bailey

(MAT009) HMCS MATANE list of causalities from the glider bomb attack on 02 Jul 1944  //  from the Hamilton Hamilton Spectator, May 29, 1945

(MAT010) Newspaper article on the glider bomb attack on HMCS MATANE on 02 Jul 1944  //  from the Hamilton Hamilton Spectator, May 29, 1945

(MAT011) HMCS MATANE K444 seen from HMCS SWANSEA K328  //  From the collection Harry Swanson  //  Courtesy of Jason Belanger

(MAT012) HMCS MATANE Bell  //  This bell is not the ship's bell, but possibly a bell hung in the wardroom or outside of the mess decks to wake the crew.  I got it from a woman who's father was the engineer who was doing a last minute walk around before he blew the charges that put her on the bottom.  //  Courtesy of Rob Stevens

(MAT013) Frederick Taylor (front right) with his shipmates on the jetty by HMCS MATANE K444  //  From the collection of Frederick Taylor  //  Courtesy of Stacey Briscoe

(MAT014) Members of a boarding party from HMCS MATANE, seen aboard U-968 , Loch Eriboll, Scotland, May 1945. U-968 surrendered at Narvik, Norway, and was transferred to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, and then later to Loch Ryan for Operation Deadlight  //  (L-R): Signalman William Parish, Lieutenant J.J. Coates, Petty Officer Edwin Massey  //  Source: WO Leslie F. Sheraton / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-191030

(AC05) J. Pratt with ship's mascot aboard HMCS MATANE K444

(AC06) Sketch of HMCS MATANE K444 by Stephen Warech that Al Cote got at a crew reunion of HMCS MATANE in the late 1980s

From the collection of J. Alphonse (Al) Cote, RCNVR

Courtesy of Al Cote (Jr.)

(VM001) Christmas card from HMCS MATANE  //  From the collection of Vic Mauro  //  Courtesy of Ken Mauro

(VM002) Intercepted message to German U-boats  //  From the collection of Vic Mauro  //  Courtesy of Ken Mauro

(VM003) Stu Hodgson (left) and Vic Mauro after their visit to the remains of HMCS MATANE in 2007. Stu served in HMCS MONNOW  //  Courtesy of Ken Mauro

(AWT045 - AWT055) These photos of HMCS MATANE K444 were taken from HMCS SWANSEA during one of the two time frames where MATANE and SWANSEA conducted Work-Ups off Halifax (29 Nov 43 - 08 Nov 43) or ASW training off Bermuda (08 Dec 43 - 23 Dec 43) together.