HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

Bangor Class Minesweeper

HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

Laid down: 03 Nov 1940

Launched: 02 Sep 1941

Commissioned: 26 Nov 1941

Paid off: 24 Oct 1945

Fate: Sold in 1946. Final disposition unknown.

Commissioned at Vancouver on 26 Nov 1941, HMCS MIRAMICHI spent her entire service career on the west coast, alternating between Esquimalt Force and Prince Rupert Force. In the summer and fall of 1943, while serving with Esquimalt Force, she was used occasionally for training purposes. She was paid off at Esquimalt on 24 Oct 1945, and is thought to have been broken up at Vancouver in 1949, having been purchased in 1946 by the Union Steamship Co. for conversion that was never proceeded with.

Photos and Documents Ship's company photos The Ship's Bell

Commanding Officers

Lt W.G. Johnstone, RCNR - 26 Nov 1941 - 26 Oct 1942

Lt G.H. Matheson, RCNR - 27 Oct 1942 - 23 Jan 1944

Lt Ronald John Williams, RCNVR - 24 Jan 1944 - 21 Jun 1945

Skpr/Lt Walter Raymond Chester, RCNR - 22 Jun 1945 - 24 Oct 1945

In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Lest We Forget

MAKARSKY, Lee W.

L/Writer, RCNVR

died - 02 Sep 1945

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

Anderson, Alexander C.

Former Crew Members

Ayre, Anthony, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Jun 1943

Boorman, William I., RCNVR - 1941-1942

Campbell, Robert Douglas, Lt, RCNVR - 10 Jun 1944

Dempster, Wilfred John A/Lt, RCNVR - 18 May 1945

Gale, Robert Read, Lt, RCNVR - 18 Feb 1943

Johnston, William Arnold, Lt, RCNVR - 13 Apr 1943

Levevre, Fernand, SLt, RCNVR - 27 Apr 1942

Pederson, Kay Ragmar Lystrup, Skpr, RCNR - 31 May 1943

Roseboom, Edward Henry, A/War (E), RCNR - 18 Feb 1944

Story, John Herbert, Lt, RCNVR - 12 Jun 1945

Turner, John Hyde, Lt, RCNVR - 04 Apr 1944

William, Evan, Ch/Skpr, RCNR - 16 Feb 1945

Wills, Kenneth Archibald, SLt, RCNVR - 24 Apr 1943

Photos and Documents

Lowering the seaboat - HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

Our seaboat crew

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 in the slips

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

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HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 - (1) Port Thrower (2) The .5s (3) a pontoon (4) Our 4-inch gun (5) Starboard side looking aft on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (6) Looking down from the bridge - the 4-inch gun and foc'sle (7) Looking after from the crow's nest on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (8) 2-pdr QF gun aft - this gun replaced the .5 mounts that were moved to the bridge wings.

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

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(1) Reg Burr on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (2) Doug Dixon (left) and Stanbridge (3) "Wash day" (4) Doug Dixon (5 & 6) three unknown sailors on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (7) James MacLachlan on the 4-inch gun of HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (8) Two unknown sailors by the 4-inch gun on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

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(1) unknown sailor by the 4-inch gun on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (2) George Huntbatch by the 4-inch gun on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (3) Two unknown sailors with the catch-of-the-day on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (4) unknown sailors scurbbing the sweep deck / quarter deck on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (5) unknown sailor in the .5 machinegun tub on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (6) unknown sailor catching some rest on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 (7 & 8) Sailors relaxing on the quarter deck / sweep deck of HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

Lt Johnstone (left) Commanding officer HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

Action Stations on HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 - L-R/Back to Front - Edge, Sullivan, Huntbatch, Julius, Laughlin, Johnstone, Bailey, Burr

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 in the slips

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

Sailors from HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 relaxing ashore

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(1) Baker, Rita, Gelner, Gablehouse, James MacLachlan, Sullivan (2) "Horizantal" (3) Baker, Julius, Bailey, Tian, Gablehouse, James MacLachlan, Sullivan

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

Unknown minesweeper coming alongside HMCS MIRAMICHI J169 - possibly HMCS Bellechase J170

From the collection of George Huntbatch

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

The Great West Coast Sweeper Race

I’ll tell you all a story,
A saga of the sea -
Of a sweeper of the Bangor class,

Called the Mirimachi.

’Twas on a Tuesday morning,
An airforce plane was down -
No time to waste, we must make haste,

For fear the “pigeons” down.

About a mile ahead of us,
Was the sweeper the “Bellechasse.”
We did our best to catch her -
But, she would not let us pass.

We passed the Triple Island light -
A cable’s length astern -
The race was not then over,

As we were soon to learn.

Their light it flashed, derisive like -
“Can you not stand the pace”?
We answered “We can hold our own

We yet can win this race.”

The stokers then used every trick,
To make the steam rise high,
Until the safeties in protest -
Spewed up toward the sky.

The oilers spouted oil around,

With energy galore,
The E.R.A. on watch did check,
The revs at two two four.

A mist came down to greet us,
As we stormed up Hecate Strait,
While we still held our own with her,
The pace was really great.

A cheer went up from our good Ship,
The “Bellechasse” had blown,
And at last, we came up fast,
To come into our own.

And now the pace was telling,
On the “Bellechasse’s” fight,
And we began to edge ahead,
Although the race was tight.

We won the race right handy -
A mile or so away
The “Bellechasse” followed in our wake,
Too slow to win the day.

The fastest sweeper on the coast,
A credit to the sea,
Is the sturdy little sweeper
The we call the “Mirimachi”

Pacific Coast, 1942

Sequel to the Great West Coast Sweeper Race

There’s a sequel to the story,
Of the good ship “Mirimichi”
And how she licked the “Bellechasse”
That day in open sea

We’re offering no alibis
The race was fairly won.
The conditions were no quite the same,
The ships were not as one.

Right out of dry dock came the “M”,
Bottom as clean as could be,
While the “Bellechasse” suffered handicap,
Through six long months at sea.

The same firm built the vessels,

both “Bellechasse” and “Mirimichi”,
The “M” was out a month ahead,
Of the ship that start with “B”.

When on trials from Burrards,
The “M” made seventeen-four,
While the Bellechasse strive as hard she might,
Made sixteen-eight, no more.

There’s devious tricks that engineers,
Can use to raise the speed -
One it to screw down the safety valve,

But that’s a final deed.

One of these days, “Mirimichi”,
In race we’ll meet again,
In condition such as you are now,
And may the best ship win.

Pacific Coast, 1942 Chief E.R.A. Brown.

The Great West Coast Sweeper Race notes:

1) What happened to the “Pigeons”? - The plane, a Canso flying boat, made it to Langara Island in the Queen Charlottes, where it landed safe and sound. Someone neglected to inform the “Mirimichi & Bellechasse
2) The Queen Charlotte islands were officially renamed to Haida Gwaii in 2010. Langara is a small island at its northern tip.

3) This rhyme was tacked on the Bellechasse’s notice board by an enterprising crewman on the Mirimichi. This in turn prompted a rhyme by Chief E.R.A. (Engine Room Artificer) Brown of the Bellechasse, which was sneakily posted on the Mirimichi’s bulletin board. While we called it ‘sour grapes’ it is still part of the story.

4) the ships were tested on trials at 180 revolutions per min. On the engines Mirimichi’s logged speed (21 knots) (during race) 224 R.P.M.

45 Scot here appears to misspell the name of the ship numerous times, writing “Mirimachi” and then “Mirimichi” instead of "Miramichi"

From the collection of James Scot MacLachlan, Signalman, RCNVR

Courtesy of Rowan MacLachlan

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