HMCS CHAUDIERE 235

 

Restigouche Class Destroyer

 

 

 

FORTUNE FAVOURS  THE BRAVE

HMCS CHAUDIERE 235 - 11 Jul 1970

Photographer: Walter E. Frost

Source: City of Vancouver Archives

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Battle honours and awards:  Atlantic  1944,   Normandy  1944,   Biscay  1944

 

 

Laid down: 30 Jul 1953

Launched: 13 Nov 1957

Commissioned: 14 Nov 1959

Paid off: 23 May 1974

Fate: Sunk as an artificial reef on 05 Dec 1992

 

Built at Halifax Shipyards and the last of her class, CHAUDIERE was commissioned on 14 Nov 1959. On 02 Oct 1967, she left Halifax to serve on the west coast. Her intended conversion to an IRE was abandoned for reasons of economy, and in 1970 her complement was reduced to training level. On 23 May 1974, she was paid off and thereafter used as a source of spare parts for others of her class. Her bow was removed in 1989 to replaced that of Kootenay, which had been damaged in a collision. CHAUDIERE was sunk as a sport divers' wreck in Sechelt Inlet, B.C., on 05 Dec 1992.

 

 

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

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

Cdr V.J. Wilgress, RCN - 14 Nov 1959 - 25 Apr 1961

Cdr Philip John Pratley, RCN - 24 Apr 1961 - 11 Apr 1963

Cdr Robert Hilborn Falls, RCN - 11 Apr 1963 - 25 Aug 1964

Cdr George Richard MacFarlane, RCN - 25 Aug 1964 - 17 Jan 1966

Cdr John Irwin Manore, RCN - 17 Jan 1966 - 26 Aug 1967

LCdr W.G. Brown, RCN - 26 Aug 1967 - 24 Nov 1967

LCdr J.L. Woodbury, RCN - 24 Nov 1967 - 08 Dec 1967

LCdr Philip G. Bissell, RCN - 08 Dec 1967 - 20 Jan 1970

Cdr Harry Rusk - 20 Jan 1970 - 30 Jun 1971

LCdr David Redford Donaldson - 30 Jun 1971 - 23 May 1973

LCdr Joseph Guy Comeau - 24 May 1973 - 23 May 1974

 

 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

WILLDEY, Jack R.

LCdr, RCN

died - 03 Oct 1958

 

 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

A

 

 

B

 

 

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D

 

 

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H

 

 

I

 

Inouye, Yeiji

 

 

 

 

 

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Jones, Leo W.

 

 

 

 

 

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L

 

 

M

 

 

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O

 

O'Donnell, Edward T.

 

 

 

 

 

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Quick, Fred A.

 

 

 

 

 

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S

 

 

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W

 

 

 

Former Crew Members

 

Adams, Garry, OSRP - 1961

 

Adamthwaite, Dave V., Lt (N), OpsO, WpnsO, TrgO - Jan 1974 - Jun 1974 

 

Arsenault, Steve - 1967

 

Ashton, Cliff J.

 

Baillie, Larry - 1967

 

Becevel, Michael, Radioman

 

Biccum, Terry


Bowman, Don, AB.LM - 1961


Bracken, J., OS.FC - 1961


Brewer, Jim, OS.EM - 1961

 

Brooks, John


Caine, M., PS.BN - 1961


Charter, Jim, P1ER - 1961


Crocket, Harry - P2RP - 1961


Davis, Ken - LS.WS - 1961


DeCosta, EM - 1961


Derosie, K, LS.EM - 1961


Dingle, George, OS.FC - 1961


Dixon, OS.RP - 1961


Dorion, OS.LM - 1961

 

Dubetz, Al, OS


Easton, William, P1ET - 1961

 

Gilmore, D., OS.RP - 1961

Gosslin, OS.RP - 1961

 

Hall, Pat


Hansen, H.P., SLt, Assistant NavO - 1961


Hogue, Lloyd, OS Weapons - 1961


Holmes, Douglas, OS.RP - 1961


Holston, (Hammer), OS.LM - 1961


Jones, Brian, OSLM - 1961

 

Kalkman, Ben - 1967


Kelly, Dennis, OS.RP1


Leblanc, Edward, OS.RP - 1959-1962. Commissioning crew


Lemay,  AB.RA - 1961

 

Lesuik, Les, P1RM - 1969


Letourneau, LS.RA - 1961


Little, P2ET - 1961


MacIntosh, John or Bruce, OS.RP - 1961


Makin, E.A., Lt, Gunnery Officer - 1961


Martin, E., PO Shipwright - 1961


Mason, William, OS.RP - 1961

 

McAuliffe, William "Bill", OS.LM - 1961

 

Merritt, Jim, OS.RP - 1961

 

Miller, Duncan E.

 

Morgan, Tony, FC

O'Dale, Charles (Chuck)

 

Paterson, Bruce - 1971

 

Patrick, Larry, OS.EM - 1961


Players, Reg., C1BN, Cox'n - 1961

 

Poirier, Wayne - 1966-1967


Pratt, J., AB - 1961

 

Rayner, Jim, Bos'n

 

Richmond, Robert (Bob), ABLT1

 

Rockwell, Rod L. (Rocky), OS.LM / AB.LM


Ruhloff, Udo, OS.RP - 1961


Sawyer, Ralph, AB.LM - 1961


Scrivens, C., P1BN, Buffer - 1961

 

Shoemaker, Jim - 1967

 

Simmons, Duane, SN - 1960s


Smith, Mark, AB.LM - 1961


Squires, Bill, LS.RP - 1961


Steffens, J., LS.SN - 1961

 

Sutherland, Ted, OS.RP - 1961


Thomas, LS.RA - 1961


Thriverge, Rob, BN - 1961


Tremblay, OS.LM - 1961

 

Watts, Randall John

 

Wills, Al, FC - Apr 1969 - Jan 1970


Young, A.E., Lt, NavO and CommO - 1961

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

Commissioning

14 Nov 1959

Hot Pot Newspaper

1963 - 6 issues

Ship's Programme

Expo '67

Welcome Aboard

Circa May 73-May 74

Paying-off

1974

 

 

CHD001

CHD002

CHD003

CHD004

CHD005

(CHD001) HMCS CHAUDIERE 235 - undated  //  DND photo

(CHD002) HMCS CHAUDIERE 235 circa 1965  //  Photographer: Raymond Cumby on HMCS OTTAWA 229

(CHD003) HMCS CHAUDIERE 235 - 11 Apr 1969  //  Photographed by Walter E. Frost  //  Source: City of Vancouver Archives

(CHD004) George (Cowboy) Watt, RT (left) and Les Lesuik, P1RM, 3 Mess, HMCS CHAUDIERE, 1969  //  From the collection of George Watt  //  Courtesy of Christopher Watt

(CHD005) Donavin (Don) Bernhard Bowman as helmsman on HMCS CHAUDIERE 235  //  © / Courtesy of Brian Lapierre

 

CHD006

CHD007

CHD008

(CHD006-CHD008) HMCS CHAUDIERE conducting a personnel transfer via jackstay  // Courtesy of Mike O'Keefe

 

CHD009

CHD10

(CHD009) HMCS CHAUDIERE Engineering Sketchbook belonging to (then) ABER2 Ned Memnook  //  Courtesy of Don Mazuriuk

(CHD10) Article on HMCS CHAUDIERE from "The Lookout", CFB Esquimalt 30 Mar 1972

 

 

EL01

EL02

(EL01) L-R: McCully, Dixon, Edward Leblanc on HMCS CHAUDIERE 235 - 1959-1962

(EL02) Looking aft from CHAUDIERE'S quarterdeck at destroyers following astern

Courtesy of Edward Leblanc, RCN

 

 

BP01

BP02

BP03

BP04

BP05

HMCS CHAUDIERE - 1971

(BP01) LSWU Del Kolrus (?sp) in HMCS CHAUDIERE'S mortar well

(BP02) HMCS CHAUDIERE'S mortars. Note the bit of smoke drifting from the mortar barrels

(BP03) Mortars landing

(BP04) Cleaning the mortars on HMCS CHAUDIERE after a shoot

(BP05) HMCS CHAUDIERE in drydock in Esquimalt, BC

Courtesy of Bruce Paterson

 

 

OH01

OH02

OH03

OH04

 

OH05

OH06

OH07

OH08

 

OH09

OH10

OH11

OH12

 

From the collection of Terrance O'Hearn

 

 

HMCS CHAUDIERE conducting her paying-off sail past

 

 

  

 

      

 

 

Former HMCS CHAUDIERE being sunk as an artificial reef 05 Dec 1992

 

Source: Artificial Reef Society of BC

 

 

Topographical map showing the approx location of the diving wreck of the former HMCS CHAUDIERE 235 sheltered waters of Sechelt Inlet.

From the collection of Ben Whiting

Courtesy of Ben Whiting

 

 

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