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HMCS
COLUMBIA I49
Wickes
Class Destroyer (USN)
Town
Class Destroyer (RCN)
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GEMMA MARIS
(Gem of the Ocean) |
HMCS Columbia I49
From the collection of Nigel Whiteley, LCdr,
RCN, Ret'd
DND/RCN photo |
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Battle honours and awards: Atlantic 1940-44
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Laid down: 30
Mar
1918
Launched: 04
Jul 1918
Commissioned: 07
Jun 1919
Paid
off: 1922
Re-commissioned:
Dec 1939
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Paid
off: 24 Sep 1940
Transferred to RCN: 24
Sep 1940
Commissioned: 24
Sep 1940
Paid off: 12
Jun 1945
Fate: Sold for scrap on
07 Aug 1945
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Commissioned on 07 Jun 1919 as USS Haraden she served in the Adriatic Sea
during part of 1919 before returning to the U.S. for training out of
Norfolk, Va. Placed in reserve at Philadelphia in 1922, she emerged
in Dec 1939, to take part in the Neutrality Patrol, and was
transferred to the RCN as Columbia on 24 Sep 1940, at
Halifax. At first employed on local escort duty, she left Halifax 15
Jan 1941, for the U.K., where she was assigned to EG 4,
Greenock. In Jun 1941, she joined the newly formed NEF, and in Mar 1942, following repairs at Halifax, transferred to WLEF. In
Jan 1943, she went to the aid of her RN sister, HMS Caldwell, adrift
without propellers southeast of Cape Breton, and successfully towed
her 370 miles to Halifax. Following a major refit at Saint John from
01 Feb to 20 May 1943, she rejoined WLEF, becoming a member of
EG W-4 at the end of Jun 1943 and of W-10 in Dec 1943. On 25 Feb
1944, owing to a combination of fog and faulty radar, she rammed a
cliff in Motion Bay, Nfld. without so much as touching bottom.
Repairs only sufficient to make her watertight were carried out at
Bay bulls, though not until May 1944. In Sep 1944 she was taken to
Liverpool, N.S., to serve as an ammunition storage hulk for ships
refitting there. Paid off on 12 Jun 1945, into reserve at Sydney,
she was sold for strap later that year.
Photos and Documents
Commanding
Officer's report on the ramming of the cliff in Motion Bay, Nfld
Commanding Officers
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LCdr Somerville
W. Davis, DSC,
RCN - 24 Sep 1940 - 13 May 1942
LCdr George Hay Stephen,
RCNR - 14 May 1942 - 17 Mar 1943
LCdr Bernard Dodds
L. Johnson,
RCNR - 18 Mar 1943 - 23 Nov 1943
LCdr Robert
A.S. MacNeil,
OBE, RCNR - 24 Nov 1943 - 30 Mar 1944
Lt Thomas Arthur Giffin Staunton,
RCNVR - 31 Mar 1944 - 22 May 1944
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Lt Murray Leo Devaney,
RCNVR - 23 Mar 1944 - 18 Jun 1944
LCdr Francis O'Brien Gerity,
RCNR - 19 Jun 1944 - 30 Jun 1944
Lt Murray Leo Devaney,
RCNVR - 01 Jul 1944 - 22 Jul 1944
Lt John Gwynda Hughes,
RCNR - 23 Jul 1944 - 01 Mar 1945 |
In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget
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CAMPBELL,
Lawrence
PO HSD, RCNVR
died - 09 Mar 1944
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CARTER,
George F.
AB, RCNVR
killed - 28 Mar 1942
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FELDMAN,
Arthur
EA 4c, RCNVR
died - 26
Feb 1944
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SILVESTER,
Charles V.
VPO, RCN
died - 24 Nov 1941
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SLINGSBY,
Clifford F.
AB, RCNVR
MPK - 29 Nov 1942
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten
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Anderson,
Donald D.
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Bell,
Joseph A.
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Burdon,
Thomas H.
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Byatt, Archie
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Campbell,
Angus H.
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Cassivi, Louis A.
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Clark, Kenneth
G.
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Dahms,
Kenneth
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Davis,
Somerville W.
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Devaney,
Murray L.
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Doyle, Henry
H. G.
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Fitzpatrick,
William
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Gardiner,
Leslie
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Guildford,
Thomas K.
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Hammick,
Laurence S. A.
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Hancherow,
John W.
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Hiron,
Bernard E.
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Hoole,
Maurice K.
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Kelly,
Robert J.
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Lester,
Douglas R.
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Love,
Alan T.
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MacDonald,
Angus A.
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McDougall,
Duncan K.
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McLean,
William R.
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Messervey, Clifton
M.
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Mossop,
Hudson
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Parton,
Philip
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Patterson,
Ralph E.
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Patterson,
Thomas M.
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Quinn, John
E.
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Ross,
Roderick C.
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Rowsell,
Harry C.
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Rowsell,
H. Roy
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Sadler,
James
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Saxby,
Arthur E.
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Slade,
Richard S.
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Stephen,
George H.
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Tizard,
John
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Former Crew Members
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Bacal,
Harry Lyon, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 10 Feb 1942
Benoit,
Cecil Julian, SLt, RCN - 17 Mar 1943
Brash,
Robert, Skpr Lt, RCNR - 24 Sep 1943
Douglas,
Alexander Connor, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1943
Engs,
Philip Wanton, Lt, RCNVR - 28 Feb 1942
Ewing,
John (Jack)
Little,
Lawrence Peniston, Surg/LCdr, RCNVR - 10 Jun 1943
MacKay,
Thomas Couison, Lt, RCN - 30 Mar 1943
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McAllister,
William Lawrence (Laurie), PO 
McNaught,
John Charles Kirkpatrick, Lt, RCNVR - 24 May 1943
McRory,
Lloyd
Moffat,
William Purves, Lt, RCNVR - 27 Apr 1942
Robertson,
John M., Lt, RCNVR - 24 Jul 1941
Sauve,
Edward James, AB, V6361
Savory,
John Alfred, Lt (E), RCNVR - 23 Mar 1942
Stairs,
John Fitzwilliam, A/LCdr, RCNVR - 17 Apr 1942 |
Staunton,
Thomas Arthur Giffin, Lt, RCNVR - 02 Mar 1943
Stewart,
Donald Arthur, Lt (E), RCNVR - Jan 1944
Sommer,
Lionel
Tkacz,
William, SLt (E), RCNVR - 05 May 1943
Whyte,
William Methvin, SLt, RCNVR - 01 May 1942
Wilson,
John Robert, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 14 Jul 1942
Woollcombe,
George Andrew, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Jun 1941 |
Photos and
Documents
(DL11)
Douglas Lister on HMCS COLUMBIA I49 - Gunnery Drills - 15 Jan 1941 (DL12)
Doug Lister on HMCS COLUMBIA I49 - 1941 (DL13)
HMCS COLUMBIA I49 approaching Iceland (DL14-DL15)
HMCS COLUMBIA I49 in the anchorage at Iceland
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DL16
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DL17
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(DL16)
Depth charges exploding astern of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (D17)
Unknown sailors port side of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 near the quarterdeck
DL18
(DL18)
Funeral
for VPO Charles Victor Silvester, HMCS
COLUMBIA, Fossvogur Cemetery, Reykjavik, Iceland. Firing
party at Present Arms
From the
collection of Doug Lester, Lt, RCNVR /
RCN
Courtesy of
Mat D'Entremont
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HMCS Columbia with signatures
of officers along bottom of the photo - circa 1943-9144
From the collection of Thomas
Burdon
Courtesy of Dave Burdon |
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HMCS COLUMBIA jacket patch
This jacket patch was based on
the ship's badge for HMCS COLUMBIA I49
Courtesy of Ted Orlowski
Description:
Within a shield frame proper on an orange surface, a board containing
three green maple leaves on a gold field in chief. Below, on a grey
field a shining white diamond floats above a blue and white heraldic
ocean. Below the shield, the motto in black letters on a medium blue
ribbon outlined in gold. Motto Gemma Maris [Gem of the Ocean].
This badge was approved 27 Feb 1942. (Source: Designs of Distinction
by David Freeman)
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HMCS COLUMBIA and HMCS WASAGA praised by
Admiralty for bring HMS CALDWELL in under tow
The Gazette 27 Feb 1943 |
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Baptism of David Scott Burdon on HMCS Columbia
Jul 1943
(1) Lt Thomas Burdon and Janet Burdon with young
David Burdon (2) Janet & David Burdon, LCdr Bernard Johnson,
CO, Lt Thomas Burdon and Chaplain James H. Graven
(3) The baptism of David Scott Burdon (4
& 5) Newspapers articles on the baptism ceremony
From the collection of Thomas Burdon
Courtesy of Dave Burdon |
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HMCS Columbia after being laid up as a storage
hulk - circa 1944 |
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HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Looking aft on HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Unknown crew members of HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Unknown crew members with the Lewis gun on HMCS
Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Depth charge exploding astern of HMCS Columbia
I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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North Atlantic convoy astern of HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Two unknown sailors on HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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"Smoke - What Smoke?"
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Crew members of HMCS Columbia I49 using a
telescope
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 mascots JoeMoe and Jeep with
unknown sailor
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Two crew members on HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Blue Watch , HMCS Columbia I49
Front row, kneeling, 2nd from right - Lionel
Sommer
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Red Watch
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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White Watch
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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The Engine room of HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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The Engine room of HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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Watch Supervisor's Seat Controls
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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"Sea Water Don't Freeze"
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Christmas Card 1942
Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto 1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Christmas Card 1943
Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto 1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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"No. 4 Boiler Out"
HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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"Make Room for the Fuel Tank"
HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 Dry Dock Refit Finished 1943
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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"Back to work"
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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On
25 Feb 1944, owing to a combination of fog and faulty radar, she
rammed a cliff in Motion Bay, Nfld. without so much as touching
bottom. Repairs only sufficient to make her watertight were carried
out at Bay bulls, though not until May. That September she was taken
to Liverpool, N.S., to serve as an ammunition storage hulk for ships
refitting there. Paid off on 12 Jun 1945, into reserve at Sydney, she
was sold for strap later that year. |
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HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 moored to Trot buoys at St.
John's, Nfld
From the collection of William Connor
Courtesy of Jason Slater |
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HMCS Columbia I49 moored to a buoy at St John's,
Nfld
From the collection of Jim Silvester
Courtesy of Jim Silvester |
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HMCS Columbia I49 moored to a buoy
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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"Two killed - P/O Feldman - Campbell"
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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"Many Hurt"
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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"The End"
HMCS Columbia I49
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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HMCS Columbia I49 after she was paid off
Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto
1st Class, RCNVR |
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