HMCS HAMILTON I24

Wickes Class Destroyer (USN)

Town Class Destroyer (RCN)

HMCS HAMILTON I24

Laid down: 17 Aug 1918

Launched: 21 Dec 1918

Transferred to RCN: 1941

Commissioned: 06 Jul 1941

Paid off: 08 Jun 1945

Fate: Sold for scrap in 1945

Commissioned on 29 Mar 1919 as USS KALK she served the USN in European waters during 1919, returning to the U.S. to perform training duties for a few months before being laid up at Philadelphia in 1922. Re-commissioned in Jun 1940, she served briefly with the Neutrality Patrol in the Atlantic before being transferred to the RN at Halifax on 23 Sep 1940. Commissioned as HMS KALK, she was renamed HAMILTON (for Hamilton, Bermuda) at St. John's where, on her arrival on 01 Oct 1940, she was damaged in collision with her sister HMS GEORGETOWN. She was taken to Saint John, N.B., for repairs and, while being undocked there on 26 Oct 1940, ran aground and received damage sufficient to lay her up for half a year. She was therefore offered to the RCN, re-commissioned at Saint John as an RCN ship on 06 Jul 1941, and assigned to WLEF. After escorting one convoy, she was in collision with the Netherlands submarine O-15 at Halifax. After repairs she again took up local escort duties, and in Jun 1943, became a member of WLEF's EG W-4. She still had not made a transatlantic passage when she was declared unfit for service 11 March 1943, later tied up as a tender to HMCS CORNWALLIS in Aug 1943. Paid off on 08 Jun 1945, she was sold for scrap and left Sydney, NS on 6 July 1945 under tow to Baltimore to be broken up.

Photos and Documents

Commanding Officers

LCdr Norman V. Clark, RCNR - 25 Jun 1941 /06 Jul 1941 - 19 Jul 1943

LCdr Douglas George Jeffrey, RCNR - 20 Jul 1943 - 18 Jan 1944

Cdr Francis Poole, RCNR - 19 Jan 1944 - 22 Apr 1945

Skpr/Lt Joseph David Burnham, RCNR - 23 Apr 1945 - 08 Jun 1945

In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Lest We Forget

KENT, Donald A.

CPO, RCN

died - 12 May 1944

In memory of those who have crossed the bar

They shall not be forgotten

Former Crew Members

Andrews, Alexander Witherspoon A/War (E), RCN - Jan 1945

Beharriell, Stanley Ross, A/Lt, RCNVR - 02 May 1944

Connolly, John Joseph, LCdr, RCNVR - 06 Jul 1941

Hewitt, James Brockbank, SLt, RCNVR - 17 Apr 1945

Hunter, John Rooke, Lt, RCNVR - 11 Jun 1942

Kyle, Lorne Samuel, Lt, RCNVR - 09 Jun 1941 / 06 Jul 1941

Lear, Douglas E., P/S/Lt, RCNVR - 30 Apr 1945

Martin, Frederick Oliver, Lt, RCNVR - 25 May 1944

McCaffrey, George Frederick William, SLt (E), RCNVR - 12 Feb 1944

Morgan, Robert Fraser, Lt (E), RCNVR - 07 Feb 1945

Morrison, Donald McIntyre, SLt, RCNVR - 26 Jul 1943

Neilson, John Bell Robertson, Lt (E), RCNR - 06 Jul 1941

Patterson, William Carroll, Lt (E), RCNVR- 20 Feb 1942

Robertson, John Bell, Lt (E), RCNR - 06 May 1941

Rosser, Harold Morse, A/LCdr (E), RCNR - 22 Mar 1944

Simpson, Jack Frederick, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 15 May 1943

Smythies, Dudley Raymond, Lt, RCNVR - 28 Apr 1942

Spragge, Peter Waldie, SLt, RCNVR - 12 Jul 1941

Stinson, Frederick Leighton, SLt, RCNVR - 28 Apr 1944

Thomson, Robert Kidd, Skpr/Lt, RCNR - 19 Feb 1944

Toller, William Henry, Lt, RCNVR - 01 May 1942

Tweedie, Frederick John, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1942

Vatcher, Chesley Holmes, SLt (E), RCNVR - 15 Jun 1943

Webb, Donald Irving, SLt, RCNVR - 21 Feb 1944

Photos and Documents

HMCS HAMILTON I24

From the collection of William (Bill) Dougall, LTO (LP), RCNVR

Courtesy of Grant Dougall

photo 1

photo 2

photo 3

photo 4

(1) Looking down from the crow's nest to the bridge of HMCS Hamilton I24

(2) Port side by the search light platform, looking aft to the after gun platform on HMCS Hamilton I24

(3) Wilson McMurdo on the fo'c's'le of HMCS Hamilton I24

(4) Looking port side aft from the boat deck towards the searchlight platform on HMCS Hamilton I24

From the collection of Wilson Reginald McMurdo

Courtesy of Scott Wilson McMurdo

These photos are not for reproduction or reposting without permission of Scott McMurdo

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