HMCS QU'APPELLE H69

 

F - Class Destroyer (RN)

 

River Class Destroyer (RCN)

 


 

HMCS QU'APPELLE H69

From the collection of Ivan Chamberlain

Courtesy of Dave Chamberlain

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

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

 

 

Laid down: 21 Aug 1933

Launched: 12 Oct 1934

Commissioned: 06 Jun 1935

Transferred to RCN: 08 Feb 1944

Commissioned: 08 Feb 1944

Paid off: 11 Oct 1945

Fate: used as a stationary training ship. Removed from service Jun 1946. Sold for scrap in 1947

 

Commissioned on 06 Jun 1935 as HMS FOXHOUND, she was a member of the 8th Flotilla, Home Fleet, on the outbreak of war, and on 14 Sep 1939, shared in the sinking of U 39 off the Hebrides - the first U-boat "Kill" of the war. In Apr 1940, she took part in the second Battle of Narvik, and in Nov 1940 was transferred to Force 'H' at Gibraltar. On 18 Jun 1941, she shared in the sinking of U 138 west of Cadiz, and she took one convoy to Malta. From Jan 1942 to May 1943, she served with the Eastern Fleet, then transferred to West Africa Command, Freetown. In Sep 1943, she returned to the U.K. for an extensive refit on the Humber, and on 08 Feb 1944, was commissioned there as HMCS QU'APPELLE. She served on D-Day with EG 12 and on 08 Jun 1944, HMCS QU'APPELLE was attacked by U-953 (Oblt Karl-Heinz Marbach). The Gnats (acoustic torpedoes) exploded in the ship's wake with no damage to the ship. After D-Day she took part in Biscay and Channel patrols, latterly with EG 11. HMCS QU'APPELLE participated in operation "Dredger" against German escort vessels at the U-boat meeting points off Brest and southward. During the night of 5/6 Jul the 12th EG, comprising of QU'APPELLE, SASKATCHEWAN, SKEENA and RESTIGOUCHE, attacked 3 patrol boats off Brest: V715 was sunk but not before hitting QU'APPELLE and SASKATCHEWAN many times with small calibre gunfire. She arrived at Halifax for the first time on 29 Nov 1944, and proceed to Pictou, N.S., for refit. Completing this refit on 31 Mar 1945, she served as a troop transport between Greenock and Halifax from Aug to Oct 1945. She was paid off on 11 Oct 1945 to serve as a stationary training ship attached to the Torpedo School at Halifax. Removed from service in Jun 1946, she was transferred to War Assets Corporation for disposal on 14 Apr 1947.  Added to the disposal list on 12 Jul 1947, she was sold later that year for breaking up at Sydney, N.S.

 


 

Photos and Documents          The Ship's Bell

 

Wartime Diary of George Stone during QU'APPELLE'S operations in the English Channel 05 Jun - 12 Aug 1944

 


 

Commanding Officers

 

Cdr Dickson Carlisle Wallace, DSC, RCNR - 08 Feb 1944 - 18 Apr 1944

Cdr Alex Murray McKillop, RN - 20 Apr 1944 - 11 Jul 1944

Cdr John Dudley Birch, RNR - 12 Jul 1944 - 09 Sep 1944

Cdr James Douglas Prentice, DSC, RCN - 10 Sep 1944 - 04 Dec 1944

Cdr E.L. Armstrong, RCN - 05 Dec 1944 - 06 Jan 1945

Cdr Edgar George Skinner, DSC, RCN - 07 Jan 1945 - 02 Apr 1945

LCdr Ian Angus, RCNVR - 03 Apr 1945 - 21 Jun 1945

A/LCdr Wilfred Davenport, RCNR - 22 Jun 1945 - 09 Oct 1945

Lt J.H.C. Bovey, RCN - 10 Oct 1945 - 25 Nov 1945

A/LCdr W.E. Harrison, DSC, RCNR - 26 Nov 1945 - 22 Mar 1946

A/LCdr John Crispo Leckie Annesley, RCN - 23 Mar 1946 - 07 Apr 1946

Lt Deryck Adamson, RCNR - 08 Apr 1946 - 27 May 1946

 


 

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

 

BEAUCHAMP, Arthur C.

AB, RCN

died - 06 Jul 1944

DOUGHERTY, Jerome G.

PO, RCNVR

MPK - 23 Mar 1944

JEANNOTTE, Reynold J.

Tel, RCNVR

died - 09 Jul 1944

MILES, George W.V.

LS, RCNVR

MPK - 23 Mar 1944

 


 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 


 

Former Crew Members

 

Baldwin, James Campbell, RCNVR - 17 Apr 1945

 

Bourns, John Desmond, A/Lt, RCNVR - 14 May 1945

 

Bowser, Edwin Putnam, Lt, RCNVR - 31 Mar 1944

 

Brown, William Donald, LCdr (E), RCNR - 08 Feb 1944

 

Campbell, John Colin, Lt, RCNVR - 08 Feb 1944

 

Carstens, Harry Rene, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Jan 1945

 

Clarence, Charles Douglas, Lt, RCNVR - 08 Feb 1944

 

Dadson, Henry William, Lt, RCNVR - 08 Feb 1944

 

Duff, John Alexander, Paym/Lt, RCNVR - 03 Jun 1944

Frost, Maxwell Hubert, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 08 Feb 1944

 

Hardy, Harold Stevenson, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Feb 1945

 

Hicks, Wessely, SLt, RCNVR

 

Hierligh, Ralph Emerson, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Mar 1945

 

Holmes, Harry Gilbert, Gnr (T), RCN - 08 Feb 1944

 

Hunter, Bryce Pepall, Lt, RCNVR - 08 Feb 1944

 

Irven, Leonard Manley, SLt, RCNVR - Jan 1945

 

Knowles, John Irving, Wt (E), RCN - 24 Jul 1945

 

Lort, Roger Anthony Hutton, Lt, RCNVR - 31 Mar 1944

Matheson, George Henry, Lt, RCNR - 31 Mar 1944

 

McCully, William (Wild Bill) Selkirk Taylor, Lt, RCN - 08 Feb 1944

 

McDermid, Edgar Sydney, Lt, RCNVR - 08 Feb 1944

 

McPhillips, William Charles, SLt, RCNVR - 06 Feb 1945

 

Murphy, Vincent John, SLt, RCN - 21 Jul 1944

 

Palmer, Ivor James Llewellyn, LCdr (E), 19 Feb 1944

 

Pinder, Herbert Charles, Lt, RCNVR - 12 Apr 1945

 

Savard, Clement, Lt, RCN - 15 Feb 1944

 

Shorten, Harry, SLt, RCNVR - 05 Feb 1945

 


 

Photos and Documents

 

Newspaper article on HMCS QU'APPELLE H49 participation on a battle against German armed trawlers

From the collection of Eldred Morton Smith

Courtesy of Paul Smith

Newspaper article on HMCS QU'APPELLE H49 participation on a battle against German armed trawlers - 06 Jul 1944

From the collection of Eldred Morton Smith

Courtesy of Paul Smith

Personnel examining the damaged tiller flat of HMCS QU'APPELLE, England, 16 August 1944

Source: Lt Richard G. Arless / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-211858

Damage to QU'APPELLE'S stern where she was struck by HMCS SKEENA

 

From the memoirs of Peter Chance, Cdr, RCN, ret'd:  We were in line ahead when the order came to reverse course. Thinking we would all turn together Skeena turned what turned to be early. The result was a near head on collision with Qu'Appele which was averted only with a hard a port course change which nearly cleared the stern of QuAppele. Our bow was bent and we limped into Plymouth to the drydock and repair.

HMCS QU'APPELLE H69

Courtesy of Hugh Muir

 


 

Newspaper articles on operation "Dredger" against German escort vessels at the U-boat meeting points off Brest and southward. During the night of 5/6 Jul the 12th EG, comprising of QU'APPELLE, SASKATCHEWAN, SKEENA and RESTIGOUCHE, attacked 3 patrol boats off Brest.

 

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(IN01) Night Insane As RCN Mangled German Ships - Toronto Star 18 Jul 1944  (IN02) Canadian Sink 3 Ships As Star Shells Light Sky - Toronto Star 11 Aug 1944  (IN03) 6 Supply Ships Sunk By Allies Off France - undated newspaper article  (IN04) Naval Forces Fight in Channel - undated newspaper article

 

From the collection of Innes Neil van Nostrand

 

Courtesy of Hugh van Nostrand

 


 

DC01

From undated newspaper - Account of the action that took place during Operation Dredger

 

From the collection of AB Dave Christison, RCNVR

 

Courtesy of Thomas Christison

 


 

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Letter written by Sto Earl Herbert while crossing the Atlantic from Halifax to the UK on HMCS QU'APPELLE - Aug 1945 with transcriptions.  Note: pages 5-8 are missing from this letter.

 

From the collection of Earl Herbert

 

Courtesy of Gerry Oliphant

 

 


 

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