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HMCS TRENTONIAN
K368
Flower
Class Corvette
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HMCS TRENTONIAN K368
Courtesy of the CFB
Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum
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Laid down: 19
Feb
1943
Launched: 01
Sep 1943
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Commissioned: 01
Dec 1943
Fate: Sunk on 22
Feb 1945 by U-1004
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Commissioned at Kingston on 01
Dec 1943. She departed for Halifax on 26 Dec 1943. The following is
an excerpt from her logs "26 Dec 1943 (1415 Zulu) Now with Christmas
over, we slipped our lines and are now heading for Halifax, in company with
HMCS NORSYD and HMC Tug NORTON. Soon after, we were met by some choppy seas.
For most of the crew this is their first time in a ship and their first
taste of seasickness. Unfortunately, the cooks seem to be the hardest hit.
One cook is completely incapacitated. Those of the crew that have not
succumbed, are taking turns in the galley to lend a hand. Unfortunately, the
shipboard cuisine of these amateurs, could not be palatable even in fair
weather." TRENTONIAN arrived at Halifax late in Dec 1943 and, after further
fitting-out at Liverpool, N.S., and Halifax, left the latter port
for Bermuda on 18 Feb 1944, to work up. Returning at the
beginning of Mar 1944, she was assigned to Western Approaches Command
and left for Londonderry on 23 Apr 1944 to join. For three months she
carried out escort duty in connection with the invasion and on 13
Jun 1944, while escorting the cable vessel Monarch off Normandy, she
was shelled in error by a U.S. destroyer. The Monarch was hit
several times resulting in numerous casualties, luckily however, the TRENTONIAN
was not hit during this incident. Late in
Aug 1944 she transferred to EG 41 (RN) and, based at different times
at Plymouth and at Milford Haven, escorted Channel convoys. While so
engaged on 22 Feb 1945, she was torpedoed and sunk near
Falmouth by U-1004, with the loss of six lives. The U-boat that sank
TRENTONIAN, U-1004 was eventually
scuttled in Operation Deadlight. Operation Deadlight was the code
name for the scuttling of unwanted German U-boats which the allies
got their hands on after the end of World War II. Most of these (if
not all) operations took place from Lisahally, Northern Ireland or
Loch Ryan, Scotland.
Photos
and Documents Ship's
Company Photos
Sons
of the Waves - HMCS TRENTONIAN (Youtube)
Commanding Officers
A/LCdr William Edward Harrison,
RCNR - 01 Dec 1943 - 30 Jan 1945
Lt Colin Stinson Glassco,
RCNVR - 31 Jan 1945 - 22 Feb 1945 
In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget
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BECK,
Moyle K.
LS, RCNR
MPK - 22 Feb 1945
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CATHRINE,
Robert T.
AB, RCNVR
MPK - 22 Feb 1945
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FOURNIER,
John A.
LS, RCNVR
MPK - 22 Feb 1945
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HARVEY,
Colin B.
LS, RCNR
MPK - 22 Feb 1945
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MCCORMICK,
John
Sto 1c, RCNVR
MPK - 22 Feb 1945
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STEPHEN,
Gordon K.
Lt, RCNVR
Killed - 22 Feb 1945
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WELLS,
Aubrey C.
LS, RCNR
killed - 16 Nov 1944 |
AB O'Brian |
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten
(s)
- survived the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN
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Barron,
Frank H. (s) |
Bennett,
Rupert S.
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Coates,
John S. (s)
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Desjardins,
Romeo E.
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Dye, Harry (s)
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Eldridge,
Gilbert E. (s)
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Erwin,
Robert J. (s)
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Gibbins,
Gord (s)
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MacBeth,
John K.
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MacIver,
Alexander J.
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Rickard,
James A. (s)
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Russell,
Gerald R. (s)
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Sargeant,
William J.
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Shields,
William N. (s)
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Vak, Michael
(s)
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Yakowenko,
Joseph W.
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Former Crew Members
(s) -
survived the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN
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Abbott, Pat, Lt, NavO - 20 Jul 1944 (s)
Baker, E. - 1944
Baril, Dick - 1945
Beaumont, D. - 1944
Campbell, Douglas (s)
Chadbolt, George, L/Tel (s)
Clark, Henry, Tel (s)
Farrell, Thomas, Tel
(of Montreal, QC) (s)
Goar, George, ERA (s)
Gray, Robert, AB (s)
Hadley, Vincent (of Prince Albert, SK) - 1944
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Harley, Gordon, LS (s)
Harold, Jack (of Aurora, ON) - 1944
Hindle, Harry, Wt (E) (s)
Keir, Bruce, Sto (s)
Kevins, Philip (of Verdun QC), 1944
Majors, Leslie, Stoker (s)
Manson, John (of Winnipeg, MB) - 1944
McKay, John (of Terrebonne, QC) - 1944
Meyer, Barrie, Coder (s)
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Meyer, Peter (of Regina, SK) - 1944
Muff, Eric, AB (s)
Poulin, Edmund (of Ottawa, ON) - 1944
Salmon, Harold, AB (s)
Scott, Jack (s)
Simpson, Gordon, AB (s)
Stephen,
Gordon Kent, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1944
Straw, Jack, L/Sig, RCNVR (of Hamilton, ON) (s)
Terrell, Jack, Sig(s) |
Photos
and Documents
The
Launching of TRENTONIAN at Kingston Shipbuilding Yards, Kingston, ON on 01 Sep
1943
(HW04-HW05)
TRENTONIAN ready for launching (HW06) Members of HMCS CATARAQUI line the
path to TRENTONIAN for the guests on launch day (HW07) TRENTONIAN being
launched
From the collection of Henry
J. (Hank) Winsor, RCNVR
Courtesy of Roger Litwiller
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HMCS
TRENTONIAN K368 at Montreal just after commissioning in December 1943.
Not fully complete. She left the builders yards in Kingston to beat
the winter ice on Lake Ontario. She was fitted out with her after 2
pound pom-pom; searchlight, asdic and other equipment when she
arrived on the east coast
Roger Litwiller Collection - Photo courtesy Gary
McGregor
(RTL-GM001) |
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HMCS TRENTONIAN K368 at anchor
Courtesy of John Hawley |
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AB O'Brian, HMCS TRENTONIAN's mascot
Roger Litwiller Collection, Allen E. Singleton,
RCNVR photo, courtesy Bruce Keir, RCNVR. (RTL-BK200)
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HMCS TRENTONIAN K368 - 1944 |
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HMCS TRENTONIAN K368
From the collection of Ivan Chamberlain
Courtesy of Dave Chamberlain |
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"GERMAN
U-BOAT VICTIM - HMCS TRENTONIAN, one of the Royal Canadian Navy's
corvettes was sunk recently by a torpedo from a German U-boat, it was
revealed today. One officer was killed and five ratings are missing.
The TRENTONIAN is shown in the above layout as she appeared last year
while taking part in invasion operations off the French coast. At
upper right is shown the ship's skipper, Lieut. Colin S. Glassco,
Hamilton, who was among the survivors. A veteran seagoing officer,
Lieut. Glassco had taken up his appointment as commanding officer just
three weeks before the ship was torpedoed. He joined the navy in
January, 1941. Upper left shows Leading Signalman Jack Straw, RCNVR,
also of Hamilton, who was another of the survivors. Also saved were
Stoker William Shields, Oakville; A.B. Harold Salmon, Stoker Leslie
Majors and Leading Seaman Gordon Harley, all of Hamilton, shown from
left to right at the bottom of picture."
Source: Southwest
Mafia Website
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Newspaper article on the loss of
HMCS TRENTONIAN
Source: Southwest
Mafia Website
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Newspaper article on the loss of HMCS TRENTONIAN
Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial |
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Newspaper article on 10 survivors from HMCS TRENTONIAN
Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial |
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Newspaper article on the pending wedding of Lt.
Stephen who was lost when HMCS TRENTONIAN
Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial |
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Newspaper article on TRENTONIAN Casualties
Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial |
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Newspaper article on the loss of the TRENTONIAN
Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial |
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Newspaper article on the loss of the TRENTONIAN
Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial |
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Newspaper clipping - announcement of the death of
LS Colin Harvey
Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial |
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D. Beaumont and E. Baker on HMCS TRENTONIAN -
1944
photo credit: Roger Litwiller |
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Rear-Admiral Bernard William Murry Fairbairn, RN,
Flag-Officer in Charge, Milford Haven, inspects HMCS TRENTONIAN, Oct
1944
Photograph by Allen Singleton
From the collection of Roger Litwiller
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Newspaper article on the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN
Crow's Nest newspaper - Apr 1945 |
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DJ60 |
Article on the torpedoing of HMCS TRENTONIAN K368
From the collection of Donald
R. Johnston, Stoker, RCNVR
Courtesy of William Johnston |
(JR33)
James
Allen Rickard and Douglas Campbell - survivors of the sinking of HMCS
TRENTONIAN K386 in hospital - 27 Feb 1945 (JR34)
Article on the sinking of HMCS TRENTONIAN. Crew listed in the
article: Lt Cotin S. Glassco, CO; Lt W. Burnley
Kinsman; Lt J.K. Mowat; Wt (E) H.F. Hindle; M.R. Angus;
Douglas Excess; George Goar; Coder Barrie Meyer; AB Mike
Vak; AB Jimmy Rickard; Jack Scott. Also mentioned,
Officers Steward Samuel Vak, brother of Mike Vak. Samuel Vak was
not a crew member of TRENTONIAN - dated 26 Mar 1945 (JR35)
Survivors of HMCS TRENTONIAN from Ontario: AB James Davidson (of
Sudbury); AB Michael Vak (of Port Arthur); Jack Scott (of Port
Arthur); AB Weldon Runtz (of Arnprior); CERA Murray Angus (of
Kingston); L/Ck Norman McIntyre (of Sault Ste. Marie) and A/Sto PO
Norman Crampton (of Carleton Place) - Dated 26 Mar 1945
From the collection of John
A. Rickard, AB, RCNVR
Courtesy of John H. Rickard
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