HMCS WINNIPEG J337 / 177

 

Algerine Class Minesweeper

 

 

 

Post wartime badge

HMCS WINNIPEG J337

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

DND / RCN Photo - Crown copyright

 

Battle honours and awards:  Atlantic  1943-45

 

 

Laid down: 13 Jan 1942

Launched: 19 Sep 1942

Commissioned: 29 Jul 1943

Paid off:: Aug 1945

Re-commissioned: 10 Sep 1945

Paid off: 11 Jan 1946

Re-commissioned: 1956

Paid off: 07 Aug 1959

Transferred to the Belgium Navy: 07 Aug 1959

Fate: Broken up in 1966

 

Commissioned at Port Arthur on 29 Jul 1943, she arrived at Halifax in mid-Sep 1943 and, after working up at Pictou, was assigned to EG W-7 of Western Escort Force. In Dec 1943 she was transferred to W-6, acting as Senior Officer's ship from Feb to Apr 1944. Winnipeg then joined W-5, again as S.O., and served with that group until it was disbanded in Jun 1945. In Aug 1945 she was placed in reserve at Sydney, but was re-activated for passage to Esquimalt, where she arrived on 21 Dec 1945. She was paid off into reserve there on 11 Jan 1946, but in 1956 she was brought around to the east coast and, on 07 Aug 1959, handed over to the Belgian Navy as A.F. Dufour. She was broken up in 1966. Its not confirmed but the superstructure of Winnipeg may still be in use as a firefighting-training platform in Zeebrugge.

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

LCdr William David F. Johnston, RCNR - 29 Jul 1943 - 04 Apr 1944

LCdr Ronald Alfred Judges, RCNVR - 05 Apr 1944 - 03 Sep 1944

LCdr G.K. Fox, RCNVR - 04 Oct 1944 - 23 Jul 1945

Lt Christopher French Usher, RCNVR - 10 Sep 1945 - 11 Jan 1946

 

 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 

 

Former Crew Members

 

Brissenden, Barry Samuel, Lt, RCNVR - 22 Jul 1943 / 29 Jul 1943

 

Bruce, Kyle Robert - Second World War

 

Burkart, William, SLt, RCNVR - 08 Apr 1944

 

Cairns, Ronald, SLt, RCNVR - 25 Apr 1945

 

Chevalier, Paul Martial, Surg/Lt, RCNVR - 26 Jan 1945 / 28 Feb 1945

 

Ferguson, John Stewart, SLt, RCNVR - 27 May 1944

 

Gill, Frank Joseph, Lt (SB), RCNVR - 24 May 1945

Gilmour, George William Anderson, SLt, RCNVR - 24 May 1943 / Lt, RCNVR - 19 Jul 1944 / 29 Jul 1943

 

Horne, Lawrence Fraser, Lt (E), RCNVR - 18 Jun 1945

 

Irving, Henry Vere, Lt, RCNVR - 01 Mar 1944

 

Jones, Robert John, Lt (E), RCNVR - 02 Feb 1943 / 29 Jul 1943

 

Kent, Allan Charles, Wt (E), RCN - 27 Mar 1945

 

Kerfoot, John Grenville, SLt, RCNVR - 28 Feb 1944

Lawson, Donald James, Lt, RCNVR - 24 May 1943 / 29 Jul 1943

 

Manning, Henry William Barry, SLt, RCNVR - 25 May 1943 / 29 Jul 1943

 

Murray, James Richard, Lt, RCNVR - 26 Jan 1945 / 07 Mar 1945

 

Newing, Sid - 1944

 

Rowland, William John, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Mar 1944

 

Smith, John Dubrack, SLt (El) (R), RCNVR - 29 Feb 1944

 

Weir, William James, SLt (El) (R), RCNVR - 24 Apr 1945

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

HMCS Winnipeg - Biggest Naval Vessel Built on the Great Lakes

The Winnipeg Evening Tribune 14 Apr 1943

Down Great Lakes On HMCS Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Evening Tribune 09 Aug 1943

HMCS Winnipeg Knows The Meaning Of The Words "Merry Christmas"

Crow's Nest newspaper - Dec 1943

Sailors in the seaman's mess on HMCS Winnipeg J337

Source: The Military Museums of Calgary

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

HMCS Winnipeg J337 commissioning cake

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Hamilton Skilling (left) and friends

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Hamilton Skilling (right) and friend

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Unknown sailors drinking champagne by the break-water on HMCS Winnipeg J337

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Hamilton Skilling on HMCS Winnipeg J337

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Christmas on HMCS Winnipeg J337 - year unknown

Note the Christmas tree in behind the sailors and all the gifts on the deck just behind the depth charge rack.

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Port visit New York, HMCS Winnipeg J337

Hamilton Skilling (centre) and shipmates on Staten Island, NY, 1943

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Sailor on the fo'c's'le of HMCS Winnipeg J337 chipping ice

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Port visit Bermuda 1943 - photo taken from HMCS Winnipeg J337

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Hamilton Skilling ashore, possibly in Bermuda

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Port visit Bermuda 1943 - unknown sailors by the twin Oerlikon, HMCS Winnipeg J337

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Unknown sailor on the bridge of HMCS Winnipeg J337

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

Unknown sailor standing on the rail of the twin Oerlikon on HMCS Winnipeg J337

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

 

The War is Over

 

Message received by the radiomen on HMCS Winnipeg saying the German High Command has surrendered unconditionally.  Hamilton Skilling was a Submarine Detector on HMCS Winnipeg J337, but he managed to get a copy of this message and save it.  The lower image is the message converted to a negative to help in reading the written text.  One of the operators who received the message was "E. Love".

 

From the collection of Hamilton Skilling

Courtesy of Chris Skilling

 

HMCS Winnipeg J337 Christmas card

From the collection of Cecil Huras

Courtesy of Ric Huras

Memories of HMCS WINNIPEG J337 by R.A. Judges, LCdr, RCNVR

Article from an 85th Anniversary of the RCN souvenir magazine

Belgian Naval Ship A.F. Dufour

Source: battleships-cruisers.co.uk

 

 

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