RCN Prestonian class Frigates: HMCS New Glasgow (315), HMCS New Waterford (304), HMCS Outremont (310), HMCS Penetang (316), HMCS Prestonian (307)
HMCS New Glasgow (315)
(DND Photo)
HMCS New Glasgow (315) Prestonian class Frigate. Commissioned on 23 Dec 1943, Yarrows Ltd., at Esquimalt, HMCS New Glasgow K320 arrived at Halifax on 17 Feb 1944, and then proceeded to Bermuda to work up. On her return late in Apr 1944 she joined EG C-1. She left St. John’s with her first convoy, HXS.291, on 15 May 1944, and for the next five months was steadily employed on convoy duty. Late in Sep 1944 she was allocated to EG 26, then forming at Londonderry, and for the remainder oft he European war served in UK waters, based for short periods at Portsmouth and at Plymouth early in 1945. On 21 Mar 1945, she rammed the fatally damaged U-1003 off Lough Foyle, and was herself laid up for repairs at Rosyth until 5 Jun 1945. She then proceeded via Londonderry to Halifax and thence to Shelburne, NS, where she was paid off to reserve on 5 Nov 1945. Rebuilt in the long interval as a Prestonian class ocean escort (315), she was re-commissioned on 30 Jan 1954, and served in a training capacity until 30 Jan 1967, when she was paid off at Esquimalt. She was broken up in Japan that year.
(CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Photo)
HMCS New Glasgow (315) Prestonian class Frigate.
(USN Naval History and Heritage Photos)
HMCS New Glasgow (315) Prestonian class Frigate.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS New Glasgow (315) Prestonian class Frigate.
HMCS New Waterford (304)
(DND Photo)
HMCS New Waterford (304) Prestonian class Frigate. Built at Esquimalt, she was commissioned on 21 Jan 1944, at Victoria, BC. She arrived at Halifax on 9 Mar 1944 and in Bermuda on 22 Apr 1944 to work up. Returning to Halifax, she was assigned to EG 6 as a replacement for the damaged HMCS Teme. On 16 Oct 1944, while EG 6 was on A/S patrol south of the Faeroes, HMCS Annan engaged and sank U-1006. HMCS New Waterford K321 remained with EG 6 until the end of the European war, detached for short periods to Portsmouth and Plymouth, and in Apr 1945, returned home for tropicalization refit at Liverpool, NS. This was completed in Nov 1945, and HMCS New Waterford left in Jan 1946, for the west coast, where she was paid off to reserve at Esquimalt on 7 Mar 1946. Briefly re-commissioned in 1953, she later underwent conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort (304), commissioning as such on 31 Jan 1958. In late 1959/early 1960, she left Esquimalt for a coast transfer to Halifax. During this coast transfer, she had an unusual cargo, a totem pole carved by BC First Nations destined for England. When she arrived in Halifax it was transferred to the gunnery school where it was stored till summer, then transferred to HMCS Kootenay for the voyage to England. During the year 1962 HMCS New Waterford steamed 24,218.3 miles and spent a total of 114 days at sea. It was a full year for one ship, a cruise to Africa, three months in refit at Sydney, Nova Scotia, five weeks of WUPs, anti-submarine exercises off the Nova Scotia coast and a two-week cruise to Bermuda and Boston. With Christmas and the New Year festivities over, the New Waterford put to sea for a further week of exercises and on January 28 sailed from Halifax as part of the Seventh Escort Squadron, destination Bermuda and Exercise Maple Spring ’63. She was paid off for the last time on 22 Dec 1966, and broken up the following year at Savona, Italy.
(Nigel Whiteley Photo)
HMCS New Waterford (304) Prestonian class Frigate.
(Nigel Whiteley Photo)
HMCS New Waterford (304) Prestonian class Frigate.
HMCS Outremont (322)
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3524526)
HMCS Outremont (K332) River class Frigate, at jetty number 9, Sydney, Nova Scotia, 31 August 1945.
(Bud Rose Photo)
HMCS Outremont (310) Prestonian class Frigate. Built at Quebec City, she was commissioned there on 27 Nov 1943. HMCS Outremont K322 arrived at Halifax on 13 Dec 1943 and carried out working-up exercises in St. Margaret’s Bay. She left St. John’s, Newfoundland, on 17 Feb 1944, to join EG 6, Londonderry, and served mainly on escort and patrol duties in UK waters. On 28 Apr 1944, HMCS Outremont, in company with HMCS Waskesiu K330, HMCS Grou K518 and HMCS Cape Breton K350 departed Kola Inlet with Convoy RA.59; arriving at Loch Ewe on 6 May 1944. HMCS Outremont was present off Normandy on D-Day. She left the UK on 30 Nov 1944 for tropicalization refit at Sydney, which kept her idle until 20 Aug 1945, only to be paid off on 5 Nov 1945 and sold to Marine Industries Ltd. Later re-acquired by the RCN and converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort (310), she was re-commissioned 2 Sep 1955, and served in a training role until finally paid off 7 Jun 1965, and arrived at La Spezia on 11 Apr 1966 for breaking up.
HMCS Penetang (316)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Penetang (316) Prestonian class Frigate. Laid down as HMCS Rouyn K676, she was renamed prior to being commissioned on 19 Oct 1944, at Quebec City. She left on 6 Nov 1944 for Halifax and in Dec 1944 proceeded to Bermuda to work up. Returning northward in Jan 1945, HMCS Penetang K676 joined convoy HX.331 at New York as local escort. She was allocated in February to EG C-9, and made the crossing to the group’s Londonderry base as an escort to SC.168. She spent the rest of the war as a mid-ocean escort, returning to Canada in Jun 1945, to be employed as a troop carrier between St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Quebec City. One of the few frigates not taken in hand for tropicalization, she was paid off on 10 Nov 1945 and laid up at Shelburne, NS. She was sold in Dec 1945 to Marine Industries Ltd., but later re-acquired and converted to a Prestonian class ocean escort (316), and re-commissioned on 1 Jun 1954 . Again paid off on 2 Sep 1955, she was lent to the Norwegian navy on 10 Mar 1956 and re-named Draug. Transferred outright three years later, she served until 1966 and was then broken up at Oslo, Norway.
(RCN Photo)
HMCS Rouyn K676, she was renamed HMCS Penetang (316) Prestonian class Frigate.
HMCS Prestonian (307)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Prestonian (307) Prestonian class Frigate. Named to commemorate Preston, Ontario, she was named HMCS Prestonian K662, as there was an RN ship, HMS Preston already in commission. Commissioned 13 Sep 1944 at Quebec City, HMCS Prestonian arrived at Halifax the following month in need of repairs, and it was early Jan 1945, before she could go to Bermuda to work up. On her return to Canada she was assigned to EG 28, based at Halifax, and employed locally until VE-Day. She then underwent tropicalization at Halifax, completing 20 Aug 1945, and on 9 Nov 1945 was paid off and sold to Marine Industries Ltd. Later re-acquired by the RCN, she was rebuilt to become the name-ship of the Prestonian ocean escort class (307). She was re-commissioned on 22 Aug 1953, and finally paid off on 24 Apr 1956, having been lent to the Norwegian navy. Re-named Troll, she was transferred outright in 1959, and in 1965 reclassified as a submarine depot ship and re-named Horten. She was discarded in 1972 and broken up same year.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3198951)
HMCS Prestonian (307) Prestonian class Frigate, comes alongside HMCS Magnificent for Jackstay practice, 8 December 1953.