Royal Canadian Navy Minesweepers (Bangor Class)
HMCS Bayfield (J08); HMCS Bellechasse (J170); HMCS Blairmore (J314); HMCS Brockville (J270); HMCS Burlington (J250); HMCS Canso (J21); HMCS Caraquet (J38); HMCS Chedabucto (J168); HMCS Chignecto (J160); HMCS Clayoquot (J174); HMCS Courtenay (J262); HMCS Cowichan (J146); HMCS Digby (J267); HMCS Drummondville (J253); HMCS Esquimalt (J272); HMCS Fort William (J311); HMCS Gananoque (J259); HMCS Georgian (J144); HMCS Goderich (J260); HMCS Granby (J264); HMCS Grandmère (J258); HMCS Guysborough (J52); HMCS Ingonish (J69); HMCS Kelowna (J261); HMCS Kenora (J281); HMCS Kentville (J312); HMCS Lachine (J266); HMCS Lockeport (J100).
RCN Minesweepers (Bangor Class): HMCS Bayfield (J08), HMCS Bellechasse (J170), HMCS Blairmore (J314), HMCS Brockville (J270)
HMCS Bayfield (J08)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Bayfield (J08) (Bangor-class). Named for the village of Bayfield, NS, she was built at Vancouver for the RN but transferred to the RCN for manning, and commissioned on 26 Feb 1942. After working up, Bayfield joined Esquimalt Force in May 1942 but was transferred to Prince Rupert Force in Nov 1942, returning to Esquimalt in Mar 1943, for re-assignment to the east coast. She left Esquimalt on 18 Mar 1943, arriving at Halifax on 30 Apr 1943 and, after a major refit at Baltimore, MD, joined Halifax force until ordered to the UK for invasion duties. On 18 Feb 1944, with HMCS Georgian, HMCS Mulgrave and HMCS Thunder, she left Halifax for Plymouth via the Azores, arriving on 7 Mar 1944. Allocated to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla on 7 Mar 1944, her CO, Lt, Pierce was the SO of the flotilla. She was present on D-Day, and she remained with Plymouth Command until paid off on 24 Sep 1945. Returned to the RN, she was placed in reserve at Sheerness until 1948, when she was broken up at Gateshead.
(Laureen Duerksen Photo)
HMCS Bayfield (J08) (Bangor-class).
HMCS Bellechasse (J170)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Bellechasse (J170) (Bangor-class). Named for a county in Quebec, HMCS Bellechasse was built at Vancouver and commissioned there 23 Dec 1941. She spent her entire career on the west coast, alternating between Prince Rupert Force and Esquimalt Force . Paid off on 23 Oct 1945, at Esquimalt, she was sold the following year to the Union Steamship Co., Vancouver, but her intended conversion for mercantile service was not carried out.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3199013)
HMCS Bellechasse (J170) (Bangor-class Minesweeper), 30 November 1944.
HMCS Blairmore (J314)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Blairmore (J314) (Bangor-class). Built at Port Arthur, Ontario, she was commissioned there on 17 Nov 1942. She arrived at Halifax on 24 Dec 1942, and after working up was assigned to WLEF. Upon the division of the forces into escort groups in Jun 1943, she became a member of EG W-4 and remained with the group until Feb 1944. Transferred to the UK for invasion duties, she left Halifax on 20 Feb 1944 in company with HMCS Fort William, HMCS Milltown and HMCS Minas for Plymouth via the Azores, arriving on 08 Mar 1944 . Assigned to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla, she was present on D-Day and continued with Plymouth Command until 21 Sep 1945, when she sailed for Canada . During this period she returned to Canada for a refit at Halifax in Apr 1945, returning to Plymouth in Jul 1945. HMCS Blairmore was paid off at Sydney, NS, on 16 Oct 1945, sold to Marine Industries Ltd., and placed in strategic reserve at Sorel in 1946. She was re-acquired by the RCN in Jul 1951, owing to the Korean crisis, and converted to a “coastal escort” (193). Again placed in reserve at Sydney, she was transferred to the Turkish Navy as Beycoz on 29 Mar 1958, remaining in service until 1971.
(DND Photo)
HMCS Blairmore (J314) (Bangor-class).
HMCS Brockville (J270)
(DND Photo)
HMCS Brockville (J270) (Bangor-class), (178). Built at Sorel, Quebec, she was commissioned there on 19 Sep 1942. She arrived at Halifax on 20 Oct 1942 in need of two weeks’ repairs, having grounded at Rimouski in en route. After working up, she was assigned briefly to WLEF and then to Halifax Force. In Mar 1943 she was transferred back to WLEF and when that force was divided into escort groups in Jun 1943, she became a member of EG W-3. In May 1944, Brockville returned to Sydney Force, remaining with it until Jun 1945. She had two wartime refits: one at Dalhousie, NB, lasting seven weeks in Aug and Sep 1943; the other a three-month refit at Lunenburg at the end of 1944, followed by workups in Bermuda in Mar 1945. On 28 Sep 1945, she was paid off at Halifax, transferred to the marine section of the RCMP and renamed Macleod. HMCS Brockville was re-acquired by the RCN in 1950 and re-commissioned on 05 Apr 1951. After modernization at Lauzon in 1952 (178) she was assigned to Point Edward naval base at Sydney and later transferred to the west coast. She was paid off into reserve at Esquimalt on 31 Oct 1958, and broken up three years later.
(Mike O’Keefe Photo)
HMCS Brockville (J270) (Bangor-class), (178).
(Great Lakes Maritime Archives Blueprints)
Bangor class Minesweeper.