RCN Minesweepers (Bangor Class): HMCS Thunder J156/HMCS Transcona J271/HMCS Trois-Rivières J269/HMCS Truro J268/HMCS Ungava J149/HMCS Vegreville J257/HMCS Wasaga J162/HMCS Westmount J318

Royal Canadian Navy Minesweepers (Bangor Class)

HMCS Thunder (J156)

(Fred Ambrose Photo)

HMCS Thunder (J156) (Bangor-class).  Built at Toronto, she was commissioned there on 14 Oct 1941.  HMCS Thunder arrived at Halifax 30 Oct 1941.  After working up, she joined Sydney Force, but in Jan 1942, was transferred to WLEF and subsequently to Halifax Local Defence Force, Shelburne Force, Halifax Force, and back to Sydney Force.  She sailed with HMCS Bayfield, HMCS Georgian and HMCS Mulgrave from Halifax on 18 Feb 1944, for Plymouth via the Azores.  Arriving on 13 Mar 1944, she was allocated to the 32nd Minesweeping Flotilla as Senior Officer's ship but was later transferred to the 4th Flotilla, and was present on D-Day.  HMCS Thunder returned to Canada in Aug 1944, to refit at Sydney but was back at Plymouth in late November, assigned to the 31st Flotilla.  In May 1945, in the Bay of Biscay, she accepted the surrender of the German auxiliary minesweeper FGi07.  She sailed for Canada in Sep 1945, to be paid off on 4 Oct 1945 at Halifax, and was broken up at Sorel in 1947.

HMCS Transcona (J271)

(Ryan Lee Photo)

HMCS Transcona (J271) (Bangor-class).  Built at Sorel and commissioned there on 25 Nov 1942, HMCS Transcona was the last Bangor class minesweeper to join the RCN.  She arrived at Halifax on 19 Dec 1942, having escorted HMCS Provider en route, and remained in shipyard hands there from 22 Dec 1942 to 6 Mar 1943, owing to engine defects.  Following workups at Halifax, she was assigned in Apr 1943, to WLEF and, in June, to newly created EG W-2.  In May 1944, she joined Halifax Force, remaining until Jun 1945, after which she performed various local tasks until she was paid off at Sydney on 12 Jun 1945.  On 1 Sep 1945, HMCS Transcona was transferred to the marine section of the RCMP and renamed French.  She was sold for scrap at La Have, NS, in 1961.

(US Naval History and Heritage Photo)

HMCS Transcona (J271).

HMCS Trois-Rivières (J269)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Trois-Rivières (J269) (Bangor-class).  Built at Sorel and commissioned there on 12 Aug 1942, she arrived at Halifax on 29 Aug 1942 and, after working up at Pictou, was assigned to WLEF.  In Nov 1942, she was transferred to the Newfoundland Force, serving until the Command was disbanded in Jun 1945.  She was under repair at Dalhousie, NB, Halifax and Saint John between Oct 1943 and Jan 1944, and had a major refit at Lunenburg from Feb to May 1945, followed by workups in Bermuda.  HMCS Trois-Rivieres was paid off on 31 Jul 1945, and handed over later that year to serve the RCMP as MacBrien MP 92.  She was sold for scrap in 1960.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Trois-Rivières (J269) (Bangor-class)

HMCS Truro (J268)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Truro (J268) (Bangor-class).  Built at Levis, Quebec, she was commissioned at Quebec City on 27 Aug 1942 and arrived at Halifax on 15 Sep 1942.  Initially allocated to WLEF, she became a member of newly created EG W-4 in Jun 1943.  In May 1944, she was transferred to Sydney Force, and from Dec 1944 to Feb 1945, underwent a major refit at Lunenburg.  HMCS Truro was then assigned briefly to Halifax Force before returning to Sydney Force until Jun 1945.  Paid off on 31 Jul 1945 at Sydney, she was handed over to the RCMP on 3 Aug 1945 and renamed Herchmer.  She was never commissioned and was paid off on 6 Aug 1946.  She was converted to the commercial vessel Gulf Mariner in 1947.  Abandoned ashore in the Fraser River after plans to convert her to a suction dredge had fallen though, she was broken up in 1964.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3554375)

HMCS Truro, Bangor class minesweeper.  The caption indicates it belongs to Canada Steamship Lines so most likely post war, as it is flying their flag.

HMCS Ungava (J149)

(Rod Henderson Photo)

HMCS Ungava (J149) (Bangor-class).  Built by North Vancouver Ship Repairs Ltd., she was commissioned at Vancouver on 05 Sep 1941.  HMCS Ungava left Esquimalt on 10 Oct 1941 for Halifax, arriving on 14 Nov 1941.  Initially assigned to Halifax Force, she was transferred in May 1943, to Gaspé Force, then back to Halifax Force in Dec 1943.  In May 1944, she joined Sydney Force, returning again to Halifax Force in Feb 1945.  Following a refit from Apr to May 1945, at Liverpool, NS, she went to Bermuda to work up, and on her return after VE-Day she was assigned miscellaneous duties until paid off at Halifax on 3 Apr 1946.  She was sold in 1946 to T. Harris, of Barber, New Jersey to be broken up.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205781)

HMCS Ungava (149), 20 September 1941.

HMCS Vegreville (J257)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3554189)

HMCS Vegreville (J257) (Bangor-class).  Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, she was commissioned at Montreal on 10 Dec 1941.  HMCS Vegreville arrived at Halifax on 18 Dec 1941 and was assigned to WLEF.  She was re-assigned to Gulf Escort Force in Jun 1942, and transferred in Sep 1942 to Newfoundland Force.  In Jan 1944, she was assigned to invasion duties, and sailed on 19 Feb 1944 from Halifax for Plymouth via the Azores, in company with HMCS Caraquet, HMCS Cowichan, and HMCS Malpeque.  Arriving at Plymouth on 13 Mar 1944, HMCS Vegreville was assigned successively to the 32nd, 14th and 31st Minesweeping Flotillas, and was present on D-Day as part of the 14th.  In Sep 1944, she proceeded to Canada to refit at Sydney, returning to Plymouth on 4 Feb 1945.  On 23 Apr 1945, while operating off the French coast, she was damaged by a mine and sustained severe damage to her port engine.  Dockyard survey at Devonport indicated that she was not worth repairing at that stage of the war, and she was laid up at Falmouth in Jun 1945.  Paid off on 06 Jun 1945, she was broken up at Hayle, UK, in 1947.

(DND Photo)

HMCS Vegreville (J257) (Bangor-class).

HMCS Wasaga (J162)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Wasaga (J162) (Bangor-class).  The first of the RCN Bangors, HMCS Wasaga was commissioned at Vancouver on 30 Jun 1941.  She left Esquimalt on 06 Aug 1941 for Halifax, arriving on 10 Sep 1941.  Sent to Bermuda for working-up, she was assigned to Halifax Force on her return.  In Mar 1942, she was transferred to Newfoundland Force and, in Jan 1944, to Sydney Force.  Ordered to the UK for invasion duties, she sailed from Halifax on 21 Feb 1944, for Plymouth via the Azores, in company with HMCS Canso, HMCS Guysborough and HMCS Kenora.  Arriving at Plymouth early in Mar 1944, she was assigned at first to the 32nd and then to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla, and was on hand on D-Day.  She sailed for Canada on 30 Sep 1944, to refit at Charlottetown, returning to Plymouth on 4 Feb 1945.  On 11 Apr 1945 HMCS Wasaga was hit by HMS Sursay.   HMS Sursay struck HMCS Wasaga in the seaman's mess.  The crew managed to shore up the ship and she made it to port for repairs.  In Sep 1945 she returned to Canada and was paid off at Halifax on 6 Oct 1945, to be laid up at Shelburne until sold for scrap in 1947.

HMCS Westmount (J318)

(DND Photo)

HMCS Westmount (J318) (Bangor-class).  Built at Lauzon, Quebec, she was commissioned at Toronto on 15 Sep 1942.  HMCS Westmount arrived at Halifax on 10 Oct 1942 and proceeded to Pictou to work up.  Following this, she underwent engine repairs at Halifax from 20 Nov 1942 to 02 Feb 1943.  She was then assigned to Halifax Local Defence Force and, later, to Halifax Force.  In May 1943, she was transferred to Sydney Force, but returned to Halifax Force in Jan 1944.  In Feb 1945, she commenced a major refit at Lunenburg and, after this completed late in Apr 1945, proceeded to Bermuda to work up.  Upon her return to Halifax on 30 May 1945 she was assigned to miscellaneous duties until paid off at Sydney on 13 Oct 1945, and laid up at Shelburne.  In 1946 she was placed in strategic reserve at Sorel until re-acquired by the RCN in 1951 (187).  On 29 Mar 1958, she was transferred to the Turkish Navy, and served as Bornova until 1972.

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