HMCS ALGONQUIN R17 / 224

V - Class Destroyer

Not a "Tribal" despite her name, she was laid down as HMS VALENTINE but commissioned on 17 Feb 1944, at Glasgow as HMCS ALGONQUIN. Assigned to the 26th Destroyer Flotilla of the British Home Fleet, she left Scapa Flow with HMCS SIOUX on 31 Mar 1944 to help escort the carrier attack on the TIRPTIZ. In Apr 1944 she escorted a similar attack on German shipping off the Lofoten Island, Norway, and on 28 May 1944 left Scapa, from whence she carried out attacks on German convoys off Norway. Taking part in D-Day operations she bombarded shore targets on the Normandy coast. On 22 Aug 1944, she took off 203 of Nabob's ship's company when the latter was torpedoed in the Barents Sea. In November 1944, ALGONQUIN was part of an attack on a German convoy that sank or destroyed seven vessels. During their layover in northern Russia along with HMCS SIOUX, after Convoy JW.63 arrived at Kola Inlet, ALGONQUIN's CO, Desmond Piers, organized a Canada Russia hockey game. ALGONQUIN was short handed and Trygve Hansen from the Norwegian Navy (HNoMS STORD) played for ALGONQUIN'S team.  ALGONQUIN beat SIOUX, but was later trounced by reps from the Port of Murmansk with a final game being played with Russian equipment and under Russian rules.

She returned to Halifax in Feb 1945, for refit, leaving on 12 Aug 1945 via Malta to join the British Pacific Fleet, but was recalled on VJ-Day and left Alexandria for Esquimalt on 03 Nov 1945. There she was paid off into reserve on 06 Feb 1946, but was re-commissioned on 25 Feb 1953, after very extensive modernization, and sailed for the east coast that summer.

In Nov / Dec 1959, during a 6-week deployment that included a NATO Exercise, HMCS BONAVENTURE, in company with HMCS ALGONQUIN, HMCS IROQUOIS, HMCS SIOUX and, HMCS ATHABASKAN encounter a major storm that battered the squadron.

Four newspaper articles on the Nov/Dec 1959 deployment during which 5 RCN sailors died.

In Apr 1963, 12 RCN ships, ALGONQUIN, MICMAC, CAYUGA, ST CROIX, TERRA NOVA, KOOTENAY, SWANSEA, LA HULLOISE, BUCKINGHAM, CAPE SCOTT, CNAV BLUETHROAT AND CNAV ST CHARLES, took part in NATO Exercise New Broom Eleven, an exercise designed to test convoy protection tactics.  In Oct 1963, BONAVENTURE, ALGONQUIN, CAYUGA, MICMAC and SASKATCHEWAN took part in a NATO exercise in which all participating ships were battered by a severe North Atlantic storm. After fourteen years' service with the Atlantic Command, she returned to the west coast in Mar 1967, and was paid off for the last time on 01 Apr 1970, to be broken up in Taiwan in 1971.

Photos and Documents          The Ship's Bells

Convoys Escorted during the Second World War

RCN Memories:  (1) A Storm and a Dye Marker     (2) ALGONQUIN's Navigator Speaks Out     (3) ALGONQUIN's Last Hurrah

(4) Hands to breakfast     (5) ALGONQUIN's race to the fueling jetty in Manzanillo

Commanding Officers

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

LAFRANCE, Alvin L.

OS, RCN

died - 02 Mar 1963

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

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Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

(AGQ001) HMCS ALGONQUIN R17  //  From the collection of Wilfred Bowen, A/AB, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of Abbie Gourgon

(AGQ002) HMCS ALGONQUIN R17

(AGQ003) Burial at sea of a seaman from HMCS ALGONQUIN who was killed during the invasion of France, 08 Jun 1944  //  Source: Library and Archives of Canada MIKAN # 3256402

(AGQ004) Officers on the bridge of HMCS ALGONQUIN observing the results of their bombardment of German coastal fortifications in the Normandy beachhead, France, 7 Jun 1944.  //  Source: Lt Richard G. Arless / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-140084

(AGQ005) ALGONQUIN Fires a Salvo  //  Crow's Nest newspaper dated Sep 1944

(AGQ006) HMCS ALGONQUIN Fires a Salvo  //  Photo used in newspaper article # AGQ005  //  Courtesy of the Naval Museum of Halifax

(AGQ007) Two Ontario men - LCdr (E) J.F. Lloyd and AB D.R. Langton serving in HMCS ALGONQUIN during the D-Day invasion  //  From the collection of John A. Rickard, AB, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of  John H. Rickard

(AGQ008) CPO Torpedo Cox'n W.J. Johnson, RCNVR of Shelburne, NS - serving in HMCS ALGONQUIN during the D-Day invasion  //  From the collection of John A. Rickard, AB, RCNVR  //  Courtesy of  John H. Rickard

(AGQ009) Victoria Seamen Play Important Part in French Coast Landings

The Daily Colonist, Victoria, BC  11 Jun 1944

Photo shows part of the crew of HMCS ALGONQUIN, which played an important part in the landings on the French coast. Left to right; Petty Officer R.Q. Rodger, RCN, Swift Current, Sask.; Petty Officer Shipwright J.T. Down, RCNVR, Victoria; Able Seaman D.R. Langton, RCNVR, Peterborough, Ont.; Able Seaman H.W. George, RCNVR, Pictou, N.S.; Able Seaman J. James, RCNVR, Montreal; Able Seaman J. Sinnott, RCNVR, Windsor, Ont.; Leading Telegrapher E. Duxbury, RCNVR, Winnipeg; Petty Officer Writer J. Pope, RCNVR, of Toronto. Many of the ALGONQUIN's crew trained at Esquimalt  //  Courtesy of Frank Statham

(AGQ010) Crossing the Ling Certificate (Arctic Circle) for Alf Pinnell, HMCS ALGONQUIN R17, 26 Oct 1944  //  From the collection of Alf Pinnell  //  Courtesy of Terry Pinnell

(AGQ011) Alf Pinnell, on HMCS ALGONQUIN R17, Valetta, Malta, Aug 1945  //  From the collection of Alf Pinnell  //  Courtesy of Terry Pinnell

(AGQ012) HMCS ALGONQUIN R17 - Record of Proceedings - Jan 1945.  Written by LCdr Desmond Piers, D.S.C., R.C.N.  //  Courtesy of Terry Pinnell

(AGQ013) ALGONQUIN Fires A Fish  //  Crow's Nest newspaper - Aug 1945

(AGQ014) Crew members of HMCS ALGONQUIN R17  //  Courtesy of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum

(AGQ015) Crew members relaxing in the sun on HMCS ALGONQUIN R17  //  Courtesy of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum

(AGQ016) HMCS ALGONQUIN R17 icing up in the North Atlantic  //  Courtesy of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum

HMCS ALGONQUIN R17 in the Mediterranean Aug/Sep 1945

(WJB003) In Aug 1945, HMCS ALGONQUIN departed Halifax for the Pacific via the Suez Canal to join the RN Pacific Fleet. This was called off after VJ day and she sailed for Esquimalt.

(WJB004) "Our first stop "Ponta Delegata", St. Miquel Island, Azores. Arrived August 18th, at 1000"

(WJB005) "The "Bum Boats" alongside the ship selling bruit, barrels and different souvenir's."

(WJB006) "The old boy in person at Malta. Notice the tiddley whites."  //  William J. Brooks on HMCS ALGONQUIN R17, Mediterranean, Aug 1945

(WJB007) (L-R) William Brooks, Cassie & Greer on HMCS ALGONQUIN R17, Malta

HMCS ALGONQUIN R17 in the Mediterranean Aug/Sep 1945

(WJB008) HMS GLASGOW and HMS HOGUE during manouveres off Malta

(WJB009) " My chum Jack Buller (left) and myself under the twin gun of HMS HOGUE"

From the collection of William J. Brooks, Stoker, RCNVR

Courtesy of Ruth (Brooks) DeYoung