HMCS CARAQUET J38

 

Bangor Class Minesweeper

 

 

HMCS CARAQUET J38

DND / RCN Photo

Click on the above photo to view a larger image

 

Laid down: 31 Jan 1941

Launched: 02 Jun 1941

Commissioned: 02 Apr 1942

Paid off: 26 Sep 1945

Returned to the RN: 26 Sep 1945

Sold to the Portuguese Navy: 1946

Re-commissioned: 1946

Paid off: 1975

Transferred: Jun 1975 to the Republic of Mozambique

Fate: Stricken from records in 1984. Final disposition unknown

 

Named for a New Brunswick bay, she was built for the RN but transferred to the RCN for manning and commissioned 02 Apr 1942, at Vancouver. In May 1942 she joined Esquimalt Force and in Sep 1942 was transferred to Prince Rupert Force, but she returned to Esquimalt in Mar 1943, with order to proceed to the east coast. She left Esquimalt for Halifax on 17 Mar 1943 arriving on 02 May 1943 and was allocated to WLEF, transferring in Jul 1943 to Halifax Force and in Dec 1943 to Newfoundland Force. During this period she underwent a six-week refit at Baltimore, MD., from mid-Jul 1943. On 19 Feb 1944, with COWICHAN, MALPEQUE and VEGREVILLE, she left for Plymouth via the Azores, arriving on 13 Mar 1944. She was assigned to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla for invasion duties and was present on D-Day. CARAQUET proceeded to Canada at the end of Sep 1944 to refit at Lunenburg, returning to Plymouth in Mar 1945, for further mine-clearance work. Paid off on 26 Sep 1945 and returned to the RN at Sheerness. In 1946 she was sold to the Portuguese Navy and renamed ALMIRANTE LACERDA. In 1975 she was sold to the navy of the Republic of Mozambique and remained in service till 1984.

 

 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos

 

The Thirty-First Minesweeping Flotilla

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

Lt Aubrey Alvin Randle Dykes, RCNR - 02 Apr 1942 - 03 Nov 1943

 

Cdr Anthony Hubert Gleadow Storrs, RCNR - 04 Nov 1943 - 18 Sep 1944

 

Lt G.W. Leckie, RCNVR - 13 Nov 1944 - 26 Sep 1945

 

 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 

 

Former Crew Members

 

Bradshaw - Jun 1944

 

Craigdallie, Thomas, Skpr, RCNR - 31 Mar 1942. Commissioning crew

 

Cox, John - Jun 1944

 

Daniels, "Buzzy" 

 

Eastwood, Walter, SLt, RCNVR, Gunnery Officer - 1943-1944

 

Fenwick - Jun 1944

 

Germaniuk, Peter (Gery)    The Memory Project

Laurin, Joseph Avila, Lt, RCNVR - 17 May 1943

 

May, Richard Thomas William Leslie, Wt (E), RN, - 31 Mar 1942 - Commissioning crew

 

McTaggart, J.A., Bos'n - Jun 1944

 

Roberts, John Douglas, Lt, RCNVR - 31 Mar 1942. Commissioning crew

 

Scott, David Mahood, SLt, RCNVR - 09 May 1942

 

Shaw, Harold Campbell, SLt, RCNVR - 31 Mar 1942 - Commissioning crew

 

Zelke, Herb, AB

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

HMCS CARAQUET J38

 

Source: Juno Beach Centrre / National Archives and Library of Canada PA-125683

Ryan (left) who was lost on Shawinigan and Johnny Vimbor on HMCS CARAQUET J38

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

 

Click here to see the back of the photo

 

Webmaster's note: While the list of casualties from Shawinigan do not show the name Ryan this photo has been entered here as Roy Cardy wrote this info on the back of the photo.  It may be that the name Ryan was a nickname and not his actual name.

A double exposed photo showing Johnny Vimbor and Ryan on the quarterdeck of HMCS CARAQUET J38

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Roy Cardy (left) and Ryan on the quarterdeck of HMCS CARAQUET J38

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

HMCS CARAQUET in Halifax - date unknown

 

RCN Photo

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy, RCN

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Roy T. Cardy (Right) with friend at Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC - Summer 1942

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy, RCN

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

HMCS CARAQUET in Halifax - date unknown

RCN Photo

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy, RCN

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

HMCS CARAQUET

 

"Painting Ship - A never-ending , fruitless task. It washed-off as soon as you put to sea. - wet paint on wet steel ...but, it made the Cox'n happy."

RCN photo

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy, RCN

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

HMCS CARAQUET OSQ card for Roy Cardy

 

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

 

"As a young lad, he and I listened to Radio Moscow on short wave skip down in the basement on re-powered war surplus radio sets with 50 feet of copper wire in the back yard. I remember him telling me that when he was on ship about being allowed into the radio shack on convoy duty, and listening to strong morse code signals. " What's that?" asked Dad. "U-boats" said Sparky."

Buzzy Daniels - Buzz Artist - on HMCS CARAQUET J38

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy / Photographer: Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

HMCS CARAQUET J38 Icing Up during convoy off Newfoundland

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy / Photographer: Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

 

"On his early trips dad told me he did not appreciate just how rapidly dangerous ice build-up happens and just how hard it was to get rid of. Frantic action, that could go on for hours, by the crew, with axes, hammers, steam hoses - before the ship rolled, and didn't recover. Things people at home never heard about."

Roy T. Cardy on HMCS CARAQUET

 

Note the depth charge cradles along the bulkhead. The depth charges were strapped on these cradles and then lowered onto a launcher

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Unknown sailor on the deck of HMCS CARAQUET

 

Note the depth charge fuse setting on the right side of the photo

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

HMCS CARAQUET recovering a minesweeping float

 

     

 

Photographer: Roy T. Cardy

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy 

"The Thinker"

 

AB Halliday, Lookout

 

Photographer: Roy T. Cardy

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy 

Fo'c's'le of HMCS CARAQUET beginning to ice up

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Roy T. Cardy by HMCS CARAQUET's 4-inch gun

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Whaler of HMCS CARAQUET. Sig Bonzor (?Bonsor?) in the foreground, 1943

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Whaler of HMCS CARAQUET, 1943

 

Unknown ship in background

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Depth charge crew on HMCS CARAQUET J38

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Cramped quarters in a mess deck on HMCS CARAQUET J38

 

Source: Facebook page - Royal Canadian Navy Today and Yesterday

Courtesy of Rebecca Melnyk

Some crew of HMCS CARAQUET on deck in the English Channel with their new lifejackets and flashing headgear, hopefully for rescue!

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Securing for sea on HMCS CARAQUET

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Photographer: Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

Station Card for LSA William McLean, HMCS CARAQUET

 

From the collection of William McLean

Courtesy of Derwyn Crozier-Smith

Newspaper article on HMCS CARAQUET's Gunnery Officer, Slt Watler Eastwood, RCNVR

 

From the collection of Roy T. Cardy

Courtesy of Dennis Cardy

HMCS CARAQUET J38

Courtesy of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum

 

HMCS CARAQUET Christmas card - year unknown

 

From the collection of Harry A. Stones, Ck(S), RCNR

 

Courtesy of Mike Stones

 

 

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