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HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 / 195
Bangor
Class Minesweeper
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HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311
DND / RCN photo
Click on the above photo to view a larger
image
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Laid down: 18
Aug
1941
Launched: 30
Dec 1941
Commissioned: 25
Aug 1942
Paid off: 23
Oct 1945
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Re-commissioned: 29
Nov 1957
Paid off 1971
Fate: Broken up after 1971
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Commissioned at Port Arthur
on 25 Aug 1942, FORT WILLIAM arrived at Halifax on 24 Sep 1942
with a good many defects, and did not commence working up until
mid-Oct 1942. A month late she was assigned to Halifax Force for
local convoys. On 11 Jan 1943, she suffered considerable damage
in collision with the government vessel Lisgar at Halifax, and was
under repair there for a month. In Jun 1943, she was transferred
to Newfoundland Force. She returned to Halifax in Feb 1944,
for a short refit, and on 20 Feb 1944 left with BLAIRMORE, MILLTOWN
and MINAS for Plymouth via the Azores, arriving on 08 Mar 1944. Assigned
to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla, she was present on D-Day. FORT WILLIAM
refitted at St. John's Mar 1945, re-joining the 31st
Flotilla in Jul 1945 and remaining until 21 Sep 1945, when she left
Plymouth for Canada. She was paid off on 23 Oct 1945, at Sydney
and was placed in strategic reserve at Sorel in 1946. Re-acquired in
Jun 1951, and extensively modernized, she lay in reserve at
Sydney until 29 Nov 1957, when she was transferred to the
Turkish Navy and re-named BODRUM. She was removed from service in
1971 and broken up.
Photos and Documents
Ship's Company Photos
The
Thirty-First Minesweeping Flotilla
HMCS FORT WILLIAM
J311 Nominal List 15 Jan 1945 - Credit: Marcus Fennell, Frederick
Harpur the Ship's Writer, and RCSCC FORT WILLIAM for preserving this
information
A
Brief History of HMCS FORT WILLIAM - written for the sea cadets of RCSCC
FORT WILLIAM by John H. Rickard
Commanding Officers
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Lt Hugh Campbell,
RCNR - 25 Aug
1942 - 29 Jun 1943
Lt Stephen Dalrymple Taylor,
RCNR - 30 Jun 1943 - 04 Oct 1943
A/LCdr Hugh Campbell,
RCNR - 05 Oct 1943 - unk |
A/LCdr Hugh Campbell,
RCNR -
25 Apr 1944 - unk
Lt George E. Kelly,
RCNR - 19 May 1945 - 23 Oct 1945 |
In memory of those who have crossed the bar 
They shall not be
forgotten
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Bell, Gordon
W. |
Beveridge,
George
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Black, Joe
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Davis,
Thomas E.
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Dufour,
George
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Fennell,
Marcus
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Gilbert,
Kenneth M.
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Grant,
James
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McCready,
James
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Mecoy,
Raymond C.
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Melanson,
Louis M.
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Newman,
Clyde W.
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O'Leary,
Patrick
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Pearcey,
John H.
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Former Crew Members
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Campbell,
Hugh, Lt, RCNR - 25 Apr 1942
Christmas,
Kenneth Evans, Lt, RCNVR - 04 May 1942
Frizzell,
Wilbur - 1944-1945, Sig 
Goddard,
Lawrence Lonell, SLt, RCNVR - 07 Mar 1945
Hoffman,
Ward Roderick, Lt (E), RCNVR - 29 Jan 1945
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Kelly,
George, Lt (of Ireland) - 1944
Lafleche,
Joseph Lucien Maurice, A/Lt, RCNVR - 05 Oct 1943
Lait,
Wilfred John, SLt, RCNVR - 17 May 1943
McGowan,
Hector Cameron, Lt, RCNVR - 18 Feb 1943
McKim,
Hugh John, SLt, RCNVR - 24 Mar 1945 |
Oddleifson,
Stefan Sollie, A/Lt, RCNVR - 07 Mar 1945
Perkes,
Ernest Edward, A/Lt, RCNVR - 25 May 1945
Smith,
Warren Van-Hoose, Lt (E), RCNVR - 08 Feb 1944
Smitherman,
James William, Stoker |
Photos
and Documents
HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311
On back of photo
"Banquet Royal Edward Hotel 26 Aug 1942" - along with some names
of ship's officers and ratings HMCS
FORT WILLIAM departed Port Arthur, Ontario on 27 Aug 1942 for Halifax.
Courtesy of Tom LaPlante
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HMCS FORT WILLIAM honoured at civic banquet. Crew listed in the
article: LCdr H. Campbell, DSC, CO; PO ERA Gus Kallio; Sig
Steve Lysak; AB Joe Black; Tel Milbert Mounk; Elmer McDonald; Lt
Hector McGowan
From the collection of John
A. Rickard, AB, RCNVR
Courtesy of John H. Rickard |
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Crew of FORT WILLIAM Honored at Civic Banquet
Times-Journal 03 Apr 1945
Courtesy of John H. Rickard |
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HMCS
FORT WILLIAM'S jacket patch (off of Joe Black's jacket). This design
is identical to the jacket patches used by HMCS BRANDON, HMCS BOWMAN
VILLE AND HMCS SARNIA
From
the collection of Joe Black, AB,
RCNVR
Courtesy
of John H. Rickard
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Christmas on HMCS FORT WILLIAM - 25 Dec 1943
Commanding Officer on rounds
Source: Thunder
Bay Military Museum
Sig John H. Pearcey 4th from left (face
partially hidden) |
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Walter Beech (right) on HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311
in Halifax
From the collection of Clyde Newman
Courtesy of Lisa Sprong |
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Chiefs and Petty Officers of HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 - Christmas in Newfoundland
From the collection of Clyde Newman
Courtesy of Lisa Sprong
Chief Clyde Newman - very back, centre |
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Chiefs and Petty Officers of HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 - Christmas in Newfoundland
From the collection of Clyde Newman
Courtesy of Lisa Sprong
Chief Clyde Newman - 1st on right |
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Chiefs and Petty Officers of HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 at HMCS Avalon, Newfoundland
From the collection of Clyde Newman
Courtesy of Lisa Sprong
Chief Clyde Newman - 3rd from right |
(MF01)
Lt George Kelly, HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 - 1943 (MF02) Lt Hector McGowan
(left) and Lt George Kelly (right) having a bit of fun on HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 - 1943 (MF03) Lt Hector McGowan on HMCS
FORT WILLIAM J311 - 1943
(MF04) L/Sig Marcus Fennell on HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 -1943 (MF05)
A/Lt Joseph LaFleche on HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 - 1943
(MF06)
John Pearcey and Steve Lysak - 1944 (MF07) Unknown sailor (likely a
signalman) clearing tangled halyards on HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 - 1944
(MF08) HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 in the turn basin on the Kaministiquia River, FORT WILLIAM, ON - 1942 (MF09) Bob Tevendale and Marcus Fennell on
HMCS FORT WILLIAM J311 - 1943 (MF10) Lt Hugh Campbell, CO of HMCS FORT WILLIAM
J311 - 1943
From the collection of Marcus
Fennell, L/Sig, RCNVR
Courtesy of John H. Rickard
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