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HMCS NIAGARA I57
Wickes Class Destroyer (USN)
Town Class Destroyer (RCN)
Commissioned on 14 Jan 1919 as USS THATCHER, she served with the Pacific Fleet until 1922, when she was placed in reserve at San Diego. Briefly re-commissioned and overhauled in 1940, she was transferred to the RCN as HMCS NIAGARA at Halifax on 24 Sep 1940, and sailed for the U.K. on 30 Nov 1940. There, in Mar 1941, she was assigned to EG 4, Greenock, but in Jun 1941 joined the newly formed NEF. On 28 Aug 1941 she was on hand to take aboard the crew of U 570, which had surrendered to a Coastal Command aircraft south of Iceland. In Mar 1942, she joined WLEF, in June 1942 becoming a member of EG W-9 and, in Oct 1942, of W-10. In common with the other "Towns," she required major refits on a number of occasions and on 02 Mar 1944, following one of these, she became a torpedo-firing ship for training Torpedo Branch personnel at Halifax. She was paid off at Sydney on 15 Sep 1945, and broken up in 1947.
Photos and Documents Ship's company photos The Ship's Bell
The Surrender, Capture and Recovery of U-570 - Re-published on For Posterity's Sake with permission of the Canadian Nautical Research Society and the author, Derek Waller, Air Commodore, RAF, ret'd.
Commanding Officers
AB, RCNVR MPK - 05 Jun 1941
They shall not be forgotten
Former Crew Members
(DN27) Poem "The Fighting NIAGARA" by H. O'Reilly, AB, RCN (DN28) Ship's Writer on HMCS NIAGARA (DN29) Christmas 1941 on HMCS NIAGARA alongside St. John's, NFLD (DN30) "Shipmates on NIAGARA - Xmas 1941" (DN31) Howe - Captain for the Day, Christmas 1941 - HMCS NIAGARA
(DN32) "Two Gun Ryan" - LCDR Thomas Ryan, Commanding Officer HMCS NIAGARA (DNDN33) Unidentified ship on the River Clyde - 1941 (DN34-DN35.) Battlecruiser HMS REPULSE on the River Clyde - 1941 (DN36) Doug Newman on HMCS NIAGARA
(DN37-DN41) HMCS NIAGARA rescuing sailors off Bermuda after 14 days adrift at sea
(DN42) Unknown visitor departs HMCS NIAGARA and can be seen stepping onto stern of awaiting boat (DN43) HMCS NIAGARA arriving at unknown port. (DN44) Sinking merchant vessel. Note all the lines hanging down indicating that they were able to lower their life boats. (DN45) Galley on HMCS NIAGARA - 1941 (see note below) (DN46) Unknown sailors on HMCS NIAGARA - 1942
Webmaster's Note: For DN45 - the caption reads "HMCS NIAGARA Galley - 1941" - This looks like some form of shelter built on the upper decks for jury-rigged galley. There is a a stove and you can see the stove pipe and what look to be a tea pop on it. Perhaps work was being done in the ship's galley and the built this on the upper decks to make basic meals.
(DN47) Unknown sailors on HMCS NIAGARA - 1941 (DN48) Unknown sailor on HMCS NIAGARA - 1941 (DN49) HMCS NIAGARA - location likely Halifax (DN50) Unknown sailors on the quarterdeck of HMCS NIAGARA (DN51) Doug Newman throwing a ball on the jetty in Bermuda
(DN52) Unknown sailor throwing a ball on the jetty in Bermuda (DN53) Doug Newman being helped back up on the jetty after retrieving the ball from the harbour in Bermuda (DN54) HMCS NIAGARA in the slips, Dartmouth, NS - Dec 1941 (DN55) HMCS NIAGARA, Pictou, NS, 1942 (DN56) Doug Newman by the depth charge rails on HMCS NIAGARA, Pictou, NS, 1942
(DN57) Davis, Doug Newman and Hukish on HMCS NIAGARA, Pictou, NS, 1942 (DN58) Wilson, Smardon and Doug Newman, Pictou, NS, 1942 (DN59) Huskish, Doug Newman and Smardon, Pictou, NS, 1942 (DN60) Doug Newman, Pictou, NS, 1942
(DN62) Wilson, Huskish and Doug Newman, Pictou, NS, 1942 (DN63) Wilson of Vancouver, BC at Pictou, NS, 1942 (DN64) Smardon of Montreal, QC at Pictou, NS, 1942 (DN65) Shipmates (names not known), Pictou, NS, 1942 (DN66) Shipmates. Doug Newman in middle with eyes closed, Pictou, NS, 1942
Webmaster's Note: L/Tel Walter Edwin Smardon died when HMCS GUYSBOROUGH was sunk on 18 Mar 1945
(DN67) Unknown sailors on HMCS NIAGARA in Bermuda - Apr 1942 (DN68) Unknown sailors on the fo'c's'le of HMCS NIAGARA in Bermuda - Apr 1942 (DN69) Unknown sailor climbing the mast on HMCS NIAGARA. Note that her crow's nest has been removed (DN70) Ship's Writer and Doug Newman ashore in Bermuda - Apr 1942 (DN71) Sailors from HMCS NIAGARA ashore in Bermuda - Apr 1942. Doug Newman 1st on left
(DN72) Doug Newman and Jack ashore in Bermuda, Apr 1942 (DN73) Bermuda, Apr 1942 (DN74) Doug Newman beside an old car in Bermuda, Apr 1942 (DN75) Bermuda railway, Apr 1942 (DN76) Home in Bermuda, Apr 1942
From the collection of Harry Douglas (Doug) Newman, PO.HSD, RCNVR
Doug Newman served in HMCS NIAGARA 22 Jul 1941 - 16 Jun 1942
Courtesy of Brian Newman
(FM723-FM727) HMCS NIAGARA I57. Photo FM725 is dated Apr 1944
(FM728) HMCS NIAGARA jettisoning ammunition - Sep 1944 (FM729-FM731) Depth charges exploding astern of HMCS NIAGARA - Sep 1944. Photographer unknown (FM732) Looking aft from the mast of HMCS NIAGARA - Sep 1944. Photographer unknown
(FM733) Loading practice torpedoes on HMCS NIAGARA - Sep 1944. Not the dents in the one torpedo on deck (FM734) HMCS NIAGARA fires a practice torpedo (FM735) The practice torpedo heads off in the direction of a merchant ship (the merchant ships is barely visible in the photo) - Sep 1944 (FM736) Its run complete, the practice torpedo floats on the surface - Sep 1944 (FM737) Practice torpedo being recovered
(FM738) HMCS NIAGARA hosting the practice torpedo back onboard - Sep 1944 (F,739) HMCS NIAGARA in the Dartmouth Slips for repairs - Sep 1944
From the collection of François Messier, AB, RCNVR
Courtesy of Denis Messier
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In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget
