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HMCS ST THOMAS K488
Castle Class Corvette
Built at Smith's Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees, UK, she was aid down and launched as HMS SANDGATE CASTLEe. On 04 May 1944 she was transferred to the RCN and commissioned at Middlesbrough as HMCS ST THOMAS K488. In Jun 1944 ST THOMAS carried out workups at Tobermory, leaving later that month for Londonderry where, in Jul 1944, she became part of EG C-3. She sailed on 03 Aug 1944 to join ON.247, her first convoy, and was employed as an ocean escort for the rest of the war. On 27 Dec 1944, while escorting HX.327, she sank U 877 in the North Atlantic; rescuing 35 of the U-boats crew - HMCS SEA CLIFF rescued 21 of the U-boats crew. She left Londonderry for the last time on 11 Apr 1945, commencing refit on arrival at Halifax 30 Apr 1945. Following completion of the refit in Jul 1945 she sailed for the west coast and was paid off at Esquimalt on 22 Nov 1945. In 1946 she was sold to the Union Steamship Co., Vancouver, converted to a coastal passenger vessel, and renamed Camosun. She was renamed Chilcotin in 1958 and, later that year, Yukon Star. After several years idleness, she was broken up at Tacoma in 1974.
U-Boats Sunk: U-877 sunk on 27 Dec 1944 by HMCS ST THOMAS K488 in position 46-25 N, 36-38 W. Click here to view a photo of the crew of U-877
Photos and Documents Ship's company photos The Ship's Bell
Convoys escorted during the Second World War
HMCS ST THOMAS K488 - Ship's Movements (message) May-Jul 1944 // Source: The Library and Archives of Canada
Commanding Officers
LCdr Leslie Perman Denny, RCNR - 04 May 1944 - 26 Jan 1945
A/LCdr Berkeley Hynes, RCNVR - 27 Jan 1945 - 26 Jun 1945
Lt John Rawson Kennedy Stewart, RCNVR - 21 Jun 1945 - 22 Nov 1945
They shall not be forgotten
Former Crew Members
Photos and Documents
(STM001) Newspaper article on the sinking of U-877 by HMCS ST THOMAS // Crow's Nest newspaper - Apr 1945 (STM002) Officers, Chiefs and Petty Officers during Christmas celebrations on HMCS ST THOMAS K488 - Dec 1944 // Source: The Memory Project - Gerald Wilkes // Click here to view the photo with individuals numbered for identification (STM003) Ratings having Christmas dinner in their mess on HMCS ST THOMAS K448 - Dec 1944 // Source: The Memory Project / Gerald Wilkes (STM004) HMCS ST THOMAS K448 // RCN Photo # MN-1997
(WM43) HMCS ST THOMAS alongside in (believed to be) St. John's, NFLD (WM44) Unidentified sailor coming down from the bridge of HMCS ST THOMAS (WM45-WM46) HMCS ST THOMAS - looking aft, then forward from the crow's nest (WM47) HMCS ST THOMAS - looking a little weather beaten
(WM48-WM59) HMCS ST THOMAS taking a wave over the bow (WM50) Stwd Bernier on the AA gun on HMCS ST THOMAS (WM51) HMCS ST THOMAS transiting an ice field
(WM52-WM54) Survivors from U-877 being rescued - and onboard HMCS ST THOMAS - 27 Dec 1944
From the collection of Lt William J. Miller, RCNVR
Courtesy of Heather Edwards
(RP01) Ratings having Christmas dinner aboard HMCS ST THOMAS - 1944. Roy Potter 1st on right (RP02) Captain Leslie Denny and Bill Vidler, HMCS St. Thomas, Christmas 1944 (RP03) HMCS ST THOMAS Christmas card that Roy had sent to his family
From the collection of Roy Potter, Sig, RCNVR
(RAS296) HMCS ST THOMAS K488 (RAS297) Baseball team from HMCS ST THOMAS K488 taken on jetty at Newcastle on Tyne
(RAS298-RAS299) Belfast, Northern Ireland - 1944 (RAS300) Trafalgar Square, London - 1944 (RAS301-RAS302) Bombed out buildings in London - 1944
(RAS303-RAS304) Newspaper articles on HMCS ST THOMAS K488 sinking a U-boat. The U-boat's crew were rescued by HMCS ST THOMAS and HMCS SEA CLIFF K344. This action happened about 4.5 months after Ross was landed due to appendicitis From the collection of Ross Somerville, Leading Coder, RCNVR Courtesy of Kathy Somerville
Convoys escorted during the Second World War
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar 
