HMCS VEGREVILLE J257

 

Bangor Class Minesweeper

 

 

HMCS VEGREVILLE J257

 

Battle honours and awards:  Gulf of St. Lawrence  1942,   Atlantic  1944,   Normandy  1944

 

 

Laid down: 02 Jun 1941 

Launched: 07 Oct 1941

Commissioned: 10 Dec 1941

Paid off: 06 Jun 1945

Fate: Broken up in 1947

 

Built by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Que., she was commissioned at Montreal on 10 Dec 1941. VEGREVILLE arrived at Halifax on 18 Dec 1941 and was assigned to WLEF. She was re-assigned to Gulf Escort Force in Jun 1942, and transferred in Sep 1942 to Newfoundland Force. In Jan 1944, she was assigned to invasion duties, and sailed on 19 Feb 1944 from Halifax for Plymouth via the Azores, in company with CARAQUET, COWICHAN, and MALPEQUE. Arriving at Plymouth on 13 Mar 1944, VEGREVILLE was assigned successively to the 32nd, 14th and 31st Minesweeping Flotillas, and was present on D-Day as part of the 14th. In Sep 1944, she proceeded to Canada to refit at Sydney, returning to Plymouth on 04 Feb 1945. On 23 Apr 1945, while operating off the French coast, she was damaged by a mine and sustained severe damage to her port engine. Dockyard survey at Devonport indicated that she was not worth repairing at that stage of the war, and she was laid up at Falmouth in Jun 1945. Paid off on 06 Jun 1945, she was broken up at Hayle, U.K., in 1947.

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

Cdr F.A. Price, RCNVR - 10 Dec 1941 - 19 Jan 1942

LCdr Thomas Harold Beament, RCNVR - 20 Jan 1942 - 11 Jan 1943

Lt Thomas Bottrell Edwards, RCNR - 12 Jan 1943 - 06 Nov 1944

LCdr A. Sagar, RCN - 07 Nov 1944 - 03 Feb 1945

Lt John Wardrop Ross, RCNVR - 04 Feb 1945 - 06 June 1945

 

 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 

 

Former Crew Members

 

Burnett, Edward, A/Wt (E), RCNR - 24 Jun 1943

 

Chenoweth, Ian Bryce, SLt, RCNVR - 20 Apr 1942 / Lt, RCNVR - 01 May 1943

Cruickshank, Richard Alexander, Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1942

 

Extence, Alan Barr, SLt (E), RCNVR

 

Graham, Roderick Lewis, Ch/Skpr, RCNR - 10 Feb 1944

Irving, John Richard, SLt, RCNVR - 27 Jan 1943

 

Lee, Robert Elias, Lt, RCNVR - 13 Jul 1943

 

Simpson, John William, SLt, RCNVR - 01 May 1942

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

VRV001

VRV002

VRV003

VRV004

VRV005

(VRV001) HMCS VEGREVILLE J257

(VRV002) Front of HMCS VEGREVILLE Christmas card  //  Courtesy of Terry Gunn

(VRV003) HMCS VEGREVILLE silk napkin  //  Courtesy of Terry Gunn

(VRV004) HMCS VEGREVILLE, a Bangor class minesweeper, painted on the wall of the RCL Branch #39, Vegreville, AB  //  Courtesy of Nick Standen

(VRV005) HMCS VEGREVILLE J257 pillow case  //  From the collection of George A. Chamberlain  //  Courtesy of John Chamberlain

 

 

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