HMCS WESTMOUNT J318 / 187

 

Bangor Class Minesweeper

 

 

Wartime badge

HMCS WESTMOUNT J318

 

Laid down: 28 Oct 1941

Launched: 14 Mar 1942

Commissioned: 15 Sep 1942

Paid off: 13 Oct 1945

Re-acquired by RCN: 1951

Transferred to the Turkish Navy: 29 Mar 1958

Paid off: 1972

Fate: Unknown

 

Built at Lauzon, Que, she was commissioned at Toronto on 15 Sep 1942. WESTMOUNT arrived at Halifax on 10 Oct 1942 and proceeded to Pictou to work up. Following this, she underwent engine repairs at Halifax from 20 Nov 1942 to 02 Feb 1943. She was then assigned to Halifax Local Defence Force and, later, to Halifax Force. In May 1943, she was transferred to Sydney Force, but returned to Halifax Force in Jan 1944. In Feb 1945, she commenced a major refit at Lunenburg and, after this completed late in Apr 1945, proceeded to Bermuda to work up. Upon her return to Halifax on 30 May 1945 she was assigned to miscellaneous duties until paid off at Sydney on 13 Oct 1945, and laid up at Shelburne. 

 

Ship's movements 05 Jul 1945 - 04 Aug 1945 from the diary of Edward Belsey, RCNVR:

 

* Ted Belsey was drafted to WESTMOUNT 13 Jun 1945

- Departed Halifax, NS 05 Jul 1945 at 1730  // Arrived Charlottetown, PEI 08 Jul 1945 at 0100

- Departed Charlottetown, PEI 08 Jul at 0100  // Arrived Summerside, PEI 08 Jul 1945 at 1730

- Departed Summerside, PEI 09 Jul 1945 at 1000  // Arrived Halifax, NS 10 Jul 1945 at 0900

* Duty Ship 11 Jul 1945

- Sweeping to St Margaret's Bay, NS 12 Jul 1945 at 0800  // Arrived St. Margaret's Bay, NS 12 Jul 1945 at 0800

- Departed St. Margaret's Bay, NS 13 Jul 1945 at 0830 // Arrived Halifax, NS 13 Jul 1945 at 1730

* Ammunition Depot Exploded Halifax (Bedford Magazine) 19 Jul 1945 at 1830-1945

- Departed Halifax, NS 23 Jul 1945 at 0700  // Arrived Lunenburg, NS 23 Jul 1945 at 2000

- Departed Lunenburg, NS 24 Jul 1945 at 0800  // Arrived Halifax, NS 24 Jul 1945 at 1830

- Departed Halifax, NS 27 Jul 1945 at 0830  // Arrived Halifax, NS 27 Jul 1945 at 1830

- Departed Halifax, NS 28 Jul 1945 at 0830  //  Arrived St. Margaret's Bay, NS 28 Jul 1945 at 1830

- Departed St. Margaret's Bay, NS 30 Jul 1945 at 0900

* Duty & Target Ships commencing 03 Aug 1945

- Arrived St. Margaret's Bay 04 Aug 1945 at 0800

* Ted Belsey was landed for medical reasons.

 

In 1946 she was placed in strategic reserve at Sorel until re-acquired by the RCN in 1951. On 29 Mar 1958, she was transferred to the Turkish Navy, and served as Bornova until 1972.

 

 

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos

 

Battle for Convoy BX-141

 

 

Commanding Officers

 

A/LCdr Frank G. Hutchings, RCNVR - 15 Sep 1942 - 07 Dec 1943

Lt Frederick Henry Pinfold, RCNVR - 08 Dec 1943 - 16 Mar 1944

Lt Robert Laird B. Hunter, RCNVR - 17 Mar 1944 - 25 Mar 1945

Lt Robert Paul Jackson, RCNVR - 26 Mar 1945 - 07 Jul 1945

 

 

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

 

 

 

Former Crew Members

 

Baker, Perren Laurence, Lt, RCNVR - 02 Jun 1945

 

Brownlee, James Calvin, SLt, RCNVR - 03 Jun 1944

 

Campbell, Colin Gordon, SLt (E), RCNVR - 15 Mar 1943

 

Doane, Warren Frank Stanley, A/Lt, RCNVR - Jan 1945

Genre, John Pope, Lt (E), RCNVR - 17 May 1943

 

Kayes, William Joseph, Lt (E), RCNVR - 13 Mar 1945

 

Kerr, John Cochrance, Lt, RCNVR - 31 Mar 1945

 

McDermott, Burton Duncan, SLt, RCNVR - 11 Feb 1944

Michie, John Richards, SLt (E), RCNVR - 29 May 1944

 

Moeser, William Alan, SLt (E), RCNVR - 18 Mar 1944

 

Ratcliffe, John Arthur, War (E), RCN - 08 Feb 1944

 

Robitaille, Rolland Michel, A/Lt, RCNVR - 14 Mar 1945

 

Weed, Joseph Dodsworth, Lt (E), RCNVR - 08 Jul 1944

 

 

Photos and Documents

 

 

HMCS WESTMOUNT Christmas card from George Huntbatch to his parents

 

From the collection of George Huntbatch

 

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

 

Invitation to ship's company dance for HMCS WESTMOUNT J318

 

From the collection of George Huntbatch

 

Courtesy of Ross Huntbatch

 

Possible badge for HMCS WESTMOUNT 187

 

From the collection of John Carpenter

 

Courtesy of Brian Carpenter

 

Webmaster's note:  The design of the badge places it as post-1948 when the RCN began creating official badges for ships.  The raven and flower appear to have come from the crest of the town of Westmount, Quebec.  HMCS WESTMOUNT was paid off in 1945, but re-acquired by the RCN in 1951 and later sold to the Turkish navy in 1958.  The Directorate of Heritage and History for the RCN has no record of an official badge for HMCS WESTMOUNT being approved.  It is possible that this badge was a tentative design for the ship's badge that got shelved when it was decided the ship was being sold to Turkey.

 

 

 

AD73

AD74

AD75

AD76

AD77

(AD73) Unknown stoker in the boiler room of HMCS WESTMOUNT J318 - Dec 1943

(AD74) CERA in the Engine Room of HMCS WESTMOUNT J318 - Dec 1943

(AD75-AD76) HMCS WESTMOUNT J318 iced-up fore and aft

(AD77) Sailors chipping ice of the fo'c's'le of HMCS WESTMOUNT J318

From the collection of Allan Dougall, LCdr (E), RCN(R)

Courtesy of David Dougall

 

 

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