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For Posterity's Sake 
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS
WETASKIWIN K175
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Unofficial wartime gunshield
badge |
HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 sporting her gunshield
art early in the war. Note that her main mast is
still forward of the bridge Click on the
above photo to view a larger image
From the collection of James Hill
Courtesy of Marlene Hill |
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Laid down: 11
Apr
1940
Launched: 18
Jul 1940
Commissioned: 17
Dec 1940
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Paid off: 19
Jun 1945
Fate:
Sold in 1946 to Venezuelan Navy. Paid off in 1961. Broken up in 1962
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Laid down as HMCS Banff, she
was renamed HMCS Wetaskiwin during construction. Commissioned at Esquimalt on
17 Dec 1940 as HMCS Wetaskiwin K175, she was the first west coast-built corvette to enter service.
She patrolled out of Esquimalt until 17 Mar 1941 when HMCS Alberni, HMCS
Agassiz and HMCS Wetaskiwin departed Esquimalt for Halifax. Enroute they
stopped at San Pedro, California for fuel, where a party for the crew,
hosted by actress Mary Pickford and her husband Douglas Fairbanks, was held
for them. They arrived at Halifax on 13
Apr 1941. On 23 May 1941, Alberni, Agassiz and Wetaskiwin left
Halifax for St. John's to join the
recently formed NEF. In Jun 1941 she
escorted her first convoy, HX.130, to Iceland, and during the next
eight months made six round trips there with eastbound convoys. She
returned to Halifax on 24 Jan 1942, and in Feb 1942 commenced a
major refit at Liverpool, N.S. After working up in May 1942 she joined EG
C-3, arriving in Londonderry on 05 Jun 1942 for the first time from
convoy HX.191. During this period Wetaskiwin participated in two
major convoy actions: SC.42 (Sep 1941); and SC.48 (Oct
1941). On 31 July 1942, while escorting ON.115, she shared with
Skeena the sinking of U-588. In mid-Jan 1943 she arrived at
Liverpool, N.S., for refit, which was completed on 09 Mar 1943 and
followed by further repairs at Halifax. In May 1943, she joined EG
C-5, and that Dec 1943 went to Galveston, Texas, for a long refit,
including extension of her fo'c's'le. Following its completion
on 06 Mar 1944, she returned briefly to Halifax before proceeding
to Bermuda for work-ups late in Apr 1944. Returning northward, she
re-joined C-5, leaving Londonderry on 23 Sep 1944 for the last time
to join EG W-7, WLEF, for the remainder of the war. She was paid off
at Sorel on 19 Jun 1945, and sold in 1946 to the Venezuelan Navy,
which re-named her Victoria. She was discarded in 1962.
Photos
and Documents
Ship's
company photos
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Commanding Officers |
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LCdr Guy Stanley Windeyer,
RCN - 17 Dec 1940 - 04 Nov 1942
A/LCdr John Richard Kidston,
RCNVR - 05 Nov 1942 - 21 Mar 1944
Lt Arthur Walton,
RCNR - 22 Mar 1944 - 06 Aug 1944 |
A/LCdr M.S. Duffus,
RCNVR - 07 Aug 1944 - 15 Sep 1944
Lt Arthur Walton,
RCNR - 16 Sep 1944 - 19 Jun 1945 |
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In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget
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KENNEDY,
Ronald Edward
OS, V/2704 RCNVR died - 07 Jun 1942
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten |
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A-B |
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Brady,
Edward Patrick Redmond
1916-____
Served in Wetaskiwin 16 Jul 1943
- 03 Dec 1943 as an AB / A/LS, RCNVR |
Burwash,
Raymond Douglas
1920-2014 |
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C-D |
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Carson,
Adam John
____-1958 |
Curts,
Alexander
1916-1946
Served in Wetaskiwin 06 Oct
1942 - 14 Apr 1943 as a Sto 1c |
Duffus,
Mortimer Smith
____-1997 |
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E-F |
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Earl, Hubert George
Henry
____-1989 |
Forbes,
R. Burnett
____-____
The
Memory Project
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G-H |
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Grabowiecki,
Bernard Josef
____-2014 |
Grady,
Peter Harold
1922-2017
Served in Wetaskiwin in 1943 |
Hanington,
Daniel Lionel
1921-1999
Drafted to Wetaskiwin 26 May 1942
as Slt, RCNVR |
Hill, James
H.
____-1965
Served in Wetaskiwin 17 Dec
1940 - 19 Jun 1945 as a Steward, RCNVR. Commissioning / Paying off
crew. |
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K-L |
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Kellas,
Douglas Alexander
1923-2006 |
Lester,
Richard Kingsley
1918-2004
Served in HMCS Wetaskiwin in
1940 |
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M-N |
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Mackie,
Gordon Alexander
1922-2014 |
McConney,
Allan Edward
1921-2002 |
McGeogh,
Leonard James
____-2004 |
McNeney,
James Robert
Served in Wetaskiwin 15 Dec
1941 - 11 Dec 1942 as an A/L/Sig, RCN
killed - 20 Sep 1943 while
serving in HMCS
St Croix I81 |
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Q-R |
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Restall, Lawrence
Alexander
1922-2006
Drafted to HMCS Wetaskiwin in Jun
1942
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Robinson,
Murray
1922-2014 |
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U-V |
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Vanier,
Edmond Albert Sr
19233-2004 |
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W-X |
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Windeyer, Guy Stanley
1901-1984
1st Commanding Officer |
Wright,
Walter Faraday
1925-1999 |
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U-boats Sunk |
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U-588
(Kptlt Viktor Vogel) sunk on 31 Jul 1942 by HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 and HMCS Skeena I59 in
position 49-59 N, 36-36 W. No survivors of crew of 46. |
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Former Crew Members
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Adamson,
William Hugh, Lt, RCNVR - 06 Mar 1944
Butters,
Ian, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1943
Chandler,
Alan Malcolm A/War (E), RCN - Jan 1945
Francois,
John Eugene, Mate, RCNR - 07 Feb 1941
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Louis,
Reginal Cecil, Lt, RCNVR - 27 Jan 1942
MacDonald,
Ian Allan Banes, Slt, RCNVR - 08 Apr 1944
McCarten,
Samuel Clifford, Slt, RCNVR - 02 Mar 1945
Northgrave,
Glen Allen, Lt, RCNVR - 12 Mar 1943
Stone,
Ralph Eugene, Slt, RCNVR - Jan 1945 |
Trainor,
John James, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Jul 1944
Whitehouse,
Wilfred George, A/War (E), RCN - 15 Feb 1944
Williams,
John Nelson Elmhurst, Lt, RCNVR - 19 Jul 1944
Woods,
William Allan, Lt, RCNVR - 11 May 1943 |
Photos and
Documents
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HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
From the collection of
Larry Restall
Courtesy of Clay Restall |
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HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 as
seen from HMCS Quesnel K133
From the collection of Jim
Silvester
Courtesy of Jim Silvester |
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HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
Credit: Ken Macpherson / Naval
Museum of Alberta
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HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
Credit: Ken Macpherson / Naval
Museum of Alberta
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HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 - December 1942
Credit: J.D. Mahoney / Library and
Archives of Canada / PA116836
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R.
Burnett (Burnie) Forbes painting the gunshield "Wet Assed
Queen" on HMCS Wetaskiwin Courtesy
of Barb Ishler |
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Slightly different
versions of the "Wet Assed Queen" on HMCS Wetaskiwin
From the collection of
James Hill
Courtesy of Marlene Hill
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Wetaskiwin Iced-up
From the collection of
James Hill
Courtesy of Marlene Hill
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Unknown event on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
From the collection of
James Hill
Courtesy of Marlene Hill
Webmaster's
note: I'm not sure what the occasion is, but they are
definitely having a good time |
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photo 1 |
photo 2 |
photo 3 |
photo 4 |
photo 5 |
photo 6 |
photo 7 |
photo 8 |
(1)
Unknown sailor sitting by the gunshield art on
HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (2) HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 escorting a convoy. Photo taken from an aircraft - 11 Dec 1944,
1800 GMT, 300' (3)
HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 looking well weather beaten. Photo taken after the refit where her main mast was move aft of
the bridge and missile racks added to her gun shield. (4) HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175 (5) Twin Oerlikon on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
(6) Walter Faraday Wright climbing out the quarterdeck
hatch on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (7) Unknown sailor on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
(8) Unknown sailor on the bridge of HMCS Wetaskiwin
K175
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photo 9 |
photo 10 |
photo 11 |
photo 12 |
photo 13 |
photo 14 |
photo 15 |
photo 16 |
(9)
Unknown sailors on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (10) Unknown Petty Officers by the jack staff on
HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (11) Unknown sailor with the ship's mascot on HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175 (12) The Catch of the Day being shown off on HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175 (13) This Wetaskiwin sailor
seems to have had been luck with his fishing than those in the above
photo (14) Unknown sailors on the bridge wing of HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175 (15) Unknown sailor on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
(16) Unknown sailor from HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 ashore
- place unknown
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photo 17 |
photo 18 |
photo 19 |
photo 20 |
photo 21
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photo 22 |
photo 23 |
photo 24 |
(17)
Unknown sailor from HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 ashore
- place unknown (18) Unknown sailor on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
(19) Unknown sailors on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (20) Unknown warship,
photo taken from HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (21) Boat crew coming alongside HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
(22) HMCS Wetaskiwin's boat crew. Walter Faraday Wright, foreground, right side of photo
(23) HMCS Wetaskiwin's sailors going ashore (24) Unknown sailor on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
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photo 25 |
photo 26 |
photo 27 |
photo 28 |
photo 29 |
photo 30 |
photo 31 |
photo 32 |
(25)
HMCS Dunver K03 - photo taken from HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175 (26) Unknown ships on the horizon - photo taken from
HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (27) HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 biting in to a wave
(28) Unknown ship - photo taken from HMCS Wetaskiwin
K175 (29) Unknown sailors by the depth charge throwers on
HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (30) Unknown sailors on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
(31) A weather-beaten HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 about to
get a bit of TLC from the crew (32) Unknown sailors relaxing on the fo'c's'le of
HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
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photo 33 |
photo 34 |
photo 35 |
photo 36 |
photo 37 |
photo 38 |
photo 39 |
photo 40 |
(33)
Sailors painting the funnel on HMCS Wetaskiwin
K175 (34) Unknown port - photo taken from HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
(35) Unknown sailors on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (36) Unknown sailor on the machine gun on HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175 (37) Unknown sailor on the fo'c's'le of HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175 (38) Unknown sailor with ship's mascot on HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175 (39) Unknown sailor on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175
(40) Unknown sailors on the bridge of HMCS
Wetaskiwin K175
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photo 41 |
photo 42 |
photo 43 |
(41)
Unknown sailors on HMCS Wetaskiwin K175 (42)
Steward Jimmy Hill Parts Company With
"Queen of Hearts" After Long Service Through Battle of
Atlantic - Newspaper article from the Saskatoon
Star-Phoenix (43) Queen of Hearts Ends Her
Sea Duties
From the collection of
James Hill
Courtesy of Marlene Hill
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