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HMCS COLUMBIA I49
Wickes Class Destroyer (USN)
Town Class Destroyer (RCN)
Commissioned on 07 Jun 1919 as USS Haraden she served in the Adriatic Sea during part of 1919 before returning to the U.S. for training out of Norfolk, Va. Placed in reserve at Philadelphia in 1922, she emerged in Dec 1939, to take part in the Neutrality Patrol, and was transferred to the RCN as COLUMBIA on 24 Sep 1940, at Halifax. At first employed on local escort duty, she left Halifax 15 Jan 1941, for the U.K., where she was assigned to EG 4, Greenock. In Jun 1941, she joined the newly formed NEF, and in Mar 1942, following repairs at Halifax, transferred to WLEF. In Jan 1943, she went to the aid of her RN sister, HMS Caldwell, adrift without propellers southeast of Cape Breton, and successfully towed her 370 miles to Halifax. Following a major refit at Saint John from 01 Feb to 20 May 1943, she rejoined WLEF, becoming a member of EG W-4 at the end of Jun 1943 and of W-10 in Dec 1943. On 25 Feb 1944, owing to a combination of fog and faulty radar, she rammed a cliff in Motion Bay, Nfld. without so much as touching bottom. Repairs only sufficient to make her watertight were carried out at Bay bulls, though not until May 1944. In Sep 1944 she was taken to Liverpool, N.S., to serve as an ammunition storage hulk for ships refitting there. Paid off on 12 Jun 1945, into reserve at Sydney, she was sold for strap later that year.
Commanding Officer's report on the ramming of the cliff in Motion Bay, Nfld
Commanding Officers
They shall not be forgotten
Former Crew Members
Photos and Documents
(CLM001) HMCS COLUMBIA with signatures of officers along bottom of the photo - circa 1943-1944 // From the collection of Thomas Burdon // Courtesy of Dave Burdon (CLM002) HMCS COLUMBIA jacket patch // This jacket patch was based on the ship's badge for HMCS COLUMBIA I49 // Courtesy of Ted Orlowski // Description: Within a shield frame proper on an orange surface, a board containing three green maple leaves on a gold field in chief. Below, on a grey field a shining white diamond floats above a blue and white heraldic ocean. Below the shield, the motto in black letters on a medium blue ribbon outlined in gold. Motto Gemma Maris [Gem of the Ocean]. This badge was approved 27 Feb 1942. (Source: Designs of Distinction by David Freeman) (CLM003) HMCS COLUMBIA and HMCS WASAGA praised by Admiralty for bringing HMS CALDWELL in under tow // The Gazette 27 Feb 1943 (CLM004) HMCS COLUMBIA after being laid up as a storage hulk - circa 1944
(CLM005) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 moored to Trot buoys at St. John's, Nfld // From the collection of William Connor // Courtesy of Jason Slater (CLM006) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 moored to a buoy at St John's, Nfld // From the collection of Jim Silvester // Courtesy of Jim Silvester
(DL11) Douglas Lister on HMCS COLUMBIA I49 - Gunnery Drills - 15 Jan 1941 (DL12) Doug Lister on HMCS COLUMBIA I49 - 1941 (DL13) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 approaching Iceland (DL14-DL15) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 in the anchorage at Iceland
(DL16) Depth charges exploding astern of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (D17) Unknown sailors port side of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 near the quarterdeck (DL18) Funeral for VPO Charles Victor Silvester, HMCS COLUMBIA, Fossvogur Cemetery, Reykjavik, Iceland. Firing party at Present Arms // From the collection of Doug Lester, Lt, RCNVR / RCN // Courtesy of Mat D'Entremont
(FPC001) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 secured to trot buoys in harbour at St. John's, Nfld after having rammed a cliff in Motion Bay, Nfld on 24 Feb 1944 (FPC002-FPC003) HMCS DUNDAS K229 passing by HMCS COLUMBIA I81 in harbour at St. John's, Nfld
Baptism of David Scott Burdon on HMCS COLUMBIA Jul 1943 (THB001) Lt Thomas Burdon and Janet Burdon with young David Burdon (THB002) Janet & David Burdon, LCdr Bernard Johnson, CO, Lt Thomas Burdon and Chaplain James H. Graven (TJB003) The baptism of David Scott Burdon (THB004 - THB005) Newspapers articles on the baptism ceremony From the collection of Thomas Burdon Courtesy of Dave Burdon
(CJS001) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS002) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS003) Looking aft on HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS004) Unknown crew members of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS005) Unknown crew members with the Lewis gun on HMCS COLUMBIA I49
(CJS006) Depth charge exploding astern of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS007) North Atlantic convoy astern of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS008) Two unknown sailors on HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS009) "Smoke - What Smoke?" // HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS010) Crew members of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 using a telescope
(CJS011) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 mascots JoeMoe and Jeep with unknown sailor (CJS012) Two crew members on HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS013) Blue Watch , HMCS COLUMBIA I49 // Front row, kneeling, 2nd from right - Lionel Sommer (CJS014) Red Watch // HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS015) White Watch // HMCS COLUMBIA I49
(CJS016) The Engine room of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS017) The Engine room of HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS018) Watch Supervisor's Seat Controls // HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS019) "Sea Water Don't Freeze" // HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS020) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Christmas Card 1942
(CJS021) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Christmas Card 1943 (CJS022) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943 (CJS023) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943 (CJS024) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943 (CJS025) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
(CJS026) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943 (CJS027) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943 (CJS028) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943 (CJS029) "No. 4 Boiler Out" // HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943 (CJS030) "Make Room for the Fuel Tank" // HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit 1943
(CJS031) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 Dry Dock Refit Finished 1943 (CJS032) "Back to work" // HMCS COLUMBIA I49
On 25 Feb 1944, owing to a combination of fog and faulty radar, she rammed a cliff in Motion Bay, Nfld. without so much as touching bottom. Repairs only sufficient to make her watertight were carried out at Bay bulls, though not until May. That September she was taken to Liverpool, N.S., to serve as an ammunition storage hulk for ships refitting there. Paid off on 12 Jun 1945, into reserve at Sydney, she was sold for strap later that year.
(CJS033) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 after striking the cliff in Motion Bay, Nfld (CJS034) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 moored to a buoy (CJS035) "Two killed - P/O Feldman - Campbell" // HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS036) "Many Hurt" // HMCS COLUMBIA I49 (CJS037) "The End" // HMCS COLUMBIA I49
(CJS038) HMCS COLUMBIA I49 after she was paid off Photographer: Charles James Sadler, V4963, Sto 1st Class, RCNVR
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In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Lest We Forget 
