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The author of the book we have included on this page requests photographs and information about HMCS Naniamo.  Please email any information or photographs to  OUR MAIL BOX

KENNETH EUGENE COWAN.. My father Kenneth was a communications officer on Naniamo and I would like any information about her. I would like to speak with any living crew members and see photographs. I have pictures and commentary from my fathers experiences. Contact me at  OUR MAIL BOX

            While the British and Americans got first "dibs" on new equipment, Canada had to wait; partly due to politics of where the equipment should come from and partly due to the error of not recognizing that better equipment could be obtained from places other than Canada. 

            This is the story of H.M.C.S. NANAIMO, a flower-class Corvette, and according to the "Trident" of Maritime Command, she was the Royal Canadian Navy's first Corvette.  While her being first may be open to debate she was without a doubt one of the first to be built in Canada for the Royal Canadian Navy.  This is also the story of those who served in her.  Her story is not outstanding.  She never sank a "U" boat and never took part in any great sea battle.  Still, like the Navy she was built for, she did her job and did it well.  She, like the R.C.N., grew from an untrained, poorly equipped and diverse group to an entity unto itself.  The ship and her crew became one!  Here begins her story.          Spring of 1940 saw the beginnings of a proud, new ship.  She was conceived April 27, 1940 and just one year less a day later she was commissioned "His Majesty's Canadian Ship NANAIMO".  She was named for a city in the province in which she was born.  Shipyard workers seemed to put loving care into her.  Like a child in the womb she grew from conception to birth!  Finally, on the October 28, 1940 she slipped off the ways to begin her life.   She had a name but, as yet, was not christened.

            Like parents investing time and love into the rearing of a child.  There was evidence of the extra time and effort put into her construction.  Unlike later ships built for the war effort, she had trimmings that were usually reserved for liners and the like.  NANAIMO was described as a very "tidily ship" by those who served in her. 

            Ray Norman recalled, when asked what he remembered about NANAIMO, that, "She was exceptionally well built and that someone had tried to make her look like something.  Her bulkheads weren't just welded; she had mouldings and such just to tidily her up a bit!"

            According to Puffy, Wilford J, Somerfeldt this was true of most ships built on the west coast.  He felt that the workers there had "some consideration for those who would have to live in her".  He used the example of a pipe that had to go through a living space.  He said that the workers on the west coast would bend it onto a bulkhead or deck head, so that it would be a bit out of the way.  He went on to say that those built elsewhere that same pipe would be run straight through the mess deck regardless of the discomfort or inconvenience this might cause the crew. 

            Almost exactly six months had passed from the time of her conception to her launch.  With her commissioning on April 26, 1941, she joined the ranks of the Royal Canadian Navy.  The day was drizzly with intermittent cold, gentle rain.  A somewhat dreary setting to begin her life with Canada's wartime fleet.

            Now, the ship received her lifeblood -- her crew.  It was also the time that Lewis (Lew) Charles Norman officially came aboard "his ship".

            It was during the next few weeks the ship and her crew got to know each other.  She began her naval career with a shakedown cruise.

            One way the crew got to know each other could be characterised by the following story told by Puffy Summerfeldt;

                        When I joined NANAIMO, the first time we went out, I was pretty seasick.  I remember Red; the big bastard; he never got sick.  He cut the fat off a pork chop and tied a string to it he'd swallow it and pull it back up.

No doubt this impressed a sea sick young Puffy!

            During this cruise she sailed right by the town, who's name she carried, and then northward to Prince Rupert.   Like any new born, NANAIMO and her crew had to learn to crawl before they could run. 

            One of her first problems was a seized H.P. piston on her main engine, which kept her at anchor off Cape Scott for twenty-four hours while her crew managed repairs.

            Bob Reedman remembers this cruise as being rough and the portholes leaking.  He remembers waking up in the morning and finding water sloshing around on the decks and being terribly seasick.  He says: "I thought the ship was sinking and I just didn't give a damn"!  Sounds like he and Puffy had something in common during that first trip.  Having served on small ships in Canada’s Navy himself, the author knows just how Bob, Puffy and undoubtedly many more of the crew, felt!

            There was time for the odd night ashore as well.  Hugh (Red) Ashcroft tells of his first time ashore with Lew.  He says he remembers that we all got into our "tidily" uniforms (number one or dress uniform) and went ashore.  Only to discover after sometime that Lew had neglected to put on dress boots and was found to be just a tad out of "the rig of the day"!  Quite a contrast, number one uniform and greasy, steaming boots!  The situation most surely earned a good laugh to his shipmates and some consternation to Lew.

HMCS NANAIMO on commissioning

HMCS NANAIMO off British Columbia 1941

            Bob Reedman, another shipmate, tells the tale of another night ashore and of a Totem Pole that was borrowed.  This happened during NANAIMO's second cruise up the coast to Prince Rupert.  It seems that some of the boys, went ashore in Prince Rupert and spied a small totem pole.  They decided that the totem pole would be a fine piece of mess deck decor.  So, as any good scrounge would do, they "confiscated" the appropriate specimen and threw it into the stoker's mess.

            Next morning the local constabulary (Royal Canadian Mounted Police [R.C.M.P.]) apprehended the totem pole and returned it to its proper place.  Bob goes on to say one of the Officers, he can't remember just which one, commented he wished he had been there.  Because, if he had, they never would have got it back.

            Nevertheless, the totem was returned; but, in the process the bill from the totem was broken off and, through some quirk of fate, remained with the ship.  The bill was fastened to a board and then to the bridge.  It remained with the ship till it was lost in a storm on a trip between Newfy John and Iceland.

            All the while the ship and crew were becoming a unit, a single entity made up of many.  Like a growing, learning child, NANAIMO and her crew grew more competent and became proficient in their duties.  Still, she remained childlike in many ways.  She had yet to have her baptism.  It would come in time.  She was innocent and had many hard lessons yet to learn.

            She then returned to Esquimalt after her shakedown and, on 30 May 1941, in company with H.M.C.S. TRAIL, another of the B. C. built Corvettes to carry the name of a town in the province of her birth, sailed for the Panama Canal and Halifax.  Halifax was where her life as a part of the Navy would begin in earnest!

            Both ships visited San Pedro, California, near Los Angeles, on June 3, 1940.  This visit gave the crew yet another chance to relax and see the world.  All too soon the leave was over and NANAIMO sailed for Panama and the Canal.  Red Ashcroft remembers Panama and some shore leave.  Red tells of how he and Lew, dressed in whites, made a foray into the wilds of Panama City's night life and how they got "drenched" in a down pour.  So much for the nightlife!  Red told the author, they were probably "all wet" to begin with anyhow.

            NANAIMO sailed from Panama City and entered the canal on June 14.  The United States was not in the War at this point, thus being a neutral country she sent armed Marines aboard both ships as they transited the canal.  This was done just to provide an escort for the two ships.

Shore leave

            The next port of call for the two intrepid corvettes was Kingston, Jamaica, a tropical port that must have seemed truly exotic to the young crew.  They spent four days in Kingston and managed to clean boilers while there.  Not a pleasant task yet it kept the ship in port in this beautiful, green country. 

Lew and Unknown Jamaican 1941

            NANAIMO bid a fond fair well to Kingston with the tiller flat full of pineapples.  Its little wonder that according to Red, "I haven't been too fond of pineapple ever since"!  Food was one thing that many seamen learned to dislike due to having to eat too much of the same thing day after day.

            Like Red and Pineapples, Lew often told his children, when they complained about their food, that we should be glad for what we had as he and his shipmates had to eat "red lead and beans for weeks at a time” red lead being stewed tomatoes.  Like Red, Lew didn't like beans and tomatoes very much after that either. 

            They arrived in Halifax on June 27 just in time for Lew to celebrate his birthday the next day.  NANAIMO took on stores and after storing ship she spent the next three months carrying out local duties.  By this time her armament had been fitted and she was "in all respects ready for sea".  All the while the crew became a "fighting unit" and became ready as well.  A far cry from those seasick sailors on their shakedown cruise.

            One of these local duties was to form part of the escort group for the ships involved in bringing Churchill and Roosevelt together for "talks", which resulted in the Atlantic Charter.  Interestingly, this operation is still "classified" and information cannot be acquired from Canada's National Archives about this part of world history.

            Here is a brief run down of some of the events surrounding this meeting as told by several of the crew of NANAIMO some fifty years after the fact.  Some of the information was also obtained from personal research and study of other volumes written about the conference. 

            Roosevelt left New London, Connecticut under the guise of doing some deep sea fishing in POTOMAC, the presidential yacht, but he transferred to U.S.S. AUGUSTA once out to sea.  Roosevelt arrived at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland in AUGUSTA, a heavy cruiser, with an American group, consisting of U.S.Ships ARKANSAS, a Battleship, AUGUSTA, TUSCALOOSA, both Cruisers, MacDOUGAL, MAYRANK and RIND, Destroyers, which left New London, Connecticut on August 3, 1941. 

            H.M.S. PRINCE OF WALES sailed from Scapa Flow for Newfoundland on August 4, 1941.  On the August 5, 1941 she and her escort ran into heavy weather.  As a result the escorts were forced to slow down.  Given the option of slowing down and keeping her escort or proceeding alone and maintaining her speed PRINCE OF WALES went on alone at high speed as per the wishes of Churchill.  She arrived on Saturday, August 9, 1941. 

HMS Prince of Wales off Argentia, Newfoundland as seen  from NANAIMO

            On the May 8, 1941 NANAIMO was one of the escorts, which joined H.M.S. PRINCE OF WALES when she arrived off St. John's carrying Sir Winston Churchill for his famous meeting with Roosevelt at Placentia Bay.  A total of twenty-eight warships were involved in the operation.  The author was only able to identify some of these ships.  They are: H.M.Ships PRINCE OF WALES, a Battleship, REDDING, RIPLEY, Destroyers, HAFALOCK, HESPERUS, ROYBY, probably Corvettes, H.M.C.Ships SAGUENAY, ASSINIBOINE, RESTIGOUCHE, Destroyers, NANAIMO and the previously mentioned American ships.

            This conference lasted from August 9-12, 1941.  While the conference lasted until August 12 it was not until the fourteenth that the agreement was made public.

            Red Ashcroft kept a journal and from this journal he related the following to the author: NANAIMO went aground on Fox Island at 0610 on the May 9, while entering harbour at Placentia Bay; no doubt with great consternation and embarrassment to her skipper.  A passing destroyer, H.M.C.S. RESTIGOUCHE, sailed by while NANAIMO was on the rocks.  Typical of many arrogant destroyer-men her skipper sent a "nasty" message about being out of the rig of the day and that: "the crew looked like a bunch of fishermen".  After the Commanding Officer checked the navy list and discovered that he had seniority over the skipper of RESTIGOUCHE, he sent back an "appropriate reply" (Red Ashcroft).  No doubt the "appropriate" reply was not one to be repeated in cultured society.

            Red, who was on watch below decks, remembers the grounding itself this way:

"While the ship was entering harbour Lew and I were on watch in the forward boiler room.  Lew was at the air hatch and looking out at the scene of the group entering Placentia Bay while I was below writing a letter home when the ship went on the rocks.  Gee whiz!  The first thing I knew the boiler dropped about a foot; we hit the rocks with such force.   Lew yelled down to me when she struck "Red what are you doing down there""!  "The first thing that I remember doing after she struck was putting the top back on the pen I was using to write my letter". 

Keep in mind he had to take the time to screw the top on unlike today's pens.  Red seems to have kept his calm and at least some of the crew retained a sense of humour!

            Bob reedman tells the same story with himself as the one who yelled down to Red.  Fifty years tends to cloud memories.  Never the less, the story it self seems accurate.

            Artificers from PRINCE OF WALES made temporary repairs following the grounding.  The damage was not serious, however, and NANAIMO was soon under way again for more permanent repairs in Halifax.   The grounding had damaged NANAIMO's A.S.D.I.C. and surrounding hull area.  NANAIMO arrived at Halifax on May 15.  "This "allowed a spell of leave for all of us", as Red, one of Lew's wingers, put it.

            After repairs in Slackers, Halifax, she was assigned to convoy SC 49 and the Newfoundland Command.  She sailed from Halifax on October 10 for this assignment but had to return to Halifax as a result of faulty degaussing gear. Just another reminder that, while she may have been in all respects ready for sea, she was still growing up.  She managed to sail the next day and join the convoy on the thirteenth.       Much to the dismay of her crew NANAIMO received a message the same day advising them that the previous convoy had lost thirteen ships.

            Among the ships attacked in this previous convoy were: U.S.S. GREER and KEARNY as well as H.M.C.S. SHEDIAC.  KEARNY was torpedoed but she did not sink.  The others were attacked without success.

            One of NANAIMO's characters was a stoker named Courtney.  He never slept below decks when the ship was at sea.  Instead, he slept on the gratings just inside the engine room hatch.  It may be safe to say that the news, if not the grating may have caused him some trouble sleeping!       The German Navy was at its peak and news of this kind was a common thing in those hazardous, early days of the war.  NANAIMO spent three days in and around Reykjavik, Iceland.  She "fuelled ship" and took on some stores from H.M.S. HELCA, a depot repair ship, during this time. 

            Task Unit 4.1.16 consisting of H.M.C.S. ST. FRANCES, MAYFLOWER, EYEBRIGHT, LETHBRIDGE, NANAIMO and KENOGAMI sailed from Reykjavik at 1930 on October 26 to join westbound convoy ON 29.  Although ST. FRANCES was part of the group she did not sail until the next day.  They left with three merchant ships; however, due to unfavourable weather and low visibility they were separated from the escort and it was later reported that they had returned to Iceland.  Unfavourable must have been an understatement!

            MAYFLOWER, EYEBRIGHT, LETHBRIDGE, NANAIMO and KENOGAMI joined ON 29 at 1700 two days later.  NANAIMO’s officers reported the convoy as being "off course".  Whether the convoy was, in fact, off course or it even was the NANAIMO is uncertain but it is a well-known fact that compasses in many "Corvettes" of the time, especially Canadian, were very inadequate.  Moreover, difficulty in locating the convoy, as happened with this one, was not an isolated nor uncommon occurrence.  Furthermore, finding a convoy in heavy weather was no small task.

            MOOSEJAW, part of the mid-ocean escort force, remained with the convoy following the relief of this force and the convoy, of which she was a part, consisted of twenty three ships. 

            Three ships became stragglers.  On the night of October 29/30 S.S.TRONDHEIM fell astern of the convoy and a search failed to locate her.  The following night RAMAVA and ANASTASSIUS PATERAS also became stragglers.  The former was found by ST. FRANCIS and given the convoy's course, route and speed.

            After bringing the convoy to Western Ocean Meeting Point (WESTOMP) NANAIMO was relieved and met another convoy.  This convoy too was reported as being "off course".  However, after meeting the convoy NANAIMO and the group sailed through the Straights of Belle Isle and on to St. John's the next day.

            For the next few weeks NANAIMO worked around Newfoundland spending the odd night in such exotic places as Harbour Grace and the ever-welcome "Newfy John".

            November 18 saw NANAIMO sail from St. John's to make contact with an eastbound convoy bound for the British Isles.  She arrived in and fuelled ship at Reykjavik harbour in Iceland.

            NANAIMO, KENOGAMI, PRESCOTT and LETHBRIDGE sailed from Reykjavik to join westbound convoy ON 42 on December 4.  LETHBRIDGE was reported as adrift on 10 December.  At this time she sent an R/T message to MAYFLOWER stating she was with ON 41. 

            NANAIMO joined the convoy next day with MAYFLOWER (SO) sailing from Iceland at 0900 to join.  MAYFLOWER joined the next day and took over the convoy from the previous escort at 1000 / 7.  SORREL sailed to join the convoy at 1700 the same day that MAYFLOWER took over the convoy.  DUNVEGAN sailed to join ON 42 at 1600 the following day.

            NANAIMO was dispatched to the aid of PT 46 BENCLEUCH. She picked up 10 survivors, six officers and four crewmen, from BENCLEUCH, a freighter out of Lieth with a cargo of munitions and whisky, bound for Singapore.  A tanker ATHELVISCOUNT was able to pick up the other three lifeboats and the rest of the crew, including the master.  Not a sole was lost!

            NANAIMO stayed with the furiously burning ship but maintained a safe distance so as to minimize the chances of discovery by a "U" boat.  Perhaps the same "U" boat responsible for the loss of BENCLEUCH.  The freighter continued to burn and emit frequent explosions through the night and into the next day. 

            Thankfully, the weather was poor and the visibility worse.  NANAIMO even lost sight of the stricken ship for about an hour early in the evening.  At about 0600 the flaming ship suddenly disappeared and by 1200 NANAIMO had found wreckage and ascertained that the BENCLEUCH had certainly sunk; moreover, wreckage was retrieved to verify the loss; the Navy needed proof, you see, that BENCLEUCH had indeed sunk.  Sabotage was suspected; however, this was never proven.

            NANAIMO's report of proceedings of the events are included here for the reader and were reported as follows:

                                                    H.M.C.S. NANAIMO

                                 REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS AFTER BEING

                              DETACHED FROM ON 42 UNTIL REJOINING.

                                SUBJECT:  SINKING OF S.S. "BENCLEUCH".

                        11 December 1941

            1755z   Whilst screening convoy ON 42 in station K. D.L. course 227 degrees, speed 6 knots, (Wind: westerly, force 7, Visibility: c 4-5, sea and swell: 76) received orders from Senior Officer Escort H.M.C.S. "MAYFLOWER", to proceed with utmost speed to assistance of PT 46, S.S. "BENCLEUCH", on fire and abandoning astern of the convoy.  Proceeded immediately on reverse course to convoy at maximum speed.

            1830z. On port bow sighted freighter stopped with tanker stopped in immediate vicinity.  While maintaining course made frequent attempts to establish V/S communications with tanker and freighter but received no reply.

            1900z.  Sighted one life boat about 2 miles from the vicinity of freighter and tanker.  Stopped vessel immediately and picked up one boat load of survivors consisting of 6 officers and 4 seamen from S.S. "BENCLEUCH".  Contacted tanker at once by V/S and ascertained that she was "ATHELVISCOUNT" (PT 36 from ON 42) and had picked up 3 boat loads of survivors comprising the remaining 49 members of the including the master.  She stated there were no serious injuries aboard.  Immediately "ATHELVISCOUNT" discovered naval vessel was in the vicinity and that all survivors had been picked up she proceeded on course toward the convoy.  V/S communication was maintained with "ATHELVISCOUNT" till all necessary information had been exchanged.

            2100z.  Contact lost with "BENCLEUCH" due to poor visibility.

            2200z.  Contact regained, at which time the vessel was burning furiously.  Contact maintained at a safe distance throughout the night during which time the vessel continued to burn furiously and to emit intermittent and violent explosions.

                        12 December 1941

            0615z.  Flames from burning ship suddenly disappeared and vessel was presumed to have sunk.  NANAIMO closed position; but, due to snow squalls and greatly reduced visibility NANAIMO remained in vicinity until at

            1150z. conclusive evidence of final sinking was ascertained by the presence of large clearly defined patches comprised of rafts, boxes, cases (general cargo), mess room tables, wooden bulkheads, name plates, car seats, hatches, lifebuoys, and other wreckage, in position 55 10 North, 38 00 West.

            1200z.  Proceeded to join convoy ON 42, course 222 degrees, speed 14 knots, after being positively convinced that vessel had sunk at 0615z.

                        13 December 1941

                                    Proceeding on course of convoy at maintaining distance in order to send W/T messages.

                        14 December 1941

                                    Rejoined ON 42 after survivors report and other W/Ts on from S.O. escort had been dispatched.

Another shot of the wreckage          

Bob Reedman relayed what wasn’t mentioned in the report to the author some fifty years later.  This is what Bob reported:

                        "After the sinking there was this great pool of flotsam and jetsam in the water, all these boxes and crates.  The crew, we had picked up, had said they were headed for Singapore and the scuttle butt was she was carrying Teacher's Highland Creme, guns and lorries (Trucks).

                        The Old Man steamed right through this stuff, He wouldn't stop of course, never the less, we tried to grab some of the stuff.  We didn't get anything of course".

            What a stroke of luck it would have been for the ship and her crew had they managed to snag some of that Highland Creme.  Never the less, it was worth a try.

            NANAIMO's skipper was later censured by the powers that be because he didn't verify that the log and confidential books from BENCLEUCH had been disposed of properly.  It seems a little absurd to think that he should have sent someone aboard the stricken and burning ship to rescue the books.  Further, the master of BENCLEUCH was aboard the ATHELVISCOUNT, who rejoined the convoy.  Given the confusion, the need for radio silence, the little time NANAIMO was in company with ATHELVISCOUNT and the poor visibility, it is of little wonder that NANAIMO's skipper could not ensure the proper destruction of the books.  On the other hand, NANAIMO's Captain did comment that he had acquired all necessary information from ATHELVISCOUNT in his report of proceedings.  In addition, with suspicion of sabotage and the sensitive nature of convoy information contained in the confidential books there was certainly a serious concern.

            NANAIMO arrived in St. John's on December 16 and sailed to join another convoy bound for England on the December 22.  The ship would spend Christmas at sea.

            Christmas this year was spent at sea and Puffy Summerfeldt remembers Christmas as being somewhat less than merry.  He tells of going to the galley and getting Christmas dinner in an enamel tin, the ship being covered in ice and everyone having to get out and chip ice after Christmas dinner.

            This was not an uncommon thing in a corvette and the crew had to use everything and anything that would chip off the ice.  This was done to prevent the ship from becoming top heavy and turning turtle (rolling over) and everyone had a turn.

            This was her third trip to Iceland and the day after New Years, she challenged a tramp steamer named the "JESSIE MAERSK".  This tramp steamer was crippled out of Iceland and may have been returning to Reykjavik for repairs.  She purportedly had dropped out of convoy ON 5.  NANAIMO arrived in Iceland on January 3, 1942 and anchored in Hvalfjordur Fjord. 

            Next day, the boys got to go ashore to the canteen.  Not much of a break but welcome none-the-less after fighting the sea and watching for German "U" Boats!   Within a week NANAIMO would know what fighting the sea was all about! 

            Fighting the sea was especially true for "Corvettes" as they were known to "roll on wet grass".  While, the rolling may have made things uncomfortable, the stubby little corvettes were marvellous sea keeping ships.  They often survived storms that larger ships could not.

            On January 8 NANAIMO sailed from Hvalfordur Fjord to join a westbound convoy running right into a storm, which damaged the A.S.D.I.C.

            Damaged equipment was not an uncommon thing in those days.  Ships lost these essential pieces of equipment due to failure, water, storm damage or even damage from their own depth charges.  Often several escorts in the group would be without A.S.D.I.C., radar, such as it was, or HF. DF.

            Here is a first hand account of some of the lessons on fighting the sea that NANAIMO would learn.  At 1400 on January 8, 1942, task group 4.1.16 consisting of H.M.C.Ships LETHBRIDGE (SO), NANAIMO, GALT, NIAGARA and MATAPEDIA along with H.M.S. DIANTHUS, sailed from Hvalfordur Fjord to join a westbound convoy ON 54.  H.M.C.S. NIAGARA was designated as an extra and sailed with the task group. 

            They met ON 54 during a force eight gale during which H.M.S. DIANTHUS' log describes the next four days:

            January 9, 1942                        0900 - GALT and NANAIMO parted company with the convoy.

            January 10, 1942                      0900 - LETHBRIDGE and MATAPEDIA parted company with the convoy.

            January 11, 1942                      0900 - DIANTHUS lost the convoy.

            January 12, 1942                      Force twelve gale from the southwest. 

            DIANTHUS reported that the sea had smashed her forward wheelhouse windows and flooded the compartment along with the radio or WT office.  The starboard plating of the wheelhouse was buckled and the bridge rails were carried away or flattened.  The breakwater was set back and two holes were torn in the foc'sle.  The gun shield on her main armament was also buckled.  As a result of this damage DIANTHUS was without radio communications and forced to heave to and returned to the United Kingdom.

            On January 12 the convoy, unable to overcome the storm, was hove to at position 54 38'N  25 32'W and was scattered badly as each ship fought its own battle with the sea.  This individual battle lasted for another day.

            During the next two days the convoy slowly came together and the convoy reassembled as the bad weather abated.  To fu