1 9 3 9
September
3rd - In transit of Panama Canal. (Note: Joined
America and West Indies Squadron).
10th - Deployed at Halifax for convoy defence.
October to December
Local escort at Halifax in continuation.
1 9 4 0
January to February
Deployed at Halifax for Atlantic convoy defence.
Nominated for service with Jamaica Force.
March
Passage to Bermuda for interception of blockade
runners and commerce raiders. Deployed for patrols in Caribbean Sea
area. (Note: Part of America and West Indies Squadron.)
April
Caribbean deployment in continuation.
May
Transferred to UK for service in Western Approaches.
26th - Took passage from Bermuda to Plymouth.
June
3rd - On arrival deployed for support of evacuation of
British and allied troops and civilians from Bay of Biscay ports (Operation
AERIAL).
25th - During passage from St Jean de Luz in collision
with HM Cruiser CALCUTTA off the Gironde. Ship hit forward of the bridge
structure and cut in two and sank quickly in position 45.44N 01.31W. 47 of the
ship's company lost their lives.
from Naval Staff
History Second World War: Home Waters and Atlantic, Volume 2, 9th April
1940 - 6th December 1941. BR 1736 (48) 2. 1961. (with thanks to Don
Kindell)
"At 0930 on the 23rd,
the Canadian destroyer FRASER arrived at Archadon to take off the Ambassador
and his staff. This was done, and the FRASER then returned to St Jean de
Luz where her passengers were transferred to the GALATEA, which shifted the
other evacuees to the m.v. ETTRICK. At 2100, the CALCUTTA joined Admiral
Curteis's flag. Empty transports - more, in fact, than were actually needed
- were then on the way to take off the large number of evacuees expected, so
Admiral Curteis shifted his flag to the CALCUTTA and the GALATEA sailed for
England shortly after midnight.
Embarkation continued
throughout the 24th, although it was greatly hindered owing to the heavy
swell in the bay; and just after midnight a message was received from the
S.N.O. ashore (Captain Allen) to the effect that the terms of the armistice
required all evacuation of troops to cease after 1200 on June 25th. A
convoy of six empty ships was sailed for England at 1345 on the 25th,
followed within the hour by the last three loaded ships, all being escorted.
Captain Allen and the beach parties embarked in the FRASER and all the
remaining ships sailed at 1530. But before the day was out a distressing
disaster occurred.
At 2215, when the CALCUTTA, in
company with the FRASER and RESTIGOUCHE, had shortly before shaped course to
the south westward from the mouth of the Gironde, the FRASER, whose
commanding officer was labouring under intense fatigue, was rammed by the
CALCUTTA and cut in half. The RESTIGOUCHE, after sinking the after part of
the FRASER, proceeded independently to Plymouth with most of the survivors
(14 officers and 103 men); the CALCUTTA, which rescued 3 more officers and
30 men, was rejoined by HIGHLANDER, which had previously been detached, and
both ships reached Plymouth at 0945 on 27th June."
P o s t W a r N o t e s
This name was carried
forward In July 1944 then given to a Fleet destroyer of the Ch-Class on launch at Clydebank. This new warship was
transferred on loan to the Royal Canadian Navy in Sept 1945 and purchased
outright in 1951. converted for use as a Destroyer Escort in 1956 she served
until 1970 in the operational fleet and has since been scrapped.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMCS FRASER
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy
sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy
arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
19/09/39
|
19/09/39
|
HXF 001
|
20/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
23/09/39
|
23/09/39
|
HX 002
|
25/09/39
|
10/10/39
|
25/09/39
|
25/09/39
|
HXF 002
|
26/09/39
|
04/10/39
|
30/09/39
|
30/09/39
|
HX 003
|
01/10/39
|
14/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
HX 004
|
10/10/39
|
22/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
HX 005
|
19/10/39
|
29/10/39
|
25/10/39
|
25/10/39
|
HX 006
|
27/10/39
|
06/11/39
|
31/10/39
|
31/10/39
|
HXF 007
|
01/11/39
|
12/11/39
|
02/11/39
|
02/11/39
|
HX 007
|
03/11/39
|
17/11/39
|
08/11/39
|
08/11/39
|
HXF 008
|
10/11/39
|
21/11/39
|
10/11/39
|
10/11/39
|
HX 008
|
11/11/39
|
25/11/39
|
10/12/39
|
10/12/39
|
TC 001
|
12/12/39
|
17/12/39
|
22/12/39
|
22/12/39
|
TC 002
|
24/12/39
|
30/12/39
|
04/01/40
|
04/01/40
|
HXF 015
|
06/01/40
|
15/01/40
|
06/01/40
|
06/01/40
|
HX 015
|
07/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
20/01/40
|
20/01/40
|
HXF 017
|
21/01/40
|
01/02/40
|
22/01/40
|
22/01/40
|
HX 017
|
23/01/40
|
07/02/40
|
30/01/40
|
30/01/40
|
TC 003
|
01/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
HXF 020
|
13/02/40
|
25/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
HX 020
|
17/02/40
|
04/03/40
|
26/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
HX 023
|
27/02/40
|
12/03/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)