Naval History Homepage and Site Search

 

 

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMCS FRASER (H 48), ex-HMS CRESCENT -  C-class Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMCS Fraser  (Photo Ships/National Defence Canada, click to enlarge)

return to Contents List 

 

C-Class Destroyer ordered from Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow under the revised 1930 Build Programme on 9th July 1930. This ship was laid down as Yard No 668 on 1st December 1930 and named HMS CRESCENT when launched on 29th September 1930 at the same time as her sister ship HMS CYGNET also laid down on the same date in 1930. She was the 12th RN ship to carry the name, first used by a mercantile hired at Dartmouth in 1588 for use in the attacks on the Spanish Armada. It was last used in 1920 when HM Battleship GLORY was renamed for service as a Depot Ship. Build was completed on 15th April 1932 and the ship was used for special trials to compare performance of  Seaglis type propellers used by Italian warships with the standard Admiralty type. The results showed little difference in speeds achieved during a six hour trial. On completion of trials she Joined 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet and served in the West Indies in 1934. Later in 1935 the ship was detached for service in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean for six months after the invasion of the Italian invasion of Abyssinia. She reduced to Reserve on return to UK and deployed at Chatham for the training of Reservists. On 17th February 1937 she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and commissioned as HMCS FRASER at Chatham. She arrived at Esquimalt on 3rd May 1937 and until taking up her war station was deployed in the Pacific. The ship took passage to Halifax and from 15th September was deployed for escort of Atlantic convoys

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ARMADA 1588 - GABBARD 1653 - SCHEVENINGEN 1653 - MARTINIQUE 1762 - CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 1795 - MADAGASCAR 1796

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, a Crescent Silver

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e   a s   H M C S   F R A S E R

 

(for more ship information,  go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

 

 

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)

 

back to Contents List
or Naval-History.Net

revised 25/6/11
further editing is required


 

if any ads offend, please contact Naval-History.Net