Ex-USS WILLIAMS (Type C NEWPORT-Class) built by Union
Iron Works at San Francisco. The ship was
laid down on 25th March 1918 and launched on
4th July that
year. Commissioned on 1st March 1919 for US
Naval Service this ship was deployed in the
Pacific until 1922 when she
was laid up in Reserve at San Diego .In 1940
she was brought forward for US Navy use and
deployed for Neutrality
Patrol until transferred to the Royal Navy
under the UK/US Lend/Lease Agreement on 3rd
September 1940. Commissioned on 24th
September that year this destroyer was
selected for use by the
Royal Canadian Navy and renamed HMCS ST
CLAIR at Halifax. The name like those of the
other destroyers provided under this
Agreement
was common to places in Britain or Canada
and in the USA. The name in this case being
that of the Lake
bordering on both countries. It
had not been previously used by the RCN.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None are
recorded in the
Admiralty records but RCN Honours will be
available in RCN records
H e r a
l d i c D a t a
Similarly
this will be held in
RCN records
D e t a
i l s o f W a
r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship
information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1
9 4 0
September
24th
- Transferred to RCN at Halifax and
commissioned as HMCS WILLIAMS (Note: Later the
ship was
renamed HMCS ST CLAIR)
October
Deployed
for Local Escort of convoys between Halifax
and St Johns,
Newfoundland.
November
Nominated
for refit in UK. (Note: Ships of this Class
were modified to suit future RN use as convoy
escorts. Changes made
varied between ships depending upon their
first intended use. In this case changes were
made
as required by the RCN and limited to the
removal of the mainmast and the after torpedo
tubes.)
25th
- Took passage to UK as part of the escort of
eastbound Convoy HX
91.
December
11th
- Arrived in Clyde and taken in hand for refit
work at commercial
shipyard.
1
9 4 1
January
Refit
work transferred to HM Dockyard, Devonport and
took passage to
Plymouth
February
Under
refit
March
17th
- Refit completed and carried out post refit
trials.
On
completion took passage to
Tobermory for work-up. Carried out brief
work-up and nominated for Local Escort of
military
convoy WS7 during passage
in NW Approaches.
25th
- Joined HM Destroyers LEGION, BROADWATER,
BEDOUIN, MASHONA, MATABELE, SOMALI,
ROCKINGHAM,
Free French Destroyer LEOPARD and and Polish
Destroyer PIORUN with HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM
Destroyers VICEROY, WINCHELSEA, ECLIPSE and
FOXHOUND
to reinforce Local Escort during initial part
of passage to Freetown in NW Approaches.
27th
- Detached from WS7 with HM Destroyers
BROADWATER, BEDOUIN, MASHONA MATABELE and
SOMALI and took
return passage to Clyde.
April
Deployed
with 4th Escort Group in NW Approaches for
convoy escort
May
Western
Approaches deployment in continuation.
24th
- Diverted to assist in search for German
battleship BISMARCK by
Home Fleet ships.
28th
- During return passage to Clyde with HM
Destroyers TARTAR and
MASHONA after the sinking of
BISMARCK came under sustained air attacks
during which HMS MASHONA was hit and disabled.
After taking part in rescue of survivors sank
hulk before continuing passage.
29th
- Transferred to Newfoundland Escort Force
(NEF) and took passage
to join escort for westbound
Convoy OB328 during passage to Dispersal Point
in NW Approaches.
June
2nd
- Detached from OB328 when ships dispersed and
took passage to St
Johns.
7th
- Arrived at St Johns and commenced
operational service with NEF.
Involved
in collision with oil
tanker CLAM in harbour. Passage to repair yard
in Halifax
.
26th
- Taken in hand for repair
July
to October
Under
repair
November
11th
- Carried out post refit trials on completion
and resumed
operational duties with Western
Local Escort Force for duties between Halifax
and St Johns.
December
WLEF
duties in continuation.
1
9 4 2
January
Local
Escort duties in continuation.
27th
- Rescued survivors from ss
NYHOLT. (Note: This
ship was not British flagged and was not part
of an Atlantic convoy. It may
be
assumed she was either sunk whilst steaming
independently or part of a local convoy.)
February
to December
WLEF
escort duties in continuation.
1
9 4 3
January
to May
WLEF
duties in continuation
June
to November
Deployed
with Canadian Escort Group W2 for convoy
defence. (Note: Detached for two months
in this period and deployed at Halifax as
Tender to HMCS CORNWALLIS, the RCN base at
Halifax.)
December
Nominated
for withdrawal from convoy defence and for use
as
depot dhip
for
accommodation of RN submarine crews carrying
out A/S training at Halifax. (Note: It is
assumed that this
ship was withdrawn when operational
availability was significantly reduced by
defects common to this
Class of ship, such as fuel
contamination and machinery breakdown.)
1
9 4 4
January
to April
Deployed
as depot ship in St Margarets Bay.
May
Taken
in hand for dockyard repair.
June
Under
repair.
July
Future
use under consideration.
August
Paid-off
and withdrawn from sea service. Deployed at
Halifax in Bedford Basin as damage control
training ship. (Note:
CAPTAIN-Class frigates were becoming available
with other new escorts, for which experienced
crews were required.)
September
to December
Damage
control training duties at Halifax in
continuation.
1
9 4 5
January
to August
Bedford
Basin duties in continuation.
P o s t W a
r Notes
HMCS ST CLAIR continued use for Damage Control Basin
until placed on Sales List. She was sold on
5th March 1946 and broken-up locally in
1947.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMCS ST CLAIR
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
27/03/41
|
10/04/41
|
HX
117
|
15/04/41
|
15/04/41
|
30/04/41
|
02/05/41
|
OB
317
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
24/04/41
|
09/05/41
|
HG
060
|
12/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
27/04/41
|
20/05/41
|
SL
073
|
unknown
|
25/05/41
|
29/05/41
|
30/05/41
|
OB
328
|
02/06/41
|
02/06/41
|
10/12/41
|
14/12/41
|
SC
059
|
18/12/41
|
27/12/41
|
23/01/42
|
23/01/42
|
SC
066
|
26/01/42
|
09/02/42
|
01/02/42
|
01/02/42
|
HX
173
|
04/02/42
|
14/02/42
|
13/02/42
|
13/02/42
|
HX
175
|
15/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
19/02/42
|
19/02/42
|
HX
176
|
23/02/42
|
06/03/42
|
20/02/42
|
01/03/42
|
ON
069
|
04/03/42
|
06/03/42
|
09/03/42
|
09/03/42
|
HX
179
|
13/03/42
|
22/03/42
|
21/03/42
|
21/03/42
|
NA
006
|
23/03/42
|
28/03/42
|
23/03/42
|
01/04/42
|
ON
079
|
05/04/42
|
07/04/42
|
11/04/42
|
11/04/42
|
SC
079
|
15/04/42
|
27/04/42
|
10/04/42
|
20/04/42
|
ON
085
|
22/04/42
|
23/04/42
|
30/04/42
|
30/04/42
|
SC
082
|
04/05/42
|
16/05/42
|
01/05/42
|
11/05/42
|
ON
091
|
15/05/42
|
15/05/42
|
12/05/42
|
24/05/42
|
ON
094
|
25/05/42
|
25/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
SC
085
|
31/05/42
|
12/06/42
|
29/05/42
|
07/06/42
|
ON
099
|
12/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
19/06/42
|
19/06/42
|
SC
088
|
21/06/42
|
04/07/42
|
19/06/42
|
28/06/42
|
ON
105
|
unknown
|
30/06/42
|
02/07/42
|
03/07/42
|
BX
027
|
04/07/42
|
04/07/42
|
03/07/42
|
03/07/42
|
BX
027B
|
05/07/42
|
05/07/42
|
19/07/42
|
19/07/42
|
XB
030
|
21/07/42
|
21/07/42
|
22/07/42
|
22/07/42
|
BX
030
|
24/07/42
|
24/07/42
|
26/07/42
|
26/07/42
|
XB
031
|
28/07/42
|
28/07/42
|
30/07/42
|
30/07/42
|
BX
031
|
01/08/42
|
01/08/42
|
02/08/42
|
02/08/42
|
XB
032
|
04/08/42
|
04/08/42
|
05/08/42
|
05/08/42
|
BX
032
|
07/08/42
|
07/08/42
|
27/11/42
|
30/11/42
|
HX
217
|
04/12/42
|
14/12/42
|
23/11/42
|
06/12/42
|
ON
148
|
12/12/42
|
13/12/42
|
13/12/42
|
15/12/42
|
HX
219
|
19/12/42
|
29/12/42
|
09/12/42
|
23/12/42
|
ON
152
|
25/12/42
|
31/12/42
|
29/12/42
|
31/12/42
|
HX
221
|
05/01/43
|
14/01/43
|
24/12/42
|
08/01/43
|
ON
156
|
12/01/43
|
17/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
08/02/43
|
ON
163
|
13/02/43
|
16/02/43
|
09/03/43
|
11/03/43
|
HX
229A
|
15/03/43
|
26/03/43
|
09/03/43
|
21/03/43
|
ON
172
|
24/03/43
|
27/03/43
|
01/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
HX
232
|
05/04/43
|
16/04/43
|
31/03/43
|
13/04/43
|
ON
176
|
17/04/43
|
20/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
26/04/43
|
HX
236
|
30/04/43
|
09/05/43
|
24/04/43
|
07/05/43
|
ON
180
|
13/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
19/05/43
|
19/05/43
|
HX
240
|
22/05/43
|
04/06/43
|
25/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
HX
241
|
31/05/43
|
10/06/43
|
24/05/43
|
02/06/43
|
ON
186
|
06/06/43
|
07/06/43
|
01/06/43
|
12/06/43
|
ON
187
|
15/06/43
|
15/06/43
|
23/06/43
|
23/06/43
|
HX
245
|
29/06/43
|
07/07/43
|
24/06/43
|
03/07/43
|
ON
190
|
06/07/43
|
09/07/43
|
09/08/43
|
09/08/43
|
SC
139
|
13/08/43
|
24/08/43
|
06/08/43
|
17/08/43
|
ONS
015
|
21/08/43
|
21/08/43
|
20/08/43
|
21/08/43
|
XB
070
|
23/08/43
|
23/08/43
|
26/08/43
|
07/09/43
|
ON
199
|
09/09/43
|
09/09/43
|
16/09/43
|
16/09/43
|
HX
257
|
22/09/43
|
30/09/43
|
22/09/43
|
06/10/43
|
ON
203
|
10/10/43
|
10/10/43
|
11/10/43
|
11/10/43
|
HX
261
|
17/10/43
|
26/10/43
|
11/10/43
|
21/10/43
|
ON
206
|
24/10/43
|
27/10/43
|
24/10/43
|
04/11/43
|
ON
208
|
07/11/43
|
07/11/43
|
19/11/43
|
19/11/43
|
HX
267
|
24/11/43
|
03/12/43
|
19/11/43
|
29/11/43
|
ON
212
|
03/12/43
|
05/12/43
|
02/12/43
|
04/12/43
|
HX
269
|
05/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|