|
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)
|
