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)