HMCS DIGBY

HMCS DIGBY

The “Bangor” Class minesweeper, HMCS DIGBY, was laid down in the yards of the Davie Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec, on 3 March 1941, launched on 5 June 1942 and commissioned on 26 July 1942. She was named in honour of Digby, a town on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia.

En route to Halifax, the Bangor accompanied a convoy from Quebec to Sydney and, after picking up another in the latter port, went on to arrive at Halifax on 15 August. During the following month, she was allocated to the Sydney Force. Sailing under its orders, she escorted iron ore convoys from Wabana, Newfoundland, accompanied the ferry from North Sydney, N.S., to Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland, and supported both local and transatlantic convoys in the local passages between Sydney and Halifax.

In 1943, as a member of Escort Group W-5 in the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF), DIGBY added New York and Boston to her ports of call. Interrupted only by refits at Lunenburg, N.S., followed by “working-up” exercises at Bermuda, she continued to sail under the orders of the WLEF until September 1944 when she transferred back to the Sydney Force. On 27 January 1945, she transferred again, this time to the Newfoundland Force and, until the end of the war, escorted convoys between St. John’s and Halifax.

With the ending of hostilities, the minesweeper was ordered to proceed to Sydney to land her ammunition, but, as it was thought that the Bangors might be required by other government departments, she was instructed to await further orders before landing all her stores. In June 1945, she moved to Halifax where she came under the administration, first of Captain “D”, Halifax, then HMCS SCOTIAN. She was paid off on 31 July 1945 and, in September, transferred to the RCMP, which renamed her RCMP Perry. He bell was presented to the town of Digby.

But the Navy was not finished with the ship. During the period June 1951 to April 1953, she was again refitted in Lunenburg. She was then towed to Halifax, where, on 29 April 1953 she was commissioned to carry out trials in the Great Lakes with the Datar Project, a method for improving data exchange during anti-submarine operations between ships.

In May, the Bangor steamed up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal. She arrived in Toronto on the 14th. In August, she and HMCS GRANBY formed Task Unit 306.1.1 with the Commander in DIGBY. In September, the ship cruised about the lakes for sixteen days, conducting Datar demonstrations. She continued through the winter with the project, when ice conditions permitted. Her tasks accomplished, dismantling the Datar equipment began on 29 March 1954. Ten days were required for this part of the work and another five to replace the gear which had been removed or shifted.

The two Bangors then came under the orders of the Commanding Officer Naval Divisions at Hamilton and they passed the summer cruising about the lakes with reserve new entry training classes. Besides Bangors, the flotilla included several Fairmile motor launches.

In September 1954, DIGBY returned to Halifax. But this was merely the first leg of a voyage which took her to the Pacific Coast. When she sailed south in October, she did so in company with HMC Ships BROCKVILLE and JONQUIÉRE. During their passage, the ship successfully dodged the destructive hurricane of that year, “Hazel”, by seeking shelter at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and then proceeding to Kingston, Jamaica, westabout the island. After calls at other ports, they arrived at Esquimalt, B.C., on 4 November 1954.

On 6 January 1955, DIGBY, BROCKVILLE and HMCS CORDOVA formed the Second Canadian Reserve Training Squadron, Commander in DIGBY. In September, the squadron was renamed the Twelfth Canadian Escort Squadron, but the change in name did not affect its role. DIGBY cruised in local waters, visited British Columbia and United States ports and proceeded as far north as Ketchikan, Alaska.

She operated through 1956, but on 14 November was paid off into the Reserve Fleet at Esquimalt. She remained in reserve until December 1960, when she was sold to Pioneer Machinery Ltd. of Vancouver.