Allied Warships

HMCS St. Boniface (J 332)

Minesweeper of the Algerine class

NavyThe Royal Canadian Navy
TypeMinesweeper
ClassAlgerine 
PennantJ 332 
ModReciprocating engined 
Built byPort Arthur Shipbuilding Co. (Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada) 
Ordered12 Dec 1941 
Laid down21 May 1942 
Launched5 Nov 1942 
Commissioned9 Oct 1943 
End service25 Sep 1946 
History

Decommissioned 25 September 1946.
Sold to Panama as Bess Berry M. in 1946 and served untill 1954.

 

Commands listed for HMCS St. Boniface (J 332)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1T/A/Lt.Cdr. John James Hodgkinson, RCNR10 Sep 194312 May 1944
2T/Lt. John de la Fosse Frewer, RCNVR13 May 194414 Apr 1945
3T/A/Lt.Cdr. John Manuel Watson, RCNR15 Apr 194525 Jun 1945

4T/A/Lt.Cdr. Raymond Nelson Smillie, RCNVR20 Aug 1945

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Notable events involving St. Boniface include:


Originally fitted with 4 single 20 mm guns, in early 1944 they were replaced by 4 twin 20 mm guns in a mount where the gunner sat next to the guns and operated them with a wheel much like flying a plane. Served in St. Boniface as a Sto.1 from Dec 43 to Sept.45. Western Local Escort, Halifax, Newfire, New York. Collided with British S.S. Chamois (freighter) while forming up convoy outside Halifax, April 18,1945. (1)

Sources

  1. Personal communication

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