1
9 4 0
September
23rd
- Transferred to RN at Halifax and renamed HMS
KALK on
commissioning. (Note: The
ship was later renamed HAMILTON but sources
vary as to the date on which the name was
changed to
suit the overall policy.)
October
1st
- Took passage to UK from Halifax via
Newfoundland.
4th
- On arrival at St Johns involved in collision
with sister destroyer
HMS GEORGETOWN. Both ships
sustained serious structural damage and were
unable to continue passage.
Repair
arranged at St John, New
Brunswick. Taken in tow
for repair. Docked on
arrival.
26th
- Sustained further structural damage by
grounding when undocking and
withdrawn from service
pending local repair.
November
to December
Awaiting
repair at St John. (Note: Ship Paid off from
RN service and ship's
company transferred to other ships of this
Class being transferred.)
1
9 4 1
January
to June
Under
repair (Note:
Transfer to RCN arranged.)
July
6th
- Recommissioned as HMCS HAMILTON
12th
- Commenced operational service with RCN.
S
e r v i c e a s H M
C S H A M I L T O N
Nominated
for service with
Western Escort Force base at St Johns.
August
Deployed
for Local Escort.
Involved
in collision with Dutch submarine O15 at
Halifax. Taken in hand for repair.
October
to December
Rejoined
WLEF and deployed for Local Escort.
1
9 4 2
Local
escort between Halifax and
Newfoundland. (Note: This
ship was plagued by a succession of many
problems including machinery defects common to
others of this Class. Repair work reduced her
operational availability.)
1
9 4 3
January
to June
Convoy
escort deployment in continuation
July
Future
deployment under consideration due to
extensive loss of operational use due to
defects.
August
Withdrawn
from operational use and selected for use as
training ship attached to the RCN base, HMCS
CORNWALLIS at Halifax.
September
to December
Deployed
for training purposes and mainly deployed in
Bay of Fundy.
1
9 4 4
Training
duties in continuation.
1
9 4 5
January
to April
Training
duties in continuation
May
Removed
from training service after VE Day and to be
placed on Disposal List.
June
Sold
to Boston Iron and Metal Co for demolition in
Baltimore.
8th
- Paid-off and destored
July
Taken
in tow with HMCS ST FRANCIS by tug FOUNDATION
SECURITY for passage to Baltimore.
14th
- Involved in collision with US mercantile
WINDING GULF and sustained serious structural
damage
Special Note
As a result of this collision the
tow parted and both
ships cast adrift. One hulk was recovered
for tow by the US Coastguard Ship HORNBEAM
and delivered
to shipbreaker
in Boston. The other hulk was driven
ashore off Sakonnet
Point, Rhode Island and wrecked. The RCN
records studied do not indicate which of the
two destroyers was taken
in tow but other sources record that HMCS ST
FRANCIS was the destroyer driven ashore
after the
collision and that HAMILTON arrived at
Boston for demolition.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMCS
HAMILTON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/09/41
|
10/09/41
|
HX
149
|
13/09/41
|
25/09/41
|
|
15/11/41
|
15/11/41
|
HX
160
|
17/11/41
|
30/11/41
|
|
21/11/41
|
21/11/41
|
HX
161
|
23/11/41
|
06/12/41
|
|
27/11/41
|
27/11/41
|
HX
162
|
29/11/41
|
11/12/41
|
|
03/12/41
|
03/12/41
|
HX
163
|
05/12/41
|
19/12/41
|
|
15/12/41
|
15/12/41
|
HX
165
|
17/12/41
|
30/12/41
|
|
02/01/42
|
02/01/42
|
HX
168
|
04/01/42
|
13/01/42
|
|
09/01/42
|
10/01/42
|
NA
001
|
13/01/42
|
19/01/42
|
|
08/01/42
|
14/01/42
|
CT
009
|
15/01/42
|
15/01/42
|
|
20/01/42
|
20/01/42
|
HX
171
|
22/01/42
|
01/02/42
|
|
30/01/42
|
30/01/42
|
SC
067
|
02/02/42
|
15/02/42
|
|
17/05/42
|
17/05/42
|
HX
190
|
20/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
|
15/05/42
|
25/05/42
|
ON
095
|
28/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
|
02/06/42
|
02/06/42
|
BX
022
|
04/06/42
|
04/06/42
|
|
12/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
SC
087
|
15/06/42
|
27/06/42
|
|
12/06/42
|
21/06/42
|
ON
103
|
26/06/42
|
26/06/42
|
|
06/07/42
|
06/07/42
|
HX
197
|
09/07/42
|
17/07/42
|
|
30/06/42
|
12/07/42
|
ON
108
|
18/07/42
|
18/07/42
|
|
20/07/42
|
20/07/42
|
BX
029C
|
22/07/42
|
22/07/42
|
|
27/07/42
|
27/07/42
|
HX
200
|
30/07/42
|
07/08/42
|
|
24/07/42
|
02/08/42
|
ON
115
|
unknown
|
08/08/42
|
|
09/08/42
|
09/08/42
|
BX
032C
|
11/08/42
|
11/08/42
|
|
09/08/42
|
21/08/42
|
ON
120
|
27/08/42
|
27/08/42
|
|
26/09/42
|
29/09/42
|
SC
103
|
03/10/42
|
14/10/42
|
|
25/09/42
|
05/10/42
|
ON
133
|
08/10/42
|
11/10/42
|
|
08/10/42
|
11/10/42
|
HX
211
|
13/10/42
|
24/10/42
|
|
03/10/42
|
19/10/42
|
ON
136
|
23/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
|
03/12/42
|
08/12/42
|
TA
029
|
09/12/42
|
09/12/42
|
|
22/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
HX
224
|
27/01/43
|
05/02/43
|
|
23/01/43
|
03/02/43
|
ON
162
|
06/02/43
|
11/02/43
|
|
08/02/43
|
10/02/43
|
HX
226
|
14/02/43
|
24/02/43
|
|
23/02/43
|
25/02/43
|
SC
121
|
04/03/43
|
14/03/43
|
|
22/02/43
|
13/03/43
|
ON
169
|
16/03/43
|
21/03/43
|
|
14/03/43
|
17/03/43
|
SC
123
|
21/03/43
|
03/04/43
|
|
13/03/43
|
24/03/43
|
ON
173
|
29/03/43
|
29/03/43
|
|
08/04/43
|
08/04/43
|
SC
126
|
13/04/43
|
23/04/43
|
|
05/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
ONS
003
|
28/04/43
|
28/04/43
|
|
02/05/43
|
02/05/43
|
XB
049
|
04/05/43
|
04/05/43
|
|
10/05/43
|
10/05/43
|
BX
050
|
12/05/43
|
12/05/43
|
|
18/05/43
|
18/05/43
|
SC
131
|
22/05/43
|
31/05/43
|
|
17/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
ONS
008
|
01/06/43
|
01/06/43
|
|
01/06/43
|
01/06/43
|
XB
056
|
03/06/43
|
03/06/43
|
|
16/06/43
|
16/06/43
|
SC
134
|
21/06/43
|
01/07/43
|
|
19/06/43
|
30/06/43
|
ONS
011
|
05/07/43
|
05/07/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
