HMCS New Waterford

There has been only one vessel named HMCS New Waterford in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS New Waterford (K321 / 304)

Commissioned on January 21, 1944, at Victoria, British Columbia, the River Class frigate HMCS New Waterford arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on March 9 and in Bermuda on April 22 for work-ups. Returning to Halifax, she was assigned to Escort Group 6 as a replacement for the damaged HMCS Teme, and sailed for Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on June 19. She remained with the group until the end of the European war, detached for short periods to Portsmouth and Plymouth, both in England.

In April 1945, she returned home for refit at Liverpool, Nova Scotia. This was completed in November, and HMCS New Waterford left in January 1946 for the west coast, where she was paid off to reserve at Esquimalt, British Columbia, on March 7.

Briefly commissioned in 1953, she later underwent conversion to a Prestonian Class ocean escort, re-commissioning as such on January 41, 1958. HMCS New Waterford was paid off for the last time on December 22, 1966, and broken up the following year at Savona, Italy.

  • Builder: Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt, British Columbia
  • Date laid down: February 17, 1943
  • Date launched: July 3, 1943
  • Date commissioned: January 21, 1944
  • Date paid off: March 7, 1946
  • Date of recommission as Prestonian Class: January 31, 1958
  • Paid off (final): December 22, 1966
  • Displacement: 1468.2 tonnes
  • Dimensions: 91.9 m x 11.1 m x 2.7 m
  • Speed: 19 knots
  • Crew: 141
  • Armament: (River) two 4-inch (102-mm) guns (1 double mount), one 12-pound (5.45 kg) gun, eight 20-mm guns (4 douible mounts), one Hedgehog mortar and depth charges; (Prestonian) two 4-inch (102-mm) guns (1 double mount), six 40-mm guns (1 double mount, 4 single mounts), two Squid mortars.

Motto: Nulli Secundis” (Second to None)

Battle honours

Atlantic 1944

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