Allied Warships

HMCS Matane (K 444)

Frigate of the River class

NavyThe Royal Canadian Navy
TypeFrigate
ClassRiver 
PennantK 444 
Built byCanadian Vickers Ltd. (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) 
OrderedOct 1941 
Laid down23 Dec 1942 
Launched29 May 1943 
Commissioned22 Oct 1943 
End service2 Nov 1946 
History

Decommissioned 2 November 1946.

HMCS Matane was eventually used as a breakwater in British Columbia, along the shores of Vancouver Island,south of the city of Campbell River and could be seen for many many years as the waves and tides slowly eroded her. Her bow ID number was very visible and at low tide.

 

Commands listed for HMCS Matane (K 444)

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/Lt.Cdr. Alan Herbert Easton, DSC, RCNR22 Oct 19433 Apr 1944
2Lt.Cdr. Arthur Frank Capel Layard, DSO, RN4 Apr 1944mid 1944

3Lt.Cdr. William Roland Stacey, RCNR4 Feb 194528 Mar 1945
4T/Lt. Francis James Jones, RCNVR29 Mar 194519 Jul 1945
5T/A/Lt.Cdr. Paul Dalrymple Taylor, RCNVR20 Jul 1945

You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.

Notable events involving Matane include:


7 Apr 1944
HMS H 50 (T/Lt. A.F. Wicker, RNVR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Stormont (T/Skr.Lt. G.A. Myra, RCNR), HMCS Matane (Lt.Cdr. A.F.C. Layard, DSO, RN), HMCS Swansea (A/Cdr. C.A. King, DSO, DSC, RCNR) and HMCS Owen Sound (T/Skr.Lt. J.M. Watson, RCNR). (1)

8 Apr 1944
HrMs O 9 (Lt. R.W. van Lynden, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMCS Matane (Lt.Cdr. A.F.C. Layard, DSO, RN), HMCS Swansea (A/Cdr. C.A. King, DSO, DSC, RCNR), HMCS Stormont (T/Skr.Lt. G.A. Myra, RCNR), HMCS Owen Sound (T/Skr.Lt. J.M. Watson, RCNR) and HMS Abelia (A/Lt.Cdr. O.G. Stuart, RCNVR). (2)

9 Apr 1944
HrMs O 9 (Lt. R.W. van Lynden, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMCS Matane (Lt.Cdr. A.F.C. Layard, DSO, RN) and HMS Abelia (A/Lt.Cdr. O.G. Stuart, RCNVR). (2)

22 Apr 1944
German U-boat U-311 sunk in the North Atlantic south west of Iceland in position 52°09'N, 19°07'W, by depth charges from the Canadian frigates HMCS Matane (Lt.Cdr. A.F.C. Layard, DSO, RN) and HMCS Swansea (A/Cdr. C.A. King, DSO, DSC, RCNR).

20 Jul 1944
Bay of Biscay, South of Brest Peninsula. HMCS Matane was struck by a glider bomb, launched by a Dornier 217. The ship was rendered dead in the water. There were three fatalities and a number of injuries attributable to the attack. Matane was towed into Plymouth by HMCS Monnow, and after major repairs returned to service. (3)

26 Apr 1945
HMS Volatile (Lt. F.R. Lawrence, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Cape Comorin (T/Lt. M.E.F. Corley, RNVR), HMS Bridport (T/Lt. P.H. Bech, RNR), HMS Rother (T/A/Lt.Cdr. B.H.C. Rodgers, RNVR) and HMCS Matane (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F.J. Jones, RCNVR). (4)

27 Apr 1945
HMS Volatile (Lt. F.R. Lawrence, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Rother (T/A/Lt.Cdr. B.H.C. Rodgers, RNVR) and HMCS Matane (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F.J. Jones, RCNVR). (4)

3 May 1945
HMS Volatile (Lt. F.R. Lawrence, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Alacrity (Lt.Cdr. J. Clutton-Baker, DSC, RN), HMS Rother (T/A/Lt.Cdr. B.H.C. Rodgers, RNVR), HMS Widemouth Bay (A/Lt.Cdr. J.H. Macalister, RNVR) and HMCS Matane (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F.J. Jones, RCNVR). (5)

4 May 1945
HMS Volatile (Lt. F.R. Lawrence, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Alacrity (Lt.Cdr. J. Clutton-Baker, DSC, RN), HMS Rother (T/A/Lt.Cdr. B.H.C. Rodgers, RNVR) and HMCS Matane (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F.J. Jones, RCNVR). (5)

Media links


Frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy 1943-1974

MacPherson, Ken

Sources

  1. ADM 173/18527
  2. File 2.12.03.6372 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  3. Personal communication
  4. ADM 173/20331
  5. ADM 173/20332

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


Return to the Allied Warships section



As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.