Trentonian completed boiler cleaning on the morning of September 5 and was moved to the degaussing range at 0800.[31] Degaussing is the process of reducing the amount of magnetism in the ship’s metal hull. The procedure was complete by 1115 and the ship was moved out to the harbour and secured to a buoy.[32]
This move got Trentonian away from the fish dock, but it would take some time for the foul odour to air out of the ship — some of the crew feared the smell of rotting fish would never leave.
September 6 was spent getting Trentonian cleaned and resupplying the ship for active duty.
Harrison received orders on September 7 to sail for The Mumbles, south of Swansea, on the north side of the Bristol Channel. Trentonian slipped from its mooring at 1625 and anchored in Mumbles Roads at 2045[33] to await their next convoy. That was EBC 97, sailing from Swansea to Normandy with twenty-two merchant ships. Trentonian was joined by its sister corvette, Summerside and the convoy formed up and departed Mumbles Roads at 1200 on September 8.[34]
While in the English Channel on September 9, Trentonian was detached from the convoy,[35] leaving Summerside to escort the merchant ships to Normandy. The ship joined convoy FBC 76, already en route from Normandy to Swansea. FBC 76 consisted of twenty-four merchant ships under the escort of the Royal Navy corvette HMS Petunia. Trentonian arrived in Swansea with its portion of the convoy at 1302 on September 10 and berthed at the South dock.[36]
Trentonian was rarely secured to a dock, and when it was, the ship wasn’t alone. This time was no exception; two other ships were secured alongside the dock with it, and Trentonian was the outermost ship. Harrison took advantage of being secured to the dock and granted shore leave.
AB Robert Powell and LS John Founier assist a “sick” friend from Moose Jaw back to his ship.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Some of the men, knowing their shipmates left behind on duty would not get ashore, took it upon themselves to ensure those left in the ship would be able to enjoy this brief time in port. On the way back from leave, a keg of beer was “liberated” from the back of one of the local pubs. The metal keg was unceremoniously rolled along the cobblestone road to the ship; the noise drew a great crowd of men to the rails of the three ships.
The sailors watched as the keg was rolled up the gangway and across the first and second ships to Trentonian’s deck. Without losing a moment, a fire axe was brought out and the steel barrel broached. It was at this point they realized they should have given the beer a chance to settle from the long roll to the ship. As beer sprayed about the ship, the men responded to the emergency as quickly as if action stations had been sounded. They grabbed buckets, mess tins, and anything else that would carry liquid.
The frothy beer was quickly distributed between the men of the three ships. With a total of almost three hundred men, no one sailor had enough beer to get drunk, but all agreed it was a great time had by all.
Once drained of the precious liquid, the keg was pushed over the side. The single hole was not enough to sink the evidence and the barrel remained floating alongside Trentonian. The irate owner of the pub showed up at the ship with the local authorities demanding compensation for the liberated keg. Lieutenant Stephen, as officer-of-the-day, greeted the authorities. Somehow he had not seen or heard the keg’s arrival, nor the festivities that had occurred aboard the ship. But there was no denying the evidence floating alongside. After investigation, each man in the three ships was fined three shillings to make compensation to the owner of the pub. Most of the men agreed this was a small price to pay for an enjoyable evening.[37]
The ship did not stay alongside for long. Less than twelve hours later, Trentonian departed south dock and anchored at Mumbles Roads in the early hours of September 11[38] to meet with its next convoy. This was EBC 100, a smaller convoy of thirteen ships consisting of merchant ships from several nations, including Britain, the United States, Poland, Holland, and Norway. Assisting Trentonian was the Free French corvette Renoncule. This truly multi-national convoy departed at 0730.[39]
On the morning of September 12, while the convoy was rounding Land’s End and turning into the English Channel, two drifting oil barges were spotted off Wolf Rock. Trentonian detached from the convoy at 0800 to take the barges in tow.[40] It towed the barges to Falmouth, arriving at 2040, and, once clear, departed immediately to join convoy FBC 79.[41]
Trentonian joined FBC 79 at 0300 on September 13.[42] The convoy was made up of twelve merchant ships already escorted by Summerside. The convoy arrived at The Mumbles near Swansea at 1140.[43] Wasting no time, Harrison departed ten minutes later for Milford Haven. Trentonian arrived in its home port at 1906 and secured to a buoy in the harbour.[44] Summerside was slated to return to Canada on September 17 for refit; its crew began preparations to depart the United Kingdom.[45]
After seven days of continuous work, the crew had twenty-three hours of rest. During this time the ship was restocked and the usual “hands to cleaning stations” and maintenance duties occurred.
At 2015 on September 14, Trentonian slipped from the mooring buoy and proceeded to Dale Roads, east of Milford Haven, anchoring there forty-five minutes later to wait for its next convoy,[46] EBC 104. This consisted of eighteen merchant ships, and Trentonian was joined by Moose Jaw to share the escorting duties. The convoy departed at 0730 the morning of September 15.[47]
Rounding Land’s End, the convoy and escorts proceeded into the English Channel, and Moose Jaw was detached to escort a convoy back to the Bristol Channel. Trentonian escorted EBC 104 to Normandy and anchored off the control ship HMS Capetown in the Western Area on September 17 at 1730.[48]
Able Seaman George Hayward recalls that once anchored he was on duty as quartermaster. His post was above the galley and the cooks were preparing supper. The smell coming up from the galley made him hungry, but he would have to wait until after his watch was over for supper. Hayward called down to the cooks and asked if they would pass up a sandwich to hold him over. He had just taken a bite of the second half of his sandwich when the officer-of-the-watch came on deck. Seeing Hayward eating on duty, he instructed the sailor to “get rid of it.” Hayward stuffed the remaining sandwich into his mouth and swallowed. The officer then informed Hayward he was now on charge.
The next morning, AB Hayward appeared before the executive officer for defaulters; the charge was read out, “Direct Refusal of an Order.” Lieutenant Kinsman gave Hayward an opportunity to speak on his own behalf, to which the sailor replied, “He told me to get rid of the sandwich and I did — I ate it.” Naturally, getting rid of it meant throwing the sandwich over the side for the fishes.
During defaulters, the coxswain acts on behalf of the ratings. Chief Petty Officer Roberts spoke up on Hayward’s behalf, “If the lieutenant wanted AB Hayward to throw the sandwich over the side, he should have stated it in his order. Hayward did exactly as he was ordered; he got rid of the sandwich.”
Upon hearing all arguments, Lt. Kinsman dismissed the charge.[49]
Trentonian remained anchored off the French coast until late morning. The ship departed with convoy FBC 86 at 1100 on September 18[50] , the sole escort of nine merchant ships bound for the Bristol Channel. The trip was uneventful and the convoy arrived at Milford Haven on September 20. Trentonian secured to a buoy in the harbour at 1145.[51] The ship remained in the harbour for the next two nights, giving the crew time for a run ashore.
While in harbour, an order was given that many of the crew were not looking forward to: it was time for everyone to receive vaccinations. War comes hand-in-hand with pestilence and disease, and with the armies working their way inland and the opening of French ports, there was no longer a barrier of water to protect the men from the diseases from the continent. Surgeon Lt. Gourlay had the entire crew formed up for “Needle’s Parade.” Some of the men tried to avoid the duty given them, but eventually the entire crew received their vaccinations.[52]
On September 22, Trentonian received
orders for the next convoy. Harrison ordered the mooring buoy slipped and the ship proceeded to Dale Roads, anchoring there at 1845.[53]
This was one of Trentonian’s smallest convoys. Designated EBC 112, it consisted of only two ships. What should have seemed like a small and tedious job was met with a great deal of excitement; this convoy was going to Cherbourg! It would be the first time Trentonian went to a French port. The two ships of the convoy formed up and left for France at 0752 on September 23 with great anticipation.[54] Suddenly, the discomfort of the Needle’s Parade seemed worthwhile.
Although the convoy was small, it did not make any better speed than the larger convoys. Trentonian arrived with her two ships off the breakwater at the entrance to Cherbourg on September 25 at 1855. The two merchant ships entered the harbour while Harrison gave orders to drop anchor outside of the breakwater.[55]
The entire crew of Trentonian lines up for vaccinations.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Cherbourg had been heavily damaged by the Germans prior to surrender and facilities were only available for a limited number of ships. The crew were not allowed ashore; they could only watch from the rails the activity of the French port in the distance. There would be no visit to Cherbourg; no French sidewalk café, no French wines, and above all else, no French girls.
The next morning, September 26, Trentonian picked up its anchor and left Cherbourg with convoy FBC 94 at 0756.[56] The convoy consisted of ten merchant ships and Trentonian was the sole escort. The ship discharged the convoy at Milford Haven on September 28 and secured to the oiler to take on fuel at 1325.[57]
The next three nights were spent in port. Stoker Norman Sharp recalls a run ashore when one of his shipmates asked him to pick up a bottle of whiskey for him. When Sharp arrived at the gates to the dockyard, he was stopped by a police officer. The bobby asked if he had any booze on him and Sharp stated he did. The bobby said he couldn’t take the bottle past the gate; it would be confiscated. Sharp explained to the officer that it was for someone else and it was only a small bottle. Unmoved, the police officer said he was still going to confiscate it.
The stoker was unwilling to give up the bottle and so moved to the grass and proceeded to drink the whiskey. In due time the bottle was empty and Stoker Sharp started to walk to the ship. By the time he climbed the gangway into Trentonian, the alcohol had taken full effect and he staggered up the gangway. The next day he was on defaulters in front of the skipper for drunkenness. Lieutenant Harrison had a reputation of being generous with his men and Sharp received only a verbal reprimand.[58]
Trentonian anchored outside of Cherbourg, France, in its “false hull” camouflage scheme, September 1944. The pennant number has been partially removed by censors.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Trentonian returned to duty at 1825 on October 1, 1944, leaving Milford Haven for The Mumbles, south of Swansea. They arrived at 2359[59] to meet their next convoy, EBC 121, another small convoy of eight merchant ships. They formed up and were underway by 0938 on October 2 with Trentonian as sole escort.[60]
The transit to France took two days. Trentonian arrived off Cherbourg at 0920 on October 4 and anchored in the entrance to the harbour.[61] The next convoy was not due to depart until the next day, so Harrison gave the crew leave to go ashore.
A heavily shelled German fortification in Cherbourg harbour.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Cherbourg’s waterfront after the port was liberated.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Leave was given to each group in four hour increments, with half the crew going in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. The men received very specific instructions; they were to travel in large groups at all times and they were not to accept or purchase any wines or spirits. The harbour had been recently occupied by the Germans and there was still a fear that enemy soldiers could be hiding in the port. French sympathizers were rumoured to be poisoning the alcohol of the Allied soldiers.[62]
Few civilians wandered the streets of Cherbourg as can be seen in this photo with U.S. soldiers, sailors, and members of the Women’s Army Corps on the sidewalk.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Tom Farrell.
Members of Trentonian’s crew gather around a central fountain in Cherbourg.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Stoker Norman Sharp and several other men were pulled aside from the rest of the crew and assigned to shore patrol. His group was chosen because they had served with the Canadian army before joining the navy. Each was issued a riffle and told to watch out for his shipmates, but mostly they were to keep the sailors out of trouble; there was already a strong presence of American military police and French gendarmes to protect the port.[63]
The port facilities were heavily damaged and under repair; many of the houses, stores, and buildings of the community were still very much unusable. This was not the tourists’ paradise that France held the reputation to be.[64] Only a few stores and cafés were open, though this did not matter so much as the crew were not to visit the cafés. The men used their time to wander the streets and sightsee. The people were reasonably polite, but most of the crew could not speak French so conversation was limited.[65]
Two of Trentonian’s crew rejoin the group after finding a store open.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
One common memory among the crew was of walking the streets of Cherbourg and seeing a truck-load of German prisoners drive by. For many of the men, this was the first time they had seen the enemy.
Stoker Sharp recalled while patrolling the streets of Cherbourg he came across a unit of American soldiers guarding Germans still held in temporary pens. The Americans were impressed that Canadians were in the port. They exchanged details on what their unit and ship had been doing. When Sharp described Trentonian’s activities, an American soldier from the deep South exclaimed, “You’re not bird turdin!”[66]
Entry to the cathedral in Cherbourg was restricted while the debris from the recent battle and liberation of the French port was removed.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Tom Farrell.
Once back aboard Trentonian, the overall consensus amongst the men was that with most of the stores closed and the cafés off-limits, the trauma of going through the Needle’s Parade was not worth the run ashore.[67]
Trentonian departed Cherbourg the next morning at 0805 with convoy FBC 103. The convoy consisted of four merchant ships and arrived safely at Milford Haven on October 7 at 1355.[68]
On arrival at Milford Haven, a message was given to the executive officer, Lt. Kinsman. He was to report immediately to HMS Osprey to take part in an anti-submarine course. Lieutenant Geoffrey Scott of Westmount, Quebec, was transferred to Trentonian and became acting executive officer.[69]
While Trentonian was in port, the focus of the convoys changed once again; the opening of Cherbourg marked the end of the EBC/FBC designations. During the previous nine weeks, Trentonian had escorted two hundred and fifty-seven merchant ships in fifteen convoys without the loss of a single ship.
A truck of captured German soldiers passing the crew of Trentonian in Cherbourg
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
11: The Admiral’s Inspection
and Praise for Trentonian
I propose to commend Lt. W.E. Harrison, for the manner in which he carried out an arduous duty as escort to PHOENIX 194 and 195 in circumstances of very considerable difficulty…
— Rear Admiral B. Fairbairn, flag-officer-in-charge, Milford Haven
With the opening of Cherbourg as a port, material and men could be landed on docks in larger quantities than at the Mulberry harbours. Once again the focus of the convoys shifted, and a new system of designating them was put into place.
Convoys originating in the Bristol Channel
sailing to Cherbourg were designated BEC with the return convoy from Cherbourg to Bristol Channel designated EBC. Convoys originating from the Thames Estuary sailing to Cherbourg received the designation of TMC, and the return convoys were designated MTC.[1]
Although the designations changed, the work was the same. The convoys remained small, with usually a single corvette escort to drive the merchant ships to their destinations while the destroyers and frigates hunted the U-boats.
After a few days rest and some shore leave, Trentonian sailed from Milford Haven at 1430 on October 10, 1944, and anchored at Mumbles Roads at 1910[2] to wait for its next convoy.
Convoy BEC 2, consisting of five ships, was formed up and underway by 0800 on October 11. They sailed from The Mumbles and crossed the Bristol Channel under a threatening sky. By 1355, the merchant ships were taking shelter from the increasing storm near Clovelly, close to Hartland Point. Trentonian was detached from the convoy and proceeded to Milford Haven and anchored at Dale Roads at 1830.[3]
The storm was considerable. Trentonian was unable to enter the harbour at Milford Haven until 0815 on October 12. The next day, the ship once again had to leave Milford Haven and return to Dale Roads to avoid being damaged. It wasn’t until 1050 on October 14, with the storm starting to abate, that Trentonian returned to Milford Haven.[4]
Able Seaman Runtz returned to Trentonian on October 15 after recovering from his appendicitis surgery. He arrived in time to join his ship for its next assignment.
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