English Channel

The Second World War

Date

1939 - 1945

Geographical parameters

The English Channel and all waters on the South Coast between Southend and Bristol, the western limit being a line drawn from Ushant to the Scilly Islands, and thence to the North Coast of Cornwall.

Context

Eligible to all “ships which were employed as escorts to Channel coastal convoys, and also other ships and submarines which took part in a successful action in the area. Successes achieved in connection with Operation Neptune are recognised by NORMANDY.” An area battle honour formally entitled “English Channel 1939-45” with year dates according to the service of the unit concerned ^{Footnote 1}.

Description

Escort Group 9 had been operating in the Bay of Biscay in August 1944 when its five Canadian warships were ordered to proceed north to Plymouth. The success of the Allied armies in France had caused the Germans to abandon the Biscay ports, which had long housed their U-boats. British intelligence had picked up the trail of U 247 which was believed to be headed toward the Scilly Isles off of Britain’s southwestern coast and EG 9 was tasked to intercept it. On the evening of 31 August 1944 HMCS Saint John picked up a radar contact; dropping a single depth charge on what they thought an unlikely target, they produced a trace of oil. Shortly thereafter Saint John obtained a solid radar report of a bottomed U-boat. After a night attack that lasted for one hour there was an underwater explosion and “huge amounts of oil”. In the light of the following day the search was resumed with Saint John making a fresh contact and carrying out another attack that this time produced wreckage including an engine room register labelled U 247.

Awarded to:

Ships in commission

• HMCS Athabaskan - 1944 ^{Footnote 2}
• HMCS Calgary - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 3}
• HMCS Ottawa - 1944 ^{Footnote 4}
• HMCS Regina - 1944 ^{Footnote 5}
• HMCS Summerside - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 6}
• HMCS Ville de Québec - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 7}

Ships not currently in commission

• HMCS Algoma - 1945 ^{Footnote 8}
• HMCS Assiniboine - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 9}
• HMCS Baddeck - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 10}
• HMCS Barrie - 1942 ^{Footnote 11}
• HMCS Beacon Hill - 1944-44 ^{Footnote 12}
• HMCS Camrose - 1945 ^{Footnote 13}
• HMCS Cowichan - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 14}
• HMCS Drumheller - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 15}
• HMCS Haida - 1944 ^{Footnote 16}
• HMCS Huron - 1944 ^{Footnote 17}
• HMCS Kitchener - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 18}
• HMCS Kootenay - 1944 ^{Footnote 19}
• HMCS Lindsay - 1944 ^{Footnote 20}
• HMCS Loch Achanalt - 1945 ^{Footnote 21}
• HMCS Loch Alvie - 1945 ^{Footnote 22}
• HMCS Louisburg - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 23}
• HMCS Lunenburg - 1944 ^{Footnote 24}
• HMCS Mayflower - 1945 ^{Footnote 25}
• HMCS Meon - 1944 ^{Footnote 26}
• HMCS Mimico - 1945 ^{Footnote 27}
• HMCS Moose Jaw - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 28}
• HMCS Port Arthur - 1945 ^{Footnote 29}
• HMCS Port Colborne - 1944 ^{Footnote 30}
• HMCS Prescott - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 31}
• HMCS Prince Robert - 1944 ^{Footnote 32}
• HMCS Rimouski - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 33}
• HMCS Saint John - 1944 ^{Footnote 34}
• HMCS Snowberry - 1945 ^{Footnote 35}
• HMCS Stormont - 1944 ^{Footnote 36}
• HMCS Sussexvale - 1945 ^{Footnote 37}
• HMCS Swansea - 1944 ^{Footnote 38}
• HMCS Trentonian - 1944-45 ^{Footnote 39}
• HMCS Woodstock - 1944 ^{Footnote 40}