HMCS Athabaskan

Badge

Description

Argent a Native American in full-feathered head-dress proper clad in buckskin breeches leggings and moccasins Or the latter beaded Azure and Gules bare to the waist except for a necklace of bear's claws Argent and shells Azure and ear ornaments of the last, mounted bareback upon a pony being halted from the trot the man holding a drawn bow with arrow Gules pointing downwards.

Significance

The badge design is based on the one planned by officers of the first of name, but was not completed before that ship was lost to enemy action. The originally planned design elements have been retained in the official badge as a tribute to those gallant officers and men who went down with their ship, fighting. The badge thus commemorates an action that ranks with the best in naval history for courage and devotion to duty.

Motto

WE FIGHT AS ONE

Colours

White and Scarlet

Battle Honours

The Second World War

ARCTIC, 1943-44; ENGLISH CHANNEL, 1944.

United Nations Operations - Korea - 1950- 1953

KOREA, 1950-53.

The Gulf War

GULF AND KUWAIT.

Lineage

First of Name

• Destroyer, Tribal Class.
• Commissioned 3 February 1943.^{Footnote 1}
• Sunk by enemy action 29 April 1944.

Second of Name

• Destroyer, Tribal Class.
• Commissioned 20 January 1948.^{Footnote 2}
• Paid off 15 February 1954.^{Footnote 3}
• Recommissioned as a destroyer escort 25 October 1954.^{Footnote 4}
• Paid off 26 November 1965.^{Footnote 5}
• Recommissioned 21 April 1966.^{Footnote 6}
• Paid off 16 December 1966.^{Footnote 7}

Third of Name

• Destroyer, Iroquois Class.
• Commissioned 30 September 1972.^{Footnote 8}

Operational history

The Second World War

Athabaskan served on patrol, anti-submarine and escort duties in the Iceland-Faeroes Passage and the Bay of Biscay with '3rd Destroyer Flotilla' and '10th Destroyer Flotilla' of the 'British Home Fleet'. She assisted HMCS Haida in the destruction of the German torpedo boat T29. She was sunk by the German torpedo boat T24 on 29 April 1944.^{Footnote 9}

United Nations Operations - Korea - 1950-1953

Athabaskan completed three tours of duty in Korean waters.^{Footnote 10}

The Gulf War

Athabaskan participated with the multinational Persian Gulf naval force in the United Nation's action against Iraq.^{Footnote 11}

PDF version, 72.90 KB