HMCS Digby

There has been only 1 vessel named Digby in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS Digby J267 / 179

HMCS Digby was a Bangor Class minesweeper. The Bangor Class ships were built in order to replace the old Basset Class minesweepers, as they were larger, faster, had much greater endurance, and burned oil as opposed to coal. As enemy mines were laid only once in 1943 in Canadian waters, the Bangors were used principally as escorts to coastal shipping or as local escorts to ocean convoys. 

Commissioned at Québec City on July 26, 1942, HMCS Digby arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on August 15, and after completing workups at Pictou, Nova Scotia, was assigned to Western Local Escort Force. When Western Local Escort Force was divided into escort groups in June 1943, HMCS Digby became a member of Escort Group W-5 escorting convoys in the western North Atlantic. In April 1944, she arrived at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, to commence a refit that continued at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, and at Halifax and was completed on August 7. She then proceeded to Bermuda for workups. On returning, she was allocated to Sydney Force and in February 1945 to Newfoundland Force.

She was paid off on July 31, 1945 and placed in reserve at Sydney, Nova Scotia. HMCS Digby was proposed for transfer to the marine section of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1945 to be renamed Perry, but was not taken over. She lay in strategic reserve at Sorel, Quebec, until reacquired by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1951 and refitted for training duties. She was re-commissioned on April 29, 1953, finally being paid off on November 14, 1956 and scrapped.

  • Builder: Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co Ltd, Lauzon, Quebec.
  • Date commissioned: July 26, 1942
  • Date paid off (final): November 14, 1956
  • Displacement: 592 tons
  • Dimensions: 49.4 m x 8.6 m x 2.5 m
  • Speed: 16 knots
  • Crew: 83
  • Armament: (war) one 12-pound (5.45 kg ) gun, one 2-pound (0.9 kg ) gun, two 20-mm guns (2 x I) and depth charges; (post war) one Hedgehog mortar, one 40-mm gun, two 20-mm guns (2 x I) and depth charges.

Battle honours

  • Gulf of St. Lawrence 1942, 1944
  • Atlantic 1942-44

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