HMCS Miramichi

There have been three vessels named HMCS Miramichi in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS Miramichi (1st of the name) (J169)

The HMCS Miramichi 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 primarily as escorts to coastal shipping or as local escorts to ocean convoys. Sixteen of them, however, assisted in sweeping the approaches to Normandy before D-Day, and stayed to help clear German and Allied minefields in the Channel for some months afterward.

Commissioned at Vancouver, British Columbia, on November 26, 1941, HMCS Miramichi spent her entire service career on the west coast, alternating between Esquimalt Force and Prince Rupert Force. In the summer and fall of 1943, while serving with Esquimalt Force, she was used occasionally for training purposes. HMCS Miramichi was paid off at Esquimalt, British Columbia on October 24, 1945, and in 1946 was acquired by the Union Steamship Co. for a conversion that was never completed. She was broken up at Vancouver in 1949 to 1950.

HMCS Miramichi (2nd of the name) (150)

In 1951 and 1952, 14 ships of the Bay Class were ordered by the Royal Canadian Navy as replacements for the aging minesweepers of wartime construction. Six were transferred to the French Navy in 1954, but were replaced by 6 of the same name. These ships were very similar to the Royal Navy’s Ton Class of the same vintage. The 6 survivors were re-classed as patrol escorts in 1972 and sailed on until the 1990s, providing junior officer training as members of Training Group Pacific.

Built by the Saint John Dry Dock Co., the Bay class minesweeper HMCS Miramichi was commissioned on July 30, 1954, and paid off on October 1, 1954. On October 9, 1954, she was transferred to the French Navy, serving as La Lorientaise until 1984.

HMCS Miramichi (3rd of the name) (163)

Built by Victoria Machinery Depot, the Bay class minesweeper HMCS Miramichi was commissioned on October 29, 1957, and served with Training Group Pacific in Esquimalt, British Columbia, until paid off on December 16, 1998.

Motto:  Loyal à la mort (Loyal Unto Death)