HMCS Qu’Appelle

There have been two vessels named HMCS Qu’Appelle in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS Qu’Appelle (1st of name) (H69)

Completed in 1935 as HMS Foxhound, this “F” Class destroyer was a member of the 8th Flotilla, Home Fleet at the outbreak of war, and on 14 September shared in the sinking of German submarine U-39 off the Hebrides—the first U-boat kill of Second World War. In April 1940, she took part in the second Battle of Narvik, and that November was transferred to Force ‘H’ at Gibraltar. On 18 June 1941, she shared in the sinking of U-138 west of Cadiz, and she took one convoy to Malta. From January 1942 to May 1943, she served with the Eastern Fleet and then transferred to West Africa Command, Freetown, Sierra Leone.

In September of 1943, she returned to the United Kingdom for an extensive refit on the Humber, and on 8 February 1944 was commissioned there in the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Qu’Appelle. She served on D-Day with Escort Group 12, and afterward took part in Biscay and Channel patrols, latterly with Escort Group 11. She arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia for the first time on 29 November 1944. Completing a refit on 31 March 1945, she served as a troop transport between Greenock, Scotland, and Halifax from August to October. She was paid off on 11 October to serve as a stationary training ship attached to the Torpedo School at Halifax. Removed from service in June 1946, HMCS Qu’Appelle was sold in 1947 for scrap at Sydney, Nova Scotia.

HMCS Qu’Appelle (2nd of name) (264)

Built in Lauzon, Quebec, the Mackenzie Class destroyer HMCS Qu’Appelle was commissioned on 14 September 1963, becoming a unit of Pacific Command the following spring. She was unique in her class, being fitted with a twin 3-inch (76 mm)/50 calibre guns forward, since the intended 3-inch (76 mm)/70 calibre weapon was unavailable. In 1972, accompanied by HMCS Gatineau and Provider, she left Esquimalt, British Columbia, on a four-month South Pacific cruise during which multi-country exercises were conducted. HMCS Qu’Appelle's Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) refit was completed between 25 May 1983 and 13 January 1984 by Burrard Yarrow at Esquimalt. In the summer of 1986, with HMCS Yukon and Saskatchewan, she returned to Australia to attend ceremonies marking the 75th birthday of that country's navy. She was paid off on 4 April 1992, and sold to a Chinese firm in 1994 for break up.

Motto: Spectemur agendo (Let Us Be Judged By Our Actions)

Battle honours

• Atlantic 1944
• Normandy 1944
• Biscay 1944