The Kitchener was initially tasked with escorting two First World War-vintage battleships across the English Channel. Bradley’s (1st US Army) headquarters on D-Day. The Kitchener tied up alongside the USS Augusta, a Northampton-class cruiser that served as Lieutenant-General Omar N. After concluding these and other exercises, the corvette arrived off Plymouth, where the American task force was gathering for its part in the D-Day landings. In late April 1944, the Kitchener participated in an anti-submarine exercise in Lough Foyle, off Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Next, the corvette sailed for the United Kingdom, and began preparing to support the highly-anticipated “Second Front”. It was what you call a quick orientation!” The sea was so rough that the Kitchener had to put into port for repairs before beginning convoy escort duties in the North Atlantic. He recalls rough seas during this first voyage in “this ferocious hurricane area. Bill’s assignment was as a gunner on one of the corvette’s 20mm anti-aircraft cannons. The crew first sailed to Bermuda, preparing for convoy escort duty. A new crew and a new commanding officer, Lieutenant John “Jack” Errington Moles RCNVR, began preparing the ship for action following an extensive refit begun in October 1943.īefore he joined the crew, Bill’s corvette, HMCS Kitchener, starred as HMCS Donnaconna starred in Corvette K-225, a Hollywood film made and released in 1943. The corvette had already seen action, especially during Operation Torch, the invasion of Northwest Africa. He trained on both coasts before joining the Kitchener in January 1944 at Liverpool, Nova Scotia. And Bill’s was the only Canadian corvette to escort a wave of troops to their disembarkation point that day.īill volunteered for the navy in 1943, joining in Vancouver at HMCS Discovery. The Kitchener was one of 20 of the famous Flower-class corvettes deployed by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during Operation Neptune, the naval phase of the Normandy landings, on 6 June 1944. The flag has special meaning for Bill, who has vivid memories of his service aboard HMCS Kitchener (pennant number K 225). Cameron, a Canadian sailor who served aboard HMCS Kitchener between 19, recently celebrated his 97th birthday. Cameron at his retirement residence in Surrey, British Columbia.īut when Bill’s daughter, Donna Roy, finally arrived she came bearing a special gift: a Canadian flag that flew at the Juno Beach Centre late last year.

It had been 14 days since family could visit D-Day veteran William “Bill” H.

Bill Cameron in his sailor’s uniform (forposterityssake.ca).

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