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HMCS Quebec (C66)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Quebec (C66) was a Crown Colony–class
light cruiser
that served the Royal Canadian Navy
as HMCS Uganda (C66) during World War II
and under its last name during the Cold War
.
on 3 January 1943 as .
Her service history included:
During this time she was based at Scapa Flow
and saw service with convoy operations off western Europe and northwestern Africa in March, as well as escort for RMS Queen Mary
carrying Winston Churchill
and his staff to Washington for the Third Washington Conference
(codename: Trident). She returned via Naval Station Argentia
to Plymouth for refit.
Following refit in June 1943, she served in the Mediterranean with Operation Husky and Operation Avalanche. During the latter duty, she was struck by a radio-controlled glider bomb on 13 September and was towed to Malta
for emergency repairs. She made Charleston, South Carolina
, on 27 November 1943 to undertake comprehensive repairs.
Her refit at Charleston in 1944 saw several modifications, most notably removal of two hangar
s for Supermarine Walrus
aircraft intended for reconnaissance work. The hangar space was redesigned for radio and radar rooms as well as other crew amenities. During this refit, the Government of Canada undertook negotiations with the United Kingdom to acquire HMS Uganda.
on Trafalgar Day
, 21 October 1944 when was recommissioned as HMCS Uganda (C66).
Ugandas first crew in RCN service was notable. The commanding officer was Captain Rollo Mainguy
, OBE
, who later became chief of the Naval Staff. The first officer (executive officer) was Commander Hugh Pullen, and other officers including Lieutenant Commanders Landymore and Littler were all eventually promoted to flag rank following the war. Lieutenant John Robarts
, Aircraft Recognition Officer, went on to become Premier of Ontario
. The other members of her crew of 907 comprised a carefully selected group; additional training on cruisers was provided through personnel exchanges with the RN. The first crew for Uganda was drawn from every province in Canada as well as the Dominion of Newfoundland
. Eighty-seven percent were reservists (RCNVR and RCNR) while the balance were regular members of the RCN.
Ugandas first RCN assignment came shortly after her recommissioning. She was tasked to join the British Pacific Fleet
's operational area south of Sakishima Gunto. Uganda left Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, on 31 October 1944 and steamed via the United Kingdom
, Gibraltar
, Alexandria, the Suez Canal
, and on via Aden
and Colombo, Ceylon, to the fleet base at Fremantle
, Australia
, where she arrived on 4 March 1945. She joined the 4th Cruiser Squadron and spent the rest of the month working up. The conditions for the crew were arduous since the ship had not been modified for tropical conditions, which would have provided better air circulation throughout the ship and more fresh water capacity.
Uganda proved valuable during operations undertaken by the British Pacific Fleet because her radar
and aircraft identification capabilities were amongst the best in the fleet, owing to her 1944 refit in Charleston. On 10 April 1945, the strike against Sakishima was cancelled and the task force was ordered to attack Formosa
instead. For three days Uganda and her RN counterparts attacked airfields on Formosa before being redirected back to Sakishima Gunto. The islands were attacked between 15–20 April before the fleet was tasked to Leyte Gulf
.
There she joined the United States Third Fleet, under command of legendary Admiral Raymond Spruance
300 nautical miles (555.6 km) east of Japan and became the only RCN warship to fight in the Pacific Theatre against the Imperial Japanese Navy
.
and eventually Operation Downfall
, the codename for the invasion of the Home Islands
.
The requirement that only volunteers would be sent to the war zones had become a major issue in the recent federal election in Canada, which was facing a desperate shortage of soldiers during the closing days of the European War
. As a result, "zombies" (conscripted soldier
s who refused combat
duty) had been ordered into combat roles. This had caused a political controversy and Prime Minister
Mackenzie King, trailing in opinion poll
s, promised that only volunteers would fight against Japan
. King narrowly won re-election, largely because of the military vote. The rate of re-enlistment fell dramatically following the end of the war in Europe. While this was going on the RCN wanted the crew of Uganda to volunteer for the Pacific War, which they were currently participating in.
The crew of Uganda felt that they had volunteered for "hostilities only", (i.e., hostilities against Nazi Germany
) but now found themselves fighting a different enemy in a quite different part of the world.
On 7 May 1945, the vote was held onboard Uganda and 605 crew out of 907 refused to volunteer for continuing operations against Japan. The British Admiralty was furious and said it could not replace the ship until 27 July at the earliest. An embarrassed Royal Canadian Navy offered to replace Uganda with , an anti-aircraft flak ship that was being refitted in Vancouver
.
HMCS Uganda was detached from the US Navy's Third Fleet on 27 July when arrived. Uganda proceeded to Eniwetok, and then to Pearl Harbor
for refuelling before heading for Esquimalt
. En route to Pearl Harbor, one boiler suffered a liner collapse which would have resulted in the ship's withdrawal from active combat at any rate. Uganda limped into Pearl Harbor on 4 August but was not welcomed because of the resentment that her crew was "quitting" the war. Uganda departed after refuelling and proceeded for Esquimalt. En route to Canada, the crew heard news about the atomic bombs being dropped on Japan. They arrived in Esquimalt on 10 August, the day that Japan announced its acceptance of the Instrument of Surrender
.
Following World War II, HMCS Uganda remained on the Pacific coast at the RCN base in Esquimalt and was paid off into reserve status on 1 August 1947.
and commitment of Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force
and RCN units to the British Commonwealth Forces Korea
necessitated the reactivation of HMCS Uganda.
The vessel was recommissioned on 14 January 1952 as HMCS Quebec (C66) and moved immediately from Esquimalt to her new station at Halifax to replace units which had departed for Korea. Canada's Pacific coast once again saw a cruiser presence after the war when the RCN's second cruiser was posted to Esquimalt to replace HMCS Quebec.
HMCS Quebec subsequently served two tours in the Korean War theatre. In 1953, HMCS Quebec was the flagship
for Rear Admiral Bidwell and led the RCN ships to Spithead
for the coronation
of Queen Elizabeth II
. The RCN vessels consisted of an aircraft carrier, two cruisers, one destroyer, and two frigates.
As part of a post-Korean War realignment within the RCN, HMCS Quebec was paid off in June 1956 and scrapped in Japan in 1961.
Her unit name lives on in the form of HMCS Quebec, a cadet summer training centre for the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
.
Crown Colony class cruiser
The Crown Colony-class light cruisers of the Royal Navy were named after Crown Colonies of the British Empire. The first eight are known as the Fiji class, while the last three to be built are commonly referred to as the Ceylon class and were built to a slightly modified design.-Design:They were...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
that served the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
as HMCS Uganda (C66) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and under its last name during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Royal Navy service
She was laid down on 20 July 1939 as one of the "Ceylon" sub-class (the second group of three ships built in 1939). The cruiser was built at the Vickers-Armstrong Walker yard and launched on 7 August 1941. She was commissioned into the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
on 3 January 1943 as .
Her service history included:
- Home Fleet (1943)
During this time she was based at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
and saw service with convoy operations off western Europe and northwestern Africa in March, as well as escort for RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
carrying Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and his staff to Washington for the Third Washington Conference
Washington Conference (1943)
The Third Washington Conference was held in Washington, D.C. was a World War II strategic meeting from May 12 to May 27, 1943, between the heads of government of the United Kingdom and the United States. The delegations were headed by Winston Churchill and Franklin D...
(codename: Trident). She returned via Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941-1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province .-Construction:Established under the British-U.S...
to Plymouth for refit.
- Mediterranean Fleet (1943–1944)
Following refit in June 1943, she served in the Mediterranean with Operation Husky and Operation Avalanche. During the latter duty, she was struck by a radio-controlled glider bomb on 13 September and was towed to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
for emergency repairs. She made Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, on 27 November 1943 to undertake comprehensive repairs.
- Refit (1944)
Her refit at Charleston in 1944 saw several modifications, most notably removal of two hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s for Supermarine Walrus
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
aircraft intended for reconnaissance work. The hangar space was redesigned for radio and radar rooms as well as other crew amenities. During this refit, the Government of Canada undertook negotiations with the United Kingdom to acquire HMS Uganda.
Royal Canadian Navy service
HMS Uganda was transferred to the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
on Trafalgar Day
Trafalgar Day
Trafalgar Day is the celebration of the victory won by the Royal Navy, commanded by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson over the combined French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. The formation of the Navy League in 1894 gave added impetus to the movement to recognise...
, 21 October 1944 when was recommissioned as HMCS Uganda (C66).
World War II
The Uganda quickly became the pride of the RCN as she was the largest and most powerful ship in the fleet; she also became the first Canadian warship to circumnavigate the globe.Ugandas first crew in RCN service was notable. The commanding officer was Captain Rollo Mainguy
Rollo Mainguy
Vice-Admiral Edmond Rollo Mainguy, OBE, CD, RCN was a Canadian naval officer.He was born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1901 and attended the Royal Naval College of Canada during World War I....
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, who later became chief of the Naval Staff. The first officer (executive officer) was Commander Hugh Pullen, and other officers including Lieutenant Commanders Landymore and Littler were all eventually promoted to flag rank following the war. Lieutenant John Robarts
John Robarts
John Parmenter Robarts, PC, CC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and statesman, and the 17th Premier of Ontario.-Early life:...
, Aircraft Recognition Officer, went on to become Premier of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The other members of her crew of 907 comprised a carefully selected group; additional training on cruisers was provided through personnel exchanges with the RN. The first crew for Uganda was drawn from every province in Canada as well as the Dominion of Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
. Eighty-seven percent were reservists (RCNVR and RCNR) while the balance were regular members of the RCN.
Ugandas first RCN assignment came shortly after her recommissioning. She was tasked to join the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
's operational area south of Sakishima Gunto. Uganda left Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, on 31 October 1944 and steamed via the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, Alexandria, the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, and on via Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
and Colombo, Ceylon, to the fleet base at Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where she arrived on 4 March 1945. She joined the 4th Cruiser Squadron and spent the rest of the month working up. The conditions for the crew were arduous since the ship had not been modified for tropical conditions, which would have provided better air circulation throughout the ship and more fresh water capacity.
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
and aircraft identification capabilities were amongst the best in the fleet, owing to her 1944 refit in Charleston. On 10 April 1945, the strike against Sakishima was cancelled and the task force was ordered to attack Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
instead. For three days Uganda and her RN counterparts attacked airfields on Formosa before being redirected back to Sakishima Gunto. The islands were attacked between 15–20 April before the fleet was tasked to Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
.
There she joined the United States Third Fleet, under command of legendary Admiral Raymond Spruance
Raymond A. Spruance
Raymond Ames Spruance was a United States Navy admiral in World War II.Spruance commanded US naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles in the Pacific theater, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea...
300 nautical miles (555.6 km) east of Japan and became the only RCN warship to fight in the Pacific Theatre against the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
.
Out of the action
It was while Uganda was involved in operations with the US Navy's Third Fleet that a directive came through from RCN Headquarters that Captain Mainguy poll the crew on whether they would volunteer for the Pacific WarPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
and eventually Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
, the codename for the invasion of the Home Islands
Japanese Archipelago
The , which forms the country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland, washing upon the northwestern shores of the Pacific Ocean...
.
The requirement that only volunteers would be sent to the war zones had become a major issue in the recent federal election in Canada, which was facing a desperate shortage of soldiers during the closing days of the European War
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
. As a result, "zombies" (conscripted soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s who refused combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
duty) had been ordered into combat roles. This had caused a political controversy and Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Mackenzie King, trailing in opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
s, promised that only volunteers would fight against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. King narrowly won re-election, largely because of the military vote. The rate of re-enlistment fell dramatically following the end of the war in Europe. While this was going on the RCN wanted the crew of Uganda to volunteer for the Pacific War, which they were currently participating in.
The crew of Uganda felt that they had volunteered for "hostilities only", (i.e., hostilities against Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
) but now found themselves fighting a different enemy in a quite different part of the world.
On 7 May 1945, the vote was held onboard Uganda and 605 crew out of 907 refused to volunteer for continuing operations against Japan. The British Admiralty was furious and said it could not replace the ship until 27 July at the earliest. An embarrassed Royal Canadian Navy offered to replace Uganda with , an anti-aircraft flak ship that was being refitted in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
HMCS Uganda was detached from the US Navy's Third Fleet on 27 July when arrived. Uganda proceeded to Eniwetok, and then to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
for refuelling before heading for Esquimalt
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
. En route to Pearl Harbor, one boiler suffered a liner collapse which would have resulted in the ship's withdrawal from active combat at any rate. Uganda limped into Pearl Harbor on 4 August but was not welcomed because of the resentment that her crew was "quitting" the war. Uganda departed after refuelling and proceeded for Esquimalt. En route to Canada, the crew heard news about the atomic bombs being dropped on Japan. They arrived in Esquimalt on 10 August, the day that Japan announced its acceptance of the Instrument of Surrender
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that enabled the Surrender of Japan, marking the end of World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist...
.
Following World War II, HMCS Uganda remained on the Pacific coast at the RCN base in Esquimalt and was paid off into reserve status on 1 August 1947.
Korean War and Cold War
Canada's entry into the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and commitment of Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
and RCN units to the British Commonwealth Forces Korea
British Commonwealth Forces Korea
British Commonwealth Forces Korea was the formal name, from 1952, of the Commonwealth army, naval and air units serving with the United Nations in the Korean War. Australian, British, Canadian, Indian and New Zealand units were part of BCFK...
necessitated the reactivation of HMCS Uganda.
The vessel was recommissioned on 14 January 1952 as HMCS Quebec (C66) and moved immediately from Esquimalt to her new station at Halifax to replace units which had departed for Korea. Canada's Pacific coast once again saw a cruiser presence after the war when the RCN's second cruiser was posted to Esquimalt to replace HMCS Quebec.
HMCS Quebec subsequently served two tours in the Korean War theatre. In 1953, HMCS Quebec was the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for Rear Admiral Bidwell and led the RCN ships to Spithead
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
for the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. The RCN vessels consisted of an aircraft carrier, two cruisers, one destroyer, and two frigates.
As part of a post-Korean War realignment within the RCN, HMCS Quebec was paid off in June 1956 and scrapped in Japan in 1961.
Her unit name lives on in the form of HMCS Quebec, a cadet summer training centre for the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
Royal Canadian Sea Cadets is a Canadian national youth program sponsored by the Canadian Forces and the civilian Navy League of Canada. Administered by the Canadian Forces, the program is funded through the Department of National Defence with the civilian partner providing support in the local...
.