Canada's Naval History

Second World War (1939-1945)
The Navy in European Waters - Naval Aviation: HMS Nabob and HMS Puncher

Although HMS Nabob and HMS Puncher were formally part of Britain's Royal Navy and operated from British bases, Canadians commanded and provided most of the crew for these two escort carriers. Severe damage from a German torpedo prematurely ended Nabob's career, but Puncher served until the end of the war.

HMS Nabob Survivors

In this photograph taken from the crippled HMS Nabob, members of the carrier's crew are being evacuated to the nearby Canadian destroyer HMCS Algonquin.

The German submarine U-354 torpedoed Nabob off the Norwegian coast on 22 August 1944, blowing a gigantic hole in the carrier's stern. The torpedo killed 21 crew members and wounded 40 others. Many survivors were evacuated to escorting destroyers, including 200 ferried to HMCS Algonquin. A second torpedo aimed at Nabob disabled HMS Bickerton, which later had to be sunk. The badly damaged Nabob was subsequently declared a total loss and used for parts.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19830156-067