HMCS LADY NELSON
HMCS Lady Nelson
The Lady Nelson was the 8,000 ton hospital ship served on by Howard Clark, our museum’s major donor, during the Second World War. We have a number of items from his time on her, including medical equipment, a banner and photographs, and his military records.
Lady Nelson had a remarkable start to her life as a hospital ship – on the sea bottom having been sunk by a U-boat! On 10 March 1942, half an hour before the first hint of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, U-161 fired two torpedoes into Port Castries harbour, St Lucia, in the Caribbean. The Lady Nelson (a passenger ship based in Halifax, NS at that time) was sunk by one and the Umtata, a similar ship, was sunk by the other. The harbour being shallow, both ships were partly repaired and refloated a month later. They then proceeded to the USA for refitting. On the way, the Umtata was sunk again by U-571 (nothing to do with that awful movie) off Key West, FL, this time for good, but the Lady Nelson made it to Mobile, AL, where she was converted to a hospital ship for up to 518 patients. She was recommissioned as HMCS Lady Nelson on 22 Apr 1943, just over a year after being sunk.
Hospital ships made all their voyages fully lit to identify them to submarines. Howard Clark joined the Lady Nelson in 1943. He made 17 crossings from Europe to Halifax, NS, including one via Jamaica and another just after the war via Hamburg, Germany, bringing home wounded Servicemen from closer to the front.
After the war finished, The Lady Nelson was requisitioned to transport war brides to Canada, mainly those British women whom Canadian Servicemen had met and married whilst waiting for D-Day.
The Lady Nelson was the 8,000 ton hospital ship served on by Howard Clark, our museum’s major donor, during the Second World War. We have a number of items from his time on her, including medical equipment, a banner and photographs, and his military records.
Lady Nelson had a remarkable start to her life as a hospital ship – on the sea bottom having been sunk by a U-boat! On 10 March 1942, half an hour before the first hint of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, U-161 fired two torpedoes into Port Castries harbour, St Lucia, in the Caribbean. The Lady Nelson (a passenger ship based in Halifax, NS at that time) was sunk by one and the Umtata, a similar ship, was sunk by the other. The harbour being shallow, both ships were partly repaired and refloated a month later. They then proceeded to the USA for refitting. On the way, the Umtata was sunk again by U-571 (nothing to do with that awful movie) off Key West, FL, this time for good, but the Lady Nelson made it to Mobile, AL, where she was converted to a hospital ship for up to 518 patients. She was recommissioned as HMCS Lady Nelson on 22 Apr 1943, just over a year after being sunk.
Hospital ships made all their voyages fully lit to identify them to submarines. Howard Clark joined the Lady Nelson in 1943. He made 17 crossings from Europe to Halifax, NS, including one via Jamaica and another just after the war via Hamburg, Germany, bringing home wounded Servicemen from closer to the front.
After the war finished, The Lady Nelson was requisitioned to transport war brides to Canada, mainly those British women whom Canadian Servicemen had met and married whilst waiting for D-Day.
