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• Naval Air

Blazon

Azure, a buck's head erased or, attired argent, charged on the shoulder with a maple leaf gules.
(Glossary of Heraldic Terms)

Significance

This ship derives its name from the Fraser River in British Columbia. The Fraser River was discovered by Alexander Mackenzie in 1793, and was subsequently explored to its mouth by Simon Fraser in 1803, in whose honour the river was named. Simon Fraser, a partner in the North West Company of Montreal was born in 1776 near Bennington, Vermont. His father Simon Fraser, after whom he was named and a descendant of the titled family of Lovat, died as a result of service on the loyalist side in the American Revolution. His widowed mother moved her family to St Andrews on the Ottawa. Young Simon, after moving to Canada, joined the North West Company in 1792, at the age of 16. He became a partner in 1802. In 1805, the duty of establishing posts to the farthest west was assigned to him. He reached the head­waters of the river that bears his name in 1806, but re­garded it as the Columbia or one of its affluents. How­ever in the spring of 1808, Fraser, with John Stuart, Jules Maurice Quesnel and a crew of nineteen men and two Indians, embarked on this unknown river with the determination to follow it to its mouth. This they did and after emerging from the canyons they reached the mouth of the river on 2nd July, 1808. The badge design is derived from the crest in the Fraser arms, a buck's head in gold with white antlers. It is different because it is charged with a red maple leaf to show that this Simon Fraser was associated with Canada.

Remarks

Fraser (I) was a River class destroyer. Originally HMS Crescent she was commissioned into the RCN in February 1937. She wore pennant H48 until she was paid off in June 1940. Fraser (II) is a St. Laurent class destroyer commissioned in June 1957 and was paid off for conversion to an Improved St. Laurent class DDH in July 1965. She was recommissioned in October 1966 and wore pennant 233 until being paid off in 1994.

Motto

"Je suis pret"

Colours

Gold and blue

Battle Honours

Atlantic, 1939-1940.

References

Badges Of The Canadian Navy by Arbuckle, J. Graeme. Halifax: Nimbus Publishing, 1987.

CFP 267 - Badges of the Canadian Forces, Minister of Supply and Services Canada, 1977.