USS Williams (DD-108)

The USS Williams (DD-108) served the United States from 1919 to 1940, when she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy under lend-lease. She was named in honor of John Foster Williams (1743-1814), a captain in the Massachusetts navy who served during the American Revolution.

Construction

Williams was launched at Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California, in July of 1918. Williams officially commissioned on March 1, 1919, under the command of Commander Matthias E. Manly.

Naval History

Williams began her career in the aftermath of World War I, when she joined other American naval vessels in patrolling Mediterranean and European waters. She returned to the United States in August of 1919 and was transferred to San Diego, where she was decommissioned on June 7, 1922, and placed in reserve.

When hostilities in Europe broke out in September of 1939, Williams was placed back into commission. After a brief stay in Panama, she joined the Atlantic fleet in conducting neutrality patrols and training exercises. She served in this capacity until September of 1940, when she was refitted at Boston Navy Yard in preparation for her transfer to the Canadians.

Williams was one of 50 “flush-deck” destroyers transferred to the British under the lend-lease program, and one of six such vessels received by the Royal Canadian Navy. She arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 20 and was subsequently renamed the HMCS St. Clair. Her new role consisted of performing convoy escort duties, and she operated in and out of the British Isles in the spring of 1941. On May 27, she performed admirably under direct fire from the German cruiser Prinz Eugen, shooting down at least one enemy plane.

St. Clair performed escort duties throughout the remainder of the war, primarily operating out of Halifax, and she was withdrawn from service in 1943 due to her deteriorating condition. After multiple downgrades to “submarine depot ship” and “damage control hulk,” the former Williams was scrapped in October of 1946.

Asbestos Risk on the USS Williams (DD-108)

Even though Williams was built before regulations required additional fire safety measures on seagoing vessels, she still used asbestos products for many of her heat- and fire-sensitive applications. Her engines and boilers were shielded with asbestos insulation. It is likely that asbestos gaskets and packing materials were also present on board. Sailors on Williams faced considerable risk for asbestos exposure and the diseases it causes.

Sources

Williams. Dictionary of American Fighting Ships.
http://www.history.navy.mil/DANFS/w9/williams.htm). Retrieved 31 December 2010.