8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

                                 ---------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) August 27, 2002

                          Trenwick America Corporation
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

        Delaware                  0-31967                         06-1087672
State or Other Jurisdiction     (Commission                     (IRS Employer
    of Incorporation)           File Number)                 Identification No.)

One Canterbury Green
Stamford, Connecticut                                                 06901
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                            (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code  (203) 353-5500

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)




Item 5. - Other Events

      On August 27, 2002, Trenwick Group Ltd. ("Trenwick") the ultimate parent
company of Trenwick America Corporation, issued a press release announcing that
James F. Billett, Jr., Trenwick's Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer, would be taking a leave of absence from his positions at Trenwick for
health reasons. The press release also announced that W. Marston Becker, the
current Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, would assume the position of
Acting Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer of Trenwick. A copy of the
press release is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference
herein.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)   Exhibits

99.1  Press release of Trenwick Group Ltd. issued August 27, 2002.

                                    SIGNATURE

      Pursuant to the Requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                            TRENWICK AMERICA CORPORATION


                                            By:   /s/ Stephen H. Binet
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               Stephen H. Binet
                                               President and
                                               Chief Executive Officer

Dated: August 30, 2002



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit    Description of Exhibit

99.1       Press release of Trenwick Group Ltd. issued August 27, 2002.

EX-99.1

                            [LETTERHEAD OF TRENWICK]


For Immediate Release


                               Trenwick Group Ltd.
                CEO to Take a Leave of Absence for Health Reasons


Hamilton, Bermuda, August 27, 2002 . . .

Trenwick Group Ltd. ("Trenwick") reported today that James F. Billett, Jr., its
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer would be taking a leave of
absence from his positions at Trenwick for health reasons.

W. Marston Becker, the current Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and a
member of Trenwick's Board of Directors since 1997, will assume the position of
Acting Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Becker is currently the
Chairman of Hales & Company, an insurance industry merchant and investment bank.
Mr. Becker was formerly Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of
Orion Capital Corporation, a New York Stock Exchange listed specialty insurance
company.

Background Information

Trenwick is a Bermuda-based  specialty  insurance and  reinsurance  underwriting
organization with three principal  businesses operating through its subsidiaries
located in the  United  States,  the  United  Kingdom  and  Bermuda.  Trenwick's
reinsurance  business  provides  treaty  reinsurance to insurers of property and
casualty  risks  from  offices  in the United  States  and  Bermuda.  Trenwick's
international  operations  underwrite  specialty insurance as well as treaty and
facultative  reinsurance on a worldwide  basis through its London insurer and at
Lloyd's.  Trenwick's U.S. specialty program insurance business  underwrites U.S.
property and casualty insurance through specialty program administrators.