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fAlCROWSN ESTVol. 8 No. 12 THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY'$ MAGAZINE OCTOBER, 1956
LADY OF THE MONTHPoised for flight down a lift lock at
Peterborough, Ontario, is the patrol craftI-IMCS Blue lleron, traversing the Trentcanal from Orillia to Lake Ontario. Thespectacle of a commissioned Canadian war..ship making the descent of the famouslocks was fare enough to attract thousandsof spectators, many of whom were in thecity for the annual exhibition.
The evening sun was low in the sky whenthe aerial photograph was taken of the BlueHeron in the east lock at 8.30 p.m. Someof the detail lost in the shadows has beenrestored by retouching to make it easier tovisualize the impressive drop of 65 feetfrom the .upper to the lower level. Theheight .is equal to that of a six..storey build..ing. '
Peterborough's lift locks, unique on thiscontinent, are an outstanding tourist attraction. E~ch of the two locks, operated byhydraulic power, is 142 feet long by 33feet in width and can' accommodate vesselsof up to six feet in draught. Archimedesfigured out long ago, that the size of ship,providing it was afloat, would make nodifference to the loaded weight of the lock- a source of comfort to those makingthe descent in large craft.-(Photo by H. 'R. Oak/nan, Aerial Photographer, Peter..borough.) .
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CON,TENTS
Lower Deck Prolnotions ."'" .. 27
Weddin.gs and Births ..11 of........... 28
NavalLore Corner No. 41 Inside Back Cover
RCN News Review .. , .
Family Portra'it - St. Laurel1t' , , , .
Escort to the Queerl ,.. ,.. ,.. " ... ,., " I ••••••••••• " ., •••
Electrol1ic Pranks '. I •••• t •••• , ••••••• ;., •• , •••• , •••• , ••••••• , •••
Voyage of th,e Flying Cockerel " " to" .. ~ "'
Officers and Mert
Showcases of the RCN , , .
IMystery Picture' 'Solved " , , .
Afloat an,d Ashore ,., , , .
Honorary Tail-Hook Pilot .
Great Lakes Training ',1 • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • •• • • •• • 23 Negative numbers of RCN photographsI reproduced in The Crowsnest are includedI h 2 A with the caption for the benefit of personsf..---1------'To!!.... ....L£3eo!........AN.......~a!!....l:v~yr......-&..P.--ll~.al!.=J.yr....J,Js~~_-~~-+-o-+-............-~~~ ..............................~...-..-.- ...............-.---~----I·--wishi ng-t-o---obt-a-in---prints of the photos.
This they may do by sending .an order toBooks for the Sailor 26 the Naval Secretary, Naval HeadquarterSj'
... , . · · · .... , · · , · , · · · · · , . · .. , · · · , . · , ,. · ... · ottawa, attention Photographic Section, quot-ing the negative nUlnber of the photograph,giving the size and finish required, and enclosing a money order for the full .amount,payable to the Receiver General of Canada.
Sizes, finish and the new National Defencestandardized prices, follow: .4 x 5 (or slnaller) glossy finish only .• $ .106~~ x 8~~ glossy finish only ....••..•..• .408 x 10 glossy or lnatte finish .•... ,.... .50
11 x 14 matte finish only ..... to....... 1.0016 x 20 " ," •••••••.•.••••• '3.0020 x 24 ••••••••••••••• 4.0030 x 40 •••••••.••.•••• 8.00
The Cover - The second of Canada's atomic age anti-sub
marine destroyer escorts, HMCS Assiniboine, cleaves the waters
of the approaches of Halifax harbour on the occasion of, her first
homecolning. She is wearing 'the light grey - almost white
paint which is coming into general use for HMC ships. (DNS
16384)
SUBSCRIPTION RATEThe Crowsnest may be sub
scribed for at' the rate of $1 for12 issues. '"
Persons desirous of receivingtheir own private copies by mailshould send their orders, accompanied by cheque or money order made out to. the ReceiverGeneral of Canada, to:-
THE QUEEN'S PRINTER,75 St. Patrick Street,
Ottawa, Ont.
Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, ottawa. Page one
Banshees of 870 Squadron on the. tarmac at Lambert Field, St. louis, Missouri, where they were flown following the Canadian InternationalAir Show in Toronto. Pilots visited the plant of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, manufacturers of the iet fighters. (Photo courtesy McDonnellAircraft Corporatioll.)
Bonaventure To BeReady in Jel,Ruary
Due to recent labour difficulties, thecommissioning of the Bonaventure, originally planned for late this fall, hasbeen delayed. The Bonaventure, alight fleet carrier, is being built forthe Royal Canadian Navy by Harlandanci Wolff Ltd., Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The difficulties at the shipyard havenow been overcome and preliminarytrials will commence shortly. Commissioning should take, place early inthe new'year and a new commissioningdate will be announced' as soon as ithas been established.
Postponement of the commissIoningdate of the shIp has been accepted inorder tc? ensure that the highestpossible standards of workmanship aremaintained throughout the final fitting
'out and pre-commissioning trials period.
ReN HelicoptersFly to Labrador
Six helicopters of the anti-submarinehelicopter' squadron, HS-50, left Shearwater September 22 for the northlandto assist the Royal Canadian Air Force
'in maintaining an ,air-lift of personneland equipment to the Mid-Canada Linein the northern Quebec-Labrador area.
Because of the urgency of completingthe line, the naval aircraft were withdrawn from fall and winter sea exercises in the Bermuda area.
To prepare for the operation, thehelicopters were flown earlier in themonth from the aircraft carrier Magnificent to Shearwater where their
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sonar equipment was temporarily removed and other equipment installedto assist· them in transport duties inthe north.
Approximately 50 officers and menare serving with the naval helicopterswhich are operating out of Knob Lake.
Naval pilots, plus some ground crewto maintain the aircraft en route, flewthe helicopters on the 850-mileflightfrom Shearwater to Knob Lake. TheRCAF provided an air-lift to fly theremainder of the' ground crew, equipment and ,spares.
Naval personnel are being accommodated in the RCAF barracks at KnobLake but groups operating out of thebase to the air-lift live in temporaryshelters along the route.
HS-50 is the RCN's experimentalhelicopter anti-submarine unit and wasformed on July 4, 1955. It is equippedwith Sikorsky H04S-3 aircraft.
Labrador Ends1956 Mission
The Arctic patrol ship Labradorheaded south in early October in thefinal phases of her 1956 Arctic mission.
The Labrador sailed from HalifaxJuly 3 to take part for the second suc-
, cessiveyear in the seaborne supply ofDistant Early Warning Line sites in theeastern Arctic area of northern Canada. Her prindpal duties in this connection included the exploration andcharting of navigable routes, surveyand select,ion of landing beaches andthe escort of supply convoys to theirdestinations.
In addition, she had embarked civilian scientists who carried out a pro-
gram of studies and research plannedboth to provide direct support to theLabrador's main· mission and to addfurther to the gradually increasingstore of knowledge and data concerningCanada's Arctic region.
.Already having established a number of records in the Arctic, the Labrador continued this year to add to herlist of firsts.
This summer she became the firstship to pass through Navy Channel,150 miles north of the Arctic Circleand between Rowley· Island and NorthSpicer Island in Foxe Basin. Havingmade this passage, the Labrador carried on to navigate the channel fivElmore times in the course of the hydrographic work in which she was engaged at the time.
Then on September 17 she becamethe first ship to make an east to westpassage of F~FY and Hecla Strait, between Baffin and Melville Penirisula.This passage was made in the courseof a general reconnaissance and hydrographic and oceanographic surveys ofthe Gulf of Boothia, Prince Regent Inlet and Bellot Strait.
She was followed through the Furyand Hecla Strait eight hours later bythe U.S. Navy icebreaker Edisto whichlost her starboard propeller in heavypolar ice.
The Labrador immediately steamedto the Edisto's assistance. On arrival,the Canadian icebreaker cut in a fewfeet ahead of the U.S. ship and thencleared a 10-mile passage to the relatively ice-free waters of Fury andHecla Strait.
New BroQm VIProves Success
Although initially hampered by Hurricane Carla the NATO sea-air exercise New Broom VI was finally carriedon to a successful conclusion early inSeptember.
The exercise, employing both UnitedStates and Canadian ships, submarinesand aircraft, was conducted by RearAdmiral R. E. S. Bidwell, Commander,Canadian Atlantic Sub-Area.
On conclusion' of the exercise, Admiral Bidwell messaged to all concerned:
"New Broom Six has been a successful anti-submarine warfare exerciseand indicates that integrated NATOforces work well together.
"The effort put into this exercise bythe forces participating and those involved in its planning is laudable.
"All are· to .be complimented uponthe performance given. Well done." .
Squadron SailsFor Europe
Ships of the First Canadian EscortSquadron sailed from Halifax September 19 for a two-month training cruiseto the Azores, the United Kingdom andcontinental Europe.
Three ships sailed on schedule. Theywere the Huron, l1'oquois and Micmac.The Algonquin, senior ship of thesquadron, was damaged by HurricaneCarla earlier in the month while shewas taking partin the NATO sea-ex-
And what could a Newfoundlander do with his spare time on board ship but build a model ofa fishing schooner? The dexterous fingers of PO Reginald Rhymes, of Burgeo, Nfld.. fashion justsuch a model on board the frigate Lanark. (HS-43567)
types will be valid. Since identificationcards are widely used by service personnel in cashing cheques and in othercircumstances where it is necessary toidentify themselves to civilians, the issuance of the new cards will be widelypublicized.
Ottawa To JoinFleet in November
The third of Canada's new anti-submarine destroyer escorts, Her Majesty'sCanadian Ship Ottawa, will be commissioned on Saturday, November 10,at Canadian Vickers Limited, Montreal.
Shortly after commissioning, the Ot~
tawa, the third of her name, will sailfor Halifax to join company with hersister-ships, the S·t. Lau1'ent and Assiniboine, in the Third Canadian EscortSquadron, The St. Lam'ent was commissioned at Canadian Vickers on October 29, 1955, and the Assiniboine was
. commissioned at Marine IndustriesLimited, Sorel, Que" last August 16.
Eleven more of the anti-submarinedestroyer escorts are in various stagesof construction.
ercise New Broom VI. However, withrepairs completed, she sailed from Halifax September 29 to rejoin the squadron overseas,
The ships were scheduled to be joinedlate in October by the Assiniboine, destroyer escort commissioned at Sorel,
Alderney Goes August 16. She will remain in com-Back to U.K. 'Sweepers Journey pany with the squadron for the re
mainder of the cruise which is sche-~,..,.,.-T-".;h,.,e---,.;sc=u-::-bcm=a::cr::-:i:rn--:e:-::Ao-'lIld",e-::cr::-n:'l'"e~Y::-sa7'i.-::le:rd::-.:-f:::r::-o.,m.-----__T_o:;:-N_e-,w"'f::-o_u-,,::-l_d-:-la_n_d_----:---=-_-:-- duluIJue;:t.d1-----Lt a........ericL....wlth-the-..x-etur-n-Of-th...e---
HMe Dockyard on Monday, October 8, Four "Bay" class coastal minesweep-' ships to their Halifax base on Novem-for her home port of Portsmouth, Eng- ers out of Halifax by the end of Sep- bel' 21.land, after 18 months' service with the tember had completed separate cruisesSixth Submarine Squadron of the Royal which took them to ports in Newfound-Navy based at Halifax. land, Quebec, Nova Scotia, the island
Commanding officer of the Alderney of St, Pierre and the State of Maine.is Lt.-Cdr. D. E. Teare, RN. Three, the Gaspe, Resolute and Trin-
ity, of the First Canadian MinesweepingIdentity Cards Squadron, made their cruises in theTo Be Clwn,ged latter half of the month, but that of
New type identity cards are to be the Quinte took a month and a halfissued to all service personnel, with and spread along the Atlantic seaboardprocessing or reprocessing of those en- from Newfoundland to Maine.titled to them commencing in Novem-ber, according to a National DefenceHeadquarters announcement.
Personnel at NDHQ were to be thefirst to have their photographs takenfor·. the new cards, Some time afterthe.middle of November and commencing on dates to be announced, the reprocessing of personnel serving ashoreor afloat outside of Ottawa was to commence. Finger-printing will not be re":quired for' holders of the present "ID"cards.
Until distribution of the new' cardsis completed, both the old' and new
After escorting the Edisto to a FoxeBasin anchorage, the Labrador turnednorth again to continue her surveys.These took her to the Gulf of Boothia,Bellot Strait, Prince Regent Inlet andthrough Barrows Strait to Resolute onCornwallis Island.
From Resolute, the Labrador proceeded to Arctic Bay on Admiralty Inlet at the northern end of Baffin Island,thence to Craig Harbor, at the southern end of Ellesmere Island, a pointnearly 700 miles north of the ArcticCircle. From here she turned southward home and completion of her 1956duties.
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Family PortraitThe proudest moment in the
young life of the ultra-modern.' escort St. Laurent, occurred a:t
Stockholm, Sweden, when officersand men assembled for a "familyportrait" of ,the ship's companyduring the visit on board of HerMa,jesty the Queen, His RoyalHign'/tess the Dulce of Edinburghand: Aq,miral the Earl, Mountbatten of Burma, First Sea Lord.Cdr. R. W. Timbrel!, commandingofficer, is seated at Her Majesty'sTight. (SL-0126)
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The St. Laurent comes to anchor 1n Stockholm harbour. In the left background is the Royal Yacht Britannia, while the British escorting warshipsare in the middle distance ahead of the St. Laurent. (SL·Ol16)
ST. LAURENT - - ESCORT TO THE QUEENStockholm Voyage Memorable Page in Young Ship's History
I T IS ALWAYS pleasant to reminisce, without a joint workup period. Then ensuing events can only be comparedand since it is inevitable that aged again Londonderry is a pleasant recre- with the descent of locusts on the land
sailors upon retirement will outlive ational port. of Egypt, only the Egyptians were nottheir love of truth, it is essential that The objectives were successfully painting at the time. Her Majesty'sevents be recorded as soon after their achieved, though minor difficulties were Yacht Britannia was also at Portsmouth,
-OGGUl'-r-enG6--as-pQssi.ble~I-Ws,.-then,-i-n---ex-perienced,----as-mustrated--by-the-fol-----efl'-eeting-iast--minute-preparatiuns,----and---
a spirit of modified solicitude, mindful lowing snatch of conversation over- looking every inch a lady of quality.of our responsibility to posterity, that heard on the bridge. Many friendships were made with herthe following brief remarks are com- "Yeoman, is the 'what-the-hell' pen- hospitable crew, thus it was quite amitted to print. nant still flying?" family affair when the Britannia, wear-
HMCS St. Laurent sailed from Hali- "Yes, sir." ing the flag of Vice-Admiral.Sir Con-fax on May 5, 1956, for Londonderry, "Then nail it to the truck!" oIly Abel Smith, KCVO, CB, RN, andNorthern Ireland, which sanctuary was The exercises were held in particu- with the St. Laurent in company sailedgained on May 12 after an unevent- larly inclement weather, and after two for Middlesbrough.ful passage. To dismiss the passage weeks the average man felt as though Her Majesty the Queen had travelledas uneventful is perhaps a little dis- he had been living in an automatic to Yorkshire in order to visit severalparaging when one considers the in- washing machine; the departure for communities in that county and to opengenuity of the ship's company in con- Portsmouth was, in consequence, hailed a new steel rolling mill. Middlesbroughverting the Limbo well into a deck as the best possible thing under the had been selected as the embarkationtennis court, and the feverish activity prevailing circumstances. There was, port for the royal party and the ren-of the rigger in his attempt to replace however, no respite for the wishful dezvous for ships of the Commonwealththe quoits, thrown over the side with thinkers, for no sooner had they se- escort. The St. Laurent berthed atrecklessly gay abandon and depressing cured their warlike equipment and Smith's Dock, the birthplace of theregularity. grease pencils than Operation Paint corvette of Second World War fame,
The object of the Londonderry visit Ship was launched under the kindly and enjoyed warm hospitality from thewas twofold; to exhibit the ship to the auspices of the chief bos'n's mate. residents of the town.faculty of the Joint Anti-Submarine The ship's program provided for six On June 4 the St. Laurent slippedSchool at HMS Sea Eagle, and to de- days in Portsmouth, during which time and proceeded to the mouth of thetermine the degree of integration that the ship was to be prepared in all re- River Tee to rendezvous with Her Ma-could be achieved by a worked-up ship spects for her role in the Royal Visit jesty's Ships Defender and Delight, twoof this class with established groups of to 'Sweden. An opportunity was also "Daring" class ships, to form the Com-British ships performing difficult exer- afforded interested officers of the Ports- monwealth escort. HM Yacht Britan-cises under a variety of conditions, mouth command to view the ship. The nia with the royal party, comprising HM
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Her Majesty the Queen raises her hand in fareWell as the Royal Barge'leaves the ;ide of theSt. Laurent. (SL·0128)
Her Majesty the Queen is piped on board the St. Laurent at Stockholm, Sweden. She is fol·Jow~d by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and Admiral, the Earl Moun!balten of llurma,First Sea Lord. (SL·0123)
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ron, hordes of cheering children. Under'favourable conditions this is a most
picturesque though difficult ,passage.The Royal Squadron navigated thishazard in thick fog, and was joined enroute 'by two Swedish destroyers and
,a flotilla of fast, new MTBs. Thisamazing armada crept through ,the fog,until, as the :capitol drew near, the foglifted revealing clear blue skies andbrilliant sunshine.
As the Britannia enter'~d the harbour300 jet aircraft of the Royal SwedishAir Force gave a breathtaking displayof precision flying. Beneath this panoply of sunshine and spectacle, musicaland gun, salutes welcomed the 'RoyalYacht and her escort as they came toanchor in" sight of the Royal ·Palace.The state visit of Her Majesty QueenElizabeth II to Sweden had officiallybegun.
As the Britannia came to anchor theSwedish Royal Barge, an l8-oar,' doublebanked ceremonial vessel used for occasions of state,pulled out from theshore and embarked the Royal Partyfrom the yacht. ~The three-day statevisit to Sweden was followed by an in'forma~ nav~l visit of seven days, duringwhich time th~ royal party; reinforcedby.:Princess Margaret arid ~he Duke andDuchess of Gloucester, lived on boardthe Brit(lnnia~ ,
,It was on the flrst day of the navalvisit, Monday, June ll,that Her Majesty the Queen,the DUke of Edinburgh,
it is not customary for Her Majesty tovisit escorts smaller than cruisers.
The entrance to Stockholm harbouris through the tortuous 36-mile archipelago, a ma:<:e of islands which areinundated with summer homes, largerocks and, as it appeared to the squad-
the Queen, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and Admiral the Earl Mountbatten embarked, sailed from Middlesbrough. She was led, in accordancewith tradition, by the Trinity HouseYacht Patricia through pilotage waters,and escorted by MCBs of the RNVR.The B1'itannia steamed close up thestarboard side of the St. Latwent and'assumed guide for all escorting ships.
The passage to Sweden started inglorious weather and added support to:the theory prevalent among RoyalYachtsmen, ,that the Britannia, assistedby her stabili:<:ing hydroplanes, did infact rule the waves. This specul~tion
was short lived, however, as the weatherdeteriorated and the elements endeavoured to produce more typical NorthSea conditions. Despite these unfavourable conditions of wind, sea, andfog, the ships were exercised by theRoyal Yacht throughout the passage.
At 1800 on June 6, the St. Lau1'entat ,that time tail end Charlie of a lineastern formation-was ordered to closethe Royal Yacht and receive mail fromthe First Sea Lord for distribution tothe escorting ships. This evolution entailed three coston gun line transfersunder tricky conditions, and was carried out so smoothly that a "well done"was received from the yacht.
The mail delivered confirmed anearlier message informing the escort ofHer Majesty's desire to visit the threeships on Monday, June 11. This represented a departure from precedent since
~be l'.opage of tbe jflping ctCo~kerel
T·HE Flying Cockerel spent her days. Upon the Mersey-side,
A river tug with tattered flagWhich always snapped' with pride.
Blqck, squat and ugly, draped aroundWith beard of old tarred rope,
As rolling in her eight-knot gaitAs sailor from Cape, Hope.
In years of peace she hufjedand puffedTo dock the ocean ships,
The river in her painted pride,The tramps and cargo ships.
Then, when war swept like snarling tideAcross the Mersey sand,
Her crew and skipper jurnped with prideTo lend a 'ready hand.
ONE NIGHT, a battered cargo boat,Hit hard upon the Bar,
Her convoy safely home in portHers an unlucky star.
Like jewels 'cross the throat of night,Her rockets lit the sky,
As o'er the raging waters screamedThe sea-birds raucous cry!
A ship to help, a life to save,No ·thought of danger near,
The Perch Rock lifeboat put .to seaWithout a thought of fear.
But, suddenly a clawing seaStruck heavy on her side,
A nd left her shattered in her t'l·acksAthwart a raging tide.
Page 'eight
A. Ballad of the Mersey-side
'TWAS THEN th,e Flying Cockerel'screw
Knew it was up to them,So, tossing Regulations out
They turned a seawards stem.High raced the flying bow waves white,
Her ensign red flew free,As, like a bulldog slipped from leash
She headed out to sea!
Her sturdy engines drove her on,The w'l'eck lay dead ahead,
And soon a heaving line snaked out,Ca,ught on the fo'c'sle head.
Then, breathlessly, with frantic handFour -men were safe on board,
And still the wild w1"ack of the stormTo thundering heavens roared!
The WriterA f01·rner -RCAF .officer with
both experience and love of thesea, ex:"Sqd.-Ldr. R. C. Tiplady,of Toronto, contributed the bal'lad of ·the war at sea which ap-,pears here. Mr. Tiplady this past'sum-rne1' becam'e editor-in-chief ofThe Veterans Advocate, the official publication of the Army,Navy and Air ]force Vete'l'ans of·Canada.
Naval readers will recognize thepoem as art rather than history.The Gerrnan sub11ta'rine mentionedhere, the U-:239, was in fact destroycddu'ring an RAF r.aid onKiel on July 23,' 1944.
T.HE Flyi,ngCOckerel rOlled, a-beam,And thought her duty done,
When suddenly, ·above the storm,Cracked out ~ vicious gun,
"My God, a sub!" the skipper cried,And hard upon her lee
The German U-boat 239Rolled in a trough of sea.
"Clear off the fenders from the bow!"The Cockerel's skipper cried
"I'll ram the tin-can so-and.:.soOr go out on ·the tide!"
And so the story thus is toldThey struck her rolling hull,
Ripped through her plates al1d shearedher· side-
High screamed the storm-tossed gull.
ONMERSEY-SIDE the brass hatsstood.
The Navy blue and gold;And for a dignified' salute
The naval drum·,heads rolled."I name thee 'Royal'," the "brass hat"
said,"Royal Flying Cockerel
And let her fly the ensign whiteInstead of ensign red!"
A nd if you visit Mersey-sideYou'lL see an old black tug,
Still pujfingup the riv~r wideLike squat and sturdy pug.
And if you wonder why she fliesHer naval flag with pride
Don't ask her skipper or her crewJ1tst ask the Mersey tide!
~R,C.T.
OFFICERS AND MEN
Retiring ~ecently afler 47 years service with the stores department of HMC Dockyard, WalterR: Grant" Halifax, was presented with a silver tray and service in recognition of his long and efficient service. Mr, Grant, left, receives the tray from Cammodore (El John MacGillivray commodoreSuperintendent Atlantic Coast. (HS·43954) ,
Halj.CenturyWilh Reserves
The death on July 2, 1956, of Commander Russell Porter Ponder, RCN (R)(Ret'd), brought to a close an association with the naval reserve which predated the Royal Canadian Navy by fiveyears.
Well-known to thousands of servingand retired officers of the regular forceand reserves of two navies, CommanderPonder died at his home in LangleyPrairie, B,C., at the age of 68.
The funeral was held from HMCSDiscovery, the Vancouver naval division, with full naval honours and his'ashes were consiglled to the sea.
Cdr. Ponder. was born in London,England, on September 8, 1888, and entered the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve there as an ordinary seaman in1905.
He came to' Canada in 1913 andjoined the British Columbia ProvincialPolice. At the same time he retainedhis connections with the naval reserVeby attending parades of the old pioneercompany of the newly-formed reserveat Esquimalt.
In August 1914 he entered the RoyalNaval Canadian Volunteer Reserve atEsquimalt as a chief petty officer instructor. He transferred to the RNVRin 1915 and Went to the UK where hewas promoted to sub-lieutenant in Juneof that year and appointed for courses,after which he went to the gunboatSnakefly, then in Basra as first lieutenant.
He returned to England in 1918 andwas appointed to the drifter HMSGuide On in command, where he remained until he was demobilized andreturned to Victoria and his job withthe provincial police.
Posted to northern British Columbiaby the police, he organized the PrinceRupert half-company of the RCNVRand was appointed company commanding officer in August 1924. In December 1927 a transfer by the policebrought him to Alert Bay and he wasattached to the Vancouver naval divi-sion.
In September 1939 he was called outon active service and was appointed toHMCS Naden, where he later becameprovost marshal. He became drafting
commander at Esquimalt in 1944 andtook his discharge in March 1945.
From 1905, until his death, when noton active service, Cdr. Ponder remainedon the active or retired lists of thenaval reserve, a period of 51 years.
Cdr. Ponder is survived by his wife,Mrs. Barbara Ponder.
Fellowship forEngineer Officer
A Royal Canadian Navy officer, SubLt. (E) William Norman Ower, whoserved for six years on the lower deckhas been awarded an Athlone Fellowship and was to proceed to the UnitedKingdom this fall for two years of postgraduate studies in advanced practicalwork and research in engineering.
Sub-Lt. Ower, who was serving inHMCS Ontario (cruiser), completed afour-year engineering course at theUniversity of New Brunswick this' pastsummer. He is the second RCN officerto .receive an Athlone Fellowship. Thefirst was Lieut. (L) D. C. di Cenzo,who was awarded the Fellowship in1953.
The Athlone Fellowships, first awardedin 1951, are offered annually to 38young Canadian engineers. The Fellow
------ship-Pr-ev-ides-f-er-tw-e--year-sLpest-gr-a{1ul---ate training in industrial establishmentsor universities in the United Kingdom.
Increases MadeIn Flying Pay
Substantial increases in flying payfor aircrew in the three armed serviceswere announced in late August. Thenew rates are graduated from $75 to$150 a month, according to duties andrank, and replace the former standardrate of $30 a month.
The increases apply both to regularforce and reserve aircrew and, in announcing them, Hon. Ralph Campney,Minister of National Defence, said:
"The increase is in recognition of theprofessional character and responsibilities involved in aircrew duties, andthe high qualifications required today.The increasing complexity of militaryaviation in recent years and the obviousadvances which will occur in the futuremake it necessary that the services attract individuals possessing the capacityto meet those challenges. Aircrew pay
. must be commensurate with the apti-
Page nine
tude, skills and responsibilities required."
The increased aircrew pay rates arecomparable to those in effect in theUnited Kingdom and the United states.
The flying pay increases apply bothto officers and lower deck .p~rso:Qnel
car~ying out aircrew duties in theRoyal Canadian Navy. ' <
At the 'present time there are 46men se~ving as Observer's Mates inAvenger anti-subm~rine aircraft of theReN or in related training duties atShearwater. Another 12 men are specializing as air-borne sonar operatorswith the Navy's anti-submarine helicopter unit, HS-50. Flying pay formen in both categories has been raised
·to $75 from $30 a month.In the Avenger, the Observer's Ma.te
is mainly concerned with the, ,operationof radar and radio equipment. However the siz~ :of his branch· and thescop~ of his duties and responsibilitiesare currently being expanded in preparation for the re-arming of. the Navy'santi-submarine squadrons with theCS2F~1 aircraft beginning this fall.
To meet' future manning and training requireme~ts, the Observer's Matebranch is gradually building toward ·anauthorfzed 'complement of 125.
The 12 sonar operators attached toHS-50 are members· of the SeamanBranch with spe~ialized train.ing a'sSubmarine Detectors. They took to theair following the formation of the antisubmarine"<helicopter unit and the installation of "dunking'sonar" in theaircraft. "Dunking sonar" is a device·which can be lowered into- the waterfr~nt a hoyering helicopter. Its sl1bmarine detection properties are 'gen- .erally similar to those of shipborne
, sonar.The flying pay increase affects ap
proximately 320 RCN officers possessing' aircrew qualifications. They rangefrom cadets just beginning flight training with the U.S,Navy at Pensacola,'Fla., to veterans' of carrier' combat dutyin the Second World ;'War who are· nowcommanding naval 'air squadrons andin· other' important naval aviation appointments.
Supply BranchOfJi.cers Shifted,
Five offic~rs of the supply branch ofthe Royal Canadian Navy took up newappointments in· .July and August.
Cdr. (S)~BeverleY E. Gaynor, whohad been supply officer at Stadacona,was appointed supply-. officer at Sheartl.'ater. He succeeded, on JuIY~118, Cdr.(S) Harold Connor Ledsham.
Cdr. Ledsham replaced Cdr. (S) Raymond V. Bowditch as supply officer of
. Page. ten·
the Magnificent on July 30. The lattertook up a new appointment as Directorof General Stores at Naval Headquarters on August 20.
Cdr. (S) Austin B. Rivers was appointed to Stadacona as supply officer,
.. effectiveJuly, 30.,. His appointment asOfficer-in-Charge of the Aviation Supply Depot at· Shearwater was filled byLt.-Cdr. (S) James W. Thomson, formerly Deputy. Supply Officer in theQuebec.
Officers~ RankFor SUIJply Men
Two former petty officers have beenpromoted to the rank of acting sublieutenant in the supply branch of theRoyal Canadian Navy. They areA/8ub-Lt. (S) Harold Allan MacCuliough and A/Sub-Lt. (8) Albert ArthurAllen.
In August t:Q.ey began a six-weekdivisional officer's course at Cornwallis,and in October went to Naval Supply
Education CreditsGarnered in North
Naval education credits are an important by-product of an Arctic cruisein the Labrador. Many of the men takeadvantage of the opportunity to studycourses and to write examinations.There is no shore leave and, althoughit is fascinating to watch the heavy icegive way under the bow of the ship,there isn't always 'ice present. TheLahrador often'.' sails' through. greatstretches of open water and a 'regular"sea-routine" is the order of the day.
A seaman who shuns the usual cribbage; bridge, hobby crafts and readingcan work his way through basic andintermediate' courses right up to the,Higher Education Tests, which are thenaval equivalent of junior matriculation.
The books. for the. various courses arecarried in the Labrador and the men·usetheir off-time to· good adv3:nJage.Booksfor 111 'courseswere drawn betweenthe start' of the. voyage and August 1,6.The final examinatfon tests are carriedand as. soon as R man completes, acourse he writes the exami~ation.. Thenhe draws the books for the 'next courseahdconfinues right on.
The chaplain is the acting educatio~
officer. He is in charge of the text books,organizes classes in basic English andArithmetie, marks the practice 'tests,and arranges and. monitors the finalexaminations. However, he does nothave the responsibility of marking thefinal pap~.rs. These' are sent to thecommand educati~n office anct the. re- ,suIts come from the,re.
School in Montreal for a supply officer/s,technical course. Followi n g thesecourses they will take up appointmentsin the fleet.
Chaplains GivenNew' Appointments
Four Roman Catholic. chaplains ofthe Royal Canadian Navy received newappointments this summer.
Chaplain Joseph E. 'Whelly has beenappointed to the Bonaventure, at Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was suc~
ceeded as Command Chaplain (Re)on the staff. of the Flag Officer AtlanticCoast, by Chaplain Joseph H., LaPortewho took· up his new appointment onSeptember 3.
Chaplain John A. Eves, Ireland, andVictoria, relieved ·Chaplain LaPorte atCornwallis on August 27.
Replacing .Chaplain Eves, on August20, at Naden, was Chaplain John P.Farrell. Chaplain Farrell was formerlyRoman Catpolie Chaplain in theQuebec.
Diver's ProduceLive Lo bster
A "practical" \lse for diving wasdemonstrated to crows attending theFirst Annual Lobster Carnival at Summerside, P.E.I., when two naval diversdropped into the sea from a helicopterand emerged bearing a 8i-pound livelobster, which was presented to themayor of Summerside.
The demonstration was put on by adiving team from Halifax, headed' byLieut.E. D.' Thompson, and the diverswho performed the feat of legerdemainwere Petty Offieers V. N. '·Melanson andY. J. Gingras. Needless to say they hadnot combed the bottom of the Atlanticfor the lobster. It came from a planted,lobster trap whose location was markedbya buoy.
Throughout . the Lobster Carnival,held from July 18 to 21, a. static display,featuring diving gear, was open to thepublic.
The· display was arranged by CPO W.R. Morton; RCN recuiter for PrinceEdwRrd Island,. and showed both 'deepSea and.shal1ow~water equipment. Theequipment was brought to the island bythe diving tearn, who put on the "live"diving, 4isplay on, the last day of 'thecarnival.
Wren OfficersPromoted
The promotion in· rank of two wrenofficers was announced by Naval Head-qyarters. " . , .. '.
Promoted to lieutenanf-comrl\lander(W) was Lieut. 'Jean CraWford-Smith,
Staff Officer (Wrens) to the Flag OfficerNaval Divisio'ns in' Hamilton. She isthe first regular force wren officer toattain the rank of lieutenant-com~
mander.Promoted to lieutenant (W) (SB)
was Sub-Lt. Patricia Rosemary Rennie,operations officer at HMCS Coverdale,naval radio station near Moncton.
Com,tn,issiolJ,S 101·Tltree CPOs. Three forlner chief petty officers ofthe ,Royal Canadian Navy have beenpromoted to the rank, of acting commissioned officer. 'They are A/Cd. Master~
at-Arms James Gordon MacQuarrie,A/Cd. Commissary Off. RaymondHorace Barringer and A/Cd. Stores Off.Geoffrey Jackson Clark.
Cd. MAA MacQuarrie was to' attenda divisional course at Cornwallis beforetaking up an appointment on the staffof the Area Recruiting Officer, EasternOntario, in October. Cd. CommissaryOff. Barringer was appointed to Hochelaga, the Naval Supply Centre atMontl~eal, and Cd. Stores Off. Clarktook up an appointn1ent at Glouceste1",naval radio' station near Ottawa. Thelatter two assumed their new dutieson August 1.
Difficult 1JlercyErraltll PerforlYl,ed
A cable ship, engaged in laying cablesouth from Alaska off the Queen Charlotte Islands and unable to slackenspeed or alter course, offered a difficultrescue problem when one of her seamenwas seriously injured in late August.
A seaman, Alfred Wore, suffered multiple leg fractures when he ,wascrushed by a 'cable drum on board theAlbert J. Meyer.
A Canadian fisheries vessel failedthrough lack of speed in an attempt toremove the injured seaman. The AIgerine coastal escort HMCSOshawawas diverted from a training cruise inthe area and, in a late night manceuvre,came alongside the Albe'rt J. Meye1" andtook the accident victim on board.
Four hours of fast steaming broughtthe Oshawa to Port Hardy, on thenorthern end of Vancouver Island.There an RCAF Dakota was waiting tofly the injured man to Seattle.
Naval AviationChanges An,nOUltCed
Cdr. John Doug~as Lowe has beenappointed Deputy Director of NavalAviation at Naval Headquarters. Hesucceeds Cdr. H. James Hunter, assignedto the U.S. Navy's test pilot course at
the U.S. Naval Test Centre, at Patuxent River, Maryland.
Both officers began their naval careers on the lower deck-Cdr. Lowe as aboy seaman and Cdr. lIunter as an ordinary seaman-and received their comlnissions early in the Second World War.
Cdr. Lowe ·was promoted to his present rank on July 1 of this year, whileserving as Staff Officer (Iielicopters) atI-Ieadquarters. Cdr. Iiunter was servingas an exchange officer in the USS York~
town (aircraft carrier) off I{orea whenpromoted from lieutenant-commander inJuly 1954.
o fJicer Atten,(IsNATO Course
Cdr. Raymond Albert Green has goneoverseas to attend the tenth course atthe NATO Defence College7 Paris7 beginning on September 3.
Cdr. Green was Staff Officer (AirPersonnel) at Naval Headquarters befOJ;'e taking up his new appointment.
Avia.tioJt StoresPost Fillell
Cdr. (S) Peter Harold Sinclair became Director of Aviation Stores onthe Staff of the Supply Officer-in-Chiefat Naval Headquarters on Septem-'
. bel' 10. .
His predecessor was Lt.-Cdr. (S)J. Kevin, Power who began a busi-
RCN Firemen HelpIn, Halifax Blaze'
Fire fighters .from HMe Dockyardfou.ght side by side with city firemenwhen a dangerous and costly fire ragedon-the Halifax waterfront on August 18.Small boys playing with matches startedthe' blaze which destroyed five warehouses and storage buildings. The losswas several hundred thousands of,dollars.
HMC Dockyard's Fire Tug No. 1was on duty assisting Halifax firemenfor five and a half hours and duringmuch of that 'time the Stadacona company was on standby duty should its.services be required.
A letter of gratitude for the assistance'leilt by naval fire fighters was addressedto Rear-Aqmiral R. E. S. Bidwell, FlagOfficer Atlantic Coast, by Mayor L.A.Kitz, as follows:
UMany thanks for the immediateassistance 'of naval ,fire boat in fightingfire on our waterfront Friday. ChiefMacGillivray found it of great help incarrying on his dangerous job. It isanother of many acts that demonstrates.the spirit of co-operation existing be'tween the Navy and our city."
ness administration course at the University of Western Ontario, London, thisfall. Lt.-Cdr. Power had been Director of Aviation Stores since June 1954,
"Biggest ShowOJ. Ice" Staged
Dubbed the "biggest show on ice" by, the ship's newspaper, the Sunday Night
Jamboree had its inaugural performance on board the Labrador on July 29,The show was held in the cafeteria andwas attended by the Captain, the Commander, a number of other officers andmost of the ship's company.
HEmceed" by PO J. E. Elliott, ofMontreal and Halifax, the performancelasted just over an hour and featuredmembers of the crew in songs ' thatranged from spirituals to old favouritesto "Rock Island Line".
Musical accompaniment was suppliedby a band composed of Ldg. Sea. R. L.Hinder of Halifax on the bass fiddle(an inverted gash can, length of ropeand half a broomstick); Ldg. Sea. S. G.D. Guertin, of Halifax and Ottawa, onthe harmonica; Able Seamen J. A.Adams, of .,Toronto, ,and, K. Knight, ofSarnia, on electric guitars; Ldg. Sea.B. A. Chestney, of Hamilton, with thebones, and AB M. J. Legault of Montreal on drums (a cake tin borrowedfrom the galley). The cox'n, CPO D.B. Backman, of Halifax, strummed theukelele with commendable zeal.
The "orchestra", calling themselvesthe Northern Airs, were dressed in uniform trousers and tee shirts, toppedoff by two-foot wid e,-Scll.aw'----how--±~je~sJ----
and colourful cardboard bowlers.One item on the card, not requiring
the services of the band, was a short"talk" by PO Van Northwick, USN.Using PO Elliott as stooge, he told a jokewhich was not only funny, but no onehad heard it before. He was calledback later for a second performance.
It was a rapid-fire show, informaland with no delays. The audience applauded vigorously and all are lookingforw~rd to the next program. '"
'Lab' AssistalJ,tGaill,s Promotiol.
A former petty officer, Robert Gregory Armstrong, has been promoted tothe rank of acting commissioned officer(Medical'Technician) .
Cd. Off. Armstrong, formerly' alaborato'ry assistant in the RCN Hospital at Stadacona, was promoted onJuly 1. On August 24, 'he went toCornwallis for a divisional course andon completion he ,was appointed forduty' as a laboratory technician at theBCN Hospital at Naden.
Page eleven
Showcases of the Royal Canadian NavyCitizens, Sailors Make Friends at Fairs and Navy Days
Three wrens, who won top places in a "cover girl" contest ~onducted by "AI Pat" Joseph'leditor and publisher of "The Rovin' Pigeon", annual publication for hospitalized veterans, are picturedhere as they received their prizes from Major.General J. M. Rockingham' at the CNE. First place wentto Wren pawn Downey,.af....vork, ,C!.!..l~~t!. and third to Wren "Jackie" Watso'!I...'!f St.ar: at right. WrenJoyce Wright, of York, was a runner-up. (COND-2946)
Page twelve
AT THE CNE
A DYNAMIC display of weapons,equipment and techniques and
olher popular features such as militarybands, "frogmen", and a 120-man precision drill 'team thrilled approximately750,000 visitors to the Armed ForcesExhibit and the grandstand show at the1956 Canadian National Exhibition inToronto.
At the Armed Forces area, just westof the grandstand, the Navy, Army andAir Force combined to present a comprehensive picture of Canada's defenceprogram to more than half a million
. persons. The tri-service drill team,. trained to the ultimate in precision,was an important part of the grandstand show which played to capacityaudiences nightly during the two-weekexhibition.
In the centre of the main Tri-Servicedisplay area the RCN showed a 45-footmodel of the first Canadian-owned aircraft carrier, HMCS Bonaventure, whichis scheduled to be commissioned earlynext year. The model was completein every detail, even to miniatures of
the ship's aircraft - Banshee twin-jetfighters and CS2F-l anti-submarineplanes. A feature of the ship-and themodel-is the angled flight deck, oneof the most significant developments incarrier construction in recent years.
The Army's main display in the central area was an infantry defensiveposition complete with weapons. Visitors were invited inside. the position to.see how soldiers carry out this important phase of military tactics.
The RCAF's portion of the centresection was occupied by a float-equippedOtter aircraft, a Canadian-designed andbuilt machine whose versatility makesit adaptable to many useful roles inthe Air Force.
Other naval exhibits included exactscale models of five of the RCN's latestships and aircraft; a model in intricatedetail of the propulsion machinery ofa "St. Laurent" class destroyer escort,and an animated map depicting thenumerous cruises carried out by shipsof the Great Lakes fleet in the summertraining of personnel of the RCN (Reserve) .
By means of an elaborate terrainmodel the Army demonstrated how
modern artillery operates in the field,while ail exhibit of electronic equipment depicted the' highly technical nature of the work of the Royal CanadianElectrical and Mechanical Engineers. Aduplicate of the standard barracksroom found in all the Army's newcamps illustrated the improvementsmade in living accommodation for thesoldier in recent years.
Air defence, and how the Air Forcecarries out this vital role, was demonstrated in detail by the RCAF.
A centre of attention was "CorporalElectro, RCAF", a mechanical robot possessing considerable capabilities, eventhough his anatomical evolution needbe traced back only as far as a pileof discarded aircraft parts.
The spiritual side of service life received full attention, with a modelchapel manned by chaplains of vari()usdenominations from the three services.
As in past years, there was a specialexhibit :featuring the Bureau of CurrentAffairs, while films of Navy, Army andAir Force activities were shown continuously in the motion picture theatreon the north side of the area.
Band concerts were given in ·the areaoff the. east of the tri-service bridge.Also in this area, the RCAF offeredvisitors a chance to test their basicffying ability in one of three Linktrainers.
The Royal Canadian Navy Band and120 men of the Navy, Army and AirForce took part each afternoon andevening in the CNE grandstand show.The tri....Service drill team presented athrilling display combining precisiondrill, showmanship and colour. Thecombined pipe and· drum bands of thefour Canadian ':Army regular battalionsand the 48th Highlanders of Canada(Militia )_HA Hundred Pip~rs and A'"-also were' a part of the exciting military phase of the gr'andstand show.
Underwater swimmers, or "frogmen",from th'e Royal Canadian Navy's' Operational Diving Unit at Halifax, demonstrated various aspects of their dangerous' but intriguing duties on the lakefront on Friday, August 31. The frogmen put on an aftel;noon as well asan evening show. '.
A squadron of Banshee twin - jet, fighter 'aircl'aft of the-Royal Canadian
Navy took part in tqe Canadian International Air' Show, 'he1d this year inconjunction with th!;;~N:E:'" Before hundreds of thousands of people lining the
"."': .
IN THE AIR
Hon. L. 8. Pearson, Minister of External Affairs, is seen as he concludes the inspection of thenaval portion of the tri·service drill team during the Canadian National Exhibition. (COND-2943)
T HERE WAS a great deal of activity in front of number one
hangar at Shearwater when 870 FighterSquadron made preparations to takeoff for Malton Airport, Toronto, to takepart in the Canadian International Airshow on September 7 and 8 during thelast two days of the Canadian NationalExhibition.
After the main party was aboard theRCAF airlift aircraft and well on itsway, eight. Banshee jet fighters took offand set course for Toronto.
Arriving at Toronto, the squadronheld two days of rehearsals and founditself rcady to perform.
The United States Navy had sent its"Blue Angels" aerobatic team a'nd therewas a series of aerobatics by Royal
The following officers from the local Canadian Air Force aircraft, so theretri-service committee were responsible was a great deal of competition.for the entire organization of the armed The first portion on the Royal Can-forces exhibits and demonstrations at adian Navy's show was a slow flypastthe Quebec Provincial Exhibition: Lt.- by Lieut. J. V. Searle, who dropped aCdr. J. R. Gratton, chairman and naval towed banner in front of the crowd,member; Major P. F. Gosselin, RCASC, which had printed upon it in large let-army member; Flt. Lt. J .. Demers, RCAF tel's for all to see, the word "Navy".member and Lieut. A. D. Taylor, RCN, Seconds later five aircraft flew by insecretary. "V" formation at high speed.
Construction, install ati on of m ateri a1'----Immec.liat_el~lt-er--this_t_he_aerobatie___and art work were under the direction team led by the commanding officerof Harold Provost of the Canadian Lt.-Cdr. R. H. Falls, with Lieut. J. H.Government Exhibition Commission.- Birks, and Lieut. G. L. Edwards asA.D.T. wingmen, swooped in for a formation
barrel roll, followed by a formationloop. Between these formation stuntstwo other Banshees were "Johnny onthe spot", with inverted flypasts, sevenor eight upward rolls, and various otherllerobatic manreuvres. These aircraftwere flown on alternate days by Lieut.Herrington, United States Navy exchange pilot, Lieut. W. S. Sloan, Lieut.D. A. Prout, and Lieut. F. C. Willis.
The show ended with the squadronspecialty, the leader of the formationflying inverted, with an aircraft oneach wing, after which all six aircraftdid a low-level, high-speed flypast, anda series of "Victory" rolls.
Differing from most squadrons, VF870 thus proved its versatility, and allsquadron pilots took part, instea<;l ,offollowing the T\ormal practice of employing the skill of a small select groupwhen participating in a show of thiskind.
IN OLD QUEBEC
waterfront and jamming the exhibitiongrounds the sailor-flyers put on a display of low level formation flying andprecision aerobatics which comparedfavourably with anything seen anywhere on the continent. The show tookplace on September 6 and 7 and waspreceded by two days of rehearsals.
OCCUPYING the central area ofQuebec Provincial Exhibition the
armed forces exhibits and demonstrations again attracted thousands at thecountry's third-largest annual exhibition. Paid admissions to the exhibitiongrounds totalled 395,000.
The naval exhibit featured static displays, including a 25-foot scale modelof the St. Laurent; inside the navalbooth, considerably enlarged since 1955,were shown triple-deck bunks of aluminum with locker and drawers asfitted in the new DEs, a model of thestarboard side of the St. Laurent machinery compartments, and the builder'smodel of the improved Tribal class destroyer Micmac.
Taking part in the tri-service demonstrations was the silver trumpet bandof HMCS Carleton, the Ottawa navaldivision, under the direction of Lieut.Gerald E. Heatley. It played two concerts during the Labour Day weekend visit and, with the Carleton guard,on three occasions performed il modified version of the Sunset Ceremony.
Major-General J. P. E. Bernatchez,General Officer Commanding Quebec
-----Command,-Ylsiting from his headquarters in Montreal, made an informal tourof the tri-service exhibits on the morning of Armed Forces Day, Saturday,8 September. That afternoon an officialvisit to the Armed Forces Area waspaid by Brigadier F. J. Fleury, Commander Eastern Quebec Area, Cdr. J.M. Favreau., Commanding Officer HMCSD'Iberville, and Wing Commander E.A. Smith, RCAF, Officer CommandingCEPE Valcartier, Que. Heavy rain cancelled 'all service demonstrations except an impressive fly-past by four CF100 jet fighters based at Bagotville,Que.
RCN recruiting personnel, under thecommand of Lt.-Cdr. Rene Gratton,of Montreal organized and carried outthe naval participation at this importantprovincial exhibition. Senior men ofHMCS Montcalm the Quebec City navaldivision with Sub-Lt. Yves Audet incharge manned the naval booth and thelarge St. Laurent model.
D'Iberville provided transportation,security guards at night, working parties and certain materiel.
Page thirteen
the opportunity of making two flightsin the F3H Demon, and both were immensely impressed with its performance. During the flights they took theaircraft through the speed of sound,being two of the few RCN pilots topass through the sonic barrier. Theyreported no ill affects.
The company was host at two banquets for the squadron and the pilotswere introduced to a large crowd atthe Mid-America Jubilee in downtownSt. Louis. The Banshees truly met, andmuch enjoyed meeting, their "maker".-G.L.E. '
NAVY DAY-EAST'0'N FRIDAY, August 31, the most
ambitious Navy Day programever scheduled by the Atlantic Command took place in Halifax Harbourand the naval dockyard area.
There were parades, bands, floats,special rides for the children, spectacular water and air demonstrations, plusdisplays of the latest equipment thenavy uses in its training and operationalprograms.
The day-long program was designedto give the citizens of the Halifax areaan opportunity to see the navy at workand to examine at close quarters itsships and equipment.
More than 4,000 officers and men andnearly 30 'Ships took part in the NavyDay program. .
CAN YOURING,AANPESIG
One of the most popular booths in the Armed Forces area at the CNE was "Neptune's NauticalCollege" where every visitor had a chance to win a "diploma" by answering four of <I series ofquestions on nautical subjects. A bell rang to indicate the right answer had been given and thequestions weren't too hard. One of the "sheepskins" is displayed by Wren Margaret S. Elke, ofSaskatoon. (COND-2986)
were spotless, and the pleasant working conditions of the plant in generalwere extremely impressive.
Tuesday and Wednesday Lt.-Cdr.Falls and Lt. J. H. Birks were given
rUNE'S NAUTICAL COL
A large model of the new aircraft carrier Bonaventure, with Banshees on its angled deck wasa central item of the RCN exhibit at the CNE. The Spe,ctators here include Vice-Admiral H. N. Lay,Vice-Chief of the' Naval Staff, Mrs. toy and his son, David. (COND.2917)
Page fOUl·teen
The air show was successful in allrespects and credit goes to the maintenance personnel of the squadron whodid the almost impossible feat of gettingand keeping eight aircraft serviceableuntil their return to Shearwater' tendays later. From most reports theRoyal Canadian Navy's new jet fighters made their central Canadian debutin great style.
After taking part in the air show atToronto, the eight Banshees flew downto St. Louis, Missouri, for a three-dayvisit· to the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, on the kind invitation of thecompany and the company's Shearwater representative; C. E. "Bud"Wright.
Arriving on a sizzling hot Sunday afternoon the pilots were royallygreeted by company executives and asmall convoy of company cars whichwere put at the disposal of the flyerswhile they were in St.' Louis. Thesewere led by an air-conditioned Cadillac,which was to be the property of thecommanding officer, Lt.-Cdr. R. H. Falls,during the three days.
Early the next day the pilots weretaken on a complete tour of the McDonnell plant, and were shown manynew and interesting production methods,and assembly lines of the new McDonnellF3H Demon for the United States Navy,and the 101 Voodoo, for the UnitedStates Air Force. The plant was immaculate, the airconditioned offices
Spectators ringed the Dockyard parade square and looked down from the flight deck of theMagnificent during the physical training display by new entry seamen from Cornwallis during the1956 Navy Day in Halifax. (HS.45052)
The opening parade through Halifax Shortly afterward the centre of in- in the heart of the city, and aerial andincluded two bands, 300 officers and terest shifted from the harbour to the nautical events were run off in viewmen and nine floats. Rear-Admiral R. dockyard parade square where a group of the huge crowd assembled there.E. S. Bidwell, Flag Officer Atlantic of new entry seaman from Cornwallis There was standing room only forCoast, took the salute in front of the presented a physical training display. the crowd of 45,000 men, women andCamp Hill Hospital on Robie Street. At 5 o'clock the program ended with children that jammed the Beacon Hill
Two floats from Shearwater con- the "Beat Retreat" ceremony performed Park waterfront, but it appears thatcluded the parade. The first carried by the guard from Comwallis assisted none, wanted to sit down during whata launching unit for drone target air- by the Stadacona band. the press described as the most suc-craft used in ship-to-air and air-to-air All this time there was a highly in- cessful Navy Day ever held on thegunnery training. The second float con- teresting program of events going in West Coast.tained a naval air maintenance display the dockyard. From 2 to 5 p.m. all After the last rocket had died out in
. b th 't d . t' the ships alongside were open for pub-usmg 0' pIS on an Je' engmes. the evening sky, following a 20-minutelie inspection. They had also arrangedSharp at 2 o'clock in the afternoon fireworks display from the Ontario andtheir own demonstrations and displays
the dockyard and the ships alongside for visitors. Crescent, the crowd dispersed with thewere opened to the public. The display conviction that the display should be
In the dockyard drill shed near thein the harbour began half an hour later an annual event in perpetuity.north gate a major "static display" of
when the Royal Navy submarine Atder- Excitement was continu",,u,s throu,,gh,-{,laval equipment was set up. The Q:oAl~I'. .,.ney dived and made a run up the out the afternoon from the momentplate shop and the machine shop wereharbour using snorkel equipment. While Rear-Adml'ral H. F. PUllen, Flag Offi-open to receive visitors. The navalthe Atderney was submerged, the Iro- supply depot, the fire department, the eel' Pacific Coast, declared the celebra-quois made an attack using her anti- tion officially opened.submarine weapons. Later the Atde1'- ABCD School, naval research, the life
raft repair shop had all prepared dis- Two thousand youngsters put to seaney surfaced and another attack, thistime with surface weapons, was carried plays in their own areas of the dock- for a three-hour cruise in 10 warshipsout by the I,·oq-uois. yard, of the Pacific Command and their en-
A special feature for young visitors th' . d 11 f W t C tThe the Navy's experimental hydro- uSlasm promIse we or es oaswas the "Dockyard Express", a special 't' f th N' tfoil craft from the Naval Research Es- recrUl mg or e avy In years 0train which ran the length of the dock- E hId h db' dhiblishment made a high speed run in come. ac a a een asslgne ayard continuously giving free rides. . .
front of the dockyard, At the same naval guardIan to show hIm about theThree refreshment centres were avail-
time a unique demonstration by a heli- ship and to assure that. the inquisitiveable in the dockyard for the conveni-
copter from Sh.eu1'water and frogmen and the adventurous were kept fromence of the public.from the operational diving unit took harm.place in the south camber of Jetty No. Ashore, the younger children at-5. As the helicopter hovered over the NAVY DAY-WEST tended continuous showings of moviecamber the frogmen dropped into the N AVY DAY in the Pacific Com- cartoons in a large tent or rattledwater from a height of 25 feet. The mand, Wednesday, August 15, around a blocked-off section of Dallasfrogmen then swam back to a diving was brought close to home for Victoria Road in a model train labelled thetender. residents when the so-called static dis- "Cute Noiseless Rocket". The needs of
Ships of the 1st Escort Squadron, plays were set up in Beacon Hill Park, the very youngest of those present were---HMes-f:;oon, a pal! ol-crafl, alld--a-trelITi_;---=:'::::..:'--=-':':"'::=-='--=-==-=--2~-=---===::'::':'---=::'::':'---=-=2-_---=:::'-=---':"":=~.c...:::=~-=---::-=---=-:----"...::...,--,-,:...::..:.=-=---.:..:....::,,------
copter from Shea1'water combined forthe next demonstration. From midstream the Loon engaged one of theship's of the escort squadron with gunfire. During this several men carriedout an abandon - ship exercise andjumped into the life rafts and one washoisted into the hovering helicopter.
Aircraft from SheU"water staged afiypast over the harbour and dockyardand two jet aircraft carried out an acrobatics display.
Ships of the 1st Minesweeping Squadron conducted a minesweeping demonstration.
At 4 o'clock the frigates of the 3rdEscort Squadron steamed into the harbour on their return from a cruise toEurope. As they entered the dockyardarea they were attacked by a highspeed launch and the Loon. This wasfollowed at 4: 15 p.m. by a gunfire exercise carried out by the ships of the3rd Escort Squadron which proceededto anchor in Bedford Basin. Boats ofthe Royal Canadian Navy Sailing Association conducted a sailpast at this time.
Page fifteen
On her last day of naval service Sub-Lt. (W) V. E. (Vicky) Lavis led the Royal Canadian SeaCadet bond from Winnipeg through a rousing naval march. The Sea Cadets spent two monthstrai'ning in Hamilton this summer. The band was playing a noon hour concert at the Great LakesTraining Centre when, in 0, surprise move, the bandmaster invited Sub-Lt. Lavis to lead the groupin' recognition of her retirement from the service to be married. To the delight of the onlookers thewren officer conducted the young musicians with verve and su rprising skill. Sub. Lt. Lavis servednearly three years on the staff of the Flag Officer Naval Divisions. Now Mrs. Edward Stewart, sheresides in Toronto. (COND-2875)
taken care of by the Navy wives' organization, the Jill Tars, who, surrounded by stacks of disposable diapers,provided a changing and lost,.. and found service.
The indignities of the Crossing theLine ceremony were displayed by KingNeptune and his attendants at a tankset up in Beacon Hill Park and anotherdisplay ribbed the general stores peoplewith a number of exhibits which included a crate labelled: "Deliver to H.Nelson, HMS Victory. Deadline delivery date, Oct. 21, 1805." A cook'sdisplay - "Every meal a banquet" offered two choices, "take it" or "leaveit".
The standing of the ship's cook wasredeemed by another exhibit, in thesupply depot tent, of a cake icing modelof HMCS Athabaskan, modelled by POCarl Monech, of Naden. This exhibithad Victoria housewives "oh-ing" and"ah-ing", according to 'press accounts.
The humorous displays supplementeda wide range of exhibits of equipmentand services of the navy of today.On the serious side was the chaplaincyservice tent, where an altar was set upand religious music was played continuouslythroughout the day, whilepadres explained to inquirers how theservice met the spiritual and personalneeds of the sailor.
The Pacific Naval Laboratory haddropped a basket of minnows offshoreand, by means of a microphone, theclicking sounds of voracious crabs trying to get at the trapped fish wereheard on shore.
The RCAF provided a helicopter fromwhich naval frogmen tumbled into thesea to carry out a demolitions exercise.The guns of the Cayuga blazed as navalAvenger aircraft from Pat Bay carriedout ,a simulated aerial attack. TheCayuga was again to be the focus of
Parade Prize WonBy P&RT Float
The P&RT entry in Ithe Navy DayParade in 'Victoria won the oest float
, trophy 'against ,strong, and extremelYoriginal, competition from other shipsand establishments in the Pacific Command.
Keeping the theme on the 'physicalside. and at the same time having inmind the distance-swimming craze. thewinning float depicted a, Juan de FucaStrait 'swim.
The float was in four par'ts: a mobile replica of the City or' Port Angeles., a model tug and, behind this abathtub full of "Juan de Fuca Strait"complete with a Strait swimmer. Therewas also a, ",c,oachi:ng'~'boat" on rollerskates.
Page sixteen
attention 'when she carried out a highspeed run along the waterfront in theevening and dropped a depth charge.
During one of the offshore demonstrations, the Avengers dropped fiveparachute flares and the Cayuga's gunsopened up. Air Force CF-lOOs andLancasters shared in the aerial show,the jets at times approaching the soundbarrier in their high-speed runs.
The final event of the day found theOntario and C1'escent, both illuminated,offshore and sending up what spectators
said was the most gorgeous display offireworks ever seen in Victoria.
Ashore, the crowds had listened to a40 - minute evening concert by theNaden band and bandsmen were immens~ly pleased with the receptiongiven them by their listeners.
The chairman of the Navy Day celebrations was Captain Robert Welland,who referred to the day's program as"Operation Shop Window". He expressed the Navy's thanks for the cooperation given by Victoria and districtcommercial firms.
PICTURE RECALLS RN FISHERIES PATROL'Mystery Ship' Appears to Have Been HMS Cleopatra
OCCASIONALLY an old navalphotograph comes to light in Naval
Headquarters that cannot readily beidentified. When such a picture suggestssome connection with the naval historyof Canada, The Crowsnest gladly publishes it in the hope that one of itsreaders may be able to clear up themystery. Such was the case in the Aprilissue when the darker picture of thetwo on this page was published.
There were few takers. One correspondent believed the ship to be HMSAlert of the 1875 expedition to Canada'sArctic by Captain George Nares, RN.However, the AI,ert was known to havethe typical "clipper" bow and slim stackof the sloop of that time and not the"ram" bow and fat funnel of our mystery ship.
Instructor Lt.-'Cdr. L. Farrington ofHMCS Venture provides the other picture on this page to identify the mysteryship as HMS Cleopatra, third-classcruiser.
This photograph serves to point upthe fact that long before there was aRoyal Canadian Navy, the interests ofRed Ensign ships in the fisheries offNewfoundland were at all times protected by ships of the North America andWest Indies Station of the Royal Navy.
Lt.-Cdr. Farrington found this photo-__.j;g"Ll'",-aph of the....Ckm ' i r ic Jlar
service in the "Navy and Army Illus-.trated" of March 20, 1896. At the foretopmast head can be seen the broadpendant of, a Commodore 2nd Class,Captain the Honourable Asheton G.CurZOI1-Howe, CB, RN, and at the mizzen gaff below the White Ensign, the
. church pennant has been hoisted.Originally designated a corvette, the
Cleopat1'a had a length of 225 feet, some20 feet longer than the Canadian corvette Sackville, the only corvette left'in the service today. However at 2380tons, she more than doubled the displacement of the Saclwille.
With a hull of steel and coppersheathed wood construction, the. Cleo1Jaira shown here in the ice served forover half a century. Launched at Glasgow in 1878, she is shown in the NavyList right up to 1931, latterly as HMSDefiance III, a hulk tender to the torpedo school at Devonport.
At the time of her service in Canadianwaters, the Cleopatra was a ship of 14guns. Her deck plan as shown in
Brassey's Naval Annual indicates all ofthese guns as being on the upper deck,there being a broadside of six gunseach side. These were 64-pounders MLR(Muzzle Loading Rifled); the upperdeck gave access to four "blisters" orsponsons to which guns could be shiftedto increase the arc of fire. Similarlytwobow-and-stern chasers, each weighing 90 hundredweight, were positioned
.~ ,it!"--r ...-d'-
one in the eyes and the other to fireover the stern. The diameter of thebore of this gun was seven inches andthe maximum effective range was 5,500yards. In addition to two light guns,the ship carried six machine-guns.
The Cleopatra, manned by 252 men,was of the Comus class; HMS Champ
,ion, well known on the Esquimalt Station was also of this class.-E.C.R.
Page seventeen
AFLOAT AND ASHORE
A daring young man, brash enough to show his wife that he, too, knows his way around the"kitchen", AB Bill Goddard, cook on board the Magnificent Is seen displaying his skill with a carvingknife. Mrs. Goddard was among the hundreds of wives and children who took part In the Maggie's"family day" four-hour croise on September 24. The cruise had a "See what Daddy does at sea"motif, with a view to giving families some understanding of the sailor's life afloat.
Page eighteen
ATLANTIC COMMAND
HMCS Labrador
The visit of Rear-Admiral H. S. Rayner to the Labrador on August 18, gavehim a picture of the rewards and penalties of work in the Canadian Arctic.
In flying north, Admiral Rayner underwent cancelled flight plans, indefinite delays, and middle-of-the-nightdepartures, finally arriving on board 30hours later than planned.
After this introduction, things tooka turn for the better and it seemed asif the Arctic itself was putting on ashow for his benefit. The "met" officerhad been instructed to provide ice suitable for a demonstration of ice-breaking techniques and, thanks to a favourable wind, the ice appeared within afew hours of Admiral Rayner's arrival.
In quick succession the same day,both walruses and polar bears weresighted as the ship steamed througha maze of floes ranging in thicknessfrom four to 15 feet. Even the necessity for a quick change of plans wasencountered when a beacon-erecting
operation had to be cancelled becauseof the abundance of ice near the beach.
The admiral was entertained at amess dinner Saturday night, visited theChief and POs' mess on Sunday afternoon and listened to an outstandingship's concert in the evening. This wasan.other of the regular Sunday nightjamborees featuring the "NorthernAirs" with electric guitars and a variety,of hand-made' instruments.
On Monday the delays inherent inArctic air travel began once more andit was not until. that evening that theflight southward began.
HMCS D'Iberville
Quebec City was the port of call offive American warships and one Frenchfrigate during June and July. Theusual hospitality was extended to officers and men by D'Iberville on eachoccasion.
A particularly successful smoker washeld in the Chief and Petty Officers'Mess in honour of the men fromthe French frigate l'Aventure. HMCSBuckingham called in Quebec City on
AugUst 4 to embark His Honour theLieutenant Governor of Quebec to visitthe lower St. Lawrence and the Gulfof St. Lawrence municipalities. Whilethe Buckingham was alongside in Quebec, D'Iberville's new entries weregiven the opportunity to walk aroundthe ship.
Group Captain J. Archambault, commanding officer of the RCAF station.St.· Johns, Quebec, visited the Navy andArmy counterparts in Quebec City ofthe school under his command.
Captain W. J. Parry, RN; U.K. SeniorNaval Liaison Officer visited D'Ibervilleon August 21.
With the arrival of warm weatherin June one division of new entriesproceeded weekly to Lake St. Augustine,12 miles outside Quebec City, for aday's practical instruction in seamanship, with emphasis in boat work andseaboat drill.
A supply' officer changeover tookplace during July. Lieut. (S) R. Bonoyer assumed the duties of Supply Officer D'Iberville on July 23.
On Friday, August 3, the thousandthnew entry completed training in D'Iberville since commissioning. To. mark theoccasion Ord. Sea. Gaston Bergeron waspresented with an appropriately designed cake, baked by the ship's galley staff.
The Quebec Provincial Exhibitionprovided the Navy with a good opportunity to advertise the service. TheRoyal Canadian Navy display and thedemonstrations by HMCS Carletonband and precision squad were acredit to the RCN.
On September 1, on his arrival inQuebec, His Excellency the GovernorGeneral inspected the guard.. Theyoung sailors rivalled the old timersof the Royal 22nd and succeeded in'impressing His Excellency very favourably. His Excellency was in residenceat '. the' Citad~lle in' Quebec City forthe month of September.
The arrival of CPO T. M. Mottershead gave a new emphasis to the Physical and Recreational training programin ,the establishment. Two new entryand two ship's company softball teamswere entered in a double round robinsoftball tournament. The officers' andCPOs' team won the tournament.
An Armed Forces - Softball Tournament game was played on September
The crack guard and trumpet band of HMCS Carleton, Ollawa naval division, made an auspi·cious appearance in the capital by performing the Sunset Ceremony on Parliament Hill Sundayafternoon, September 22, before an estimated 5,000 interested citizens. Rear-Admiral H. S. Rayner,Chief of Naval Personnel, took the salute at the marchpast following the ceremony. The Ollawacitizen-sailors have appeared in many Ontario towns and cities. Lt.-Cdr. W. M. Dicks is the officerof the guard, Lieut. Gerry Heatley, the bandmaster. The former is also gunnery officer of Carleton.(0-8739)
Navigation Direction Training CentreThings have settled down to the nor
mal busy routine in the NavigationDirection Training Centre at Nadenwith the return of three instructors,POs Norman B. Hill, Ronald Speed andWilliam Plant from'the Pacific NationalExhibition in Vancouver, where a successful display was the centre of attraction.
The thousands of spectators visitingthe Armed Forces Exhibit at the PNEsaw, among other things, the differenttypes of radar, loran and plotting whichwere set up by the NDTC. A chartof Vancouver harbour was displayed,allowing the public to compare Vancouver on the chart with the picture
TAS Training CentreFifty-eight officers of the RCN, RCAF
and USN attended the first junior antisubmarine warfare course ever held onthe West Coast by the Joint MaritimeWarfare School, Halifax, during October.
Attending the course, which was heldin the TAS Training Centre, Naden,were 25 officers from various ships inthe Pacific Command, four USN officers and 29 aircrew officers from RCAFStation, Comox.
taking courses. Among the senior men Normally, all courses in maritimedrafted are: CPOs Douglas Evans, John warfare are held at Halifax but due toDrew, Norman Gustafson, Tom Bon- the large numbers of officers nominatedneau, William Grondin, Allen Wise, from the West Coast it was decided toDave Naysmith and Murray Minckler. bring the JMWS staff officers here from
Recent arrivals include CPOs John the East Coast. The course lasted forHaight, Frank. Durkee, Joe McCall, three weeks, the first two in the schoolGeorge Fairbank, Frank Pell oW--lallnlJdl.-_...!a!.!n~d,LJt~h~ir!,JdbL.la;!Jt,---"ses;,a<L.Ji""nL1>s!Jh.ljip[,l;s>-l.ouf_tldh.lleo<.J:S:ne:aca.otLnLLdL-__Norm Mackie. A/Sub-Lt. (E) R. D. Canadian Escort Squadron.Detwiler is leaving to join Ontario. Senior staff officers in charge of theCPO Eldon "Curly" Martin has re- school were: Cdr. A. H. Rankin, thecovered from his recent stay in RCNH, RCN director, and Wing Commanderwhile CPO Robert Whalen has been J. E. Creeper, the RCAF director. Theadmitted. Twelve engineering person- senior instructor was Lt.-Cdr. D. M.nel members are commencing the MacLennan, and the chief instructor,Makers' Cours~ at various cities in Squadron Leader G. G. Agnew.Canada.
CPO Thomas Dawe is counting thedays of rehabilitation leave and POJames "Slim" Hay is already enjoyinghis leave, after 20 years' service.
Mechanical Training EstablishmentRoutine has returned to normal around
the School following leave, ceremonialguards, Pacific National Exhibition, etc.,with 104 men under various phases ofinstruction at the present time.
Many changes have taken place withrelief drafts for men instruction and
15 and 16 with two teams from theRCAF stations at St. Sylvestre andMont Apica; a team from R'CMP anda team from D'Iberville. The RCAFteam from Mont Apica won the honoursbut it was a close fight with D'Iberville's team.
The Commanding Officer was presentat the June 17 ceremony of the elevation of His Excellency the Archbishopof Quebec, Maurice Roy, to the rankof Primate of the Roman CatholicChurch of Canada. His Excellency isalso' the Bishop Ordinary of the Canadian forces.
D'Iberville participated in the paradede la St-Jean Baptiste on June 24 inhonour of the patron saint of theFrench-speaking Canadians.
On July 2 our sailors honoured Samuel de Champlain by attending a hugeparade organized to commemorate thememory of the founder of Quebec.
July 23 marked the annual pilgrimage of D'Iberville personnel to Ste-Annede Beaupre shrine. A favourable impression was made by our sailors onthe 5,OOO-strong crowd of worshippers.
PACIFIC COMMAND
HMCS OutremontWhen it comes to awards, CPO
Charlie Collinson of the frigate Outremont stands alone. He is the proudbearer of the OOE. That's the Orderof the Evaporator-to those who aren'tin the know.
CPO Collinson won the award fordistinguished service beyond the call ofroutine Engine Room duty. He repaired the ship's evaporator - which
-------Jli'eEluees-f-l.'esfi-wat-er-f-l.'6m-salt-wat-erwhen the ship's water supply had beenreduced to one half-day. This occurred on the third day of a ten-dayexercise. In grateful recognition, theship's company created the "Order".
CPO Collinson was presented withit by the ship's captain, Lt.-Cdr. P. G.Chance, in full traditional style. Theship's officers and the chiefs and pettyofficers were present.
A medallion-type award, it was in-. the shape of a six-pointed' star, about
half a foot across. On the front wasprinted "Hero 1st class, Order of theEvaporator" and on the reverse sidehis name. The "Order" was hung ona green baize ribbon.
Page nineteen
pany for its fine showing and trainingresults in the competition with the 21other naval divisions.
The award is made after a completestudy of the results of annual inspections of the reserve ships. Judgingwas based on analysis of ea·ch division'straining program, general appearance ofthe establishment, standard and efficiency of the ship's company as well asthe administration, public relations andcommunity relations program.
York won the honours, along withChippawa, Winnipeg. This is the thirdyear the trophy has been presented. It
. was first awarded to Prevost, London.Last year's winner was Discovery, Vancouver.
The trollhy isa mounted sterlingsilver model of the St. Laurent, Canada's new destroyer escort. It wasawarded. by Vice-Admiral H. T. W.Grant, former Chief of the Naval Staff.
T HE ESCORT squadrons of the Atlantic Command were reorganized
in September. The frigates Lanark,F01·t Erie and Lauzon which have beenthe Third Escort Squadron lost theirnumber to the St. Laurent and Assiniboine, which are now the Third EscortSquadron. The frigates were renumbered and became the Seventh EscortSquadron.
As the frigates relinquished theirnumber they passed a little poetry andadvice to the new "Third":
With steady handsWe pass to youThe title of our squadron;We don't expectIn days to comeTo have this title trod on.
Now that weHave made the ThirdA proud and well known squadron,We wish you wellFrom all of us,Fort Erie, Lanark, Lauzon.
We must admitWe'r~ not as newNor did we cost as much;You've got the speedAnd glamour too,We hope you've got our touch.
To start from scratchAnd make a nameWas not exactly heaven.So don't crap out
. With number threeWhile we roll number seven.
NAVAL DIVISIONS
HMCS YorkRear-Admiral K. F. Adams, Flag Of
ficer Naval Divisions, on October 3presented the Inter-divisional EfficiencyTrophy, awarded annually to the bestall-around naval division in Canada,to HMCS York, Toronto's naval divi..,sion.
Rear-Admiral Adams presented· thetrophy to Captain Leona.d Stupart,commanding officer of York.
In making the award, Rear-AdmiralAdams congratulated the ship's com-
The American gunnery officers andmen were challenged to a rifle shootat Heal's Range, followed by a S~lccess
ful barbecue and an evening of entertainment which was enjoyed· by all.(PS-WE won the shoot!)
In the fleet regatta, GTC made agood showing.
The Navy Day parade was a greatsuccess, thanks to all departments.This was followed by GTC's participation at the PNE with gunnery displaysand the guard and band performingthe Sunet Ceremony.
Last, J;lUt not least, the Pacific Command Rifle Association shoot at Heal'sRange was organized and supervisedby the GTC Staff.. It was the mostsuccessful event of its kind ever to beheld in the Command.
Captain Richard P. White, OBE, VRD, RCN(R),(left) turned over command of HMCS Carleton,Ottawa naval division, to Cdr.. W. ~obert Inman, CD, RCN(R), at a change-over ceremonySeptember 20 at the Dow's Lake divisionalheadquarters. Captain· Whit~, who commandedCarleton since January, 1951 ,then went on theretired list of the reserve. Cdr. Inman wasformerly the executive officer and was succeededin that appointment by Cdr. W. P. Chipman,RCN(R). (0·8933)
on the radar display. At the same timea continuous air plot was simulated.
At the present time an RP 3 .classis completing and RP 2 class is wellunder way, with another RP 3 and RP2 class to follow later in the month.
U.S. Army 'Adopts'Canadian Warship
"You're in the army now, So don'tbe late for chow". is an old song thathas a new, nautical application.
This came about in St. John's, Newfoundland, when the Labrador wasmade an "honorary" member of theUnited States Army TransportationCorps' 727th GU TTC (NEAC).
During a visit to St. John's by theLabrador, Captain T. C. Pullen and hiscrew members were honoured by theUSATC unit in "recognition of the finespirit o:f co-operation between theCanadian Navy vessel and the ATCduring operations on the DEW line in1955".
Colonel. C. J. Rinker, TerminalCommander of the 727th GU Transportation Command (NEAC),. presented Captain Pullen with an impressive scroll naming the.Labrador andher complement to the honorary membership in the unit.
Captain Pullen accepted the suitablyframed membership certificate on behalf of himself and the ship's company and expressed his pleasure atthe honour that had been bestowedon the ship and the crew..
The Labrador had been in St. John'sfor discussions with the USATC inconnection with the 1956 resupply ofthe DEW line sites.
Gunnery Training CentreThe Gunnery Training Centre has
once again settled down to teach thefine art of gunnery after a hectic summer of ceremonial occasions. Theseincluded the visit to the West Coast ofHis Excellency the Governor Generalto unveil a cairn in Beacon Hill Park(commemorating the presentation ofthe Queen's Colour to the RCN), anda visit by a USN squadron.
Ordnance SchoolThe greatest number, of ordnance
personnel in the. historY··of the Ordnanc School at NaeJ,en is under instruction at the present time, a total of 53officers and men. Following are theclasses under training: 7th ordnanceofficers, 5th OTs "Q", 6th and 7tharmourers "Q", CA conversion courseand 15th armourers' mates.
Recent additions to the staff at theschool were Ord. Lieut. N. T. Malcolm
.for pre-commissioning training beforetaking up his appointment in theSkeena, and PO Bill Wood from theOntario.
Page twenty
AN HONORARY TAIL-HOOK PILOT IS BORNOfficer's Wife Describes Experiences in Carrier
Former wren, and the wife of It.·Cdr. Hector Buchanan, Canadian Naval Liaison Officer at thePensacola, Florida, Naval Air Station, Mrs. Peggie Buchanan was a guest on board the aircraft carrierUSS Saipan on the day Sub·Lt. Alan Hawthorne, of Peterborough, Ont., completed his deck.landingqualifications. She is shown congratulating him. (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy: CN-3022)
Page twenty-one
As reported by Peggie Buchanan
ON MAY 17, 1956, I achieved whathad been an ll-year ambition. In
1945, while serving at a Royal NavalAir Station as a member of the wrens,I became intensely interested in navalaviation, with a particular desire· tomake a trip aboard an aircraft carrierand witness deck landings. Little did Iknow then that the dream would cometrue.
The USS Saipan, operating out of theNaval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida,plays an important part in the U.S.naval air training program. It is uponher flight deck that close to 3,000 studentpilots per year qualify with six decklandings in a light trainer.
Apart from this function, the Saipanperforms another even more trying task:Every day except Saturday and Sundayshe takes on board approximately 60guests ranging from high governmentofficials to, believe it or not, wives anddependents of officers and men ser'vingin the Pensacola area. On May 17, aswife of the Canadian Liaison Officer,Lt.-Cdr. Hector Buchanan, of Vancouver, I was one of the fortunate wives.
We boarded'the captain's gig at 0730and were taken out to the ship at anchorin the stream. Oh! That first ladder, itseemed so long and shaky! I tried hardno 0 wa c my ee u was more angratified to reach the quarterdeck. Therewe were greeted by the captain, CaptainAllen M. Shinn, USN, his executiveofficer Cdr. N. Bacon, and the ship'spublic information officer, Lt.-Cdr.Johnson, who was to be our main guideand "questions and answers" man.
We were led to the elevator, by whichwe were quickly transported to the flightdeck. At once we aU felt we weregoing to be blown overboard, althoughthere was not a cloud in the ·sky andnot enough breeze to ruffle the mostelaborate hair-do. After a few momentswe felt more at ease and were usheredtoward the island for a group photograph, after which we gathered forwardof the raised barriers to witness "touchand go'; landings by several "whirlybirds" from the Helicopter TrainingUnit. This kept us interest·ed and thecamera shutters clicking until we wereout of Pensacola Bay .and headingsmartly to sea.
Our guide then invited us to go belowto the wardroom where whilst we sippedcoffee, Cdr. Bacon gave us a short
resume of the ship's history, and thenCaptain Shinn again welcomed usaboard and proceeded to give us a veryclear picture of the part the Saipanplays in the flying training program. Healso warned us of high steps, steep ladders and numerous other hazards wemight encounter and then introduced usto the ship's medical officer, who assuredus of immediate attention in any emergency. The MO further advised us thathe had a good supply of anti-seasickpills should they be needed!
By this time we had been dividedinto smaller groups, or "flights" as wewere called, and an able young officerwas appointed to each group as flightleader.
I had previously discovered that oneof our Canadian students, Sub-Lt. AlanHawthorne, of Peterborough, Ont., wasscheduled to qualify that day and I wasanxious to watch him make the grade.
Just as we were finishing our coffeewe heard the roar of the first aircraftcoming in for its initial approach.
. ---~
i:
secured and the sick man was beingsettled in his stretcher, we were entertained by the antics of" a large schoolof porpoises running before the bows· ofthe destroyer.
The transfer completed without mishap, we wended our way to the wardroom for coffee or iced tea, a talk by theair officer and a demonstration of theirvarious duties by members of the flightcrews. Then Captain Shinn introduceda naval aviation cadet who had, onlyan hour or so earlier, completed hiscarrier qualification. We all felt extremely sorry for the poor boy, whoclaimed he did not know which was thegreater ordeal---,.landing on for the firsttime or facing us! He then proceededto outline his training up to the presentphase and gave us all a remarkablyclear picture of what a student· pilot hasto learn. A movie on flight deck hazardswas then shown and it was agreed thatit was better seen after we had watcheddeck landings. Another movie wasscheduled but I could not resist goingup top again to sit on the now peacefulflight deck: and enjoy the evening sunshine as we sailed smoothly home-.
As we came alongside the jetty aftera very enjoyable "sea duty", it was goodbut also rather amusing to see severalhusbands, complete with babies in theirarms and toddlers tugging at their freehands, searching the flight deck and gunsponsons for the familiar face of"Mommie".
It was certainly a day to rememberand I am proud to be the owner ofan "Honorary Tail-Hook Pilot Certificate"!
----.-.--------------_.....~~-------------------------:
direction course during my time in theWRNS. From there to the Communications Room, which was delightfully airconditioned, and then down below toone of the four boiler rooms, where wenearly roasted!. Then on to the galleys,bakery and butcher shop. Further aftwe saw more crew's quarters. and for abrief moment watched. the aircraft approaching from a vantage point underthe round-down-not a very healthylooking spot. Back to the hangar deckagain to see the machineishops and ready .rooms and to be shown one aircraft thathad had a slight acquaintance with thebarrier. Then to the "island" again fora look at the wheelhouse and the bridge,after which we resumed our "goofingstations" to watch more landings. Inall, 180 landings were made While wewere aboard,. which, according to thelanding signal officer, was just a fairday.
We had been told earlier that a "highline .transfer"· was to be demonstratedfor our benefit and when the "flyingflag" . came down and the flight deckwas· cleared we all moved to the starboard after end of the deck to see theoperation. The destroyer USS Coney,which had been sailing on our portquarter as plane guard all day, camealongside, and, to our surprise, thetransfer p:r;oved to be· a necessity andnot just a demonstration. One of theConey's crew had taken ill .and, as thedestroyer was not returning to Pensacola with us, her captain arranged forthe 'sick man to be transferred to theSaipan and taken to ,the naval hospitalashore, While the lines were being
Lt.-Cdr. Johnson quickly tagged ayoung photographer and instructed himto "escort Mrs. Buchanan to the bridgewithout delay"; Sub-Lt. Hawthorne wasto be in the first flight. .
I don't think I have ever climbed somany ladders quite so quickly in mylife. I arrived on the bridge a quivering,panting mass, and my escort was notmuch better. While I tried to regainbreath and composure, he obtained thenumber of Sub-Lt. Hawthorne's aircraftand we relaxed and waited for number110 to come around. Alan made hisfirst landing a few moments later and Iam sure I was as excited and thrilledas he was. It was more than interesting,if not a little amusing to note thechanges of expression on the youngstudents' faces' as they roared down thedeck on take-off. The first time .offtheir faces' were so tense, as if theycouldn't believe that they could get offin so short a space; and then with eachsuccessive landing and take-off therewas a gradual relaxation until with thesixth w.e noted confident grins as theyroared by the bridge to join up withtheir respective flights and head backto the airfield.
By the time Alan had done four> ofhis landings the rest of my flight hadjoined me and in no time were all rooting for "Canada". During the very briefspelis of comparativ~quiet betweenlandings our guide explained the dutiesof the various members of the flightdeck crews, and we managed to see howquickly and thoroughly. they work whenone aircraft had to have a tire change.When "Canada" had completed his six,Captain Shinn asked for him to cometo the bridge for his congratulations andI had the honour of shaking his handarid posing for a photograph with him.
Now it· was another flight's turn tooccupy the vantage point on the bridgeand we were taken below for our tour.We visited the dispensary, dentalsurg~ry, laundry, barber shop,officers'and men's quarters, and in each sectionwere impressed by the fact that no matter how busy everyone was~ they tooktime out to explain their own particularfunction in· this floating airdrome andanswer numerous questions.
Lunch was the next item on theagenda and I vvashonoured to be invited to join Captain and Mrs. Shinnand their guests in the captain's suite.After an enjoyable meal and rest, Mrs.Shinn, ~vvoother lady guests and myselfwere escorted on still another tour ofinteresting places~ We visiteq. first theCombat Information Centre, or "Operations", which to me was particularlyinteresting as I had done an aircraft
Page twenty..two
RESERVISTS GET REAL TASTE OF NAVYGreat Lakes Training Centre Puts in Busy Summer
Page twenty-three
Hamilton Bay was a scene of considerable ncival activtiy when the Eleventh Escort Squadron'hit port. The three ships of the squadron, Portage, Sault Ste. Marie and Wallaceburg, spent a busysummer training new entry reserve seamen on the Great lakes. (COND.2595)
T HE GHEAT LAKES Training.. Centre, Ha milton, . Ontario, has
completed one of the busiest summertraining periods since the inception ofresm:ve training on the Great Lakesfive seasons a"go.
Now the ships bave departed and thereservists are home again in the 22naval divisions across Canada. But thememories and th e statistics linger on,and new records are in the books
"During the thriving summer monthsa total of nearly ] ,000 men and womenof the HCN (H) arrived at Hamilton'snaval command for their two weeks'
'training. Of these, the majority werenew entry seamen undertaking theirfirst sea training in ships of the fleet.Others included wrens assigned to communications courses, petty officers doingqualifying courses and reserve officersprepping for watchkeeping certificates.
With a numbel- of reserves completing both Part II and III of the trainingsyllabus, an aggregate total of 1,970officers, and men attended. the twoweek courses.
Sea training was carried out in shipsof the 11th Escort Squadron - HMCShips Porta.ge, Sault' Ste. Marie andWallaceburg ~ and Fairmile and Birdclass patrol craft. Totalling some tenships, the fleet, sailing independently,
made over 50 different cruises to lakes that this industrial city holds the record'Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and for visitors from other parts of CanadaSuperior. Numerous ports on both t.he through the response to the Great LakeSCanadian and U.S. sides of the lakes Training program!
--Reserve wrens tocrt"---"c:i<on;m"'m"uiiin>lo,c"'amht><o:i<n'-s~t"rnalt><n>lom"g'-------=w=er::e=v:;i:-s;'i tc-e'::dC:-,:':;i=--n-c~lt-::l::'d:'-in--=g'::s=u=c'h==w---=el~l=k;--=n=o:':w=n=---~==d="-"'---"'-~=':' =f'-'---d=---f---::-'--:-.--------ot the Great lakes 'raining Centre during the C r. F. H. Pm 01 ,0 Wmmpeg, com-summer months. Wren Communicators Geral. places as Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, manded the Great Lakes Trainingdine Beaucaire and Harlene Teskey, from HMCS Sarnia and Cleveland. Centre. His executive officer was Lt.-Carleton, Ottawa, decode a teletype message During the period July 1 to July 8, Cdr. A. M. (Curly) Hunter, Simcoe;in the communication s centre. (COND·2627) 270 new entry reserve seamen trained Ontario, and the administrative staff
on the lakes, the largest number ever was made up of ,experienced officersto do ,so at one time. The peak period and men of the HCN (R) as well asof the training program came in the permanent force personnel.first two weeks of that month with 410 Heviewing the summer training sea-naval reserves on the GLTC rolls. son, Cdr. Pinfold sai(l: "This was our
A "passing out parade" climaxed most successful year. Our past experi-each tworweek training period, with a ence in this training program enabledsenior officer from the command tak- us to administer the effort smoothly anding the salute at the march past. An- present the reserves with the most in-other record was achieved on the "pass- teresting courses possible."ing out parade" of July 13 when 140 For the hundreds of new entries whonew entries mustered on the parade completed training this summer, theirground for the ceremony. Rear-Ad- cruise on the lakes was their first ex-miral K. F. Adams, Flag Officer Naval perience of shipboard life in the navy.Divisions, took the salute. All of them - even those from the
All naval divisions were represented Maritimes and Pacific 'Coast - foundduring the summer from HMCS Cabot, a Great Lakes training cruise everySt. John's, Newfoundland to lIMCS bit as "salty" as an ocean' voyage, andMa1.ahat.. Victoria, B.C., and Hamilton. a fast-paced daily program of'trainingTrain and bus depots soon became used combined with visits to bustling lake-to the variety of cap tallies. It was ports, gave them a real feeling of go-suggested in the Hamilton Spectator ing places, going navy.
THE NAVY PLAYS
That's a Shearwater player standing on his ear in the accompanying picture, but actually it wasthe Stadacona players who were stood on theirs, to the tune of 70-0, in the opening game of theCanadian football season in 'Halifax.
Naden Team WinsFleet Regatta
Made up of combined points forpulling and sailing, Naden won theAggregate Cup in the Pacific Command Annual Fleet Regatta, held inAugust.
Weather conditions for the two-dayevent were ideal, sunny and warmwith a good breeze.
For their efforts against strong competition, the ship's company of the littleDigby received a "Well done" forplacing third in the sailing events andfourth in the pulling events.
Sailing results were: Naden, 60points; Venture, 55; Digby, 50; Crescent, 49; Onta,rio, 48; Stettler, 33; Canftagpac, 32; Comox, 32; Comsuptpac,30; Sioux, 28; Oshawa, 27; UNTD, 25;Athabaskan, 25; Sea Cadets, 22; Cayuga,21; James Bay, 15; Sussexvale, 14; Fortune, 11; Ste. Therese, 11; CommandTechnical Office, 5.
Pulling results: Naden, 324; Ontario,264; Venture, 239; Digby, 196; Crescent,189; Athabaskan, 185; Sioux, 144; Stettler, 139; Ste. Therese, 137; Canminron 2, 127; Sussexvale, 126; Cayuga,119; UNTD, 109; Oshawa, 79; Cordova,64; Jonquiere, 62; Brockville, 52; Canftagpac, 50; Sea Cadets, 22.
In the pulling regatta the variousraces were won as follows: cutter,Venture; open whaler, Venture; veterans, Naden; junior officers, Venture;seamen, Naden; miscellaneous, Naden;engine room, Ontario; wardroom, Naden;CPOs andPOs, Venture; supply, Naden;young seamen, Naden; war canoe, Ontario.
Exchange OfficerGolf Champion
Lt.-Cdr. Louis_(LOJJ)l3rQzo, USN, at)exchange officer serving at Shearwatercaptured the Atlantic Command GolfChampionship with a net score of 143for 36 holes at Brightwood Golf Course.He shot a gross of 147, with rounds of71 and 76.
Second place went to Lt. Col. H. L.Harris, Command Dental Officer, witha gross of 159 and a' net of 145. Thefirst RCN golfer was PO Bruce Hutchinson who had a gross of 161 and anet of 145 for.."thirtf"pla'@'"" ", '
A total of 48 players took part in thetournament.
Page twenty-four
Hochelaga TopsCommercial Loop
Hochelaga won the five-team Commercial Softball League in Montreal'sVille La Salle district and placed second in the Tri-Service League schedule.
The supply sailors met RCAF Station,St. Johns, in the semi-finals, downingthe air boys in two straight games buthad the tables turned by RCAF, St.Hubert,
The Armed Forces league includedthree Air Force and two Army Ninesin addition to the Ville La Salle sailors.
Stadacona TakesSoftball Crown
In the final match for the AtlanticCommand softball championships Stadacona captured the crown by defeatingfinalist Cornwallis 15-1 on Shearwater'sdiamond.
It was Stadacona's second victory ofthe day. The" 'team "eatItei"bested theIroquois in the semi-finals with a scoreof 20-2.
Huron DivisionWins Boxing Trophy
The finals of the 40th bi-monthlyNew Entry Boxing Tournament wereheld in Cornwallis to coincide with theannual inspection of the establishmentby the Flag Officer Atlantic Coast.
In the tournament, Huron Divisioncaptured the Cornwallis Inter-Divisional Boxing Trophy with a total of83 points. They fought 50 bouts, winning 34 and losing 16. Their closestrival was Kootenay Division with 63points.
Rear-Admiral R. E. S. Bidwell madethe presentations following the tourney.
CompetitionKeen at Meet
A closely-:-contested interpart trackand field meet was held at Stadaconain August.
Excellent weaUfer""and organizationteamed up to help complete the meetin one hour and three minutes.
, The Shearwater Flyers, in the first football game of the season downed the Stadacona Sailors!by'd' score of 70-0. and although Shearwater attributes 'this to rugged practice sessions, perhaps'these lovely flyers rooters had something to do with it. Left to right, they are: Shirley Kearley,.Marilyn Purchase, Lynn Maher, Judy flown, Betty Skinner and Melaine Haggland, all of them Dartmouth High School girls. (HS·45206)
'I The outcome was in doubt through-,, out and it was not until the last event,when Electrical School emerged victor
lover MTE by a narrow margin, thatany predictions could have been made.
IVT 40 Tops League,Tn Touch-Football
Touch-football, horseshoes and vol-
\
leyball have been co!Upleted in Shearwater's interpart sports program.
In touch-football league play VT 40won out with 12 points, two more thantheir nearest competitor, NAMS, in "A"
,section. In "B" section 880 Squadron, had nine points. When the two clashedfor final honours VT 40 was victor,25-18.
Playoffs in horseshoes saw MotorITransport take tlte championship byI defeating Tractor Section three games'to one.
Trophies ReturnTo Rochester
I u.s. Navy and Marine personnel atI Rochester, N.Y., made a clean sweepI recently by upsetting RCN (R) person,nel from HMCS York during the anInual competitions between the two.
In the two days of sports competit tions the Americans ran away in the! whaler race by six boat lengths. Later~ the same day, and using the same crewII
I
with the addition of one man, theypulled their way to victory in the' tugo'-war.
In rifle competition they outshot theirCanadian counterparts and the following day they completed the whitewashing in baseball by downing the Yorkists 14-7.
Captain L. D. Stupart, RCN (R),Yark's commanding officer turned overall the trophies won by York last yearwhich, by an earlier swing of the pendulum, Rochester had won the year before.
About 100 from York attended theannual event.
Tro phy Taken inStraight Games
At Albro Lake Naval Radio Stationthe Interpart Softball League completedthe season with the Third Watch infirst place.
In the finals they took the honoursin straight games to win the WamboldtTrophy.
Shipyards HeadSoccer League
In soccer, the Halifax and DistrictSoccer League completed its schedulewith Halifax Shipyards first and Stadacona second.
Winners of the first boat pulling races to beheld at the Canadian National Exhibition werethese crew members of the coastal escort Portage. Shown here, with the trophy presentedby the CNE, are, left to right, front row:second stroke, Ldg. Sea. Donald McDougall;coxs'n, PO Donald Smith; second bow, ABDavid Laszewski. Rear row: stroke, AB HaroldCanning; bow, Ldg. Sea. Carl McMinniman, andmidship, AB Charles Cannon. (HS·45205)
Stadacona bowed out, too, in playfor the Milne Cup. The Stad teamreached the semi-finals but lost at thatstage to Oland's Brewery, 4-3, after30 minutes of overtime play.
The Shrimp BoatIs Coming-Phew!
As if the life of a ship's engineerwasn't bad enough proving to stubborn machinery that he has the whiphand, he also has to contend with thecantankerous efforts of creatures ofthe seas.
One of the most recent efforts notedin the engineer's log originated inHMCS Crescent from where the commanding officer, Captain P. D. Taylorrecounts, among other things, the taleof engineroom adversity.
It was in Magdalena Bay where official niceties were" being observed bya number of RCN ships and advantagebeing taken of good weather for boatwork and other normal naval things.
"It was also at this time," says Capt.Taylor, "that the ubiquitous smallMexican saltwater crayfish made hisappearance in overwhelming numbers.Several ships, including HMCS Ontario, experienced plugged condensers.
"In HMCS Crescent, seven large garbage cans full were extracted an.d, toadd insult to injury, not only werethey worthle"ss for eating purposes, butalso made the ship reek like a European lobster boat."
Page twenty-five
HANDSOME BOOK TELLSSTORY OF CANADA'S VCs
BOOKS for theSAILOR
T...'-HE CENTENA.RY.·, Of. th~ in.st.itl1.tl."on. . of.· the Victoria Cross has calledforth'many .publications, but f~wcan
be as handsome or as comprehensiveas "Canada's VCs". The. main part ofthe work, "The. 94 Canadian Holdersof the· Victoria Cross", devotes to eachman two. pages containing a portraitand brief 'biography -+ollowed by a reprint' of the citation from the LondonGazette. .
Th6t F>o:r:traits are a notable feature;in the preface Lt.-Col. Machum. says:
."I have had .particular diffi.~ulty' in.securing· photographs and in::·many caseswhen they have been" obtatned they
r LETTER· TO EDITOR ·lSir: ,:
I read recently "A Hundred Years ofthe Victoria Cross" in the July editionof The Crowsnest which containeq. ,aparagraph about my father; the lateCaptain Ronald Neil Stuart VC, DSO,RD, AdC, RNR.
. During the 'First World War myfather was tl:le recipient of the UnitedStates Navy Cross~nd was twice mentioned in dispatches in addition to thedecoration listed in your article. Re-
, tu.rning to' Canadian Pacific Steamshipsafter· the war 'he eventually commandedth"e D'Uchess of York ~npwas the youngest 'commodore~captain ,afloat .when heassumed command 'of the ..42,OOO-tonEmpress of Britain. Subsequently he'became lVl.arineSuperintendent in Mont-
"real' and General Manager' of C,anadianPacific Steamships in London. He diedi1.1 1954 a few years after retiring~
Being in England at the ··tim~ I. hadthe honour of being· invited by the War
·d,ffi.ce to represent my late father atthe recent Victoria Cross .CentenarY,'-my elder. brother Lieutenant-Com~
mander Ronald Neil Stuart;D8.C\ RoyalNavy (Ret'd},being, unable to attend.The manyCanad"ians who attended theCentenaryCelebrations. will b~ar witnesS that the parade. was RrnO&t moving and·· splendid·,,' ceremony.. ..
Your obedient servant
(Signed) ·W. J. H. STUART~ Lieutenant-Co1nniander
, RCN.
HMeS Bonaventure,Belfast,Northern lreland.
Page- ·t·w·enty-six
have proved unsuitable for reproduction." This trouble was" over~ome byhaving the artist,F. M. L. Barthropp,prepare pe.n drawingsfrorn the photographs. Thus a complete, uniform andhandsome set 'of portraits - has b~en
produced.
The 94 VCs treated fully in the bookare' those listed' by the Department ofNational Defence. "All but two originally joined' _the Canadian armedforces." .. and the two exceptions' wereresidents of Canada when the call forservice came." Eight more holders ofthe VC are listed in Appendix A aspast or present residents in this country. The other appendices give' birthplaces and regiments or services (thenumber of holders in each).
Of particular interest to readers ofThe Crowsnest are, four Canadian navalpersonnel, of wh'om three were in theBritish service. Our Navy has- been unfortunate in its opportunities for personal distinction in both world wars;these four show that, when the opportunity presents itself, it is eagerlyseized.
The first thing the reader is likelyto. notice .as he works through thebiographies is' t,hat the first four recipiE~,nts won. their decoration so farafield: one in, the charge of the LightBrigade. at Baiaclava, two in the IndianMutiny {includIng Able Seaman Wil-
>,Ham Hall) .and one 'at Little AndamanIn the Indian Ocean..-All·.' the rest 'ofthe crosses wer~.. won in the SouthAfrican War a.ndthe two World Wars.
The othe:r notable feature is that theonly thing that the men have in common is .the Victoria Cross.---P.A.C.
"Canada's VCs"---The story of Canadianswho have be·en awarded the Victoria Cross,a centenar:y memorial 1956, compiled and withnotes by Lieut.-Colohel George C. Machum,ED, with _a foreword by General H. D~ G.Crerar; CI£, CB, DSO, CD, drawings by Francis IvI. L. Bartbropp, Toronto~ lVIcClelland &Stewart Limited 1956; 208 pages illustrated,quarto; $12.50.
NADEN HISTORYTO BE PRINTED
A· ~ec()nd edition of the history ofHMeS Naden has been set in. type andan index is now .being prepared. Thefirst edition of this work was mimeographed in 50 copies' in 1952 but tbishas been sold out for some years. Thebook was written by Major F. V. Longstaffe, the well-known West Coast his-
~'torian, who is editing the new edition.The date of publication is not knownat the prEsent time.
"Some of the contents include: a 'listof flag officers of the old Pacific Station, 1836-1905; history of Naden; history of the many Rainbo'ws; 72 years·of service of the ship Cormorant;.records ().f pioneer naval voltlnteers ofCanada from' 1914 qud ,eight illustrations reproduced from rare pitcuresn~ver before.·seen in. print.
'Rear-Admiral I;I. F. Pullen, -Flag Officer Pacific Coast, has contributed 'anintrodl1~ction.
LOWER DECK PROMOTIONSFollowing is a further list of promo
tions of men on the lower deck. Thelist is arranged in alphabetical order,with each man's new rating, branch andtrade group shown opposite his name.
ACHYMICHUK, Edward Woo LSMAIAMENT, Henry S LSARIAUTON, Lyle G P2RP2
BABINEAU, Leo J LSAFIBAIRD, Alexander LSRC2BARNES, Gregory P2EM2
. BECKETT, Rex Doo LSAP2BEDARD, Donald C P2LR2BELISLE, Donatien Joo LSSW2BENNETT, Donald LSEMIBERGERON, Armand J.. LSSW2BERGSTROM, Conrad E LSAM2BERTRAND, Jean-Guy Joo LSRP2BEZANT, Ronald Eoo LSRD3BJORNDAHL. Donald LSEMI
BRAUN, Roger Joo LSAFI
CAMPBELL, John W LSARICARNEY, John J LSQMICARRIERE, Denis A LSRD3CATO, Robert A PlEM4CHAPMAN, James Noo •....••• •LSTD2CLARK, John Woo PIAA3CLOUTIER, Jacques C LSTDICONWAY, Francis P PITD3COOLEN, Douglas C LSAR2CORMAN, James H P2AF2CRAFT, Daryl Loo P2RP2
DAWSON, Walter Joo P2QR2DAYTON, Arthur D PIEM4DIBNAH, Cyril R PlBD3DONNER, Charles Woo P2RC2DOUGHERTY, George E LSPRIDUNN, Gerald P LSEt'3
EBBELING, Leonard E CIMR4
ESTABROOKS, Keith M P2RP2ESTABROOKS, Thomas Joo P2RP2
FAIRFIELD, Henry R. PlER4FEATHERBY, James E C2MR4FERRIER, Donald M LSAAIFISHER, George B PIER4FLETT, George Moo PIAW3FRASER, Alexander C LSEMIFRASER, Gerald Foo PlER4FRAUZEL, Glendon A LSAAIFRYER, Lloyd J C2Ql4
GAUDET, Joseph A P2TA3GORDON, William Joo PlBD4GOYETTE, Jean-Guy E LSRPI
HALL, Lloyd Eoo LSAW2HARVIE, Robert Joo P2TD3HAYCOCK, Kenneth J P2NS2HEAD, Victor LSAFIHORNCASTLE, Robert F PIRP3HOWARD, John LSEMI
FROM THE NAVAL PHOTO SALON-A naval Silver Star iet trainer banking as it begins the long descent from above the clouds t.o earth, was the picturecaught by AB Norman F. Fitzmaurice from another T·33 iet. The photo salon, designed to encourage technical and artistic skill in naval photographers,is being displayed in cities across Canada.
Page twenty-seven
JACKSON, Kenneth A CIG14JACOB, John H P2VS2JEFFREY, Charles H P2RW3JENKINS, James D 0 •••••• LSQMlJENSEN, Eric R LSAM2JESSIMAN, Harold R P2:gM2
KEHOE, John B............•... P2TA3KEKEWICH, Glenn A PIRP3KELLY, John P LSQRlKEY, Thomas LSNSlKREPPS, John R PIER4
LANGILLE, James D P2AA2LAPOINTE,- Francis J LSRPILEBLANC, Laurie J PIRC3LEDUC, John M P2AF2LOCK, Courtney A LSEMlLUMSDEN, Afexander S P2AA2
MacDONALD, Glenn H LSEMlMcBRIDE, Richard ·T PIER4McCARTHY, Paul A CIMR4
·McISAAC, James G LSEF3McKIEL, Rankin R LSRPllV[cMILLAN, \Ronald A o ••• PIAA2McKINNIMAN, Carl F LSQMlMcNUTT, Ernest W C2P14MARGERISON·, Charles A LSCVlMARSH, John E LSEMlMARTIN, Gael A LSQM2MAY, Donald F · LSARlMAYBEE,. William. ~ 1JSEMlMELNECHUK, William P2PR2MENZIES, Donald W LSElVIlMILES, George N LSAAlMILNE, John B P2RP2MORO, Louie J PIPR2MORTON, John W '.. LSAW2MOSHER, Wilson W LSC!<:2MUNRO, Gordon W P2RP2MURISON, John B P2CS3
NAULT, Roger J LSSW2NEILL, David M.· · P2TD2NEWBOLD, Norman G LSEMI.NIXON, Alan W P2TD3
O'CONNOR, Murray T..•.......LSEF3O'DONNELL, Murray E P2AA2OVERTON,Kennefh. A LSQMl
PARK; Harry· A LSAM2.PARK, Rowland P LSRD3PARKER, Howard LSSElPARTNER, RobertW.. . . . . I-,SARlPEARSON, William G PIER4PEPPIATT,Francis B LSRPlPINNOCH, Frank J LSRPIPLANT, Merle A : P2SW2PRIMEAU,Joseph L LSQMlPRINGLE, Clynton N LSEMIPRISKE, Robert E P2TD2PROWSE, Charles W LSAP2
RAVEN, Stuart C LSED3
WEDDINGSAble Wren ·Margaret . J. Johnson, ·,Stada
eDna, to·Chief Petty Officer Sydney R. Wallace, Stadacona.
Sub-Lieutenant (W) Victoria E. Lavis,Pat'riot, to Mr. Edward Stewart, Toronto,Onto
Sub-Lieutenant (W) Irene Ross Johnson,Prevost, to Commissioned· Engineer LeslieC. Sandells, RN, Sixth Submarine Squadron.
~,ctge. twenty-eight
ROTH, Frank J - LSNS2ROWBOTTOM, G:erald A LSEMI
SALAGA, Stephen A LSNS2SCHULZ, Charles D ~ G2G14SCOPIE, Donald B LSAAISELF, Robert H PlER4SEVERNY, Paul. PIER4SHOVELLER, Roderick M; P2TD2SINE, Bruce K ..· P2GA3.STEPHENSON, Michael E LSARlSTEWART, Kenneth G C2ER4SUTTON, Donald K LSAW2SWEENE~, John N LSRPI
TELLIER, Guy J LSEMlTHORNE, Ronald ·E LSAM2TITCHMARSH, J ohnH P2EM2TRAVISS, Richard B LSQMlTURNBULL, Andrew J P2EM2-TURNER, Bruce A C2ER4
VANDER-HOEK, Harry PIER4
WALKER, Robert E PIQIYI3WALLS, G~orge F LSEMlWARNER, Francis H LSCK2WATSON, James C2QR3WAY, Fraser LSAAIWEAVER, Ronald F LSRPlWEBB, Bruce A LSEMIWESSEL, Anthony J P2AF2WILE, Philip 0 PIAA3WILLIAMS, William E P2AR2WILSON, Wilbert C PIQM3
YAKUBOWICH, Nicholas PIER4
ZOBATAR, John A LSTD2
RCN (R)ANDREW, Joel H ABNSI
BAUDER, Larry R " LSAWIBETHUNE, Janet ·.. \VLQMSBOLTER, William G ABLMS·BOUCHER, Richard F. J ~ .ABeRl
CAMPBELL, Kenneth A P2CV2CAVE,Beverly J WACO(T)lCRISTIE, Charles S., LSAASCHITOURAS, Arthur J LSNSI
Governor GeneralExtenas Thanks
Vice-regal thanks· were a part ofthe reward of four RCN ships whichhad .elllbarked . His Excellency theGovernor General for brief visits totwo Saguenay River ports.
The WallacebuTg, Corrnorant, BlueHeron and NlaLla'l'd were hosts to theGovernor General whlle en route toHalifax following completion of .the1956 Great Lakes Training.
On his return t.o Quebec City, aftervisiting Tadoussac and Port Alfredwith the ships, His Excellency messaged:
51 Again I want to thank the ship'scompany of· HMCS Wallcwebu1'g andthe ships' con1panies of B~ue Heron,MalLard and Corrnorant for all thekindness they showed me during ·mypassage up the Saguenay. God blessY,Oll all."
CLARK, Gordon M CICV3CRAWFORD, Allan B 4BCRlCROSS, Marilyn R WAME (X) 1
DAW, Mary P WAWAI
FORD, Larry R ABMAl
GAGNON, Frances I WLSS(X)1GAMBEE, Peter G P2QMSGARRECK, Harley LSQMSGOODFELLOW, James B P2BD3
HALTER, Florandena WACO (T) 1HOLMES, John F C2CV3HUGES, David E LSBD2HUNT, Holman R. C LSCR2
KENNEDY, Albert L ABMAIKENNEDY, Robert J LSQMSKI~:?ATRICK, NormanL 'P2EM2KILPATRICK, Ross S LSBD2KINDREE, Denise R......•.WLSS (X) 1KOZIEL, Bernice K WAME (X) 1
LITVAX, Marlene F. M WAME(X) 1
MARSHALL, Frederick P2PW2MESTON, Gordon E CIER4MITCHIE, Charlotte · WACO (T) 1MONTIETH, Mildred A WASS (X) 1MOORE, Lyman E · LSRPSMORRISON, Theodore W P2CI(2
NEEDLES, Marjorie J WA(NQ)
O/LEARY, Charles A PIED4OVERWATER, Wilhelmus T ABBDI
PARKER, Robert H C2SH4PASH, Charles A LSMAIPEACOCK, Julia J ~ .WLSDSPEDDLE, Clarence A LSMAIPRICE; Howard G ~ .. ABLMSPROCEVIAT, Jean T WP2CO(T)2
ROSE, ·Angus G ~ •........LSEMI.ROPERt Joseph M :PIQMS
. SAMBELL, Keith S PISHSSMALLWOOD, Charles W LSAWISMALLWOOD, David M ABAWISPEED, Harry E C2CR3STEVENSON, Heber J CIMA3
TESKEY, Harlene M WACO(T)lTHOMAS, Barbara N WASS (X) 1TIMMONS, Bruce L PIPW3
VICKERS,. Gordon S ABBDIVINNICKtMary WLCO (R) 1
WAKEHAM, Earle C · ,ABSWIWEST, GeorgeW , LSLMIWRIGHT, William G P2EM2WYLIE, Roy M P2CV2
BIRTHSTo Commander K. H. Boggild, Stadacona,
and· Mrs., B6ggild, a son.To Able Seanlan John W. Milligan, Stada
cona, and Mrs. Milligan, a daughter.To Lieutenant (SB) Ray Wormald, Naval
Headquarters, and Mrs. Wormald, a son.To Lietltenant (SB) E. C. Russell, CarZe
ton, and Mrs. Russell, a .daughter.To Lieutenant (SB) P. A. C.Chaplin,
Ca1'~eton, and Mrs. Chaplin, a son.
Naval LoreCorner
NO. +1SHIPS THAT ALTERED
NAVAL CONCEPTS
THE F'RST CLAS~ OF "Tl\E "RONCLADS!TME 'MONITOR..' ANt> THE 'MERRIMAC'WMICH FOU6~T AT CLOSE UARTERS AT
M.M.~. OREADMOU6HT- THE FIRST 'ALL-8l6-GUM' BATTLESHIP.PRlOR TO WoRLD WAR') GREAl 8R'TAIW AND 6ERMAMV
.- WERE ENGAGED 1M A. NAVAL ARMAMENT RACE IN WHICH GoRf:AT-"'\~-~~;-=:-=- __ 8RiTAIN LED 8y ALAR&E MAR6fN." HoWEVER. WHEN N.M.S,
J--::::::- OREAONOU'''T WAS COMMlS510NED SHE RENOERED EVER\(r 8AnL&SHIP AFLbAT OBSOLETE) TWUS REPUCING- 8RlTAIN'S
LEAD IN 114E NAVAL RACE To THE~ NUMBER OF SIMILAA. S~IPS SME COULD
LAUNCH BEFoRE GeRMANy FOLLOWEDSUlT. ••
---_.-_ ... ----'--'-_.'-'
HAMPTON ROADS/VA. t>URIM6 THE AMERICANclvn.. WAR. THE MOMITOR (LEFT) WON.THESE SI,UPS GAVe BIRTH Tf) ,
MODERN AlUt\OURED HAVIEfO ••
~~~~, , '\
TURBII'UA -1894- \ . \ . r--'THIS TINY VEG9EL. INTROPUCED 'lltE STEAM e-=-- :=::::s;;i: ~._ - _TUR&INE 1b THE SEA9 WHEN SHE J)EM - ~ ~ US.S. BOST~N ~-=-_ -~
ONS~TEt> HER PJ\OWES& AT THE l897 ~ AMERICAN HEAVV C.RUISER. ilif: FIRSTN~VAL REVIEW BY STEAMIN<r UP AND OPfR.AllONAL. NAVAL VESSEL. To BE ARMED
OOWN THE LINES OF WARSlot\PS ",-, THE WITH c:.UIOED MISSILES. (ORIG-INA\.LV 1>ESl6NEDTHEN A~T()UNI>INGr SPEED OF 340~z KNOTS. FGR CONVENTiONAL ARMAMENT, LATER CONVER.TED.)
11,000-10-56N.P.575..1373
OTTAWAEDMOND CLOUTIER
Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty1956