December 2018 �1 The Newsletter of the Venture Association

The Signal is published twice a year by the Venture Association. Send letters, articles, photos, etc., to the Editor and pay dues by cheque payable to the Venture Association, c/o D. G. Longmuir, Editor and Registrar, 903-168 Chadwick Court, North Vancouver, BC V7M 3L4; e-mail dglongmuir@gmail.com. Changes of address and other personal info should be sent to your Class Rep (see p.7) with a copy to the Registrar. Go to our comprehensive website for breaking news: www.hmcsventure.com. and keep Darryl Harden, our webmaster, in the loop: webmaster@hmcsventure.com. And, if you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, contact us by e-mail or Canada Post.

The Signal

The Venture Association Reunion Organizing Committee is making progress on all the planned events for September 2019; please refer to the Signal of June 2018 for the program and other details, as updated below:

1. Registration: The anticipated numbers will be much larger for the Reunion than originally thought. It looks like we may have as many as 250 people attending which includes members and spouses/partners. The details of the registration process are still being worked on by the Registration Team. It is anticipated that they will have a registration form circulated to Class Reps and via the Signal mailing list

early in the New Year (see item 11 below) and a final update in the spring edition of the Signal which is scheduled for May, 2019.

2. Accommodations: Everyone has to realize that our event will be in what is described as the high tourism season, the expensive time. It is for that reason that we cannot get any discounts on room rates at the local hotels. Business has been good for the hotels recently and they are reluctant to give us any special consideration. There will be some rooms available at the wardroom but we cannot guarantee the numbers ahead of time. It will all depend on military requirements.

3. Meet and Greet: Our Meet and Greet is now scheduled to be held at the Venture Gunroom which is located at Work Point, near the Ship Simulator. Although the Registration is scheduled to start at 1500 the actual Meet and Greet will get underway at 1700 and run until 2300. The Weepers fare is expected to satisfy the requirements of a full meal, which means we expect a finger food arrangement for the evening.

4. Navy Day: The Navy Day will include a tour of the Ship Simulator and possibly a little sea time on some of the active training vessels. We may also be able to include a bus tour of the updated facilities in the dockyard. Also, we may be able to organize a demonstration of the Naval Boarding Party. A morning run will not be included. We are concerned that our high numbers will preclude everyone from participating in some of the tours. We will try to fit everyone in as appropriately as we can.

5, Navy Air Day: The Committee is confirming arrangements for a tour of the new hangar out in Pat Bay. 443 (MH) is going to try to put on a tour of their new facility and show off one of the new Cyclone helicopters. There will also be an up to date briefing on the role and participation of the squadron members on our ships.

6. Class Functions: The balance of the Navy/Air Day is planned to be spent on some free time followed by individual class functions. Individual Class Reps will be organizing those functions independently.

7. Annual General Meeting: The Venture Association Annual General Meeting is planned for Friday morning, the 13th of September. It will commence at 1000 and hopefully wrap up at 1200. There will be some important items on the agenda, such as the longevity of Venture and the need to maintain our annual dues. Members should be prepared to vote on the future direction of the Association including a 5 year National Reunion schedule. We may also go regional for the events so this could be our last Reunion of a National flavour. We will be trying to ensure that all our members enjoy what may be their last visit to what was once our home for the 1 or 2 years we were in Venture — ergo our Motto of “Home Coming” for the Reunion. [cont’d p. 2]

[cont’d p. 2]

Venture Reunion 2019: 10 Months Away and Counting! Celebrate our 65th!!

December 2018 �2 The Newsletter of the Venture Association

[cont’d from p. 1]

8. Gala Dinner: The Gala Dinner is scheduled for Friday evening and will be held at the Wardroom starting at 1800. It will be a buffet style dinner with lots of hot and cold choices. The committee originally was trying to obtain the Naden Band for our listening enjoyment however that is proving to be unworkable. We will have an ensemble that will play throughout the evening at a level which will permit easy conversation.

9. Service of Celebration and Remembrance: Service of Celebration and Remembrance will be held on the Saturday morning at St Peter & St Paul (Garrison) Church. It will be followed by a reception which will include a light sandwich service. The service is scheduled to commence at 1100 and will follow a similar format to that used in the past.

10. Transportation: There will be some transportation provided. It is recognized that some members may require assistance proceeding up the hill leading into the wardroom. We will also plan some bus transportation to Pat Bay and into and out of Dockyard. We will finalize a transport plan once our numbers begin to solidify closer to the events.

11, Financial Costs: The committee hopes to finalize all costs by early January. Once done, a form will be presented which will include each event with its associated financial cost. At the present time we are unable to use charge cards or debit cards for our registration. We will be manning our Registration Booths on the day of scheduled registration. Hopefully most members will take advantage of early registration. The costs will not normally include any alcohol except there may be an allowance for a toast at the Gala Dinner. The final registration form will list the cost of attending individual events. It is intended to have that information listed in the spring edition of the Signal. It is anticipated that the cost of registration for all events for each person will be in the vicinity of $150. That is not a hard figure but simply an estimate.

Typical September Day in Victoria Harbour

Letters to the Editor From Regina, SK

Dear Editor,

I have seen you gently “prod” Peter Mansbridge re the ’19 Reunion. Here is some photo evidence to help your efforts. Bill Sundman forwarded pictures which I have posted and will eventually attach to the website Class of '67 page ... . I was Class of '65, first of two air groups ... we went to Centralia, Ont, as did the second. Either the next year or the one after, Centralia closed and initial flight training was moved to Borden . As for the picture, I think all the mom's would be proud ... they seem to wash up pretty well ...

Aye, Darryl Harden, Class of ’65 and Venture Webmaster

December 2018 �3 The Newsletter of the Venture Association

From Edmonton, AB

Dear Editor,

The recent edition of the Signal has prompted me to respond to your request for any articles, pictures etc., which might be of interest to readers. I submit the following: All of us have extensive memories of the various things we experienced during our past naval careers. But it’s quite often the case that certain events stand out more clearly because we see them in the context of some humorous event or situation. For example, during the 1962 “Cuban Missile Crisis”, I was with the group deployed to the Sidney, NS Naval Base for several days. But the only clear memory I have of this time is of Lt. Ian (Goose) McLennan, playing “Wolverton Mountain” at least 20 times in a row, on the mess JUKE BOX.

A couple of events took place in the VU33 Pat Bay Wardroom in late 1961-62 that stand out in my mind because of the similarly lighthearted spirit involved. Following the graduation of the Venture class of ’60, and following the completion of flying training in the summer of 1961, most of the graduates were posted to Shearwater to complete their Advanced Tracker Conversion training at VU32. A smaller group of eight pilots joined VU33 Squadron at Pat Bay, Victoria, for several months, to await their turn to proceed to Shearwater. This turned out to be a great posting and a welcome return to things naval after a year spent with the RCAF. During this period, from September 1961 to the following spring, despite the small size of the Pat Bay squadron, the detachment was kept busy and did manage to accumulate some

Tracker flying time. We were fortunate to have the leadership of the Commanding Officer of VU33, LCdr. Stuart E. Soward, who made the experience all the more rewarding and helpful.

Not surprisingly, the small VU 33 Wardroom became the centre of daily life and was a great source of activitiy and social gatherings for our small group. During one of these Friday night sessions, someone noticed the picture of Admiral Lord Nelson hanging on the wall, and remarked that, had he lived in the 19th century, he probably would have had “wings”. After some discussion, painting supplies were duly located and “wings" were promptly painted on the glass of the print as can be seen in the original photo attached. Apparently this picture has shown up in other wardrooms around the country, and appears in LCdr. Soward’s book “Hands to Flying Stations”, Volume Two (as does the item noted below).

During this same period, S/Lt. T.J. Clark returned from Christmas leave in California with a do- it-yourself model of a gorilla in hand. It required some assembly from plaster of paris and plastic and other parts. When assembled, it somehow made it’s way into the wardroom as a mascot, and was promptly given the name “Herman". Later, some enterprising wives of wardroom officers created a mess-kit uniform, which he wears to this day. The material for this came from one of LCdr, Soward's old uniform jackets!

Herman has received several promotions over the years and eventually made his way to CFB Comox in 1974, where he resided in the wardroom until VU33 was disbanded. Herman can now be found in the Comox Air Force Museum at Lazo, BC. As can be seen in the photo, Herman looks as charming and gallant as ever! It’s surprising how these small, unscripted events acquire lives of their own, and continue to remind us of the wonderful fraternity which we were all lucky to have been part of in years gone by.

I appreciate receiving the Signal, and would like to thank the editors both past and present for all their efforts on our behalf, over the years.

Yours Aye

Fred Harvey (Class of “60)

[Ed. note: FYI, the “editors” for the last decade or more have been me, all by myself! So you know where to level either bouquets or brickbats.]

Letters to the Editor (Cont’d)

December 2018 �4 The Newsletter of the Venture Association

Letters to the Editor (cont’d)

From Vancouver, BC Dear Editor,

Adventure in Chester: In the course of our journey to the 100th anniversary celebrations of Shearwater this past August, Ted Gibbon, Bill Park and I arrived in Halifax in Ted’s daughter’s car a day early. With time to spare, it was an easy decision to re-visit some of our old haunts, and we were soon cruising through the exquisitely preserved white-washed mini-paradise of Chester. We wondered, en route, whether Debby Piers might be buried in the local cemetery. Debby had featured prominently in my early life as a Midshipman, and to pay respects to his memory at his gravesite would give me much satisfaction. As we searched the town for a suitable pub, we passed an impressive monument gracing a bend in the street overlooking the harbour, and having parked nearby we assembled at the site.

Displayed at the top of the handsome black monolith was an image of Debby, underscored by his life story, while the front of the pedestal displayed three ships, in two of which, Algonquin and Quebec, I had served under his command. “Would you know if Debby’s family still lives in the area?” I asked a dog-walker who happened to be ambling by. “Yes”, he replied, pointing to the house in front of which we were standing. With my hair on fire, I abandoned my friends and knocked on the door. It was opened by his step-daughter, Anne.

The next hour-and-a-half was spent in the company of Anne and her son, Hugh Baker, who charmed me while escorting me through the Piers family home where I photographed everything in sight while babbling excitedly about my memories of their exalted family member. When I mentioned that I had once written a tribute to Debby, they insisted on reading it.

It gave me great pleasure to exhume this memoir, blow off the dust, and indulge once again in the reminiscences of how this exceptional Captain coloured my life in such an unforgettable way.

Yours aye George Plawski (Honorary)

[Ed Note: The memoir, entitled “Debby’s Doggy”, is too large for this newsletter, so I have suggested that our webmaster might wish to include it on the website www.hmcsventure.com. It makes reference to a goodly number of exalted personages who, although not of the Venture vintage, are well and affectionately known to a great many Ventures. ] From Duncan, BC Only just got to the Signal, such a busy life, so just forwarded my intent [re Reunion attendance] to Lanc. Hope you and yours have a good summer.

Yours aye, Michael Fairbairn, Class of ’56

PS. Must have been in the heads when they announced that Joe [Cunningham] was “Distinguished “, otherwise…..

Ed. Response The Editor is entitled to a little poetic license in the preparation of this newsletter.

December 2018 �5 The Newsletter of the Venture Association

Letters to the Editor (cont’d)

From Kanata, ON

Dear Editor,

The 17th annual Venture Hooley was held in the Crow’s Nest at the HMCS Bytown Navy Mess on October 17, 2018. There were 27 people present. Dick Duffield gave a detailed briefing on the 2019 Venture Reunion and Ross Beck gave a presentation on the life of the WW I RNAS ace from Carleton Place, Ontario, Captain A. Roy Brown. Below is a selection of photos of some of the folks in attendance.

Ross Beck, Class of ’66

L to R: Nancy Pyper, Eileen O’Reilly, Gwenneth Mifflin

L to R: Barbara Murray, Sharon Spriggs, Bruce King, John Murray

L to R: Ralph Nelson, Jacques Laquerre L to R: Evelyn and A.J. Field

December 2018 �6 The Newsletter of the Venture Association

Register Changes

Class of ’56 Jim Bishop, Hallmark on the Park, 3055 Princess St, Abbotsford, BC V2T 4A8; tel (778) 856-5845 Bob Ferguson tel: (613) 798-4882 Leo MacDonald tel: (902) 485-6452 Nan Richards (Hon), 29 AbbingtonAve, Apt 302, Bedford, NS B4B 0Y6; email nanrichards29@gmail.com

Class of ’59 Sandy Hurford (Hon) email: mshurford@ns.sympatico.ca

Class of ’60 Fred Clarke email: ifclarke5@gmail.com Bruce McKay email: bmckay1940@gmail.com Jack Tucker, 848 Stevens St, White Rock, BC F4B 4X2 email: jacktucker@shaw.ca Lyn Tait (widow of John Pirquet), 560 Beach Drive, Victoria, BC; email: lyntait@shaw.ca

Class of ’64 Carl Brent sue.carl.brent@gmail.com

Class of ’65 Claude Leclerc email: claudeleclerc@hotmail.com

Class of ’66 Angus Duncan email: angus.duncan@gmail.com Ross Beck tel: (613) 621-0073; email rossbeck1946@gmail.com

In Memoriam Al Horner, Class of ’56

Steve Queale, Class of ’57 Paul Legallais, Class of ’58 John Littlefair, Class of ’56

Leo MacDonald, Class of ’56 Brian Moorhouse, Class of ’58

Guy Boucher, Class of ’56 Noel Parker, Class of ’56 John Pirquet, Class of ‘60

President’s Report I just attended the last Reunion Committee meeting of the year. Everything sounds good. The venues, the professional tours, the gala dinner and the church service are all well organized.

A lot of time and effort has gone into ensuring that you have a good and satisfying time in Victoria. A lot of changes have taken place in the city. The landmark blue bridge is gone and has been replaced by a modernistic creation. There are bike lanes and bus lanes with traffic lights for bikers, more traffic, more tourists and a much busier downtown than before.

The main outstanding issue is the General Meeting and what is to be discussed. The questions that need to be answered are: Is this the last National Reunion? Should we divide our membership into three zones, East Coast, Ottawa and West Coast and hold localized social gatherings?

Suggestions so far incluide maintaining a National President, Secretary, Treasurer, Webmaster and Editor of the Signal/Registrar. Annual dues would be paid to maintain the website and The Signal. Each zone would have a Vice President who would draw an advance of funds from the Treasurer to finance zone functions, e.g., barbecues, dances, meetings, etc. He would also send submissions to the editor of The Signal so all would all know what is happening in other zones.

Please let your class representative know your suggestions so he can forward them to our Reunion Secretary. I'm trying to make up an agenda that can be covered and discussed in less than a week. I can foresee that there's going to be a lot of discussion and suggestions about the next/last reunion, so lets hear your thoughts.

Have a happy safe Christmas Holiday

Aye, Ed Vishek, Class of ’61 President

HMCS Ontario c. 1958

HMC Dockyard 1955-??

December 2018 �7 The Newsletter of the Venture Association

The Editor’s Corner

Winter has descended upon our West Coast, with the usual liquid sunshine but no snow just yet. Please pay particular attention to our lead article, which provides an update to the preparations for next year’s Reunion. Our President’s message (p.6) issues a plea for members to be in touch with their Class Reps with ideas for the gathering, particularly questions likely to be raised at the General Meeting.

Members will note the piece by Gary Fullerton on his experiences after leaving Venture and the influence that his brief Naval experience had on his subsequent working life. I encourage more of this kind of reminiscence. I also was delighted to receive a superb article from George Plawski, not a Venture but a most loyal Honorary Member of the Association. I was unable to use it in full, so members will f i n d i t p o s t e d , w i t h p h o t o s , o n t h e w e b s i t e www.hmcsventure.com . George’s covering letter is included in this newsletter, however, and those of us who knew “Debby” Piers will find that of historical interest. And Fred Harvey’s recollection of “Herman” will ring bells with Venture aviators on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Fleet Air Arm.

I’m also happy to see that we are receiving periodic reports of regional “mini-reunions”, of which the Ottawa “Hooley” is one of the longest lived. Keep ‘em coming, please! And see you next September!

Aye, Gordon Longmuir, Class of ’57, Registrar and Editor of the Signal

The Executive*

Ed Vishek (’61) - President: (250) 598-9794; ekvishek@telus.net John Westlake (’67) - Past President: (613) 837-0081; westlakejohna@rogers.com Ken Scotten (’61) - Vice President: (250) 472-6187; kscotten@shaw.ca Ron McLean (’65) - Treasurer: (250) 595-5087; ronmclean@shaw.ca Gordon Longmuir (’57) - Registrar and Editor of the Signal: (604) 760-7038; dglongmuir@gmail.com Darryl Harden (’65) - Webmaster: (306) 216-2141; webmaster@hmcsventure.com Matt Durnford (’65) - Director at Large Halifax: (902) 766 4104; cormorant@eastlink.ca

Richard Duffield (’62) - Director at Large Ottawa: (613) 837-1412; duffieldfcga@rogers.com Richard Neveu (’67) - Director at Large Victoria: (250) 360-0019; richorie@yahoo.ca Wilf Lund (’61) - Venture Historian and Chair, 2019 Reunion: (250) 598-5894; wilflund@telus.net

Class Representatives* 1956: Bob Lancashire (902) 446-7107; casalanc@eastlink.ca 1957: Doug Henderson (250) 370-0790; e-mail dahenderson@shaw.ca 1958: Tony Smith (250) 479-5676; tony.f.smith@shaw.ca 1959: Tom Essery (250) 477-9321; tessery@shaw.ca 1960: Pierre Yans (250) 592-5997; pjyans@shaw.ca

1961: Wilf Lund (250) 598-5894; wilflund@telus.net 1962: Eric Waal (250) 477-1425; ebwaal@yahoo.com 1963-I: Russ Rhode (250) 642-0086; russal@shaw.ca 1963-II: Tim Kemp (250) 494-5043; timkate@shaw.ca 1964: Gord Oakley (250) 544-1616; gordon_oakley@telus.net 1965: Graeme Evans (250) 361-2646; gnbevans@shaw.ca 1966: Ross Beck (613) 621-0073; rossbeck1946@gmail.com 1967: Errol Collinson (250) 704-0048; erroni@shaw.ca Staff: Joe Cunningham (250) 360-0450; josephcunningham@telus.net

*NB: Class Reps are members of the Executive

Distribution of The Signal As of this edition, 447 copies distributed,: 398 electronically via the website or direct e-mail; 49 by snail mail. To addresses in: Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Thailand, the UK and the USA.

Naughtical Terms*

BARRICO - fr Sp. barrica - cask. Related to Sp. barricada wherein barrels were used as protective barriers. The word is properly pronounced “breaker” and is often listed under that spelling with “barrico” as an option. No longer in general use, except in nautical circumstances. A small cask, usually of elliptical cross-section to resist movement in the bottom of a boat and allow weight to be carried low in a small boat. The flattened shape was oritinally designed to enable the containers to be used on pack animals. The barrico proved to be ideal for providing an emergency fresh water ration for lifeboats. Because the cask was readily available, it was often used as a marker buoy for articles jettisoned in shallow water or as an anchor buoy.

*Courtesy of our distinguished past/past/past President, Joe Cunningham

December 2018 �8 The Newsletter of the Venture Association

Life After Venture by Gary Fullerton, Class of 63-II

Ed Note: In a recent exchange with Gary, he suggested that the Signal might carry the odd story about the subsequent lives of those members who either did not graduate or had relatively short Naval careers; in true pusser fashion, I asked him to “volunteer” a piece along those lines. Here it is, rather brutally edited for space.

When the Class of ’63-II, graduated at Christmas of 1963, I was just two months into my nineteenth year. Back then, one could not be legally served in a provincial beer parlour until the age of 21. But here we were, trained in many adult activities, marching off as A/SLts to the strains of Heart of Oak. Then, in January1964, we were off on a three-month cruise to South America, which ended with the beginning of my, and many others’, “Life After Venture”.

What to do? The BC Forest Service needed Survey Assistants, so I was assigned to the Parsnip River rain forest, frantically surveying and logging for the Peace River Dam, which formed Williston Lake. I was exposed to the world of heavy equipment: log skidders, bulldozers, wheel loaders. I went on to UVic, but continued this work for a few summers.

At university, I joined the rugby club, which my Venture training and discipline had prepared me for. Just like Venture, off the field, we wore crested blazers and club ties, but not with the WWII vintage grey “bags. Rugby had become a huge part of my life; we went 3-0 on the SA cruise. Even as recently as May 2018, I put the boots on again for a game vs a touring Japanese +60 side.

But for now, I was into university studies, graduating in 1969 with a BA in Economics. There, I met Shirley, the love of my life. We were married and quickly started a family. But, what to do after UVic? This little family needed an income. A good friend was selling heavy equipment in Prince George, and advised me that his firm wanted to hire a recent college grad with equipment exposure. The Forest Service and Venture training sold it; I got the job.

Heavy equipment is a high cost capital good, with a limited market. The industry ranges from single owner operators to huge corporations that build construction, mining, and forestry projects. My naval training was an excellent base to handle this world. There were conventions, factory visits, social events, committee work, and plenty of travel. I flew over B.C. in various aircraft (probably every make that used floats), and I would think of the “flyboys” who graduated with us and made a contribution to national security. The focus was to sell the machinery, make a profit, earn a commission, expand the base for the supply of spare parts and service, and, along the way, organize companies, manage employees, and develop friendships that would last a lifetime. Additional personal gain came from bonuses, company cars, expense accounts and other benefits. It was a wonderful life, so I decided to give it a go on my own. My old mate and I teamed up to buy and sell used equipment, importing some from Japan. This life was even better; all the early training in how the world worked, plus our professional knowledge, guided us to success. Age and energy caught up, the investment portfolio grew, and retirement beckoned. In 2011, Shirley passed away from cancer. I dabbled for a few more years, but finally “hung up the boots” at the end of 2016. Time served was about 19 months in Venture and the RCN, five years at UVic and summer jobs, and 47 years and 8 months in the heavy equipment industry.

An old classmate from ’63-II told me about the Venture Association, so I eagerly started to attend the Reunions. At these functions, talking with old shipmates, I remembered vividly all the stuff we got up to at HMC Dockyard; things like Morse Code signalling in the morning, great food, too much wine at Mess Dinners, taking whalers over to “Roads” to try to pinch cannons, the barber with booze on his breath, lint brushes, morning punishment (we got so fit it was just a morning jog), rugby games and the Hibbard Trophy, Sunday chapel, renting U-drives (at our young age), the thick “kye” before bed, and on and on I could go.

Venture was a tiny, but very influential, piece of my life. You old salts who had a Naval career would no doubt have had a second career in another business, guided by your experience in the RCN and your training at Venture. So, let’s hear from you too! I had heard that Wilf Lund, the Venture historian, was writing a book on the history of Venture so I sent him some vignettes. Oh, I didn’t mention that I am also a Navy brat; my father, C2ER4 Sid Fullerton, joined at the outbreak of WW11 and was in convoys on the North Atlantic. He did his 25 years and, ironically, left the RCN the same time as I did.

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