Spring 2018

Fort York News York Fort

Spring 2018 John Hamilton Cameron Clarry 1919-2018 Page 2 News Spring 2018

Fort York Legion Branch 165 Executive 2018 1421 Yonge Street P.O. Box 69009 President……………………… Col Geordie Elms , ON M4T 1Y7 1st Vice President…..……. Col Gil Taylor Fort York Branch Calendar 2018 2nd Vice President……….. Maj George Chabrol Immediate Past President... Col Fred McCague

Secretary……………………… Ann Unger Garden Party @ Rosedale G & CC……... May 23 Treasurer……………………… Malcolm Hamilton Change of Command, A.G.M @ RCMI….. June 7 Membership Secretary…. LW Joyce Lloyd

Chaplain……………………….. Maj Gillian Federico

District D, Zone 5 Rep…… LCdr Donna Murakami F.Y. News/Historian……….Terry Sleightholm Newsletter Staff Sergeant-at-Arms………… Malcolm Morrison Writer/Publisher…………. Terry Sleightholm Public Relations……………. Sgt Peter Moon Photography………………. Sgt Peter Moon, Sunnybrook Liaison………. Col Jim Hubel Terry Sleightholm Writers/Editors…………… Sgt Peter Moon Remembrancer……………. Capt Rev. Greg Bailey Capt Larry Rose Branch Services Officer….Cdr Ed Sparling Donna Murakami Ann Unger RCMI Liaison………………… Susan Cook Printing…………………….. Ann Unger Special Events Team Leader…. LCdr Donna Murakami Special Events Team…….. Kathryn Boyden Kathryn Langley Hope Name Tags S.E.T. Members-at-Large Jeremy Federico If you require a name tag, please contact LCdr Joyce Lloyd Donna Murakami and she will arrange to have Ann Unger one made for you. The cost is approximately $5.00 . Indicate whether you prefer a magnet Website…………………………… Malcolm Hamilton or pin closure. Malcolm Morrison [email protected] Members-at-Large……….. F/L Chuck Casson Lt(N) Paul Costello Branch 165 Website P/O Bill Milne Tom Pam https://fortyorkbranch165.wildapricot.org Douglas Purdon Your password is your membership number. If you don’t know or can’t find your number, contact Don- na Murakami. If you are having difficulties with the website, contact Malcolm Hamilton at:

[email protected] Page 3 Fort York News Spring 2018

Recipients of Fort York Branch 165’s Charity

Lucie, a Parson Russell terrier who accompa- Sunnybrook resident and Branch 165 member, nies Terry Sleightholm on his weekly visits to Capt Doug Scott, with a photo of himself taken in the Tony Stacey Centre for Veterans Care, is Korea in 1953 shown here with a volunteer and resident. 2017 Poppy Trust Campaign

Treasurer Malcolm Hamilton announced at the March meeting of Branch 165’s executive that this year’s Poppy Campaign results were an improvement over past years.

171 members out of a total membership 252 made donations.

This represented a record 68.4% participation in the campaign.

The 2016 participation was 65%.

The average donation per member was $142.28.

We raised more than $24,000 in this year’s campaign.

Thank you to Malcolm Hamilton who tabulated the results in his report and to everyone who contributed to the campaign. Remember that your money directly assists our Veterans. Page 4

Valentine’s Dinner at the Old Mill

L to R: Shirley and Col Geordie Elms with Irene and Col Jim Hubel Page 5

A Happy Group!

Nina Every and Col Marv Rich enjoying themselves Page 6 Fort York News Spring 2018

Roger Broadbent surrounded by beauty and laughter Page 7

Doug Purdon and Rosemary Aubert

Ines Gorodnitzky and Sheila Stene Page 8 Fort York News Spring 2018

Malcolm Morrison (L) and Doug Purdon enjoying a chat

Col Marv Rich and Nina Every looking good in red!

Page 9 Fort York News Spring 2018

Vojtek, Iranian Bear in the Polish Artillery

Condensed milk from

from Iran Page 10 Fort York News Spring 2018

passenger

Voytek’s Statue in Edinburgh

Page 11 Fort York News Spring 2018

Corporal Vojtek, Polish

Gunner (and Bear)

1942—1963 Page 12 The last pair of she bought was 18th Century women's shoes, which are heeled footwear, made with SONJA BATA green and red fabric, with latches on the sides.

ollector and philanthropist Sonja Bata, whose col- "She always said that her favourite in the collection C lection of global footwear treasures formed the ba- was the one that she mostly recent acquired," she said. sis of the Bata Shoe in Toronto, has died. "She saw the unique possibilities of showing her collec- tion and showing how much you can learn about people The museum's acting director Sheila Knox says Bata from what they wear on their feet." passed away on Tuesday evening at Toronto Western Hospital, surrounded by friends and family. She was 91. Knox said Bata was warm, kind, generous and an "incredible role model" who strove for excellence and Bata began collecting footwear in the 1940s, and her was curious about many different subjects. She collected fascination with design and history led to a collection of shoes from around the world, including in Africa and more than 13,000 artifacts chronicling 4,500 years of Asia. history. "Everything she touched she wanted to exhibit design "We are so fortunate to have worked with such a vision- excellence," she said. ary and to witness and participate in her passion for her collection. And for her generosity in sharing it with the city of Toronto," Knox said Wednesday.

Sonja studied architecture until meeting Czech-Canadian Thomas Bata, the heir of a global shoe manufacturing and retail empire.

The two wed in 1946 and the young woman soon joined her husband on business trips around the world, devel- oping a passion for collecting rare and traditional foot- wear along the way.

She is credited with creating the most comprehensive collection of historic footwear in the world, and building the Bata Shoe Museum into a world-renowned institution in .

"When she had about 1,500 pairs of shoes in her base- ment, a friend of hers who was an anthropologist took a look at them and said, 'You know, these really are muse- um worthy. They're not being worn very much or at all anymore; they're not made anymore. You really should have them kept properly and safely in a museum set- ting.' And that was in 1979 when she decided to found the museum," Knox said. Appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 1983, Ba- "She rounded out the collection with another several ta was also an honorary naval captain for more than 24 thousand shoes, so by the time we opened the museum years. in 1995 we had over 10,000 items from around the world and throughout history. She never did stop collecting. In She also devoted her time to and held leadership roles in fact, the last pair she purchased was two weeks ago." the National Design Council, World Wildlife Fund Cana- da, Council for Business and the Arts in Canada, and Page 13 Fort York News Spring 2018 From page 12 as a symbol of enduring friendship between the two Knox said there will be a private service and no funeral. countries, one forged in tragedy with almost 60,000 Ca- nadian lives lost. The museum will honour her memory in some way in the coming weeks but no arrangements have been made. ―In Mons, there is a close connection with Canada,‖ Mr. Rousman said. ―We are very happy to be liberated by Bata, whose health had been failing for some time, is sur- Canadians.‖ vived by her four children Thomas Bata Jr., Christine Schmidt, Monica Pignal, and Rosemarie Bata, as well as The city of Mons was also where the last Common- nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Sonja was wealth soldier, a Canadian, was killed in the war. a member of Fort York Branch 165. (Globe and Mail) George Lawrence Price, a 25-year-old from Nova Sco- tia, was shot by a German sniper two minutes before the Armistice. He is buried in the city’s St Symphorien Military Cemetery.

During his March, 2016, visit to Ottawa to prepare for a 100-year commemoration ceremony in Mons, Mr. Rous- man met with officials at the Canadian War Museum. They discussed the plan to return, on a five-year loan, the cannon that Canada had given Belgium almost a century ago. And so it came about that the cannon was shipped on a C-130 Belgian transport plane to the museum in Janu- ary, where it will be featured in an upcoming exhibition on the last 100 days of the First World War. ―These guns survived, and then the gun has been returned to us. And I think it’s a really powerful piece,‖ said Tim Cook, the Canadian War Museum’s First World War his- torian. The lovely Sonja Bata The cannon was on display this week during a state visit from Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde – the first in 40 years. Although there were some missteps – ______including a German flag mistakenly displayed on a tree outside Rideau Hall, and a suggestion that the large del- A Cannon Returns Home egation may have felt snubbed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – the royal couple was well-received, attending a state dinner with Governor-General Julie Payette and elgian historian Corentin Rousman came to Ot- other events in Toronto and Montreal. tawa two years ago with an ambitious plan: to B ship a cannon back to Canada in honour of the At a commemoration event at the museum, King 100th anniversary of the First World War. But it was not Philippe expressed his gratitude to Canada for its role in just any cannon. liberating his country during both the First and Second The 18-pounder field gun had fired the last Canadian World Wars. shell on the Western front on Nov. 11, 1918 – the day ―The destinies of our two countries were tragically inter- the Canadian Corps liberated the southwest Belgian city woven in the 20th century during two world wars,‖ the of Mons, and the four-year war came to an end. King said in his speech. ―You have preserved here the On Aug. 15, 1919, the piece of artillery was presented moving testimonies left behind by the Canadian soldiers as a gift from the Canadian military to the city of Mons Page 14 Fort York News Spring 2018 who twice came to fight, for too many of them to give But also a legacy that is remembered, I think. their lives on Belgian soil.‖ At the commemorative event last week, Veterans Af- The 18-pounder belonged to the 39th Battery, Canadi- fairs Minister Seamus O’Regan said Canadians can an Field Artillery, and first went into action in 1916, only really understand the sacrifices made by their participating in a series of battles in the First World countrymen and women when seen through the eyes War including the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Passchen- of the Belgians and others who were freed. daele, culminating in the ―Hundred Days‖ offensive ―We’re fortunate in this country that the war didn’t oc- between August and November 1918 that won the cur here. It occurred there, it occurred on their land, it war. The field gun is called an 18-pounder because it affected their families, it affected their homes directly It fired an 18-pound shell, filled with explosives, shrap- destroyed cities,‖ Mr. O’Regan said. ―And we, a people nel, chemicals or smoke. Historians believe the guns who they wouldn’t have known, who weren’t neigh- fired 100 million shells during the course of the war. bours, came over across an ocean and helped liberate them.‖ Mr. O’Regan said he’s planning to attend the special commemorative ceremony in Mons on Re- membrance Day. Spokespersons for the Prime Minis- ter’s Office and the Governor-General said it was too early to confirm such visits.

Mr. Rousman, however, is optimistic that the Prime Minister will be there.

―We hope that Trudeau will be in Mons on the 11th of November,‖ he said.

―It’s our goal.‖ Source: Globe and Mail, March 16, 2018

Canadian War Museum commemoration in Ottawa on March 13, 2018 with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

Built in Britain, this piece of artillery also survived the German occupation of Belgium during the Second World War, where older weapons were often captured and repurposed for battle. But space in the Mons Me- morial Museum was limited, and only one of the two cannons given to Belgium by Canada was put on dis- play, with the other languishing in storage.

Dr. Cook said the new exhibition at the Canadian War Museum, set to open in October, will chronicle the se- ries of battles at the end of the First World War.

Along with the artillery piece, the exhibit will feature colour photographs, letters, diaries and memoirs of Canadians who served in Belgium, as well as artifacts, a reconstruction of a tank and archival film footage from combat cameramen.

―There is a legacy that is there, a legacy in photo- graphs, in art, in material culture, in like this. Page 15 with military historian Adam Montgomery, the book Book Review: After the War delivers an honest, visceral account of Grenier’s by Stephane Grenier struggles with PTSD, from onset to recovery, and ulti-

he body of the little girl lies bunched on the mately his experience as a mental health advocate. T ground, her arms splayed forward. A few Early chapters detail the context behind Grenier’s feet away is the bloated body of a man who could be psychological affliction; they offer a superb look at her father or possibly her grandfather. The dead both the tragic events of the Rwandan genocide and man’s arms are open to the heavens. His clothing the inner landscape of psychological trauma. In rich suggests they might have been on their way to church clarity, Grenier outlines the building blocks of PTSD, when they were killed. The army officer who has culminating in his own personal tipping point, beyond stumbled across the scene looks back to the girl. His which he no longer cared whether or not he survived. thoughts skip to his own children. With a jolt, he notic- es that a third of the little girl’s head is missing and The chapters set in Rwanda are expertly told. The the earth around her is stained crimson. writing is crisp, and Grenier offers a different perspec-

tive on tragic events that are similarly described in The two corpses are among the 800,000 victims of Roméo Dallaire’s Shake Hands with the Devil. Else- the genocide that threaded through Rwanda’s civil where, Grenier’s observations about recovering from war in the 1990s. When he discovered the grisly sce- PTSD ring absolutely true: ―On the surface things ne, Canadian Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel Sté- were fine, but I was exhausted from constantly having phane Grenier had many months still to go in his tour to apply coping mechanisms. I could never just be and umpteen horrors yet to face. Nevertheless, this myself – or at least my old self.‖ single image would remain in his mind like a psycho- logical snapshot – a hallmark of post-traumatic stress Later chapters trace Grenier’s evolving passion for disorder. mental health advocacy; the most evocative of these

describes his founding of a peer support system for Grenier deployed to Rwanda in 1994 and served in members of the military. Although the narrative los- the Canadian military until 2012. His book, After the es some of its power when it turns its focus to War: Surviving PTSD and Changing Mental Health Grenier’s civilian work, the author’s experiences are Culture, describes how his subsequent life was very much worth reading. shaped by the psychic wounds he incurred during his tour of duty in the afflicted African nation. Co-authored Page 16 Fort York News Spring 2018 One can appreciate that, for many, the peacekeep- Seeking Veterans From ing mission in Rwanda remains a nightmare that will never end. Still, there is inspiration to be found The Italy Campaign 1943 in reading about positive changes that can emerge from the heart of evil. With After the War, Grenier has contributed a most useful addition to the grow- arry Rose is a member of Fort York Legion ing body of work on psychological trauma in the L Branch 165. He is an accomplished author and military. □ is writing a couple of stories about Canada’s role in the Operation. He is trying to locate veterans who served in Italy in 1943 and especially any who were part of Operation Husky in July 1943. If you know anyone who served, could you please contact Larry directly. He is especially trying to lo- cate Sheridan Edward ATKINSON who served with the Royal Canadian Regiment in Sicily. He has tried

to locate him through the RCR without success. Sgt Peter Moon and Larry were very fortunate in the past week to meet Al Stapleton who served with RC Sigs in Sicily.

Larry would appreciate any assistance you could pro- vide. Please contact Larry at [email protected]

Posted by LCdr Donna Murakami

From Quill and Quire, 2018

Page 17 Fort York News Spring 2018

MAJOR MILITARY EXERCISE and several residential buildings still stand on the site CHALLENGES CANADIAN RANGER SKILLS and Rangers took turns being photographed in front By Peter Moon of them.

Once at their training sites the Rangers set up tent camps and conducted training that included cold wa- Canadian Rangers and other members of the Cana- dian Army have completed a major military exercise ter rescue, which involved wearing immersion suits in the Far North of . and going into a large hole cut in the ice to learn res- cue techniques. Severe cold, difficult snow conditions, and the logis- tics of the exercise were all challenges, said Captain ―Logistically this was a very challenging exercise,‖ Mark Rittwage, the Canadian Army officer command- Captain Rittwage said. ―The Rangers had to get from ing the Rangers of Northern Ontario. their homes to the four training locations along with all their equipment. A lot was learned from it. It was ―It was a great exercise,‖ he said. ―We had 98 Cana- great training for ground search and rescue.‖ dian Rangers from 23 taking part as well as 28 other military personnel.‖ Colonel Dwayne Hobbs, assistant chief of staff at the headquarters of 4th Canadian Division in Toronto, The exercise was conducted in February near the four First Nation communities of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast; Bearskin Lake, 630 kilometers north of Thunder Bay; Nibinamik, 290 kilometers north of Thunder Bay; and Savant Lake on Ontario’s most northerly section of paved highway. It required Rangers to travel from their home communities to the exercise locations. Most travelled by snowmobile in challenging conditions.

The Rangers are part-time army reservists. In North- ern Ontario they conduct search and rescue mis- sions, evacuations for forest fires and spring floods, and respond to a range of other emergencies in their remote and isolated communities. was impressed by what he saw of the Rangers at Sa- One group of Rangers took almost 24 hours to travel vant Lake. It was the first time he had seen Rangers non-stop from Wunnumin Lake and Kingfisher Lake training on the land. to Nibinamik. ―The snow was so deep they were breaking trail almost all the way,‖ Captain Rittwage ―It’s amazing to see the teamwork, their understand- said. ―That’s exhausting work. They were going ing of the terrain, the bush, the ice and snow condi- through more gas and oil than they expected and ma- tions, and of the weather,‖ he said. ―They’re at home, chines kept breaking down and had to be repaired.‖ absolutely at home on the land. I’m thinking about frost bite and they’re thinking of what needs to be Another group took two days to snowmobile from At- done next. They’re pragmatic about what they do. It’s tawapiskat to Lake River in Polar Bear Provincial not done in a rush but they do things in the right order Park in near white-out conditions and in wind chills and with a purpose. What I found fascinating was the that dipped below -50C. Lake River, known in Cree amount of sharing of information. They were con- as Lakitusaki, is a long abandoned settlement. The stantly helping each other. former Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, church, Page 18 Fort York News Spring 2018

―There are a lot of negative stories about the North. But it’s not the full story. I’m here with a group of peo- ple who are engaged and empowered with all sorts of important skills. They carry themselves with such honesty and dignity. That’s what I want to take back with me down south when I talk about the Rangers.‖

The exercise provided much needed experience for many of the younger Rangers. The traditional knowledge of how to live on the land is fading, be- cause more people are working and young people are more interested in electronic gadgets, said Ser- geant Jean Rabbit-Waboose of Eabametoong First Nation.

“Being in a camp setting is nothing new to me,‖ she said, ―I do it all the time and I love it. This training helps us teach other people and we can all learn from each other, from people from other communities. This is a good exercise.‖ □

(Sergeant Peter Moon, a member of Fort York branch, is the public affairs ranger for the 3rd Canadi- an Ranger Patrol Group at CFB Borden.) Page 19

Joint Fort York-RCMI Dinner 2018

Andrew Stirling, Guest Speaker L to R: Malcolm Hamilton, Kathryn Langley Hope, HCol Gil Taylor

Two air force veterans, Colonel Fred McCague (L) and Wing Commander Russ Bannock L to R: Ross Durant, Derek Robinson, Stephan Dulmage

L to R: Major-General Fraser Holman, LCol Alan Methven, and Past Presidents, Col Fred McCague and LCol Evelyn Kelly Lieutenant-Commander Michael Hoare Page 20 Joint Dinner 2018

Ines Gorodnitzky and Sergeant Peter Moon Jeremy Federico, newly appointed Pipe Major of the Lorne Scots, tunes his bagpipes prior to pip- ing in the head table. New Format

Please note that the Annual General Meeting and the Change of Com- mand will take place this year on the same evening: Thursday 7 June 2018 at the Royal Canadian Military Insti- tute.

Ann Unger (L) and Shirley Elms Greet Guests More details will follow in a separate notice.

L to R: Malcolm Morrison, Capt Larry Rose, Col Geordie Elms, BGen Garry Thomson Page 21 Fort York News Spring 2018

Colonel Geordie Elms, left, president of the Fort York branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, and Lieutenant-Commander Michael Hoare, centre, president of the RCMI, present gifts of apprecia- tion to the Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling who was the speaker at the annual joint Fort York-RCMI din- ner. Dr. Stirling is the senior minister at Timothy Eaton United Church.

“THE COST OF SAYING NO”--A STIRRING MESSAGE AT BRANCH 165/RCMI EVENT n outstanding orator, Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling, senior minister of Timothy Eaton Memorial United Church, was the featured speaker at the annual Branch 165-RCMI dinner on April 5, delivering a presentation titled ―The A Cost of Saying No.‖ Dr. Stirling has a distinguished academic background holding a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, a Master of Divinity from the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, and a Doctor of Ministry in preaching from Acadia Divinity College in Nova Scotia. He has also been recognized with numerous other honours and honorary degrees. He said there is a virtue to saying ―no‖ to the world of tyranny and greed but doing so may come with a cost. He cited as an example the death of Corporal Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial in Ottawa in October, 2014 when, as he said, ―the reality of violence came to our doorstep.‖ He said we must stand up to hate as Cpl. Cirillo was doing when he was struck down. The defence of freedom is saying no to those who would not welcome it, he said. The minister said we live in a violent and dangerous world but that there are three virtues we should cherish, among them—memory. ―If we no longer remember the stories of the past we face becoming a soulless nation,‖ he said, add- ing, ―It is hard to remember, but more dangerous to forget.‖ He described how his church is planning an important event in November 2018 to mark the end of the First World War. Among others to be honoured for their sacrifice will be legendary pilot Billy Bishop whose family members will be in attendance at the service. A second virtue cited was duty, he said. ―We have a duty to help when we can.‖ Finally, he cited as a third virtue—sacrifice. He recalled the sacrifices of so many during the First World War, the Second World War and conflicts since then. ―What costs some people bore. What scars have remained for those who returned. It is not just those who were victims by death; so many were touched, influenced and troubled by war.‖ □ Page 22 Fort York News Spring 2018 Capt D. Roger Broadbent Easter Lunch 1932 — 2018 Maple Leaf/Swansea Branch, 266/46 R.C.L.

Capt Larry Rose and Sgt Peter Moon Moon attended t is with great sadness that we announce the this annual event, showing their support for the Vet- I passing of Roger Broadbent at his home on Sat- erans, especially those who reside at Sunnybrook. urday, March 31, 2018 at the age of 85 years. He is Mary Prescott, a member of Branch 165, thanked survived by his loving daughter Sonja (Lyle Zunti); members of the Swansea Legion branch for hosting grandsons Kaden, Ethan, and Colten; his brother Mi- chael; niece Emma; and nephew Bartholomew. 20 veterans from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Cen- tre at its annual Easter lunch. Mary was a singer and Roger’s love of music, tuning and playing the piano dancer with the Canadian Army Show in England touched many people. He volunteered countless Belgium, Holland, and Germany from 1944 to 1945. hours playing the piano at Sunnybrook, Belmont house, Toronto Rehab Center, and others.

Roger enjoyed playing tennis, riding his bike, going to the opera, and attending social events. A celebration of life is planned for May 30th at McLean House (Sunnybrook Hospital) from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Roger was a dear friend of the Fort York Branch 165 members who volunteer on Sundays, taking the vet- erans in their wheelchairs to chapel service. Roger was the organist at the ser- vices and always enjoyed the camaraderie afterwards dur- ing coffee. He was a member of our branch, often playing at Mary Prescott dinners and offering rides to older members from Sunny- brook. Roger will be greatly missed by all who knew him. †

MyBell

Larry Rose, a military historian, author, and Fort York member, left, with Allan Stapleton, 98, who took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 Twenty veterans from Sunnybrook enjoy a roast beef lunch. as a young Canadian Army signaler. Page 23 Fort York News Spring 2018

Drawing & Painting Aircraft Sunnybrook Chapel Citations 8 Wing CFB Trenton

Flying Officer William Peter Aust 588 qquadron AAF Haalifaxes North Atlantic – WWII in loving Aemembrance – Peter, Anne, Electa and Bill ______IN MEMORIAM 20 Nov 1932 – 31 Mar 2018 Lancaster NA-R – Currently under restoration RCAF Museum – 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario – © Doug Purdon Captain Aoger Broadbent Experience painting aircraft on site at the National Air Royal Artillery, England Force Museum of Canada at 8 Wing Trenton and in the studio at Loyalist College. Learn about drawing and paint- Long-time Organist in Veterans Chapel & Warriors Hall ing complex forms, composition, colour mixing, and how to A Good Bloke and Friend of all place your aircraft in different settings. At the museum, you will have access to draw and paint from the historic ______aircraft on display. Please note that you may only work in acrylic or watercolour while at the museum; oil paint may Corporal John “Jack” Aichard Embrey be used in the Loyalist studio. nd Canadian Armoured Brigade – North West , WWII Jun. 18 – 22, Mon. – Fri., 9 am – 4 pm; CRN: 7066 Awarded: Knight, LÉgion d’aonneur HFrance 5 $368.55 / (60+) $300.60 Feb 085 Doug Purdon, a member of Branch 165, is an oil painter, a Dedicated by Toronto East Aotary Club graduate of OCAD University and an elected member of ______the Society of Canadian Artists. His work is exhibited in Canada, the U.S. and Britain. His paintings are in many In Memory of Aichard F. aowes corporate and private collections in Canada and abroad. Creator of Memorial Wall – K Wing entrance He has written an internationally published book on oil and Memorial Plaque – Veterans Chapel painting. Dedicated with love by wife qylvie and Family Doug serves as artist in residence for Winsor & Newton in Ontario. ______Doug Purdon - (416) 759 – 3126; purdo- B 365 qergeant William T. Phelan [email protected] / www.dougpurdon-artist.com Canadian Army 7 qept 894 – 3 Oct 8946

Died 6 Dec 087 Dedicated by Toronto East Aotary Club

Page 24 Fort York News Spring 2018 long on keel and narrow in beam. It was also fast for its FLOATING MUSEUMS day with a top speed of around 13 knots, giving it the ability to outrun what it couldn’t outgun. By Malcolm Morrison Seeing Constitution in dry dock in 2017 was a great oppor- tunity to see the copper sheathing coating the hull below ’m lucky in that I love galleries and museums. Some the waterline. This sheathing was essential in countering of my best holidays have involved hours spent in both. the teredo worm. I For that matter, I never tire of spending a few hours at Fire control was limited largely to the command to fire on the . the upward roll of the ship. But the guns themselves were But there is something really special about museums of the state of the art. Included in the armament were carron- floating – or nautical – kind. Every ship is a self-contained ades. These short barrelled guns of large calibre (up to unit where people lived and often fought. Many of them are around 42 pounders) had been in warships for around 25 also great reflections of the best-available technology of years when the Constitution was built and they were very the time. effective short range weapons known for good reason as smashers. Constitution’s cannon have all been replicas For example, the plotting table of the World War Two-era since a refit in the 1920s. light cruiser HMS Belfast, moored in the Thames just downriver from Tower Bridge in London, is a marvel of an- Ammunition had also evolved considerably by the late alogue computing power in the pre-transistor age. Raw 1700s. On a table inside the ship was a variety of ball and material on direction, speed of target, barometric pressure, shot, including the standard round shot. But there other wind speed and other information was fed to this analogue lethal missiles designed to inflict maximum damage on the fire control system. Orders were then given for gun direc- enemy ship’s rigging such as the barbell shot, two balls tion and elevation. joined by a length of iron. And of course, bar shot and grape shot, which would unleash scores of musket balls The technology is equally fascinating for ships far older, and various other bits of metal. □ such as HMS Victory and USS Constitution, both built with- in about 30 years of each other in the late 1700s. This starts as soon as you step onto the deck of America’s Old Ironsides, the oldest floating commissioned sailing ship in the world (Victory was put into dry dock in 1922). We had the pleasure of roaming around the ship in 2017 whilst it was in dry dock, undergoing a major refit. Sailing ships may seem on the fragile side to the lands- man. But look up into the vast web of rigging and forest of spars, masts and booms and you can’t help but be im- pressed by how very solid it all looks. Really, the biggest danger to such a ship was being caught with too much canvas in the event of a sudden blow-up. A sail gets torn, a topmast breaks in two, standing and running rigging snaps and all of a sudden, the ship is out of control, ending up beam on to the sea. These square riggers were excellent sea boats that could sail to the four corners of the world. The technology extends to the hull. One look at it tells you everything about her nickname. The hull is almost two-feet thick. The designer, Joshua Humphreys, built a warship that was heavier than frigates of other navies, making it