Argonauta, Vol XIV, No 2 (April 1997)

ARGONAUTA The Newsletter of The Canadian Nautical Research Society Volume XIV, Number Two April 1997 ARGONAUTA Founded 1984 by Kenneth S. Mackenzie ISSN No. 0843-8544 EDITORS Michael HENNESSY Maurice SMITH MANAGING EDITOR Margaret M. GULLIVER HONORARY EDITOR Gerald E. PANTING ARGONAUTA EDITORIAL OFFICE Maritime Studies Research Unit Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, NF AIC 5S7 Telephones: (709) 737-2602/(709) 737-8424 FAX: (709) 737-8427 ARGONAUTA is published four times per year in January, April, July and October and is edited for the Canadian Nautical Research society within the Maritime Studies Research Unit at Memorial University of Newfoundland. THE CANADIAN NAUTICAL RESEARCH SOCIETY Executive Officers Liaison Committee President: G. Edward REED, Ottawa Chair: William GLOVER, Markdale Past President: Faye KERT, Ottawa Atlantic: David FLEMMING, Halifax Vice-President: Christon I. ARCHER, Calgary Quebec: Eileen R. MARCIL, Charlesbourg Vice-President: William R. GLOVER, London, ON Ontario: Maurice D. SMITH, Kingston Councillor: Richard GIMBLETT, Ottawa Western: Christon I. ARCHER, Calgary Councillor: Gerald JORDAN, Toronto Pacific: John MACFARLANE, Port Alberni Councillor: James PRITCHARD, Kingston Arctic: D. Richard VALPY, Yellowknife Councillor: Maurice SMITH, Kingston Secretary: Lewis R. FISCHER, St. John's Treasurer: Ann MARTIN, Ottawa CNRS MAILING ADDRESS Annual Membership including four issues of P.O. Box 55035 ARGONAUTA and four issues of The Northern 240 Sparks Street Mariner: Individuals, $35; Institutions, $60; Students, Ottawa, ON KIP IAI $25. APRIL 1997 ARGONAUTA 1 dedicated work of Bill Glover, Ann Martin and Bob Elliot - and I hope that as many members as possible, especially INTIDSISSUE those in the Maritimes, will be able to attend. The 1998 Annual Conference, to be held Editorial 1 in Calgary, Alberta, over three days Council Corner 1 during June, is the most ambitious ICMH News 2 endeavour the Society has taken on Commentary recently, and it is certainly the largest -John Crosse, The Elsie Newsletter 2 conference that the Society has planned on its own. Articles -R.F. Latimer, Lurcher #4 3 Chris Archer and his colleagues in the -Robert Fisher, Axis Submarine Losses to Canadian Forces 3 Department ofHistory at the University Sailing the Internet 3 ofCalgary have been beavering away at Conferences and Calls for Papers 6 the program and local arrangements for Periodical Literature 6 the 1998 Annual Conference since September, and every thing in the Diary 7 progress report that was presented to Archives and Museums Council at its mid-winter meeting Organizations and Societies suggests that the Conference will, indeed, be a "blockbuster". The tentative theme ofthe 1998 Annual EDITORIAL Annual Conferences is underway, though Conference is "Naval War, Exploration, each is, of course, at different stages in and Societies at Sea", with proposed The new editors continue to fmd their the organizational process. Council sessions on such topics as maritime footings with the production of the reviewed progress reports on the medicine, sovereignty and environment, newsletter. As we discover the pennuta program and local arrangements for each mutinies and piracy, and literature and tions of fonns and fonnats we ask our of the Conferences, and the reports the sea. Some sessions will be held reader's patience. Personal News will indicate that all three will be exciting and concurrently, and there will also be continue to appear in our pages, but will important events in the life of the several plenary sessions. For the latter, now only come out twice yearly. Society. the Organizing Committee is planning to invite a number of scholars with We also plan some new departures. In The 1997 Annual Conference will be international reputations. On the social particular we anticipate approaching held in Saint John, New Brunswick, side, the Committee has several field society members for short bibliographi from Thursday, 29 May to Saturday, 31 trips in mind - white-water rafting, a tour cal examinations of issues or questions. May, and members will shortly be ofBanff and Lake Louise, and a visit to Suggestions for themes, or volunteers receiving, if they have not already a working ranch. for contributions are welcome. If in received, copies of the program -and doubt, drop us a note with a statement registration package. The I999 Annual Conference, to be held of interest. in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, proba Eds. The theme of the 1997 Annual bly during August, is only in the prelimi Conference is "Ports and People", and nary stages ofthe organizational process. there will be six sessions on related The Conference will be held jointly with COUNCIL CORNER topics. One session will be devoted the Association for the History of the exclusively to the Port of Saint John Northern Seas and is being organized by ED Reed, President itself, while others will be on, for Olaf Janzen, who is a member of both example, "Ports and Empire" and "Ports groups. The program will consist ofboth The Council of the Society held its and Wrecks". Papers will be given both separate and joint sessions and might regular mid-winter meeting on 25 by members of the Society and by also include a field trip to L'Anse aux January. Among the many items of non-members, and one presenter will be Meadows and Red Bay. business that were discussed by Council coming from as far away as Turin, Italy. were two that will be of particular The program also includes a cruise ofthe Considerable concern was expressed by interest to members ofthe Society- viz., harbour. members ofthe Society and others at the annual conferences and the archival Annual Meeting last year about the dis disposition offederal maritime records. All in all, then, the 1997 Annual position ofrecords ofthe federal govern Conference promises to be one of the ment that relate to maritime issues as the Work on the 1997, 1998 and 1999 best ones yet - owing principally to the government proceeds with its down- 2 ARGONAUTA APRIL 1997 sizing initiative. Accordingly, I wrote to quarterly newsletter and a semi-annual Pacific, wherever U.S. or allied forces the National Archivist, Dr. Jean-Pierre journal, THE GREAT CIRCLE. went ashore. In the long run it was these Wallot, to ascertain how the National landings that sealed the fate ofthe Axis Archives of Canada intends to appraise The AAMH Newsletter, currently edited powers. Neither Germany, Italy or Japan the records of Transport Canada, Ports by Jeffrey Mellefont, contains a variety had an answer to these massive assaults Canada, Revenue Canada - Customs, and of features quite similar to those in on their beaches. related maritime agencies that do create ARGONAUTA. But in addition, it con records that are subject to the National tains a "maritime queries" section that is It is therefore more than surprising that Archives of Canada Act. In particular, one ofthe best in the world. The News so few books have been written about the letter asked, first, about the criteria letter also regularly runs special features. the actual vessels that made these land that are being used by the National Ar Perhaps the most successful in recent ings. We know the history of every chives to approach records of "national memory was a series on the minor ports battleship that ever floated. Tales innu significance" in the instances of records ofAustralia; many ofthe columns were merable have been written ofcorvettes in created in Ottawa, at regional offices and eventually published by the AAMH as a the Atlantic, destroyers on escort duty, at various sites and, second, about book to commemorate its tenth anniver heroic carrier pilots. But the small craft, classes ofrecords and subject areas that sary. in their thousands, that landed the infan are represented in the records of the try on the beaches, go virtually totally various federal maritime agencies that THE GREAT CIRCLE was in many unrecorded. After all they weren't really will not be acquired by the National ways a model for THE NORTHERN ships. Ifthey did have a name they were Archives as a result of the appraisal MARINER/LE MARIN DU NORD. It is probably a converted merchantman, and «urrently edited by Graydon Henning, process. ifthey had only a number it was difficult who is also a member of CNRS. While to be interested in them. The reply that I received from Dr. Wallot the focus tends to be on Australia and was considered by Council at its adjacent regions, it has begun to encom Unfortunately numbers do count. Total mid-winter meeting. The general feeling pass a much greater range in recent all the seamen who spent their war years of Council was that Dr. Wallot's reply, years. The latest issue, for example, in landing craft and other types ofland though prompt and courteous, was not contains essays on "ceremonies at sea" in ing vessels and it adds up to a mighty very informative and was, therefore, I6th- and 17th-century Genoa; the Royal figure, more than all those who fought at unlikely to provide members ofthe Soci Navy and the South Sea labour trade in Jutland, greater than any ofthe innumer ety and other nautical researchers with the 19th century; port competition in much concrete reassurance. Nigeria around the tum of the century; able infantry divisions they put ashore. and the problems of modem naval his It is sad indeed that the tales ofall these tory. vessels have gone unrecorded. ICMHNEWS Membership in the AAMH costs a rea Fortunately, when the USS LCI National By Lewis R. Fischer sonable AUS $30 (plus $5 per year for Association was formed in 1991, a re airmail, if required), and brings with it tired Master ChiefGunner's Mate, Rob One ofthe greatest advantages of being the newsletter and THE GREAT CIR ert Kirsch, volunteered to handle the a member ofCNRS is that it brings with CLE.

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