UNTiDy TALES of Naval Ocer Cadets | Commander Robert J. Williamson CD Williamson Robert Ocer Cadets | Commander J. Naval of UNTiDy TALES UNT iDy TALES of Naval Ofcer Cadets The Story of Canada’s University Naval Training D ivisions ISBN 978-0-9698768- 0-3 Commander Robert James Williamson CD RCNR Retired "UNT iDy" TALES of NAVAL OFFICER CADETS The Story of Canada's University Naval Training Divisions 70th Anniversary Edition Commander Robert J. Williamson CD RCNR Retired Original Copyright 1993 by Robert J. Williamson 1 Clonmore Avenue, Hamilton, Ontario L9A 4R2, Ph. (905) 383-6084 Williamson10@s haw.ca Privately published 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2012 All rights reserved Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Williamson, Robert J., 1937- UNTiDy tales of naval officer cadets: the story of Canada's University Naval Training Divisions / Robert J. Williamson.-- 70th anniversary ed. Includes bibliographical references and index. Issued also in electronic format. ISBN 978- 0-9698768-3-0 1. Canada. Royal Canadian Navy. University Naval Training Division--History. 2. Naval education--Canada-- History. 3. Naval education--Canada--Anecdotes. 4. Canada. Royal Canadian Navy--Officers--Training of--History. I. Title. V440.W54 2012 359'.0071'171 C2012-902114-8 Illustrations and Design: R. Williamson Printed in Canada by TITLES ON DEMAND Publisher Services McMaster Innovative Press www.titlesondemand.ca McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario 2012 1 CONTENTS FOREWORD Vice-Admiral J. Allan CMM CD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5 INTRODUCTION 8 CHAPTER I Creation of the UNTD 11 CHAPTER II Joining Up 37 CHAPTER III Welcome to Halifax 65 CHAPTER IV Training Ashore 76 CHAPTER V Have You Ever Been to Sea 117 CHAPTER VI Ports of Call 228 CHAPTER VII Memorable Associations 255 CHAPTER VIII Rising to the Top 311 CHAPTER IX Impact of UNTD Experience 356 CHAPTER X UNTD Memorabilia 391 APPENDICES 398 BIBLIOGRAPHY 413 INDEX 414 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 2 UNTiDy TALES o f NAVAL OFFICER CADETS The Story of Canada’s University Naval Training Divisions 70th ANNIVERSAY EDITION 1942 - 2012 FOREWORD After a trial program at Guelph's Ontario Agricultural College seventy years ago in conjunction with HMCS Star in 1942, the integration of the University Naval Training Divisions (UNTD) into suitably located Naval Reserve Establishments was put into effect in June of 1943.. The objective during World War II was to provide an entry opportunity for students of all faculties at major universities, to become commissioned officers in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR). The UNTD program successfully met the objective of the Navy until the end of the war. In 1946 Commander Herbert Little became the Staff Officer UNTDs. In large measure, it was due to his dedication and effort in support of the plan, during massive post war cuts to personnel and training systems, that the priority for resources for the UNTD was retained. It is timely, in the seventieth year of the founding of the UNTD that Commander Robert Williamson has revised and updated his original historical and anecdote-filled account of that successful endeavour. It is my belief that all of those who have been associated, in any way, with the UNTD know how important the organization has been to them and to the Navy. I also know they will cherish Bob's book. I became a Cadet RCN in September of 1950 when I was appointed to Cataraqui additional for Queens University UNTD. The training I received at Cataraqui and on the coast in the summer was the foundation of my naval career. There is no doubt that the training and the friendships have lasted long and strong as has the ethic and pride of being a naval person. 3 In addition to providing commissioned naval officers, the UNTD has given other benefits to the Navy. Over the years and particularly when I was MARCOM, I concluded that the most important of the other benefits was the constituency that the members of the UNTD, individually or in groups, provided to the Navy in the cities, towns and villages across the nation. The development of this constituency is the direct result of the impact of the UNTD graduates' contribution to their communities in the course of their business and social activities. These officers, in the main, are and act as informed advocates as they speak with understanding of the Navy. They thereby help our fellow citizens who, from time to time, have difficulty in contemplating knowledgeably the way ahead for our fleet. Memories linger for us all, particularly I suggest, the memories of our days as cadets; quiet nights at sea, kye, evolutions, painting the ship's side, hammocks, boat work, the banyan, navigation, defaulters, Church Parade, pilotage, Captain's rounds, action stations, engineering, piping the side, middle watch, the White Twist, but most of all, we have the memory of friendships, duty, and loyalty never forgotten. Let Bob Williamson's book remind you of this once again and then ask yourself when was it better than when you were a "UNTD"? Vice-Admiral John Allan CMM CD (Retired) Ottawa, Ontario Editor's Note Vice-Admiral Allan is the most senior ranking graduate of the UNTD program. He has had a distinguished career in the RCN including the following appointments; Project Manager for the DDH 280 Program, Commander of the First Destroyer Squadron, Commander of Maritime Command and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff. * * * * * * 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A book such as this was brought about by a wide range of influential factors. Those who contributed their anecdotes are listed at the end of this acknowledgement. Through their participation they brought substance to the events of the various time-periods of this chronicle. Every cadet was required to keep a journal. I am indebted to those who saved their records and took the time to review their dust-covered volumes, extracting memories from their pages. Some material was recovered and adapted from copies of the "White Twist". We all owe a debt of gratitude to the forgotten editors of our UNTD yearbooks who, under trying circumstances, relentlessly published this annual record of our thoughts and actions. Thanks also to Fraser McKee, that inveterate collector of naval memorabilia, who has to my knowledge, mustered the only complete set of UNTD Yearbooks in existence. Recognition also must be given to Philip Chaplin who, while working for the Directorate of History at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, prepared a short paper on the history of the UNTD in 1963. Fortunately this was done while the recollections by the architects of the plan were still discerning and before Armed Forces records became confused by the upheaval of unification in 1968. I appreciate the support and advice of Commander C. H. Little who contributed a copy of his personal recollections as a source document for this book and applied a wealth of experience and insight to a critical proof reading of the original manuscript.. Cdr. Fred Lee, UNTD '58 and Charles Copelin, UNTD '53, former President of the UNTD Association of Upper Canada were helpful in early edition research. Bill Clearihue, UNTD ’6 5 helped with the revised edition. The technical aspects of producing the first editions of this book must be credited to the assistance provided by the Business and Photography Departments of Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School as well as the computer expertise of my son PO1 Paul Williamson RCNR and daughter Jayne Ellis. My 5 writing style has been polished and refined by my wife Eileen and influenced by John Winton, author of "We Joined the Navy", the story of the misadventures of midshipmen in the Royal Navy. The idea of telling a story through a collection of anecdotes came from The Naval Officer Association of Canada's, "Salty Dips" and Readers' Digest, "Humour in Uniform". The confidence to undertake a major enterprise such as UNTiDy Tales was fostered by my professional career supervisor, Jim Forrester, (a fellow UNTiDy) who recognized my potential and got me involved in writing activities for the Department of Education. However, the seed that produced this book was planted many years ago when my mother, Marjory, with the foresight that most mothers have, saved all of my correspondence as a cadet. Her reasoning at the time was simple. She said, " Some day you will want to write a book ". Commander Robert J. Williamson CD, UNTD McMaster University 1957 – 1962 Anecdotes were contributed by: Cal Annis Naval Museum, Calgary Robert Banks Artist Lt. Richard Baker Lawyer Cdr. Derek Bate High School Principal Cmdre. R. T. Bennett Provincial Judge Cdr. Don Bethune RCN Retired Cdr. Murray Boles Medical Doctor Brooke Campbell NOABC/UNTD Coordinator LCdr. Philip Chaplin Sr. Researcher NDHQ Peter Chipman CAPCAN Music Company SLt. William Clearihue Pharmaceuticals Cmdr Mike Cooper RCN Ret'd Lt. Chas. Copelin Production Controller Capt. Bob Darlington RCN Retired Lt. John Deadman Medical Doctor Cdr. Roy Del Col History Teacher Capt. Mike Denny RCN Retired Capt. Robert Duncombe Administrator SLt. Bill Farrow Lt. Edward File Ph. D. Theology Lt. Jim Forrester School Superintendent Warren Forrester Oceanographer 6 LCdr. Hugh Franks Investment Management Cdr Dave Freeman RCN Lt. Noel Gaspar Imperial Oil Don Gillies Ontario Hydro Research Lt. Charlie Gunn Financial Supervisor Cdr. Art Harris Mechanical Engineer Lt. Jim Houston Manufacturing Executive LCdr. Sam Huntington RCN / Science Teacher LCdr. Al Hutchings High School Teacher LCdr. Gil Hutton Defence Scientist SLt. Thomas Kuiper NASA Research Scientist LCdr. Noel Langham RCN Retired Cdr. Hal Lawrence RCN/Author/Lecturer Cdr. Fred Lee Lawyer LCdr. John R.H. Ley RCN Retired / CLU Cdr. C. H. Little RCN Retired Captain J. C. Littler RCN Retired Cdr. Rowland Marshall Philosophy Professor LCdr. Bill McCulloch City Alderman Cdr Fraser McKee RCNR Author SLt.