Starshell‘A little light on what’s going on!’ Volume VII, No. 64 Autumn 2013 50 years and counting! National Magazine of The Naval Association of Canada Magazine nationale de L’Association Navale du Canada www.navalassoc.ca Please help us put printing and postage costs to more efficient use by opting NOT to receive a printed copy of Starshell, choosing instead to read the FULL COLOUR Autumn 2013 | PDF e-version posted on our web site at http:www.nava- Starshell lassoc.ca/starshell. When each issue is posted, a notice ISSN 1191-1166 will be sent to all Branch Presidents asking them to notify National Magazine of The Naval Association of Canada Magazine nationale de L’Association Navale du Canada Starshell their members accordingly. You will also find back issues posted there. To opt out of the printed copy in favour of reading Starshell on our website, please contact the www.navalassoc.ca Executive Director at [email protected] today! PATRON • HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh OUR COVER ... ‘50 Years and counting!’ HONORARY PRESIDENT • H. R. (Harry) Steele A flight deck crew member of HMCS Toronto gives the red wand sig- NATIONAL PRESIDENT G nal for caution to the pilots of a CH-124 Sea King (celebrating 50 years Jim Carruthers, [email protected] in service with the RCN this year!) as crewmembers secure a load be- PAST PRESIDENT G Ken Summers, [email protected] neath the helicopter while conducting a vertical replenishment deck evolution during Operation ARTEMIS on August 18th, 2013. TREASURER G Derek Greer, [email protected] Photograph by MCpl David Singleton-Brown, CF Combat Camera, IS2013-4004-04 BoaRD MEMBERS G Branch Presidents NAVAL AFFAIRS G Richard Archer, [email protected] IN THIS EDITION...… HIStoRY & HERitaGE G Dr. Alec Douglas, [email protected] 4 Strategic Restructuring HONORARY COUNSEL G Donald Grant, [email protected] 5 Schober’s Quiz #63 6 From the Bridge (National President’s Report) ARCHIVIST G Fred Herrndorf, [email protected] 8 The Front Desk (Executive Director’s Report) AUSN LIAISON G Fred F. Abbott, [email protected] 8 NAC/NOAC Regalia and NAC Kit Shop 9 In Remembrance – RCN Warship Losses 1939-1945 CHAIR ENDOWMENT FUND G Brooke Campbell, [email protected] 10 Mail Call – Letters to the Editor COORD. MEMBER SUPPORT G Denny Boyle, [email protected] 11 The Briefing Room – News G 14 Canadian Naval Aviation OBIT RESEARCH Pat Barnhouse, [email protected] 18 RCN Successes During WWII WEBMASTER G Robert (Bob) Bush, [email protected] 19 This Will Have to Do (RAdm Bob Welland’s memoirs) Part One 21 A Neat Piece of Naval Cooperation EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STARSHELL EDITOR SECRETARY / COMMUNICATIONS 24 The Reading Room – Book Reviews George A. Moore 27 Obituaries and In Memoriam Kenneth B. Lait 1871 Primrose Crescent 308 Kennedy Lane E Kamloops BC V1S 0A5 Orleans ON K1E 3M4 Telephone 250-314-1284 Telephone 613-841-4358 Facsimile 250-314-1286 Advertise in Starshell! [email protected] [email protected] We are pleased to print camera ready advertisements at the following rates Starshell Magazine is published quarterly by The Naval Association of Canada (NAC) in February, May, August and November. 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Non-members may George A. Moore, President subscribe by sending $15 in Canada, $20 elsewhere for each subscription to the Execu- 1871 Primrose Crescent, Kamloops, BC V1S 0A5 tive Director. Phone 250-314-1284 • Fax 250-314-1286 [email protected] 2 Starshell | Autumn 2013 3 NAVAL AFFAIRS Autumn 2013 | EDITORIAL Starshell STRATEGIC RESTRUCTURING By Ian Parker t has been five years since the government consequences of an inadequate defence Defence of national vital interests requires published the Canada First Defence Strat- posture. our collective commitment to expend Can- egy (CFDS). Since then, it has ordered With consideration to such realities, this ada’s youth, blood and treasure to survive the withdrawal of Canadian Forces from article argues that Canada is now at a cross- as a nation. One can argue that since the Icombat operations in Afghanistan and or- roads. One road leads to a Defence Policy Second World War, Canada has prolifically dered the final withdrawal from that country that recognizes Canada’s strategic strengths expended her youth, blood and treasure on in 2014, deployed forces to conduct opera- and is both achievable and affordable. The events that did not threaten our vital nation- tions off and in Libya, conducted counter other is simply a continuation of a default al interests but were based on an emotive or piracy and counter drug operations in the policy of ‘balance,’ which has (and always ‘values’ way of thinking. oceans of the world, and invested sig- will) lead to a force structure that is incom- As mentioned earlier, geography is a nificant resources in the Canadian Armed patible with the needs of Canada, and Ca- great, yet significantly unrecognized, Ca- Forces. As the tempo of operations tapers nadians will not pay for. nadian strategic asset. In terms of security, off, the government has, like all previous This road perpetuates the status quo, Canada can almost be considered an island. governments, reduced the DND budget. whereby the Canadian Armed Forces, fac- Threats, other than internal, typically arrive Perhaps now is a good time for the on our shores by air / space / cyber government to reassess the CFDS. Canadians are the luckiest people in the or by sea. What does that mean With rare exceptions, Canadian in terms of security and prosperity? governments historically constrain world — if only because in the lottery of In particular, ocean threats im- defence spending because there neighbours, we drew the United States of pact many vital components. Our are few enduring votes in defence. constant strategic reality is that In essence, living next to the America. Andrew Cohen Canada has relied on the sea to USA, Canadians intuitively sense move her trade, to defend herself, that their defence is catered for by the US ing increased resource restrictions, has no and to go to war. Thus strategically, the machine, and feel secure in directing their option but to continue their failed processes most important aspect of our security, sup- tax dollars towards social programs rather of “cut, reorganize, redistribute and shave porting our vital national interests, has been than defence or security. the ‘ice cube’.” and will continue to be the ability to move So Andrew Cohen concluded while com- To start, we need to understand that, with on, below or above the world’s oceans. menting on a recent Maclean’s survey: “Ca- the exception of the navy, Canada’s armed Canada must safeguard the capabilities and nadians are the luckiest people in the world “forces evolved, not based on analysis of efficiencies of forces and agencies that can — if only because in the lottery of neigh- national interests or indeed vital national operate in these environments so they can bours, we drew the United States of Ameri- interests, but through its involvement in defend our vital national interests. ca.” As a result of this perceived geographi- two World Wars, one Cold War and through The major existential threats to Canada cal advantage, Canadian governments have forced partisan political realignment. as we know it are: internal national unity been able to dabble in peacekeeping, By way of definition, a vital national inter- strife, proselytization, weapons of mass de- submit the Canadian Forces to endless so- est is an immutable interest which is directly struction and worldwide economic instabil- cial and organizational experiments, and tied to Canada’s safety and security, and if ity. The first two are civil issues requiring generally starve it without having to fear the threatened, puts Canada at existential risk. non-military strategic policies and actions; 4 Starshell the third is a military issue but is, in reality, far from our shores, leveraging our strategic the Canadian Army, as constituted, is an ex- madness; and the fourth is also a military is- geographic reality and technology.