Summer 2019

Rear Admiral Desmond William Piers, CM DSC CD

Patron-in-Chief - - Mrs. Anne Baker FROM THE BRIDGE

Hello Shipmates; I hope you are enjoying this fine, hot summer. Preparations are underway for our summer BBQ which is being organized by our Padre / Entertainment Chairman S/M Westgate. There will be more to follow on this in the form of e-mails sent by our Secretary. The MARC Center is the location for this year. All of our main activities, Battle of the Atlantic Dinner and Parade went well. I’m a little concerned as our numbers are dwindling, and of course no new new members seem to be joining. We have lost another Shipmate, Edwin Toombs, and also our friend Eileen Baker (Bagsy Baker widow). We will miss them. Vets bingo will resume in September, and as always volunteers are required. We also held our annual Canada Day BBQ for the vets on June 30, all went well, great effort from those who participated and was well appreiciated by both Vets, Families, and staff. Finally, I would like to Thank S/M Ronald Lepage who is now looking after the artifacts that were stored at Steve Daubs residence, (for those that don’t know Steve resigned his membership and has been removed from out list). Ronald AKA “Stickey” is to be commended on his efforts to maintain our historical artifacts. I wish all Shipmates smooth sailing and following seas.

S/M Ivan Foote President HONORARY PRESIDENT

Rear-Admiral Craig Baines, MSC, CD Rear-Admiral Craig Baines enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces Regular Officer Training Program in 1987. After completing initial naval training, he served as a Bridge Watchkeeping Officer in HMCS SAGUENAY and Deck Officer in HMCS THUNDER. In 1991, he completed the Destroyer Navigation Officer course and was employed as Navigation Officer in HMC Ships CHIGNECTO and ANNAPOLIS. He graduated from the Maritime Advanced Navigation Officer Course in 1992 and was employed as the Navigation Officer of HMCS PROVIDER. Following the year-long Operations Room Officer course, he served as Operations Officer in HMCS REGINA and Combat Officer in HMCS WINNIPEG Returning to sea in 2004, he served as Executive Officer in HMCS CALGARY. In 2007, he was appointed Commanding Officer of HMCS WINNIPEG where he received the Meritorious Service Cross for his leadership during WINNIPEG's counter- piracy mission off the Horn of Africa. Rear-Admiral Baines’ staff appointments include Staff Officer at HMCS UNICORN, the Naval Reserve Division in Saskatoon. He served abroad in Norfolk, Virginia with the US Navy's Second Fleet. He worked at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa in both the Directorate of Maritime Training and Education and as the Maritime Staff Director of Strategic Communications. In 2010, he was appointed as the Base Commander of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. Prior to becoming Fleet Commander of Canadian Fleet Atlantic, he served as Special Advisor to the Chief of Defence Staff. His education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Manitoba. While on exchange in Norfolk, he completed the US Naval War College program and a graduate certificate program in the History of Strategy and Policy at Old Dominion University. He completed the Canadian Forces College Joint Command and Staff Program concurrent with his Master of Defence Studies. In 2013, he completed the National Security Program and a Master of Public Administration.

He was appointed as Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic in July 2014. During his 3 year posting as Fleet Commander, he sailed extensively with the Fleet and participated in major international exercises including Trident Juncture 2015, Joint Warrior 152 and Cutlass Fury 2016. March brings the promise of spring, new growth and change. For the Royal Canadian Navy, this change has already begun with the release of the General and Flag Officers’ appointments. Of particular note this year will be the retirement of Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd as Commander RCN Notable promotions and appointments include: • Rear-Admiral Art McDonald will be promoted to Vice-Admiral and will replace VAdm Lloyd later this spring. • Commodore Chris Sutherland will be promoted to Rear-Admiral and will be appointed as Deputy Commander of the RCN, replacing RAdm McDonald. • Commodore Simon Page will also be promoted to Rear-Admiral and take on the challenging role of Chief of Staff to the Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel). • Commodore Steve Waddell is to be promoted to Rear-Admiral and will be appointed to a new position as the Vice Commander of the US Second Fleet in Norfolk, VA. A new season but old challenges remain VAdm Ron Lloyd, Commander RCN, is retiring this year. RAdm Art McDonald will be promoted to Vice Admiral and become Commander RCN. Cmdre Chris Sutherland; promoted to Rear-Admiral and appointed Deputy Commander of the RCN. Cmdre Simon Page; promoted to Rear-Admiral and appointed Chief of Staff to the Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel). Cmdre Steve Waddell; promoted to Rear-Admiral and appointed Vice Commander of the US Second Fleet in Norfolk, VA. ODDS AND ENDS If navy ships had nightmares, they'd be about Mike Stege. The friendly, bright-eyed civil servant with a broad smile kills ships.

"Some people are going to say, 'Oh, you're the grim reaper of the navy,' getting rid of these ships," Stege said. "But they've served out their time. They've done fantastic." Right now, the former HMCS Athabaskan — a powerful destroyer the length of 10 school buses — is being cut up for scrap metal in Sydney, N.S. The Athabaskan was launched in 1972 and performed dozens of missions around the world, with Canadian sailors as crew. Mark Boyd slices a pipe from the former HMCS Athabaskan into short pieces that will be sold for scrap. At one point, Stege was in charge of all the electrical systems aboard the ship. Now, he's the guy in charge of cutting it up. "As I walk around here right now, it's with a heavy heart because I spent many hours at sea, many hours maintaining this thing." Stege has moved from boats to bureaucracy. He's based in Ottawa and is the head of ship disposal for the Department of National Defence. Mike Stege heads the Department of National Defence's ship disposal and dismantling program. The government used to scrap ships differently. The former HMCS Annapolis and Saguenay were sunk to create artificial reefs. In 2007, the former HMCS Huron was used as target practice for the rest of the Royal Canadian Navy. "We actually looked at it to see how much it would take to sink one of these things," Stege said. But there was a problem. Before the ships could be sunk or shot, they had to be stripped of PCBs. A crane positions a dumpster alongside the hull of the former HMCS Athabaskan, allowing salvage crews inside to toss in pipes and cables that will be processed elsewhere in the scrapyard.

The cancer-causing chemicals were once widely used on ships for cable coatings, adhesives and waterproofing before the risk was fully understood. $5.7M contract to dismantle HMCS Athabaskan to be carried out in Sydney They were cheap to use, but are expensive to remove. The federal government used to strip the ships. But with recent disposals, it has hired companies like the one doing the work in Sydney. Crews dispose of the hazardous materials safely and get to sell the scrap. The remains of the former HMCS Preserver rest on the shore in Sydney, N.S., where many former Canadian navy ships have been dismantled. "They do all the demilitarization for us and whatever's left — the brass, the copper, the alloy — that is their profit for the company afterwards," Stege said. It's a process that creates jobs, saves money and protects the environment. "We really did our due diligence," he said. "We tried to save money. We did everything properly." Inside the former HMCS Athabaskan, every cable has been cut in preparation for the copper to be salvaged and sold as scrap metal.

But soon that process will be overhauled. Ships being used now, along with the new ones being built in Halifax, don't use PCBs. Disposal is part of the design. "It's part of the life cycle, as it were, for navies," said Kevin McCoy, president of Irving Shipbuilding. Rusted and faded, the Canadian flag near the stern of the former HMCS Athabaskan is still visible. "As we go forward into future dismantling," Stege said, "we should be able to now, on behalf of Canada, actually be able to make money back and actually sell some of these ships. There may be other countries that would love to have our future ships.'' When future ships have finished their time in Canada, they could be sold internationally. (From CBC)

HISTORY

JANUARY

1 January 1923 The National Defence Act, which was passed in June 1922, takes effect, creating the Department of National Defence. 1 January 1946 The Royal Canadian Naval Reserve and the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve together become the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve). From this date officers of the Regular Force and Reserve wore the same sleeve lace. 4 January 1943 HMCS Prince Henry is re-commissioned as Landing Ship Infantry (Medium). 8 January 1944 HMCS Camrose and HMS Bayntun sink the German submarine U-757 in the North Atlantic. 9 January 1945 HMCS Ehkoli, a former Royal Canadian Navy patrol boat, is re-commissioned in the RCN as a survey vessel. 11 January 1957 HMCS Magnificent arrives in Port Said with the main body of the Canadian contribution in troops and materiel to the United Nations Emergency Force controlling the Israeli-Egyptian border. 13 January 1943 HMCS Ville de Quebec sinks the German submarine U- 224 in the western Mediterranean Sea. 14 January 1952 HMCS Uganda is renamed Quebec. 17 January 1957 HMCS Bonaventure is commissioned at Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is the first aircraft carrier to be owned outright by Canada and incorporates several post-war technical developments: an angled deck, mirror landing aid, and steam catapult. 19 January 1911 The Royal Naval College of Canada opens in Halifax.

19 January 1943 HMCS Port Arthur sinks the Italian Submarine Tritone in the Mediterranean Sea. 22 January 1942 The Canadian Naval Board is established. 24 January 1932 HMC Ships Skeena and Vancouver land armed parties at Acajutla, El Salvador, to protect British subjects threatened in a revolution. 24 January 1946 HMCS Warrior, the Royal Canadian Navy's first aircraft carrier, is commissioned and Nos.803, 825, 826 and 883 Squadrons (already manned by Canadians) are transferred from the Royal Navy. 26 January 1955 Cabinet approves the entry of members of the Womens' Royal Canadian Naval Reserve as members of the Royal Canadian Navy Regular Force. 30 January 1991 At the Battle of Babiyan a CF-18 Hornet attacks and causes irreparable damage to an Iraqi warship. It was the only CF-18 credited with an official victory during the Gulf War. 31 January 1923 The Royal Canadian Naval Reserve and Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve are established.

FEBRUARY

1 February 1911 The first recruiting posters for the RCN are issued to post offices throughout Canada. 1 February 1968 The personnel and organization of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and the Royal Canadian Air Force were unified into a single organization, the Canadian Forces. 5 February 1944 HMS Puncher, an aircraft carrier, is commissioned into the Royal Navy at Vancouver with a Canadian crew, but a British air complement. 6 February 1943 HMCS Louisbourg is torpedoed and sunk by enemy aircraft in an attack on a convoy in the Mediterranean Sea. 8 February 1943 HMCS Regina sinks the Italian submarine Avorio in the Mediterranean Sea. 11 February 1942 HMCS Spikenard is torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic. 14 February 1945 Five Motor Torpedo Boats of the Canadian 29th Flotilla burn in Ostende harbour. 15 February 1965 The Maple Leaf becomes Canada’s official flag. 16 February 1945 HMCS Saint John sinks the German submarine U-309 off the northeast coast of Scotland near Moray Firth. 18 February 1944 Sixteen Canadian minesweepers, in four divisions of four ships, begin to leave St. John's for British waters to take part in the invasion of Normandy. 19 February 1944 Motor Torpedo boats of the 29th and 65th (Canadian) Flotillas begin to be commissioned (continues until 31 March). 22 February 1943 HMCS Weyburn strikes a mine and sinks off Tangier.

22 February 1945 HMCS Trentonian is torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine in the English Channel. 24 February 1944 HMCS Waskesiu sinks the German submarine U-257 in the North Atlantic. 27 February 1930 HMCS Thiepval is lost in Barkley Sound, British Columbia. 28 February 1946 HMCS Cornwallis is paid off (taken out of service) and new recruit training begins to be conducted at local naval depots. 28 February 1991 Operation Desert Storm, the combat phase of the Persian Gulf War ends.

MARCH 1 March 1928 HMC Ships Champlain and Vancouver are commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy, replacing HMC Ships Patriot and Patrician. 3 March 1921 HMC Submarines CH-14 and CH-15 are commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy. 4 March 1943 HMC Ships Shediac and St. Croix sink the German submarineU-87 in the North Atlantic. 6 March 1944 HMC Ships St. Catharines, Chilliwack, Gatineau, Fennel, and Chaudiere assist Royal Naval warships in the sinking of the German submarine U-744 in the North Atlantic 7 March 1945 HMC Ships La Hulloise, Strathadam, and Thetford Mines sink the German submarine U-1302 in St. George's Channel. 9 March 1945 HMCS Uganda arrives in Sydney, Australia, to join the British Pacific Fleet.

10 March 1944 HMC Ships St. Laurent, Owen Sound and Swansea assist Royal Navy warships sink the German submarine U-845 in the North Atlantic. 17 March1945 HMCS Guysborough is torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat off Ushant. 20 March 1943 - UK destroyer commissioned into RCN as HMCS Griffin; 3 weeks later, renamed HMCS Ottawa; second of name. 21 March 1945 HMCS New Glasgow (frigate) rammed and fatally damages U-Boat 1003 off Lough Foyle. 24 March 1941 The Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817, which restricted the number of naval vessels allowed on the Great Lakes, is modified to allow both American and Canadian naval vessels to operate on the Great Lakes in greater numbers. 26 March 1941 RCN armed yacht HMCS Otter destroyed by an accidental explosion and fire, off Halifax; two Officers and 17 men are lost. 29 March 1945 HMCS TEME (frigate) is torpedoed by U Boat 246 in the English Channel off Falmouth and declared a total loss. 31 March 1945 HMCS Conestoga, the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service training establishment, is paid off. 31 March 1991 The Gulf War between Iraq and the United Nations coalition ends. April.

APRIL 1 April 1733 Canada's First lighthouse lit for the first time, using coal from nearby Morien and Spanish River; the round 200 metre tower, made with cement from limestone burned in local kilns, is the First fireproof concrete structure in North America. Louisbourg, Nova Scotia

1 April 1873 Wreck of luxury liner SS Atlantic, sailing from Liverpool to New York; the ship was turning into Halifax Harbour to get coal, but struck a reef in the foggy night near Mars Rock, Meagher's Island, near Terrance Bay - 546 people drown in heavy seas, while local fishermen manage to save 300. Prospect, Nova Scotia

1 April 1941 RCN armed merchant cruiser Prince Henry intercepts two German ships off Peru; ships scuttled.

1 April 1959 New St. Lawrence Seaway opens for business; will be officially dedicated June 26 by the Queen and US President Dwight Eisenhower.

2 April 1887 US seizes Canadian sealing ships in North Pacific; other seizures on the 9,12, and 17th. Juneau, Alaska

3 April 3, 1935 Lt(N) J. P. Connolly appointed Commanding Officer, charged to raise a RCNVR unit in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

3 April 1996 Members of the Canadian Forces ordered to spend the entire day searching for documents that may aid the Somalia inquiry. Ottawa, Ontario

3 April 2007 Royal Assent given to the Veterans' Bill of Rights; PM Harper says Ottawa will establish an ombudsman for veterans, so the government can respond quickly and fairly to any concerns of veterans. Ottawa, Ontario

4 April 1949 Canada signs the North Atlantic Treaty with Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the U.S.; becomes founding member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization; NATO members pledge to defend each other in event of Soviet attack. NATO is Canada's first peacetime military alliance. Washington, DC

5 April 1958 Ripple Rock blown up with 1.2 tons of Nitramex, in world's largest non-nuclear explosion to date; the reef was a shipping hazard just below the surface of Seymour Narrows near Campbell River that had sunk or damaged 119 vessels and caused the death of over 100 people. Captain George Vancouver called the narrows "one of the vilest stretches of water in the world." Campbell River, BC

6 April 1954 HMCS Magnificent, Canada's second aircraft carrier, sails from Halifax on her last voyage; she will be replaced by HMCS Bonaventure. Halifax, Nova Scotia

7 April 1948 RCN’s aircraft carrier HMCS Magnificent commissioned to replace HMCS Warrior. Halifax, Nova Scotia

7 April 1991 HMCS Athabaskan, Terra Nova and Protecteur arrive home from Gulf War; ships left in early August; Huron leaves for the Gulf to help enforce the embargo against Iraq. Halifax, Nova Scotia

8 April 1945 cruiser HMCS Uganda joins British Pacific Fleet. Hong Kong, China

9 April 1929 - Canadian Ambassador Vincent Massey protests against sinking of Canadian schooner I'm Alone; crew released; case of rum-runner to go to arbitration. Washington, DC

10 April 1836 Hudson's Bay Company steamship Beaver arrives at Fort Vancouver and has her boilers and paddles connected; left London August 29, 1835 under the command of Captain David Home under sail alone; rounded Cape Horn and called at Juan Fernandez and Honolulu en route; SS Beaver will be used to service trading posts between the Columbia River and Russian America (Alaska); 1862 chartered by the Royal Navy to survey and chart the coast of the Colony of British Columbia. Portland, Oregon

11 April 1940 Burrard shipyards begin building corvettes and minesweepers for action in the Battle of the Atlantic. Vancouver, BC

11 April 1962 The Government of Canada announces plans to build eight frigates and buy three submarines.

14 April 1828 The 18-gun sloop Acorn sinks off Halifax with the loss of 115 men.

14 April 1944 HMCS Swansea and HMS Pelican combine to sink the German submarine U-448 in the North Atlantic. Swansea's second kill in less than six weeks.

15 April 1814 Kingston Navy Dockyard launches two warships, the Prince Regent and the Princess Charlotte; under Commodore Sir James Yeo, they will blockade the American fleet in Sackett's Harbour and capture Oswego, restoring Canadian control of Lake Ontario in the War of 1812 and ending the threat of US invasion. Kingston, Ontario

16 April 1945 German U-Boat U-190 torpedoes and sinks Royal Canadian Navy Bangor Class minesweeper HMCS Esquimalt 8 km off Chebucto Head, near the entrance to Halifax harbour and the Halifax lightship; forty- four of her ship's company are lost in the last major naval loss of the War; U-190 will surrender May 11; will be sunk ceremonially on October 21, 1947 where she had destroyed the Esquimalt.

23 April 1s HMCS Malahat re-commissioned as Victoria's Naval Reserve Division; originally commissioned as naval recruiting centre January 15, 1944. Victoria, BC

25 April 1945 Canada one of 50 nations attending founding United Nations Conference on International Organization, opening in San Francisco; will approve United Nations Charter on June 26. San Francisco, California.

25 April 1967 Commons passes Bill C-243, "The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act," unifying the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force into one service, the Canadian Armed Forces, with common uniform and rank designations; act comes into effect February 1, 1968.

26 April 1945 HMCS Ontario, a cruiser, is commissioned.

28 April 1818 U.S. Senate ratifies the Rush-Bagot Convention, signed April 28 and 29, 1817, making it a lawful treaty of the United States; limits naval forces on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. Washington, DC

29 April 1944 HMCS Athabaskan and Haida fight two German destroyers off Ile de Bas, France, and drives a flaming German warship aground. German torpedo boat T-24 sinks HMCS Athabaskan; 128 lose their lives and 86 are captured.

30 April 1884 Victoria coal baron Robert Dunsmuir starts building the Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E&N) Railway, later known as the Vancouver Island Railway, to support the coal and lumber industry, and the Royal Navy Base at Esquimalt Harbour; on August 13, 1886 John A. Macdonald will drive home the last railway spike at Cliffside near Shawnigan Lake.

30 April 30, 1941 German U-boat torpedoes Canadian passenger ship Nerissa off Ireland; 73 Canadian Army personnel lost. Atlantic Ocean

30 April 1943 The Flag Officer Atlantic Coast, Royal Canadian Navy, takes over control of all shipping movements in the western North Atlantic under the title of Commander-in-Chief Canadian North West Atlantic.

MAY

1 May 1961 415 Maritime Patrol Squadron is reformed at Summerside, Prince Edward Island, flying Argus maritime patrol aircraft.

3 May 1937 A Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve half-company was authorized in Thunder Bay (Port Arthur at the time) and later developed into HMCS Griffon, the current local Naval Reserve unit.

4 May 1910 The Canadian Navy, later redesignated as the Royal Canadian Navy, is authorized after Royal assent is given to the Naval Service Act of Canada.

4 May 1911 Her Majesty's Dockyard Esquimalt is transferred from British to Canadian authorities.

4 May 1945 The cruiser HMCS Uganda sails with an American task force to bombard Japanese airfields as part of the Okinawa campaign.

7 May 1944 HMCS Valleyfield, a frigate, is torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-548 in the Atlantic Ocean with a loss of 125 sailors.

8 May 1942 U Boat 553 is the first enemy submarine to enter the Gulf of St. Lawrence to attack Canadian shipping.

8 May 1967 The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act is given Royal assent and begins the process of unification of the previously-separate Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force.

10 May1918 For his actions at Ostend, Belgium, Rowland Bourke of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve earns the Victoria Cross.

12 May 1942 The German submarine U-553 sinks the steamers Nicoya and Leto between Gaspe and Anticosti island.

12 May 1945 HMCS Victoriaville (frigate) escorts the surrendered U-Boat 190 into Bay Bulls, Newfoundland.

13 May 1943 HMCS Drumheller, HMS Lagan and an aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force's 423 Squadron combine to sink the German submarine U-753 in the Atlantic Ocean.

13 May 1945 German submarine U-899 officially surrendered to the Royal Canadian Navy near Shelburne, N. S. becomes the only German sub to surrender in Canadian waters during Second World War.

14 May 1917 Lieutenant R. Leckie, Royal Naval Air Service, flying a Curtiss H-12 flying boat shoots down the German Zeppelin L.22 over England.

15 May 1941 Ten corvettes in UK shipyards are formally commissioned as RCN ships.

16 May 1945 HMCS MATANE is sent to escort 14 surrendered U-Boats from Trondheim to Loch Eriboll.

17 May 1963 Approval is given for the Royal Canadian Navy to begin work on the first Canadian military hydrofoil, HMCS Bras D'Or.

18 May 1914 The Royal Navy Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR) is authorized as part of the Royal Canadian Navy.

21 May 1917 The Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission) is established by Royal Charter.

21 May 1939 King George VI unveils the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

22 May 1931 HMCS SAGUENAY is commissioned at Portsmouth-one of the first ships built for the RCN.

24 May 1941 HMS Hood is sunk by the Bismarck in the Denmark Straits: three Canadian midshipmen serving on the battle cruiser are killed.

30 May 1939 King George VI presented his Color to the RCN in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, B. C.

JUNE 1 June 1943 - The first German mines are swept in the approaches to Halifax harbour.

1 June 1968 - Canada signs Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty along with the US, Britain, USSR and 57 other countries. United Nations, New York

1 June 2004 - United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti assumes responsibility for supporting transitional government and reforming national police force; Canadian police and military personnel to play a major role. Port-au-Prince, Haiti

2 June 1891 - Shipping - RMS Empress of Japan is the second of the Canadian Pacific Steamships "Empress" ships to arrive at Vancouver harbour, via the Suez Canal and Hong Kong; Canadian Pacific Steamships had signed a contract for subsidized mail service between Britain and Hong Kong via Canada. Vancouver, BC

3 June 1910 - The Honourable Louis P. Brodeur is appointed the first Minister of the Naval Service.

3 June 1963 - Canada declares 12 Mile Limit; (19.3 km) exclusive fisheries zone off the Canadian coast; effective May, 1964. Ottawa, Ontario

3 June 1991 - Letters Patents are published for an insignia denoting Mentions in Despatches.

4 June 1742 - The first warship built in New France called the CANADA is launched.

4 June 1812 - US Congress votes for war against Britain; the conflict will begin June 18, 1812, when President James Madison officially proclaims the United States to be at war.

4 June 1976 - Canada declares it is extending its 12-nautical-mile coastal fishing zone to 370 km (200 nautical miles) offshore fisheries jurisdiction zone, effective January 1, 1977; mature northern cod were estimated at 75 million, down from 900 million in 1962; Canada to set numbers of fish harvested and quotas for foreign fleets, because fish stocks are being depleted by new technologies such as sonar and freezing facilities which let the ships stay at sea longer.

5 June 1741 - Vitus Bering sails from Kamchatka Peninsula to explore North America.

5 June 1792 - Spanish navigators Dionisio Galiano and Cayetano Valdés leave Nootka Sound and sail into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, reaching Puerto de Núñez Gaona (Neah Bay, Washington), where a Spanish post is being built by Salvador Fidalgo.

5 June 1944 - Sixteen Royal Canadian Navy minesweepers help clear the English Channel in preparation for the D-Day landings.

6 June 1943 - HMCS Prince Robert is recommissioned as an anti-aircraft cruiser.

6 June 1944 - Approximately one hundred and ten Canadian warships participate in the Allied landings in Normandy.

June 7, 1942 - US merchant ship Coast Trader torpedoed by Japanese Navy submarine I-26 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca inside Canadian waters; the vessel had set off from Port Angeles, Washington, bound for San Francisco with a cargo of 1,250 tons of newsprint in its hold; wreck discovered in 2013 survey by the Canadian Hydrographic Service, organized by Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard, using a remote-controlled robotic submarine; the same Japanese submarine will shell the Estevan Point lighthouse a few days later.

7 June 1958 - HMCS Restigouche is commissioned as the first of a class of destroyer escorts meant to replace the St. Laurent class.

7 June 1965 - Department of National Defence replaces navy, army, and air force commands with six functional commands. Ottawa, Ontario

8 June 1893 - Steamship Mower arrives in Victoria B.C. from Sydney, Australia; first steamer of the Canadian Australian Line.

9 June 1789 - Spanish captain Estebán José Martínez captures trader John Meares' schooner Northwest America in Nootka Sound near Vancouver Island.

9 June 1941 - World War II - HMCS Saskatoon is commissioned in Esquimalt.

9 June 1944 - HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron and other destroyers from the 10th Destroyer Flotilla sink the German destroyers ZH1 and Z32 in the English Channel.

10 June 1803 - Warship HMS Dart carries the so-called Garrison clock (“old town clock”) to Halifax, N.S.; ordered by Prince Edward, it will be installed October 20 in a building built for it on the eastern slope of Citadel Hill.

10 June 1878 - Fort Rodd Hill built to protect Esquimalt in the event of a war with Russia.

10 June 1910 - Rear-Admiral Charles E. Kingsmill, RN (Retired), is appointed the Director of the Naval Service.

10 June 1931 - HMCS SKEENA commissioned at Portsmouth-one of the first ships built for the RCN.

10 June 1940 - The Canadian government declares war on Italy.

11 June 1813 - Nova Scotia privateering vessel, Liverpool Packet, owned by Enos Collins and associates, is captured by American privateer schooner Thomas; the schooner is re-named the Portsmouth Packet, until it is regained by HMS Fantome and HMS Epervier after a 13-hour chase, in October 1813.

11 June 1940 - Canadian warships come under fire for the first time when HMCS St. Laurent and HMCS Restigouche encounter German warships at St. Valery en Caux.

11 June 1940 - HMCS St. Laurent and HMCS Restigouche evacuate military personnel from Le Havre, France, exchanging gunfire with German artillery batteries in the process.

11 June 1999 - United Nations sets up peacekeeping mission, including 600 Canadians, in East Timor; Operation Toucan will help organize elections, support the new government and establish the rule of law; Canadian participation ends February 23, 2000.

13 June 1940 - The Honourable Charles Gavan Power is appointed Minister of Department of National Defence.

13 June 1941 - Newfoundland's sea defences are brought under Canadian control with the appointment of Commodore L.W. Murray, RCN, as the commander of Newfoundland Force.

14 June 1941 - Warships of the Newfoundland Escort Force begin convoy escort operations in the North Atlantic Ocean.

15 June 1920 - The demobilization of the wartime Royal Canadian Navy is completed with the disbandment of the Royal Navy Canadian Volunteer Reserve.

15 June 1938 - HMCS OTTAWA is commissioned at Chatham, England.

15 June 1940 - The Erik Boye is sunk by submarine U38 in passage off Land’s End thereby becoming the first Canadian flagged merchant ship to be sunk as a casualty of the Battle of the Atlantic.

16 June 1921 - The Royal Naval College of Canada is closed.

16 June 1943 - HMCS Waskesiu is commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy, becoming the first of sixty RCN frigates built in Canada.

17 June 1991 - The Government of Canada announces the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea and the Gulf and Kuwait medal.

19 June 1812 - The United States formally declares war against Great Britain.

20 June 1923 - HMCS Brunswicker, a current day Naval Reserve Division, was raised as a Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve half-company in Saint John, NB.

20 June 1942 - HMCS EDMUNDSTON (corvette) rescues 31 crewmembers from the SS Fort Camosun that had been disabled by a Japanese submarine near the Washington coast.

21 June 1749 - A military expedition led by Colonel Edward Cornwallis arrives at the harbour at Chebucto, N. S. and establishes the Halifax military base.

21 June 1940 - HMCS Fraser evacuates Free French troops and future Canadian Governor-General, Lieutenant-Colonel G.P. Vanier, from France.

21 June 1940 - The National Resources Mobilization Act is passed provides for conscription for home defence and registration of all adult males and females.

21 June 2001 - Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson unveils the National Aboriginal Monument, Ottawa, to commemorate the sacrifice of aboriginals in both world wars and Korea.

22 June 1940 - The last class of Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve officers graduate from HMCS Stone Frigate.

22 June 1967 - HMCS ONONDAGA (submarine) commissioned at Chatham Dockyards.

23 June 1919 - The Air Board is formed in Canada to control all aspects of aviation, including military.

23 June 1968 - HMCS OKANAGAN (submarine) commissioned at Chatham Dockyards.

24 June 1762 - A French fleet commanded by Chevalier de Ternay captures Bay Bulls and St. John’s, Newfoundland.

24 June 1943 - HMCS Sault Ste. Marie is commissioned as the first Algerine-class minesweeper produced for the Royal Canadian Navy.

24 June 1944 - HMCS Haida, HMS Eskimo and a Royal Air Force patrol aircraft sink the German submarine U-971 in the English Channel.

25 June 1940 - HMCS Fraser is lost after colliding with a British warship, HMS Calcutta in the Bay of Biscay.

25 June 1950 - North Korean forces cross the 38th Parallel and invade South Korea.

25 June 1963 - HMCS Assiniboine is recommissioned as the Royal Canadian Navy's first helicopter-carrying destroyer.

25 June 1994 - HMCS SAGUENAY is sunk off Lunenburg as a diving park.

26 June 1923 - HMCS Queen, a current day Naval Reserve Division, was raised as a Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve half-company in Regina.

26 June 1959 - Canadian warships assigned to Atlantic Command participate in the opening ceremonies of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

28 June 1922 - The National Defence Act is passed, incorporating the Department of the Naval Service, the Department of Militia and Defence and the Air Board as a new Department of National Defence.

28 June 1977 - HMCS HURON (2nd) represents Canada at the Silver Jubilee naval review at Spithead.

28 June 2001 - Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson officially dedicates the National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Forces at Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa.

29 June 1992 - HMCS Halifax is commissioned as the first of the new Canadian Patrol Frigates

30 June 1921 - HMC Submarines CH-14 and CH-15 are paid off.

30 June 1941 - HMCS Wasaga is commissioned, becoming the first Canadian-built Bangor-class minesweeper.

30 June 1950 - The Canadian Parliament supports the government motion to assist the United Nations in its position on the Korean situation.

JULY

1 July 1923 - The Royal Canadian Navy barracks in Halifax, known as HMCS Stadacona, is commissioned.

1 July 1934 - Commodore Percy W. Nelles becomes the first Canadian- born and Canadian-trained Chief of the Naval Staff.

2 July 1940 - 861 German and Italian prisoners of war are rescued by HMCS St. Laurent after their transport ship was torpedoed on its way to Canada.

3 July 1944 - Four Canadian motor torpedo boats sink two German merchant ships and damage other vessels in the English Channel.

4 July 1943 - Canadian vessels of the 29th and 65th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotillas conduct raids on the French coast near Cherbourg.

5 July 1950 - HMC Ships Athabaskan, Cayuga and Sioux sail from Esquimalt, British Columbia, to join the United Nations naval forces operating in Korean waters.

6 July 1944 - HMC Ships Ottawa and Kootenay, along with HMS Statice, sink the German submarine U-678 while on patrol in the English Channel.

8 July 1954 - Canada's first icebreaking arctic patrol vessel, HMCS Labrador, is commissioned.

9 July 1914 - HMCS Rainbow begins preparations for the international seal patrol in the North Pacific Ocean.

10 July 1943 - Canadian landing craft drop soldiers of the 1st Canadian Division off on the coast of Sicily during the Allied invasion known as Operation HUSKY.

15 July 1950 - HMCS ATHABASKAN, CAYUGA and SIOUX of the Pacific Command depart Esquimalt for Korea.

15 July 1958 - The first review of the Royal Fleet ever held in Canadian waters takes place under the eyes of Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret off the coast of Vancouver Island at Royal Roads.

17 July 1940 - HMCS Skeena rescues the crew of a torpedoed merchant ship, the SS Manipor, in the waters north of Scotland.

19 July 1943 - HMCS HURON (Destroyer) is commissioned at Newcastle on the Tyne, England.

20 July 1944 - HMCS MATANE (frigate) is hit by a German glider bomb off Brest and badly damaged.

23 July 1951 - The Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve) begins recruiting women for service with the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (the Wrens) for the first time since the Second World War.

24 July 1917 - The Military Service Act is passed allowing for conscription of single men.

24 July 1942 - HMCS St. Croix sinks the German submarine U-90 while on patrol in the North Atlantic Ocean.

29 July 1948 - HMCS Royal Roads is transformed into a Canadian Service College and begins training flight cadets, as well as naval cadets.

29 July 1972 - HMCS Iroquois, the first of the DDH 280 class destroyers, is commissioned.

31 July 1940 - HMCS Prince Robert, after conversion from a merchant vessel, is commissioned as an armed merchant cruiser.

31 July 1942 - HMCS SKEENA and WETASIWIN sink U-588 in the North Atlantic.

31 July 1942 - The Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service is authorized.

Events;

Battle of the Atlantic Dinner 2019

Veterans Canada Day BBQ 2019

To all Shipmates, Executive, those both in province and out of province and especially to our infirm members, have a safe and prosperous summer / fall. S/M Andy Caines Secretary ADPNA

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