ACTION STATIONS HMCS SACKVILLE - CANADA’S NAVAL MEMORIAL MAGAZINE VOLUME 33 - ISSUE 3 SUMMER 2014 ACTION STATIONS Editor and design: LCdr ret’d Pat Jessup Volume 33 - Issue 3 [email protected] Summer 2014 Actions Stations can be emailed to you and in full Editorial Committee colour approximately 2 weeks before it will arrive in Cdr ret’d Len Canfield - Public Affairs your mailbox. If you would prefer electronic copy LCdr ret’d Doug Thomas - Executive Director instead of the printed magazine, please let us know. Debbie Findlay - Financial IN THIS ISSUE: Editorial Associates From the Executive Capt (N) ret’d Bernie Derible The Chair’s Report 3 David MacLean Executive Director Report Lt(N) Blaine Carter The Captain’s Cabin Tanya Cowbrough Crossed the Bar Photographers and Tributes 6 Lt(N) ret’d Ian Urquhart Cdr ret’d Bill Gard Sandy McClearn, Smugmug: http://smcclearn.smugmug.com/ A Message to the Ship’s Company of HMCS Toronto 11 Rear Admiral John Newton HMCS SACKVILLE PO Box 99000 Station Forces RCAF Evolvement Western Halifax, NS B3K 5X5 Air Command 12 LCol ret’d Mike Black Summer phone number downtown berth: 902-429-2132 LCol ret’d Bart Konings Winter phone in the Dockyard: 902-427-2837 A Night of Furious Action 15 Dr. Marc Milner FOLLOW US ONLINE at: HMCSSACKVILLE1 Experiences of a young merchant seaman 18 http://www.canadasnavalmemorial.ca/ LCdr ret’d Jim Williamson Trustee News, Membership, The Mail Bag and 20 OUR COVER: the Last Word Photo courtesy of Trustee Sandy McClearn and taken when HMCS Halifax was visiting downtown Halifax over the Canada Day weekend, 2014. Permission to copy any of the material in this publication must be first obtained through the editor with appropriate accreditation given to the authors and Action Stations. Merchant Navy Memorial, Halifax Waterfront Merchant FROM THE CHAIR - CANADIAN NAVAL MEMORIAL TRUST Commodore ret’d Bruce Belliveau Since our last issue business has continued with Sackville We had the fortunate opportunity to host the leader happily moored at its summer berth in downtown Halifax. of the Loyal Opposition, The Honourable Thomas Mulcair The Annual General Meeting took place 4 Jul 2014 in the on board for a tour, brief on BOAP and stand up lunch where Wardroom at CFB Halifax. Key to this meeting was the he spoke with many Trustees. He was joined by local MP's annual election of Directors and the new slate includes two Megan Leslie and Robert Chisholm. new members of the Board, Capt(N) ret'd John Pickford Having been down to the ship several times already and Capt (N) ret’d Bernard (Bernie) Derible. Welcome to the summer, I have been most impressed with our volunteer you both and we look forward to you bringing your Trustee tour guides and the enthusiasm they demonstrate to individual talents and skills to the team. On completion of our visitors in "telling the story". We have a compelling the AGM, an extraordinary meeting of the Board was called story to tell, but we must tell in every corner of Canada. I in order to confirm myself as Chair, Bryan Elson as Vice have recently been asked by a Trustee on the west coast, Chair, Bill Gard as Secretary and Bryn Weadon as Treasuser. "what can I do?". The answer is simple, get out and tell the Thanks to all who have continued to take on these important story. As a Trust we must develop and support our campaign roles. not just for BOAP but for the preservation of Sackville. Our On a more sombre note, the Trust has lost some story of where we came from, to where we are today, to longstanding Trustees over the past few Months. In the last where we hope to go in the future is an incredible story of a issue I reported on Andy McMillin and Ted Smith but we journey which must be told across the country. Chapters have also lost Murray Knowles, our last surviving corvette are being developed in many areas already, others need to Commanding Officer, Bill Murray, Sackville’s wartime 1st be fleshed out but we all have a part to play in making the Lieutenant and most recently, Charlie Dunbar who served Canadian Naval Memorial and the Battle of the Atlantic aboard HMC Ships Chicoutimi and Stone Town. To add, Place truly national icons. If you would like to help form a VAdm Ralph Hennessy passed in June. The Trust provided Chapter in your region please let Cal Mofford know through support to Diane and the Hennessy family through Pat Jessup the Battle of the Atlantic Place Office (email is and as I was in Ottawa on business at the time was able to [email protected]). The current mission for represent the Trust at the Admirals celebration of life at Chapters is to help identify key influencers (of government Beechwood National Cemetery. The celebration of life and philanthropists) and potential benefactors and provided an excellent tribute to the Admiral in an outstanding philanthropists). They may also be called upon to contact setting. Having experienced the ceremony and spoken with local members of parliament to indicate their support for Diane, I came away with a renewed sense of purpose and the project and why it should be important to all Canadians. enthusiasm for what the Trust means to many. I am sure the This is everyone's chance to get out to local service groups, Admiral will be watching us closely as we move forward cadet corps etc to continue to, "tell the story". The Trust with the Battle of the Atlantic Place project. needs you to pitch in. Photo: RAdm John Newton On 3 September hundreds gathered in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax to honour our Merchant Navy veterans. During the war it is estimated that more than 1,600 Canadian and Newfoundland men and women lost their lives due to enemy action of the approxi- mately 12,000 who served in the Merchant Navy. The importance of their contribution was recognized by Rear Admiral Leonard Murray, Commander-in-Chief North-West Atlantic, who stated "The Battle of the Atlantic was not won by any navy or air force, it was won by the courage, fortitude and determination of the British and Allied merchant navy." Pictured in front of HMCS Sackville is the Yarmouth Memorial Club a group of dedicated middle and high school students renowned for their respect of country, veterans and seniors. THE CAPTAIN’S CABIN Lieutenant Commander ret’d Jim Reddy In mid-June we shifted to our summer berth at the Maritime came to visit with his family and spent some time at his Museum of the Atlantic. There, we do what is important, wartime post in the Asdic Hut. John’s visit to the east coast and that is to show Canadians every day on the Halifax is featured later on in this issue while Walter is pictured waterfront the rough conditions in which our young sailors below. served in the Battle of the Atlantic seventy years ago. Donations to our mess are always welcome and we It comes back to us in spades. Typically, children and were most pleased to have past Commanding Officer of grandchildren come on board, and as our survey showed HMCS Sackville Sherry Richardson (below) present the ship this summer, predominately from Ontario, searching out with a Nickel Corvette - made by the workers of HMC what their fathers and grandfathers did at sea and were unable Dockyard Underwater Repair Shop, circa 1940. The plaque to completely tell. Their notes are in our visitor log. Overall, reads: “To HMCS Sackville, the last survivor, in honour of visitor numbers are up this year which seems to reflect those who fought on our Canadian corvettes and the increased activity on the Halifax waterfront this summer. dockyard workers who helped keep them afloat and in special memory of my father Elmore G. Weagle, “Shipwright” foreman of the HMCS underwater repair ship throughout World War II. LCol (ret’d) William A. Weagle VIIICH (PL) 1957-1963.” At the same time there are still corvette veterans who visit. These sailors are in their 90's and we go out of way to give them special recognition. Within the same week in July we had two prominent Battle of the Alantic veterans visit. Walter Avery from Grand Manan in New Brunswick who served in the Flower Class Corvette Mayflower was making a long overdue pilgrimage to Halifax - the first since the war - and came especially to see HMCS Sackville. Trustee John Hare from Ontario was in Chebogue when she was Back to today, we continue to be supported by the torpedoed and was lucky enough to make it into a life boat Navy. Our gangway security and shipboard maintenance without getting wet. His life preserver is on display in an team has been provided by the Canadian Forces Naval After Mess exhibit on survival and is now augmented with Engineering School, HMCS Iroquois and HMCS St. John's. his whistle and light which he brought to us this trip. He Of special note a talented sailor awaiting trade remuster, Able Seaman Tom Stephens, has been progressing the refreshment of the bridge area that has not seen much activity since the original restoration of the mid 80's. The renewed bridge should be a showpiece. On the dollars and cents front, Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Scott (the "Dockyard") presented us with almost $700 dollars arising from their fund raising "Dress with a Difference" program. All of these initiatives reflect the support of the modern working Navy to the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust and to the ship.