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Vol. 14 No.4

1AeCROWSNESTTHE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY'S MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 1962

LADY OF THE MONTH

CONTENTSPage

RCN News Review ,.. , ,..... 2

Padre Nalned Chaplain General .tI. 3

Tl'le Big Show ,..................................... 5

Northern Christmas 8

Officers arld Men· 9

Letters to Editor 10

The Little Ships (First of Three Parts) .t.......... 11

Canada at War 17

Afloat and Ashore ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 19

Science and the Navy ;............................. 21

Books for the Sailor ,.,.............................. 22

Expert Rifle Shot Retires ,......... 23

The Navy Plays ,......... 25

Built for hard work rather than speed,are the little ships of the Second CanadianMinesweeping Squadron. Neverthless, in thepicture on the opposite page, they show aUthe dash of a flight of arrows. The Miran1i...chi, stern ship of the formation, seems tobe showing a particularly good turn ofspeed.

Out front by two lengths in this maddash to seaward in the Strait of 'Juan deFuca is the Fortune, with the Jan{e.~'iBayon her port quarter and the Cowic!lalt:Jo,starboard.

The exact position of the ships is notgiven, but the bit of landlocked water at'upper right would appear to be the lagoonat Royal Roads. (E..63928)

Negative numbers of RCN photographsreproduced in The Crowsnest are includedwith the caption for the benefit of personswishing to obtain prints of the photos.

This they may do by sending an order tothe Naval Secretary, Naval Headquarters,Ottawa, attention Directorate of NavalPhotography, quoting the negative number'of the photograph, giving the size and finishrequired, and enclosing a money order forthe full amount, payable to the ReceiverGeneral of Canada.

Sizes, finish and the National Defencestandardized prices, follow:

4 :x: 5 (or smaller) glossy finish only .• $ .106~} x 8t/~ glossy finish only' .40

8 :x: 10 glossy or matte finish .....•.•.. .50

11 :x: 14 matte finish only ........••...• 1.00

Retirements t.. 27

Naval Lore Corner No. 102 ........ Inside Back Cover

The Cover-After searching the northern seas for "en~my"

submarines, three Trackers head homeward at sundown. The

picture was taken on board the Bonaventure during last 'autumn's

llQrthern. exercises. (HS-66400-58)

Promotions 28

SUBSCRIPTION RATEThe Crowsnest may be sub-

scribed for at the rate of $1 per'year; outside of North America,$1.50. Orders, accompanied bycheque or money order made tothe Receiver General of Canada,should be sent to:

THE QUEEN'S PRINTER,Department of Public PrintIng

and Stationery,Ottawa, Onto

Communications, other than thoserelating to subscriptions, shouldbe addressed to:

EDITOR,The Crowsnest,Naval Headquarters,Ottawa, Onto

Page one

-- In the past -eight years some 75,000 donations have been made by naval personnel to the Red Cross Blood Bank in Nova Scotia.. Wren Nancy.D.uroucher was a volunteer in the most recent blood clinic at Stadacona. She is ottended by Nurse Edith Grant, of Guysborough, Nova Scoha. (HS-67421)

Design ChosenFor Air Memorial

The design has been chosen for amonument at HMCS Shem'water to per-petuate the memory of those who gavetheir lives in the service of Canadiannaval aviation.

The winning design in a contest heldat the air base was submitted by POW. C. Paterson, of Helicopter UtilitySquadron 21. Honourable mention wentto Sub-Lt. J. V. Ouellette and Lt.-Cdr.K. L. Gibbs.

PO Paterson's design embodies a tall,slim obelisk on a pyramidal base. Thesite chosen for the erection of the mem-orial is at the intersection of Puncherand Bonaventure avenues at Shear-water.

Ex-HCN ShipHost in Dakar

Canadian missionaries and citizenswho are teaching and working inDakar, Senegal, saw a little bit of theirown country in the busy west Africanport when two RCN frigates made afive-day goodwill visit to Dakar in late'January.

A Canadian-made product greetedthe arrival of the two ships of the

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Seventh Canadian Escort Squadronwhen they came alongside a FrenchNavy jetty. It was a minesweeper thatwas given to the French Navy underthe Mutual Aid program and now bearsthe name Paimpolaise. The 'sweeperwas once HMCS Thunder. Appropri-ately, she was the host ship for thevisit of the Canadian ships. On arrivalin Dakar, the frigates Fort Erie andNew Waterford were greeted by N. R.Mason, British Consul in Dakar. Thetwo commanding officers then "paid"

Committee HopesTo Acquire Bounty

A Halifax citizen's committee, un-der the chairmanship of Rear-AdmiralH. F. Pullen, ReN (Ret), has beenformed with a view to acquiring theLunenburg-built replica of HMSBounty as a Nova Scotia tourist at-traction.

Admiral Pullen indicated that thefirm of Oland and Son had offeredto provide financial backing to acquirethe ship from the Hollywood ownersand to provide for its operation. Netprofits, according to Admiral Pullen,would be used to assist Nova Scotia intourist development and in the pres-ervation of "worthwhile evidence ofNova Scotia shipbuilding and mari-time skills and history,"

official calls on diplomatic, military andcivic officials.

During the five-day visit in the Sene-galese capital the ships' companies ofthe frigates played football, volleyballand basketball games against FrenchNavy and Senegalese Army teams. Theyvisited the old and modern parts of thismajor port city and went by bus toKayar, Sangalkan and N'Gor. A FrenchNavy landing craft made special dailytrips to transport Canadian sailors tothe picturesque island of Goree. Manyenjoyed the numerous and beautifulbeaches of Dakar.

Four SubmarinesCall at Halifax

Four U.S. Navy submarines called atHalifax in early February. The USSCrevalle was in port February 2-6. TheTusk, Toro and Diablo visited fromFebruary 5-7. About 400 officers andmen were involved.

Ships Spend NineDays in Japan

Three destroyer escorts of the RoyalCanadian Navy left the naval base atYokosuka, Japan, in early February tocontinue their training and goodwillcruise in Asiatic waters.

HMC Ships Assiniboine, Margaree andOttawa spent nine days at the Ameri~can and Japanese base south of Tokyoafter crossing the Pacific by way ofHawaii and Midway Island. FromYokosuka the three RCN ships, a di-vision of the Second Canadian EscortSquadron, headed for Singapore by wayof Subic Bay in the Philippines.

While in Yokosuka members of theships' companies took advantage ofspecial sightseeing tours that were pre~arranged' in the Tokyo-Yokohama~Hakone-Kamakura areas and enter-tained new-found friends from othernavies and from among Japanesenationals on board their own ships.Special sports activities such as hockey,

soccer and basketball, were alsoarranged with other ships and with Jap-anese teams. To mark the visit, thepeople of Yokosuka decorated their citywith many Canadian and Japaneseflags.

Other ports to be visited before re-turning to Esquimalt in mid-April wereto be: Rangoon, Burma (Margareeonly), February 21~25; Colombo, Cey-lon (Assiniboine and Ottawa), Febru-ary 22-26; Trincomalee, Ceylon, Feb-ruary 27-March 2; Port Swettenham,Malaya, March 12-14; Singapore,March 15-21; Bangkol~, Thailand, March23-26; Victoria, Hong Kong, March 30-April 2; Yokosuka, Japan, April 6-7,and Adak, Alaska, April 13.

Transport ShipsNow Coast Guard

The Department of Transport Fleethas been re-named the Canadian CoastGuard. The new name recognizes thetremendous expansion the fleet hasundergone in the past several years. Itwas formerly known as the CanadianMarine Service.

A new colour scheme has also beenadopted for its vessels and a distinctiveinsignia for their funnels. The shipswill have red hulls and white super-structure and funnels instead of theformer black, white and yellow com~bination. A moderately stylized redmaple leaf and band on the funnels will

Naval Padre Becomes Chaplain GeneralT HE APPOINTMENT of Chaplain ofthe Fleet (P) E. G. B. Foote asProtestant Chaplain General of theArmed Forces of Canada and his suc-cession by Chaplain (P) Harry Plough-man as Protestant Chaplain of the Fleetand Deputy Chaplain General of theArmed Forces were announced earlythis year.

The appointments coincided withthe retirement of Air Commodore FrankW. MacLean, RCAF, who had beenProtestant Chaplain General of theArmed Forces since September 1957.

The Rev. Dr. Ernest G. B. Foote, wasborn at Barney's River, Pictou County,Nova Scotia. He graduated in 1936 intheology from the Presbyterian Collegeof Montreal.

Dr. Foote entered the Navy in Janu-ary 1941 from a parish at Oxford, N.S.

CHAPLAIN GENERAL E. G. B. FOOTE

During the next four-and-a-half yearshe served at naval establishments onboth coasts of Canada, at inland pointsand overseas. From 1944, until after theend of the war he was Command Chap-lain, at HMCS Niobe in London,England.

He was appointed Protestant Chap-lain-of-the-Fleet in December, 1945.

In January 1946 Dr. Foote wasawarded the OBE for his services dur-ing the war. In 1951 he received thehonorary degree of Doctor of Divinityfrom the Presbyterian College of Mont-real, becoming one of the youngestclergymen in Canada to be honouredwith the college's highest degree.

Though his headquarters have beenat Ottawa, Dr. Foote has made frequenttours of a naval parish which at timeshas extended over half the world. Heserved with the Canadian destroyers inthe Far East during the Korean conflict.

He was appointed Deputy Chaplain(P) of the Armed Forces in September,1958.

His appointment as Chaplain General(P) of the Armed Forces was effectiveFebruary 9.

The Rev. Canon Harry Ploughmanwas born in Port Rexton, Newfound-land. Following his formal schooling heattended King's College, Halifax, wherehe trained for the ministry.

Chaplain Ploughman entered theNavy at Halifax in November, 1941,and served first in HMC Dockyard andthen on the staff of Captain (D), Hali-fax. Later he served in Newfoundlandand overseas. He returned to Canada inApril 1944 as assistant to the seniorProtestant Chaplain on the staff of theCommander~in-Chief, Canadian North-

west Atlantic, with the additional ap~pointment of Chaplain-in-Charge onthe staff of Captain (D), Halifax. Hetook every opportunity to go to sea andhe served in the corvettes Rimouski,Regina, Sorel and Kamsack and theRoyal Navy destroyer Havelock.

Following the war he went on theretired list but re-entered the Navy in1949. In September 1957 he becameDeputy Chaplain of the Fleet (P). InDecember 1958 he was named Assist-ant Deputy Chaplain General (P) ofthe Armed Forces. He was app'ointeda Canon of the Anglican Communionof the Armed Forces in: August 1961.

His appointment as Protestant Chap-lain of the Fleet and as Deputy Chap-lain General (P) of the Armed Forceswas effective February 9.

CHAPLAIN OF THE flEET (P)HAR~Y PLOUGHMAN

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make them easily recognizable at a dis-tance as Canadian Coast Guard vessels.

The use of red is particularly usefulfor icebreakers, for it will make themmore easily seen from other vesselsthey may be escorting and by pilots oftheir own ice reconnaissance helicoptersunder conditions of poor visibility.. The same need for visibility andready identification applies to CanadianCoast Guard vessels on search andrescue duties.

The essentially civilian nature of thefleet will remain unchanged.

New types of uniforms will be issuedwhIch will provide comfortable andsmart clothing appropriate to the condi-tions of the service. They are modelledon the war-time battle dress. Beretswill be provided.

The Canadian Coast Guard now hasa total of 241 vessels of all types, in-cluding some' 50 ships of larger size,from around' 400 tons gross to morethan 6,000 tons gross. These include .10fully strengthened icebreakers andseven lighter supply and buoy vessels

Frigates TourAfrican Coast

The. frigates Fort Erie and NewWaterford arrived in mid-February atAccra, Ghana, for a four-day visit dur-ing which they participated in theofficial opening of a Canada Trade Fair.

Since January 1, when the two war-ships left Halifax on a two-monthtraining and goodwill cruise to WestAfrica, they have visited Lagos, Ni-geria, Dakar, Senegal, and Freetown,Sierra Leone. While in Lagos officersand men participated in the officialopening of another Canadian TradeFair.

The Fort Erie and New Waterfordleft Freetown Friday after a six-dayvisit during which officers and menwere kept occupied by a busy programof activities. Highlights of the visitwere the witnessing of the ceremonialguard changing at Government House,entertainment of officers and men atsocial functions by the Governor Gen-eral, Sir· Maurice Dorman and LadyDorman, and a game shoot arrangedand conducted by the 1st Royal SierraLeone Regiment.

Soccer and golf matches were playedagainst teams of the Royal Sierra LeoneNavy, Sierra Leone Regiment, Princeof Wales School and the Cline TownClub. Daily bus runs took the Cana-dian sailors 'to the picturesque LumleyBeach for swimming and sunbathing.The numerous beaches provided ample

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capable of icebreaking. These 17 vesselscomprise the second largest icebreakerfleet in'the world.

The fleet also has eight other ves-sels designed for special service in theArctic, 11 lighthouse supply and buoyships, weather-ships, lightships, a GreatLakes research vessel, shallow draftships for the Mackenzie River, St. Law-rence Ship Channel survey vessels,shore-based lifeboats and more than 180steel landing craft for various types ofArctic use.

Naval War ArtistOn College Staff

Cdr. T. Harold Beament, RCNR(Ret), commanding officer of severalships, senior officer of a minesweepingflotilla off Normandy and later a warartist in the Second World War, hasjoined the staff of the Nova Scotia Col-lege of Art in Halifax. He teachespainting and design.

Cdr. Beament is vice-president of theRoyal Canadian Academy and a bar-rister.

opportunity for the ships' clearancedivers to put in many hours of practicein the clear warm waters.

On the day of departure from Free-town, the two ships were hosts to agroup of government officials, otherguests and members of the SierraLeone Navy, Army and Police Forcesfor a "shop window" at sea duringwhich they gave a display of weaponfiring and transferred personnel fromone ship to the other by jackstay.

During the four-day stay in Lagos,Nigeria, the frigates took part in theofficial opening of the Canadian TradeFair, sponsored by the Department ofTrade and Commerce. A guard ofhonour of 48 Canadian sailors, com-manded by Lt. Jack Hannam,. waslanded and inspected by Al Haji sirAbubakar Tofara Balewa, Prime Mini-ster of Nigeria, who officially openedthe fair.

One hundred Nigerian children fromwelfare agencies were entertained bythe ships' companies. The children en-joyed games and were treated to icecream, cookies, milk and soft drinks.Small souvenirs were given to the littlevisitors. In return, and as a means ofsaying, "Thank you;" the childen put ona display of singing and dancing forthe benefit of the Canadian sailors.

The Canadian frigates were seen dailyby capacity crowds who stood on thejetty roadside and by many thousandswho drove by in buses and cars.

A recent visitor to Nation~1 Defence Head-quarters was the Rt. Rev. Ivor Norris, DO,Anglican Bishop of Brandon and Bishop Or-dinary to the Canadian Armed Forces. He ischairman of the Canadian Council of ChurchesCommittee on Chaplains Services. While inOttawa he called on Defence Minister DouglasS. Harkness, fhe Chiefs of Staff and other gov-ernment and military officials.

Cdr. L. B. Jenson, commander of thesquadron and commanding officer of theFort Erie, and Lt.-Cdr. J. Wilkes in com-mand of the New Waterford, made offi-cial calls on T. LeM. Carter, CanadianHigh Commissioner to Nigera, Sir Ade-tokumboh Ademola, Chief Justice of theFederation of Nigeria, Hon. WaziriIbrahim, Minister of Economic Devel-opment, Commodore A. R. Kennedy,commanding the Royal Nigerian Navy,and other Nigerian government andbusiness officials.

The ships' companies took part insports against Nigerian soldiers andsailors, were taken on guided tours,visited beaches, museums and manyplaces of historic interest. A group ofCanadian sailors went by bus to Iba-dan, the largest and most populated cityin West Africa, which is approximately100 miles inland.

The RCN frigates 'were host to agroup of high government and diplo-matic officials, Nigerian and Canadianbusiness men and over one hundredNigerian sailors and soldiers for "Op-eration Shop Window", during whichthe guests were taken to sea and wit-nessed an impressive display of Boforsfiring, anti-submarine mortar firing andjackstay transfers.

Lt. Anwaor Chiazor Chiazol, RoyalNigerian Navy, a graduate of the Uni-versity Naval Training Division of theUniversity of Western Ontario, wasthe liaison officer between the Nigerianand Canadian navies.

"The cold wind doth blow,"-in this case the icy blast of twin propellers-as two chockmen cling to the deck with body, arms and legs to keepthe chocks wedged firmly against the wheels of a Tracker on the Bonaventure's flight deck during Exercise Trapline last fall. (HS-66400-214)

SOME TIME, Jack Arthur, Mr.Canadian Show Business, shouldlook in on a really big show on a big-time stage. The pitch might go some-thing like this:

"Mr. Showbiz, this one has justabout everything. The stage is a cityblock long, at least 80 feet wide andmakes your spread at the CanadianNational 'Ex' look like a one-roomjob in Greenwich Village.

"And that sound! Two, three kindsof aircraft roaring and screeching.Twenty or so guys dodging the jetblast and propeller blades, jockeyingbig planes right to the edge and park-ing them closer than co-eds, up anddown with elevators, wind and prop-wash pushing at chockmen. GOODaction, Jack.

"Discipline on stage is terrific. Onecharacter makes a booboo and he'shurt or he's dead. Maybe others too.

Stage effects? Tremendous - rain,snow, gales, near gales, fog, (irenchingspray, sunshine smacking your eye::'balls. The deck gets icy or hot enoughto fry an egg. Costumes? Lighting? Itell you, Jack, you gotta see it. Whata Show!"

In a way, the flight deck of the air-craft carrier Bonaventure is a show, ifyou're lucky enough to get to see it. Noactors can throw so much of themselvesinto a part as the naval airmen, or AMs,who hustle the aircraft up and down,on and off the ship. .

The razzle-dazzle flight deck a

the struggling AMs might, but neverdo, go over the side. Life is measured inminutes in the cruel northern seas.

Things quieten for the moment, theairmen go pell mell into an almostendless game of deck hockey whosetactics would make Red Storey blowhis brains clean through his whistle. Ifthey can't play this favourite form ofmayhem, they'll drop almost in theirtracks to snooze on that hard, cold deck,until another job gets them boundingaround the flat top.

They are versatile, driving all mobileequipment including a Lorain crashcrane, standing by to fight the fires thatcould threaten a carrier's life, caringmeticulously for parachutes, dinghiesand other safety equipment, controllingair traffic. One crew of them took downa two-and-a-half-ton radar antenna forrepair and got it up again, at sea.

A leading seaman naval airman canput his hand to anything, boast hischief petty officers.

The Bonaventure has 85 AMs, whowork in two watches, each lasting a bitmore than half of any 48-hour 'period.On duty, the longest of their five stintsis from midnight to dawn and theshortest from 4 to 6 p.m. If flying is can-celled, a watch is reduced to one sixthin strength and the rest go to forenooncleaning stations or "make-and-mend".

No lumberjack, no miner could beprouder of his rugged job than thesehealthy young men, who produce topnotch football and hock~y players whenship movements allow.

Lt.-Cdr. Vincent Greco, once themost colourful of them all, told whatmakes them tick:

"They have the spirit to work as aunit and not as individuals. The low-liest ordinary seaman is briefed. Theydo an order instead of relaying it. Thedrill, talking it up and competition withthe other watch are part of it. If they'rebehind you they'll do anything: evenlift the crash crane for you... somehow.

"But there's a little something elsethat gives them the extra push. Eventhat lowly Ordinary Seaman knowsthat the Captain or Commander Air orthe 'goofers' may have an eye on himalone. It makes the difference."

CPO Hugh Clark, aircraft controller,described the life of a llilvalairman as"long hours of sheer boredom inter-rupted by moments of utter terror".

Ldg. Sea. Jack Romsam described hisduties: mule driver for towing aircraft,fire fighter, hook man, catapult' crew-man, lashings man. The chores varyaccording to whether aircraft are land-ing on, taking off, being moved, parked,or in trouble. Being a leading seaman hehas more or less graduated from theonerous job of chockman, but can anddoes dive under an aircraft to wedgethe wheels to a timely halt.

"I like this work in the fresh aireven though sometimes you get cheesedoff," he said. "When we work, we worklike hell and when we play, we playlike hell. I can get right into a job and.work among the men and I prefer to."

"It is rough work up there and inall kinds of weather," said CPO RandallHiggins. "If you get wet on watch, youstay wet until you're off watch." He isone of the few still in service who wasan aircraft controlman from his daysas an ordinary seaman onwards. Todayhe is flight deck chief in charge of theport watch.

During the recent northern opera-tions, the AMs worked a modified three-watch sySitem. AB Russell Cameronticked off the clothing worn during, thefar northern, exercise: helmet andgoggles,undershirt, sweater, workshirt,lined working jacket, royal blue flightdeck sweater, jockey shorts, lined workpants, heavy socks and suction-cup-soledflight deck boots (reSembling civvy de-sert boots) or rubber sea boots if it'swet. Up in iceberg country, with cutting

"....,... \':. '. ~ .

It looks like confusion to the "goofers" or onlookers, but every man sprinting across the Bonaventure's flight deck knows to perfilction 'liis roleiii the drama of catapulting a Track,er anti-submarine aircraft. In' the foreground a "fly" (flight deck crew) clusters around a' "mule", waiting togc> into action. (HS-66400-129)

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winds and searing prop blasts, theyneeded it all plus heavy leather mitts.

In addition to the normal run ofwork, they must keep the many pas-sageways in the island structure gleam-ing and their own messdeck, which issituated just beneath the flight deck,in tip-top shape.

The flight deck officer and his twoassistants are pilots who are rotatedthrough this appointment. It adds noth-ing to their professional status but theyfind the job fascinating and the menworthy. There is mutual respect. Nonaval airman in his right mind wouldessay that dangerous flying trade. Nopilot in his right mind would tacklethe equally dangerous airman's work.

Naval airmen are not a distinct branchin the service nor do they have theirown officers. At one time known asaircraft controlmen, they were includedin the recent fleet-wide reshuffle oftrades. Renamed airmen, they were·given the responsibility of safety equip-ment, but their favoured job, air con-trolling in the Shearwater air stationtower ashore and to a lesser degreein the carrier, would appear to be indanger of passing to naval aircrewmen.

At one time a sailor could elect to bean aircraft handler. Today, in the tradere-organization still going on, he's mostlikely to be selected. Ord. Sea. DouglasDewey was one of these on-the-jobtrainees, who sat for his first writtentrade exams in November.

It.-Cdr. Michael Langman, veteran of 21 yearsof naval flying, makes a pre-flight check of hisTracker aircraft. He was officer in charge ofthe sea detachment of 880 Anti-SubmarineSquadron during for northern exercises laltfall. (HS-66400-115)

CPO Kenneth Day is air adminsitra-tion chief for 105 air branch men inthe ship and co-ordination with squad.rons embarked. He and the other chiefsfeel naval airmen of today are as goodas aircraft controlmen of another day,

"They've got to be," said Chief Day,"since we must operate under veryclose tolerances here." Safety dependson hustle on the flight deck, as always.

The AMs seem bigger than othermatelots. They're not r.eally, but huskyconstitutions and a certain flamboyantbearing mark them apart from the restof the Navy. Illness is not so muchtheir lot but breaks and abrasions are,because of their work. A hot meal atmidnight is an extra ration gain forAMs who burn it off quickly enough.

"So there, Mr. Arthur, is this very:fine 'property'. It should ought to getto you like I mean it's got to me,Jack. '

"Eh?-Well, yas, I'm glad you askedme that question, Jack, uh, rilly glad.

"No girls.

"That's right. Won't even let'em onboard at sea and not too doggoneoften in harbour.

"Yeah, it's been nice talking toyou, Jack. I take. it you'll call me.I don't call you. Well, see you aroundsometime, hey buddy? Hey?"

-H.C.W.·

A custom-built diving vessel.. YMT-ll, was completed in January at Ferguson Industries, Pictou, N.S., for the Navy and began trials off Halifax.She is 88' by 20' by 4'9'~, with a speed of nearly 11 knots, can dive four men at a time to about 250 feet and is fitted with a recompression. chamber.(HS.67277)

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Norther!1 ChristmasThere's warmth in Canada's bitter

sub-Arctic if you know where to lookfor it-in the hearts of its people. A fewmonths ago an appeal was made bywelfare officials in Churchill, Manitoba,

. for homes where eight children couldbe sheltered. Ldg. Sea. Harry S. Collins,of HMCS Churchill, the naval radiostabion, and his wife Dorothy answeredthe appeal and found.· themselves thefoster parents of Joan, a two-year-oldIndian girl. The Collinses had been liv-ing in tiny quarters and to assure thechild oJ proper surroundings and care,they undertook the purchase of a pre-fabricated home. It Was here they cele-brated Christmas with their (by then)happy, responsive, chubby baby. Ldg.Sea. Collins, who was born in Stratfordand joined the Navy in London, Ontario,served not long ago on board HMCSSioux. (Photographs by Cd. Off. E. A.Burke).

OFFICERS ANDI.

MEN

Supplies SentTo West Indies

The RCN and the RN have combinedefforts to ensure that a donation ofbadly needed supplies from children ofthe Convent of the Sacred Heart inHalifax will arrive safely at a missionnear Grenada in the British WestIndies.

The convent students amassed 140pounds of supplies and, since normalshipping costs would use up all of themoney the children had collected forpromotion of mission work, the FlagOfficer Atlantic Coast was asked if awarship would undertake the transport.

The supplies were destined for theMadonna House Mission on CarriacouIsland near Grenada. Rev. Mother M.Conroy of the Sacred Heart Convent, inasking the Navy's help, stressed thatthe island lay missionaries were in"very poor" circumstances.

It developed that the RCN had noship scheduled to sail to Grenada fromHalifax. However, it was possible totake the supplies as far as Bermuda.

The RCN Liaison Officer in Bermudareported that HMS Troubridge (frig-ate) whose captain is Cdr. T. A. Q.Griffith, RN, would "be pleased" to takethem with him on departure January22 from Bermuda.

The commanding officer of HMCSCape Scott (Cdr. A. H. Rankin) mean-while arranged with Mother Conroy forthe loading of the mission cargo onboard his mobile repair ship at Hali-fax before sailing for Bermuda in mid-January.

Art Lands NewJob Jor Seaman

A sailor with a natural talent in art'work has worked himself into a fulltime job in the Weapons Division of theFleet School in Halifax.

Ldg. Sea. Hugh C. Wilson makes eye-catching instructional aids in the school.,'

Educated in Toronto and Colborneschools, he joined the Navy in 1953,meanwhile continuing to improve onthe doodling and drawing he had doneall through school.

Ldg. Sea. Wilson has served in thecruiser Quebec, the frigate Lauzon, andthe" destroyer escorts H:u.ron,·' Micmacand St. Croix. He was in the Huron

I

i\!.

radar officer, has been appointed di-rector of the $4,000,000 Bedford Instituteof Oceanography now under construc-tion at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.'

Now deputy superintendent of theDefence Research Board's Pacific NavalLaboratory at Esquimalt, Dr Englishwill assume his new post with the De-partment of Mines and Technical Sur-veys on April 15.,The tall, sandy-haired physicist is

recognized as one of Canada's "foremostauthorities on marine physics and isthe author of papers and articles onthis and related subjects. ,He is anhonours Bachelor of, Arts graduate inmathematics and physics from the Uni-versity of British Columbia and 'holds aPhD, in physics from the Universityof California. '

His rapid climb ,up the scientificladder since joining the National Re-search Council's Chalk River laboratoryas a research officer 13 years ago,capped an impressive scholastic recordand naval career in the second WorldWar.

Going overseas early in the war onloan to the Royal Navy, Dr. Englishserved aboard HMS Ajax for 17 monthsas radar officer, participating in thebuild-up and evacuation of Greece andCrete, the Syrian campaign and navaloperations from Malta. I-Ie later tookpart in the North African campaignand the relief of Malta as staff radarofficer to Rear-Admiral, Destroyers,Eastern Mediterranean Theatre.

From May to September 1943, duringthe naval build-up at Malta for theinvasion of Sicily, Dr. English was portradar officer in charge of fitting andmaintenance of radar in ships of theinvasion fleet. .

For eight months in 1944, he wasstaff radar officer at Naval ServiceHeadquarters, Ottawa, and in Octoberof that ,year was appointed Chief RadioEngineering Officer, Halifax Command,a post he held until his retirement ayear later with the rank of lieutenant-commander.

Dr. English, will have wide technicaland' administrative responsibilities inhis new post which involves a broadrange of marine activities at the Bed-ford Institute which is expected to becompleted ,and occupied early thissummer.

As the institute's' director, Dr. Englishwill have charge of a planned initialstaff of some 300 oceanographers, hy-drographers, submarine· geologists, otherscientific personnel and supportingstaff.

Dr. English has played an active partin interdepartmental research activities

Page ten

LettersDear Sir:

As I am greatly interested in thenaval history of the Second World Warparticularly in the Battle of the Atlanti~and the ships involved on' both sides.I wonder if you would, do me the favourof publishing this request.

I am attempting to round up as manyphotographs of U-boats as possible, andit occurs to me that some of yourreaders may have prints or negativeswhich they would be willing to loanor sell me.

When one considers that after VE-daythere were some 50 of these craft liningthe Foyle River .at Londonderry, andwhen one thinks of the scores of HCNships which must have passed them-each with many a camera (howeverillicit) aboard-it seems the foregoingsupposition should have some merit.

Actually, any negatives of shipswould be .welcome, and anyone replyinghas my assurance of their careful treat-ment and quick return.

Yours most sincerely,

1

With this issue, The Crowsnest begins publicationof a three-part history of the Fairmile motor launchesin the service of the Royal Canadian Navy duringthe Second World War. Much of this story has al-ready appeared in the January 1962 issue of theCanadian Geographical Journal, whose editor haskindly consented to its re-publication here. Contraryto usuaL practice, however, this second version islonger than' the first, because it was felt that rnanyparagraphs excised fr01n the ori07,nal manuscript wereof Uin service" interest, although of lesser appeal tothe general public.

The author of this historical sketch is CaptainJoseph A. Heenan, OBE, RD, CD, RCNR(Ret), whocan speak with an authoritative voice, if anyone can,on the story of the RCN's Fair?1~iles. He was associatedwith their operations fr01n the beginning andeventually becan1.e Captain (ML) in charge Of thefleet of little ships.

Captain Heenan was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne,England, He corn?nenced his sea career at the age of15 as an apprentice in the four-nl-asted barque Lyn-ton of Liverpool, England.

In due course he obtained his square-riggedMaster's Certificate, He served in all types of vesselsfro'Y)~ sailing ships to liners and fron}, sub7narines tobattleships, He has fought in both World Wars andhas circu?nnavigated the globe seven tirnes.

Throughout the First World War he served withthe Royal Navy. For two and a half years he was en-gaged in naval operations in the Red Sea and vicinity,co-operating with the late Colonel T. E. Lawrence'(Lawrence of Arabia) in the capture oj sea portslbordering on the coast of Ar(tbia.'

He came to Canada in 1930 to join the CanadianNational Steamships, serving in all the well known((Lady boats" of that time.

In 1937 he was appointed to the Civil Service ofCanada as Inspector of Subsidized Steamship Servicesfor the Dorninion, at which tirne he transferred as ac01nmander, Royal Naval Reserve, to the RoyalCanadian Na.val Rese7·ve.

On Septe1nber 4, 1939) he went on active serviceand was appointed to Naval Service Headquarters.In 1942 he was appointed to a sea cornmand, HMeSProvider, and that same year was promoted to therank of captain, RCNR. "

After the war he returned to Ottawa for dutywith the Depart7!lent of Trade and Commerce, shortlyafter being appointed Director of Trade Routes, MailSubsidies and Stea1nship Subventions. In 1947 he wastransferred to the newly created Canadian MaritimeCornl1~issibn and served as Director of SubsidizedSteamship Services until his retirernent in 1958. Heresides in Ottawa.

THE LITTLE SHIPSPart OneH E E X P L 0 ITS andachievements of "the Lit-tle Ships", the Fairrnilesof the Royal CanadianNavy during the SecondWorld War, are little

known except by those who served inthem or were closely associated withtheir' operations, They were providedfor the protection of shipping in ourcoastal waters, coastal defence andmany other related duties. However,they were also called upon to operatein waters further afield reaching fromLabrador to Bermuda and in the Carib-bean Sea on duties often demandingthe highest degree of endurance inboth ships and men.

Nearly 17 years have passed sincethe war in Europe ended. Time dimsmemories, which are apt to become dis-torted and confused, creating errorsand omissions. It is in tribute to theofficers and men of "the Little FightingShips" that this endeavour is made totell their story for the first time.

My appointment as Captain (ML) onMay 6, 1943, which terminated in Janu-ary 1945, embraced the responsibilityfor the organization, maintenance,training, operation and developmentinto a potent striking force of ournewly constructed Fairmiles, "E" Type,or MLs (motor launches).

To the uninitiated the words "motorlaunch" would convey just that, butactually the Fairmiles were anti-sub-marine vessels of unusual strength, en-durance, seaworthiness and fightingquality. They were designed in Englandas anti-submarine vessels for coastal'forces . and their need and effi-ciency had been fully demonstrated.Early in the war it was decided to usethem in Canadian waters, whereupontheir plans and specifications weremade available for immediate construc-tion in our smaller shipyards.

First of a series of three articlesby Captain Joseph A. Heenan

RCNR (Ret)

Built of double mahogany (diagon-ally) with an eight-inch oak keel, 112feet long and 18 feet wide, the boatswere powered with either two HallScott engines of 635 horse-power each,or two Sterling Admiral engines of 850horse-power e'ach, capable of drivingthem at speeds of up to 20 and 24 knotsrespectively. Fuel capacity of 2,320-gallons of 87 octane gasoline, gave arange of about 400 to 1,000 miles, de-pending on speed. Crew accommodation

,for two or three officers and 14 menwas cramped but comfortable. Arma-ment consisted of three 20mm Oerlikonguns, mounted forward, aft and amid-ships; two .303 machine-guns; one 9mm"·'Sten gun; two .303 rifles; three .45 re-volvers; and 20 depth-charges of 300Ibs each, including eight fitted for the"Y" gun. Each boat was equipped withsonar, radar and WIT. Sheathed foroperation in ice and displacing 100 tons,they were indeed veritable HLittleFighting Ships".

SIXTY-SEVEN Fairmiles were com-missioned between November 1941'and March 1944 for operation on the

Page eleven

East Coast. They were built mostly inyards on the Great Lakes and inlandwaterways of 'Ontario, although sevenwere launched at Weymouth, N.S. Inaddition 14 Fairmiles were built on the"West Coast and did a" most creditablejob in coastal defence operations. It is,however, of those "Little Ships" en-gaged on the East Coast that this storyis told.

The builders will recall those earlyanxious days when time was so import-ant. Rumours, only too true, of vesselssunk by U-boats right inside our ownwaters and with but few naval shipsto combat them, created an urgencythat caused them to bend their effortsto the breaking point, culminating inthe finished ship and a job well done.Later, slight modifications were madeto adapt the vessels to Canadian cli-matic and operational conditions andthe armament was changed from athree-pounder forward and a .5 Coltmachine-gun aft to three 20mm Oer-likon guns.

During the fall of 1941 the first nineMLs arrived at Halifax. However, themajor naval effort at that time wasthe training of personnel and the bestpossible disposition of every availablesailor for the manning of our newlyconstructed corvettes and minesweep-ers, so urgently needed for the pro-tection of ocean convoys, upon whichthe enemy was making constant attacks.

A portrait af the author, Captain J. A.Heenan, RCNR, at Halifax in May 1945.

In this tense atmosphere, birth of the"Little Ships" received little attention,but it was an event of great importanceand no time was wasted in gettingthem ready for action. Officers and menwere desperately needed, particularlymotor mechanics for training as en-gineers to operate the internal com-bustion engines of the MLs. Thus, thewinter of 1941-42 was mainly devotedto intensive recruitment and training.

The year 1942 was filled with mem-orable days. The enemy was" pressinghard in his increasing tempo of U-boatattacks when it was difficult to provideadequate protection for our shipping.

Enemy submarines reached deep in-to the Gulf of St. Lawrence" and on 12May, U-553 fired two torpedoes into the5,364-ton British freighter Nicoya just12 miles off Cap des Rosiers on theGaspe Coast. Thus was the first shipsunk in that vital waterway by enemyaction since the beginning of theSecond World War. Before the yearended and the" icy hand of winterhad closed the gate, 23 ships had beentorpedoed in the Gulf of St. Lawrenceand approaches, totalling 70,000 tonssunk. In them 700 people perished byexplosion, drowning or exposure.

Three enemy submarines were theattackers, U-553, U-517 and U-165.There may have been others, but aftersuccessfully avoiding several attacks byships and aircraft they all escaped. Thiswas indeed a serious "blow and pre-sented a great challenge to the RoyalCanadian Navy.

I N 1942 our Navy was in the throesof rapid expansion and every shipas it became available was thrown intothe Battle of the Atlantic where theloss in merchant ships and men wasstaggering. In consequence our protec-tion for shipping in the St. Lawrence

Three Halifax-based Fairmiles returning from trials. (HS.15252)

Page twelve

" .\

ItI - ,'~.

~~~~,:i~~~7~~~£~;:.HMCS Provider, the Fairmile mother ship, at Halifax in December 1942. She served as far cdield as the West Indies and Bermud';. A sister ship,

HMCS Preserver, was based in St. John's, Newfoundland. (H-5B70)

was sacrificed to the greater need andconsisted of but two corvettes, five"Bangor" minesweepers and eight MLs,a fraction of our strength but all thatcould be spared.

It was later learned that U-517, hav-ing expended all her torpedoes, bruisedand shaken by many attacks made uponher, but with 31,100 tons of allied ship-ping sunk to her credit nosed out ofthe Gulf on October 5, and headed forLorient on the west coast of France.However, her life was of short duration,for on her next outward voyage shewas sunk off Cape Ortegal, in Novem-ber 1942, by an Albacore aircraft fromHMS Victorious. Her commander, Lt.-Cdr. Paul Hartwig, who survived, spokeof his exploits in the St. Lawrence andof his peaceful enjoyment and that of

his crew when the U-517 surfaced offMetis, Quebec, and they listened to thesoft strains of sweet music wafted tothem across the still waters.

Thirty MLs were operational in 1942,six stationed at Gaspe, two at Rimouski,six at Sydney, eight at Halifax andeight at St. John's, Newfoundland, inthe care of their mother ship HMCSPreserver.

MLs formed part of the escort forcefor 30 convoys between Rimouski andSydney in fair weather and foul, alsoof several convoys between St. John's,Newfoundland, and Sydney, N.S.

In addition to sinkings in the St.Lawrence, where the MLs saved manylives, ships were also plunging to thebottom along the whole Atlantic andNewfoundland coasts. On September 5,

1942, two ore ships, at anchor atWabana in Conception Bay,' were tor-pedoed and sunk by U.;.513; ML Q-078rescued 15 survivors. '"

The MLs in the Newfoundlll'b.d area,relieved from convoy escort duty, wereplaced on the monotonous and oftengruelling anti-submarine patrols in theapproaches to St. John's, Botswood,Lewisport, Wabana and Bay Bulls, fre-quently encountering southeast gales,blizzards, ice-floes and fog that wouldstrain the capabilities and endurance ofthe staunchest ships and men: At Hali-fax, continuous patrols of a submarinedetection loop system of harbour de-fence were carried out under similarconditions. Frequent depth-charge at-tacks were made in all spheres of op-

HMCS Preserver, the St. John's-based ML mother ship. (0·3006)

Page thirteen

Two of the Foirmiles were away refuelling when this picture was taken of the 72nd and 73rd ML flotillas at Boston on their way south tothe Caribbean. (CN-6213)

There is no certainty that a Fairmile of the RCN actually attacked a U-boat but their presence undoubtedly served as a deterrent and, if the oppor-tunity had arisen, they could have killed, as this depth charge explosion testifies. (NP.l070)

Page fourteen

,Crowded quarters and primitive table service in the mess on board a Fairmile.

eration; although contacts were madethere appeared no real evidence of a"kill".

In those days we had little knowledgeof water temperature gradients andtheir effect in distorting the range ofAsdic readings. The U-boats, however,took full advantage of these oceanicconditions and employed ingenious,elusive tactics, even to hiding directlyunder the Sambro Light Vessel at theentrance to Halifax harbour.

The year 1942 was the testing yearfor the MLs; their strengths and de-ficiencies were measured and assessed.With the closing of the year, 15 newMLs joined the Fleet. The wintermonths of 1942-43 were used with re-newed energy and determination toprepare them for the U-boat challengein the Gulf of St. Lawrence that wouldsurely come with the opening of navi-gation in 1943.

M EANWHILE, far to the south, inthe Caribbean Sea, the enemywere pressing home their submarineattacks. Sinkings of precious oil tank-ers, bauxite carriers and others weregrowing daily, creating the very realdanger of a curtailment in our navaloperations that a shortage of fuel oilwould bring. In the closing months of1942, of 20 tankers on the Panama-Trinidad run, only one arrived; 19 weretorpedoed and sunk.

Admiral Oldendorf, United StatesNavy, in command of the Caribbean

Area with headquarters at Trinidad,was seeking all the assistance theRoyal Canadian Navy could give. Atthis period, the United States Navy be-ing heavily committed in the Pacific,the number of escorts for coastal con-voy protection was meagre, consistingof a few destroyers, Coast Guard ves-sels and smaller craft there were onlybeginning to learn the art of convoyprotection and submarine destruction.Six Canadian corvettes were sent, andmany will remember the success ofHMCS Oakville, commanded by Lt.-Cdr.C. A. King, DSO, DSC, when, on Aug-ust 28, 1942, after a spirited action, shesank the U-94 off the Island of Haiti.

Owing to the northern winter freezeup restricting ML operations, it wasdecided to send two flotillas of Fair-miles to the Caribbean under the op-erational command of their "mothership", HMCS Provider, to remain forthe winter and return in April.

This story would not be completewithout some mention of the "motherships" of which there were two, con-ceived by Rear-Admiral Roger E. S.Bidwell, CBE, CD, RCN, (Retired),then a commander and Director of Op-erations at Naval Service Headquarters,Ottawa.

HMC Ships Prese1'ver and Providerwere built at Sorel, Quebec, by MarineIndustries Limited. The former wascommissioned July 11, 1942, by thatfine, redoubtable seaman, Captain B. L.Johnson, DSO, RCNR, who remained

Fresh fish was sometimes a dividend of aFairmile's depth charge attock. (NP-l093)

in her until December 16, 1943. Hersubsequent captains were, Cdr. G.Borrie, RD, RCNR, and Lt.-Cdr. H. C.Walmesley, RCNR.

As ONE OF the original six com-manders that formed the body ofNSHQ some days prior to Canada's dec-laration of war, my appointment ascaptain of the Provider was receivedwith pride and elation, accompanied bythe pleasing· knowledge of the changeand the opportunity of going down tosea again to take a more active partin the war.

HMCS Provider was commissioned atSorel on December 1, 1942, and withsome 60 uncompleted items, mostlyelectrical, sailed for Halifax on the 4thin urgent haste to avoid being frozenin for the winter, which would havecancelled our Caribbean mission onwhich I had already been briefed. Manywill remember the early and severewinter of 1942-43. When off Quebec wemade our first contact with Fairmiles.Four of them en route to Halifax,jammed in the rapidly thickening ice,were released by the Provider and,with a pat under their sterns, werecheered on their way.

The Preserver and Provider were.sister ships with a length overall of268.5 feet; breadth 43.1 feet; depth 20.2feet; and draft 17.8 feet. Propelled bytwin-screw Fairbanks-Morse Diesel en-gines of 550 Brake horse-power each,they achieved a full speed of nine knotsin calm weather. Of 2,367 gross tonsand dead weight of 3,400 tons, the·

Page fifteen

I;.

Fog Was something the Fairmiles had often ta contend with, particularly in patrols of theSt. Lawrence River and Gulf. (JT-505)

Preserver and Provider were then thelargest vessels built in Canada flyingthe White Ensign.

Built as base supply vessels and con-structed as tankers, their unwarlikeappearance soon earned them the nameof "ugly ducklings". They had capacityfor 681,000 gallons of gasoline or equi-valent in bunker "C", and a work shopwell equipped with modern machinesand tools. A deep hold, fitted with twofive-ton derricks, held stores, ML spareengines with parts, and 500 'depth-charges.' There was sufficient refrigera-ting space for food stuffs to keep theships independent of the shore for sixmonths. Both vessels were fitted withbow projecting cranes capable of liftingan ML bodily out of the water, for

, which special cradles were designed,and with towing winches aft. Arrrta-ment consisted of a 4-inch gun mountedon a platform aft, Sten guns and rifles.

Accommodation included a small,well-equipped hospital. The captain'squarters were on the level of the bridge,below which were cabins to berth 19officers; crew quarters were situatedaft, providing space for 94 men.

ABOUT HALF the ship's comple-ment consisted of specialists inA/S detection apparatus, ordnance,radar and WIT, as well as carpenters,blacksmiths, plumbers and a diver forunderwater work. Of all the expertsnone had a more demanding or exact-ing job than the fuelling officer. Inaddition to looking after" the' ships'tanks, he had the responsibility ofJ fuel-ling each ML when she returned !ro'mpatrol or a mission accomplished' andin particular to see that all safety regu-lations pertaining to the handling ofgasoline were strictly observed. Thedanger of a flash explosion or fire wasever present. Many of our heterogen-eous crew had never been to sea be-fore but, like thousands of their fellow-men who had "joined the Navy", theyrose with skill and fortitude to meetevery occasion.

HMCS Preserver" was destined to"mother" and control the operation ofMLs out of ports bordering the eastcoast of Newfoundland and off Lab-rador in the exposed area of the Straitsof Belle Isle with no protection otherthan that afforded by the MLs, whichkept a continuous searching patrol last-ing three and a half months during thesummer. The Provider was sent to theGulf of St. Lawrence and, furtherafield, to the Caribbean and Bermuda.

In mid-December 1942 the 72nd and73rd Flotillas, consisting of 12 MLsleft Halifax for Trinidad via Boston,

Page sixteen

New York and other eastern seaports.Adverse weather and maintenance diffi-culties were encountered '"en route.However, the 73rd arrived 'at MiamIon February 27, while the 72nd Flotilla,arriving at Savannah, Georgia, in op-erational distress and too late to takepart in the planned operations, was re-turned to Halifax.

On this passage to the south the sea-going qualities of the MLs were givena gruelling test. For example, the 73rdFlotilla when crossing the mouth ofthe Bay o"f Fundy encountered a north-easterly gale accompanied by snowsqualls reaching hurricane force.. Visi-bility was reduced, to 200 yards and,with ice forming heavily on theirsuperstructure and themselves beingtossed about like corks in a boilingcaldron, they had great difficulty inkeeping together but, battered andbruised, arrived safely at Boston.

While repairs were being completedtime was not wasted. All officers andmen attended U.S. Navy instructionalclasses to achieve closer co-operationwith U.S. naval forces yet to come. Theresourcefulness, determination and goodseamanship shown by Lt. J. G. Humph-rey, RCNVR, the Senior Officer of thisflotilla, was rewarded when he arrivedat Miami with his "Little Ships" readyfor action.

In the meantime at Halifax engineers,electricans, ship-yard labour and theship's company, working against time,completed all items left unfinishedwhen the Provider left Sorel. She wasready for sea to join the MLs whenthe next south-bound convoy was readyto sail.

(A further instalment willappear in an early

issue)

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Many scenes familiar to RCN personnel will come to life in the new National Film Board television series, "Canada at War", ~hich will beshown over the CBC network, commencing in April. Just such scenes are shown here: A depth charge attack, a convoy assembled in BedfordBasin; Prime Minister Churchill coming on board the destroyer Assiniboine in Placentia Bay, and Canadian invasion craft heading for the coastof Normandy. (GM-1416; NP-579; NF-OOB; GM·2257)

Canada at WarCANADA AT WAR, an actualityaccount of Canadians in battleand on the home front during theSecond World War, has been completedby the National Film Board of Canada.This is a series of 13 half-hour filmswhich will be televised from coast tocoast on the CBC television network.

Stations on the English network willstart carrying the programs on Tuesday,April 3, at 10: 00 pm., Eastern StandardTime. The French network will startthis series on Sunday, April 1, at 5,30p.m. (EST). Because of difference intime zones across Canada, local listingsshould be consulted for the exact timeof telecast in each region.

For the National Film Board, thiswas the biggest single documentaryever undertaken. Canada at War tookthree years of research and the editinginvolved the viewing of 16,000,000 feetof film, assembled from a variety ofsources. Although most of the footage

that finally went into the series wastaken by cameramen of Canada's armedforces, there is also a lot of action film

shot by the British, Americans, Rus-sians, Germans and Japanese. Much ofthe film had been suppressed by war-time censors and some was capturedenemy film.

01

.'1In', ' ...• I.,

Millions of feet of war-time film were scannedby National Film Board producer Stanley C!ishin preparing the 13 half·hour films that makeup "Canada at War", which will be seen onthe CBC television network, starting in earlyApril.

Page seventeen.

Here is the new telescopic helicopter hangar, conceived by the Department of Transport andproduced by Dominion Aluminum Fabricating limited of Canada, in use on board CCGS C. D. Howe.Extended, it is 48 feet, six inches long; retracted it is nine feet, six inches long. It can be retractedto permit a helicopter to land, and extended to enclose the aircraft in a few minutes. (Departmentof Transport Photo)

Page eighteen

Telescopic HangarFor Icebreakers

the idea of a telescopic hangar for ships,representatives of the Defence Produc-tion Department, and of Dominion Alu-minum Fabricating Ltd., of Toronto,who developed the design and put thestructures into production.

First one to be built was installedaboard the departmental icebreakerCCGS Wolfe in early 1960. Since then,four larger and further developed unitshave been installed on CCG ShipsC. D. Howe, Camsell, Montcalm andSir Humphrey Gilbert. The departmentwill use similar hangars aboard shipsit now has under construction or in theplanning stages. The protection theyafford helicopters from the effects ofsalt spray. and sea air, and from cor-rosive fumes from ships' funnels, hasbeen found to result in substantial sav-ings in aircraft maintenance costs. Theyalso permit more efficient maintenanceof aircraft in conditions of cold or badweather.

The .hangars work on the principleof a telescope, made up of six sections.The one at the forward end is the'largest. It is in a fixed position and isfitted with a heating system that warmsthe opened-out structure. It also isequipped as a workshop.

The other five sections can be teles-coped into it, thus quickly convertingmost of the hangar deck space intolanding deck. This reduces to a mini-mum the amount of additional deckspace that must be available for flightoperations.

The telescoping sections move ontrack and wheels, and are powered bya push-button controlled, electrically-driven winch. The whole structure isdesigned for use in temperatures rang-ing from the extreme heat of summerto sub-zero winter conditions. It iscapable of withstanding hurricane windforces. When retracted it is nine feet, sixinches long; .extended it is 48 feet, sixinches long.

The newer type hangar has a mllll-mum width inside of 15 feet, seven anda quarter inches and a minimum widthoutside of 20 feet. Minimum insideheight is 12 feet; outside height 13feet, seven and a half inches.

"

ATELESCOPIC aluminum heli-

copter hangar, conceived by theDepartment of Transport for use aboardships of the Canadian Coast Guard, wasdemonstrated last fall before naval andair representatives of a number ofwestern governments and officials ofaviation and marine industrial con-cerns.

The demonstration, on board CCGSC. D. Howe, at Quebec City, was ar-ranged jointly by the Department ofTransport and the Department of De-fence Production because of the world-wide interest in the new hangar, anumber of which are already on Ca-nadian Coast Guard vessels and havesuccessfully undergone rigorous dutyunder service conditions.

Present to discuss the technical detailsof the installation were Department ofTransport officials, who first evolved

.. ,"u.- ...;,.. I~_·-'-_.._.

The story of the war, with its ele-ments of drama and some of the lightermoments, is told in chronological orderas it happened at sea, on land, in theair, and on the civilian and politicalhomefront.

"The Battle of the Atlantic has beendescribed as the longest, the most im-portant, the most monotonous battle ofthe war," says NFB film producerStanley Clish. "We have concentratedon telling the story of the RCN's superbcontribution in that critical struggle."

In this series of films, the war-timerole of the RCN is portrayed from itsrapid expansion at the outbreak,through the increased responsibilitiesthat arose as the war progressed. Amongthe Navy highlights are· the convoys inthe Atlantic, escort of the North Africaninvasion, the Murmansk run, D-Daylandings in Normandy, MTBs in theEnglish channel and scenes from thePacific theatre of war.

For accuracy of facts, the NationalFilm Board crew producing Canada atWar was in constant consultation withhistorians, including E. C. Russell, headof the Naval Historical Section.

AFLOAT AND ASHORE "

A cheerful moment on the quarterdeck during the New Year's Day reception at HMCS Tecumseh,the Calgary naval division. Pictured are Cdr. A. R. Smith, commanding officer of the division, andHan. Douglas S. Harkness, Minister of National Defence and MP for Calgary North, with Lt.-Cdr.V. E. Schooley in the background. (RCNR Photo)

ATLANTIC COMMAND

HMCS Stadacona

The first course of Trade Group IIhull mechanics to graduate on theEast Coast completed training on Feb-ruary 2.

Seventeen members of the new hullmechanic trade were subjected to 36weeks' intensive training in the FleetSchool, Stadacona. All volunteer trans-fers from the EM trade, they are nowtaking their place in the Fleet as TradeGroup 11 Hull Mechanics.

The 36-week course involves 13phases encompassing all aspects of thetrade specification. Three of the 17graduates undertook a voluntary 14thphase of diving in HMCS Granby-afour-week course especially tailored forthe new trade.

These hull mechanics, with theirnewly attained skills, should prove tobe a valuable asset to the ships in whichthey serve. Their training has includedformal phases in academics, NBCD(again tailored for the trade), arc andacetyline welding, sheet metal work,plumbing, blacksmithing, painting,ships' carpentering, ship's husbandryand construction-a formidable list tobe condensed into such a relativelyshort period.

The course has emphasized a skillof hand rather than a theoretical ap-proach so that they will be excellentmaterial for the more qualified hulltechnician to employ and direct.

Subsequent formal courses for TG3and TG4 levels will be designed to ex-pand their technical and theoreticalknowledge to produce informed andcompetent hull technicians who will berequired to be equally of value at sea,on an overseeing staff or in either ofthe dockyards.

Leadership School

(Cornwallis)

On January 13 the Leadership Schoolonce again swung into full operation asofficers of No. 61 divisional course andpetty officers of Nos. 118 and 119 lead-ership courses commenced training.

A friendly rivaly exists between thesecourses and competitive gymnastic and

aquatic tabloids and basketball, volley-ball and broomball tournaments arefrequently scheduled.

The former officer-in-charge, Lt.-Cdr.W. M. Beckett, left the school to take·up his appointment in the rank of com-mander in command of HMCS Cayuga.His relief was Lt.-Cdr. D. M. Waters,.who joined on February 9.

Lt. Charles Doyle, training officer inthe school, was to leave on February19 to take up his appointment at Ven-ture for the pre-operations academiccourse. His successor Lt. B. J. VanFleet, arrived in the school February 6.

Point Edward Naval Base

Cdr. James V. Steele, after three yearsas Base Superintendent at Sydney, inJanuary was given a modified tradi-tional send-off to retirement leave.

He proceeded through the main gateof the base in a whaler, the boat itselfon the back of a trailer trUCk. Severalhundred civilian employees cheered himaway as four of his officers went

through the motions of pulling thewhaler. The reason for this land-basedceremony':"-ice in the harbour.

Irish-born Cdr. Steele, who first wentto sea at the age of 15, transferred tothe RCN from the RN following thewar. He had been a commando and alsoin a bomb and mine disposal unit. Hewas awarded the George Medal for warservices.

In a column "Between the Lines" inthe Cape Breton Post of January 20,there was the following:

"Not too many outsiders have madesuch an impression anct played suchan active role in community affairsas has Cdr. J. V. Steele ... Wheneverhis talents and co-operation werewanted, they were readily given. AtLouisbourg celebration, during theQueen's visit, and at Sydney's 1960celebration, and in many other CapeBreton projects, Cdr. Steele made afine and energetic contribution. Atrue Cape Bretoner, even by adoption,he will be missed."

Page nineteen

John Myers was recently attested in the RCNR as an ordinary seaman by Lt.-Cdr. C. W.Fleming, Staff Officer, HMCS Cabot, the St. John's, Newfoundland, naval division. Standing on theright is the Area Officer Sea Cadets, Newfoundland, Lt.-Cdr. H. W. Myers, father of Ord. Sea. Myers,who is a former sea cadet. (NFD-6488)

Lt. James N. Walkey, right, veteran of 28 years service as aAicer and man in the Navy, swearsin his daughter Thayne as a medical nurse in the RCN at Halifax. On the left is Lt.-Cdr. A. T.Lave, RCN Area Recruiting Officer. Sub-Lt. Walkey trained at Hamilton General Hospital and isnow at the Canadian Forces Hospital, HMCS Stadacona, Halifax. Lt. Walkey is Staff Officer En-gineering in the First Minesweeping Squadron at Halifax. (HS-67360)

First Sea Lord. His last war-time seaappointment was an executive officerHMCS Restigouche, destroyer. Sincethen he has been attached to Carletonand has been to sea for naval trainingalmost every year.

cers to do so) Lt. Inman was appointedto HMS Campana, aircraft carrier, asnavigator. In this ship he took part inthe Murmansk convoys and strikes onenemy shipping on the Norwegian coastunder Sir Rhoderick McGrigor, later

NAVAL DIVISIONS

HMCS Montcalm

HMCS Carleton

Captain W. R. Inman, who was pro-moted to his present rank at the be-ginning of 1962, has been commandingofficer of Carleton, the Ottawa navaldivision, since 1956. With this positiongoes that of honorary aide-de-camp tothe Governor General.. The command-ing officers of several '. other divisionshold similar appointments but, being inOttawa, Captain Inman is called uponto perform his duties on the vice-regalstaff more often than other reservists.On the civilian side, he is an employeeof the federal government, being chiefchemist of the mineral sciences divisionof the Department of Mines and Tech-nical Surveys.

To take his civil career first: RobertInman, after graduating from school inhis native Prince Edward Island,carried on his scientific studies at MountAllison Academy, Sackville, N.R, andDalhousie University, Halifax, graduat-ing Master of Science in 1936. He thenworked for the Department of Agricul-ture, both in Ottawa and at Summer-side, P.E.I. After the war, he joinedthe Department of Mines and Resources(as it then was) and settled in Ottawa.He has recently been elected a Fellowof the Royal Institute of Chemistry.

His naval career began in 1942 whenhe entered the RCNVR at Charlotte-town. He served in the corvettes Ri-mouski and Morden on the North At-lantic convoy routes. In the latter ship,he was in the hard-fought action inSeptember 1943 when the U-boats cameback to the Atlantic armed with theirnew acoustic torpedoes. HMCS St.Croix, HM Ships Polyanthus and Itchenand six merchantmen were sunk, butso were three U-boats.

After qualifying as a "Big N" at HMS"Dryad, the Royal Navy's navigationschool (he was one of two RCNVR offi-

Former executive officer of HMCSMontcalm, the Quebec City naval di-vision, Lt. Marc de Goumois, RCNR(Ret), has been appointed executiveassistant to Mines and Technical Sur-veys Minister Jacques Flynn.

Lt. de Goumois, a 31-year-old QuebecCity lawyer, was in the active reservefor more than 12 years, as UNTD cadetand officer. A graduate of Laval Uni-versity, who also studied at Queens andOttawa universities, he has been activein club work in his home city. He re-tired from the active list of the RCNRin March 1961.

Page twenty

SCIENCE AND THE NAVY

Comm,,,nicationsSetup Revised

First of six new destroyer escorts tocommission, HMCS Mackenzie intro-duces several new ideas in communi-cations and a number of items of newequipment. She will join the fleet inOctober 1962.

The most radical change is in com-partment layout. Gone are the oldMessage Centre, Radio One and RadioThree; instead the Macken,zie has aCommunications Control Room, whichoccupies the same area and includesthe majority of equipment now spreadthrough several compartments.

The CCR is designed to simplify mes-sage handling and control of radioequipment. In the new compartmentradiomen and signalmen work side byside with a minimum of waste move-ment and processing of messages. Nolonger does the chief radioman haveto send a man to a distant compartmentto tune a transmitter; with the sole ex-ception of the low frequency transmit-ter, all sets are close at h~nd in theCCR.

Modern equipment scheduled forMackenzie includes: Collins AN/URC32 single sideband transceivers, RACALAN/URR 501A and AN/URR 502Areceivers, the AN/URA 17 frequency-shift converter, and the AN/WRT 1 lowfrequency transmitter.

The AN/URC 32 has been to sea ex-tensively in the U.S. Navy and is an ex-ceptional set in all resp~cts. Althoughdesigned for single sideband voice op-eration, it retains compatibility withnormal AM sets and is capable of morseand frequency shift keying as well.When combined with the Marconi NT203 broad band amplifier the AN/URC32 will have a peak' envelope powe;rof one kilowatt. The AN/WRT 1 LF

New Way to FoilMagnetic Mine

Navy News, the monthly newspaperof the Royal Navy and the Royal"Naval A,ssociatlon, reports that the fol-lowing appeared in a recent examina-tion paper:

'The mal1netic mine was soon over-come by simply delousing the ship."

r"

II

I

I

II

The Collins AN/URC 32 single sideband trans-ceiver, which will be installed in Mackenzieclass destroyer escorts. Communications equip-men in these ships' will be almost entirelylocated in a single cc;>mmunications control room.(0-14192)

transmitter has also been tried exten-sively by the U.S: Navy.'

The AN/URR 501A and ANjURR502A are general purpose MF/HF andVLF/LF receivers; they replace the oldCSR 5A and RAK receivers. Most com-municators know ;the MF/HF version,which is standard equipment in theshore radio stations.

A transistorized frequency shift con-verter, the AN/URA 17 is designed, for

frequency diversity radio teletypewriterbroadcast reception or single-channelradio teletypewriter operation. In thelatter mode the AN/URA 17 can receivetwo channels. It, too, is standard equip-ment in the US Navy.

In addition to the Mackenzie classships, the St. Laurent, Restigouche andAlgonquin class destroyer escorts, theBonaventure, the Cape class repairships, and the new tanker-supply ship,Provider, are all scheduled to receivethe new equipment.

Still to come but unavailable for theMackenzie before her commissioningare: an improved UHF system whichincludes a common antenna and multi-coupler, a broadband MF jHF commontransmitting antenna and coupler, fac-simile recorders, and VHF-FM trans-ceivers for communication with mer-chant ships.

Completion of this large program willbe a giant stride forward in fleet com-munication capability.-P.F.W.

Sharks EndangerNight St.vimmers

Swimming by night in a moonlittropical sea may sound alluring, but tothe shark it's just a splendid opportun-ity for a midnight snack.

Such a conclusion may be drawn fromfigures compiled by the Shark ResearchPanel of the American Institute ofBiological Sciences. The panel endeav-ours to obtain accurate information 0).1reports of shark attacks anywhere inthe world, according to an article bythree of its members in Science, organof the American Association for theAdvancement of Science.

Figures show that most shark attacksoccurred during daylight hours andespecially between 11 am and 6 pm, thepeak hours for swimming. However, 5.7percent occurred during hours of dark-ness.

The authors are of the opinion thatthe number of people in the water afterdark is significantly less than thenumber in the water by daylight.

"If that is true, then it is moredangerous to swim at night than in thedaytime," the article states.

Part of the reason' for this increas'eddanger, it is suggested, is that the swim- ,mer is not able to see a shark in time 'to escape from it or ward off 'an attack.

Page twenty-one

I ~enguins I of the NorthernSeas

T HE LATE James Thurber has toldof a little girl's criticism of a boo~about penguins her teacher had madeher read: "This book told me moreabout penguins than I wanted to know."

Sad to say, this is, likely to be thereaction of many readers to Leslie M.Tuck's volume The Murres. The reasonfor regret lies in the fact that theauthor has done a thorough, satisfyingstudy of an interesting corner of bird-dom-so thorough, with its tables andmaps and minute details, that manywho attempt to ,re~d it may be over-whelmed. '

But what on earth or sea are murres?This was the question that arose at oncein the reviewer's mind and remainedonly until a glance within the attractivecovers disclosed an old friend, thous-ands of whose relatives he had seenskimming the Ice-strewn waters of theNorth Atlantic.

James Thurber's anecdote is aproposin another way. The murres (known tothe British as guillemots) fill the nichein n~ture's northern econolny that thepenguins fill. in the south.

Many years ago we thought we hadcaught the celebrated French author,Anatole France, in a profound errorof fact, for the later humanized birdsof his Penguin Island were describedas coming from the Arctic regions andanyone knows that, except for theGalapagos Islands, washed by the coldHumboldt Current, penguins are onlyfound in the Antarctic.

The error arose from a careless skim-ming of France's preface to the book.He c~early sets out there that "pin-gouin" is the French name for birds ofthe class "Alcidae", ·of which the murreis a member, and that the southernflightless birds are known among hiscountrymen as "manchots". He con-cedes that there may have been a -mix-up here and that the southern varietyhas some claim· to the name "pingouin".

But back to the book: The murre,unlike the penguin, is a reasonably ex-pert flyer, which makes it, despite itserect posture ashore and its similarstaid colorization,' an unsuitable occu-pant of zoos.

Two varieties of murre, the commonand the thick-billed (the latter an in-habitant of more northerly areas)' aredealt with by ·Mr. Tuck. He tells manycharming details of their lives on thebleak cliffs of Labrador, Greenland and

Page twenty-two

BOOKS for theSAILOR

Siberia, of their "joy-flights", of theway the adults prevent the too-eageryoung from plunging into bitter Arcticseas and of how a murre chick, shiver-ing in the northern wind, may seek thewarmth and. comfort of the wings ofany nearby adult.

All sailors are aware of the disastrouseffect of oil pollution on seabirds andMr. Tuck deals with this problem, too.A possible solution, he suggests, is arequirement that ships carry equipmentto recover the oil from the water in thebilges and burn it as fuel. 'rhe willing-ness of man to pollute the clean, vastocean spaces leads one to wonder howgreat i~ the gap between man and ape.

The MurresJ it is indicated on thecover, is the first volume of the Cana- .dian Wildlife Series, to be producedunder the auspices of the Departmentof Northern Affairs and National Re-sources. The project is a worthy oneand deserves the support of all inter-ested in Canada's wildlife afloat andashore.

The present volume is a delight tothe eye, amply illus~rated with mapsand pictures, mostly in black and white,but with _one attractive scene of adultsand young in colour.-H.M.C.

The "MURRES, by Leslie M. Tuck, pub-lished by the Queen's Printer, ottawa 260pages, with maps, tables and illustrations,paper-back edition $2.50; also available inhard covers.

AIR FORCE JOURNAL1962 ESSAY CONTEST

The annual essay contest will againbe a feature of the 1962 edition of theAir Force College JO'lLrnal.

"In the past, Royal Canadian Navypersonnel have displayed ~ gratifyinginterest in this contest and we hopethat this interest will continue," saidSquadron Leader R. K. Acheson, editorof the ,TournaI.

The 1962 essay contest will be opento any Canadian citizen.

A prize of $250 will be awarded foran unsolicited essay not longer than5,000 words on. a to~ic likely to stimu-late thought on military matters, partic-ularly those of interest to the RCAF.The field thus includes strategy, oper-ations, training, logistics, personneladministration, technical services, re-search and production, social sciences,and any other related field.

In addition to the prize-winningessay, the judges may select a maximumof two other essays worthy of honour-able mention. Writers of these essayswill be awarded a secondary prize of$100 each.

The authors of the winning andhonourable mention essays will also bepaid a professional fee if the essays arepublished in the Journal.

The essays. should be analytical or in-terpretative and not merely expositionsor personal narratives. They are notto contain classified information. Eachessay must be submitted in two copies,typed and double spaced. Manuscriptsmust reach the Editor, Air Force CollegeJournal, Armour Heights, Toronto 12,Ontario, by May 2, 1962. All essays willbecome the property of the Air FO'TceCollege Journal.

The board of directors of the Journalwill appoint the judges, whose decisionwill be final. If no essay meets thestandard set py the judges, they havethe right to make no award of any kind.

"RANDOM MEMORIES"IN BOOKLET FORM

The series of articles, Random M em-ories, by Rear-Admiral R. E. S. Bidwell,RCN (Ret), which appeared in TheCrowsnest last year, has been reprintedin booklet form.

The booklet, which carries a forewordby Vice-Admiral H. S. Rayner, Chief ofthe Naval· Staff, is illustrated with manyof the pictures which accompanied thearticles and is printed on high qualitybook stock by the offset process.

Distribution is being handled for themost part by the Naval Officer's Asso-ciations of Canada although the book-lets are also available in the largernaval canteens. Any profits from thepublication, which sells for 35 cents acopy, are being donated by Admiral'Bidwell to the RCN Benevolent Fund.

Expert Rifle Shot Leaves RCNR

, CPO Walter C. Burch, his wife Evelyn, san Barrie and daughter Pat, a wren at HMCS Malahat,adrnire the rifle that wa,s presented to CPO Burch by officers, men and wrens of Victoria's navalreserve division on December 18, the occasion of CPO Burch's retirement from the service. He had'served 33 years in the RCNVR, RCN and RCNR and had been Malahat's coxswain since the divisionwas .forrned in 1947. (E-64636)

THERE IS an unusual photograph inthe family snapshot album of Mr.and Mrs. Walter Burch, 1179 LockleyStreet, Victoria. Of pre-First WorldWar vintage, the photo is of an 18-month-old baby boy with a toy rifleclutched in his tiny hands.

You could say that CPO WalterBurch has seldom put that rifle downsince he was a youngster. Shooting andserving with the Royal Canadian Navy,RCNVR and latterly RCNR have beenthe main chapters in his life's story.

The Navy chapter ended on Decem-ber 31 when CPO Burch retired after33 years service. For the officers andespecially the men of HMCS Malahat,Victoria's naval division, his retirementmeans a great loss.

CPO Burch has served as Malahat'scoxswain almost from the time the di-vision was formed in 1947 and hundredsof young men have absorbed his wordsof advice and encouragement as theywent through ,their initial training.

Some measure of the high regard inwhich CPC Burch had been held cameat an emotion"':fil1ed evening quarters,December 18 when the ship's companypresented him with a valuable rifle tomark his retirement.

A typical comment from one youngAB:

"The Chief? He's the greatest."

A bit more formal but nevertheless assincere, was a statement from Cdr. W.F. Walker, Malahat's training com-mander, who, like Chief Burch, was anoriginal member of the division:

"I know of no man who has done somuch for our division and who hasachieved such wonderful results. Hishas truly been a great contribution."

Only eight men and four officersshowed up when Captain Ronald Jack-son put out a call for volunteers toform the Malahat division at HMCDockyard. The division has grown toinclude more than 200 men and wrensand includes a reserve naval air squad-ron and the University Naval TrainingDivision.

As coxswain, CPO Burch's responsi-bility has been to look after the ship'swelfare, as well as serving as sort ofa liaison man between the ship and thecaptain and a sounding bo'ard for manyof the men's personal probiems.

"Ask Chief Burch," was a typicalreply to many a tough question. Usuallythe Chief had the answer.

If the question had anything to dowith small arms, the Chief was sureto have the answer. He made it hisbusiness to know, looking after smallarms training in Malahat and coachingthe rifle team.

An expert shot himself, Chief Burchhas been a member of the Pacific Com-mand RCN teams at Dominion shoots atOttawa and provincial shoots at BlairRange at North Vancouver.

CPO Burch currently is a vice-presi-dent of the Victoria and District RifleAssociation, a member of the BritishColumbia Rifle Association and a lifemember of the Pacific Coast Rifle As-sociation. He has also served on thecouncil of the Dominion of Canada RifleAssociation.

"Shooting is a great pastime," saysChief Burch. f'It's one of the few trulyamateur sports left. In it, you're strictlyon your own."

As could be expected, Chief Burchspends plenty of time coaching y~ungmarksmen. A prize pupil is his owndaughter, Pal, 20, who carries on thefamily naval tradition as a member ofMalahat's wrens division.

"My biggest moment in shootingcame when Pat won the VictoriaTrophy at the BCRA shoot two sum-mers ago," recalled CPO Burch.

CPO Burch started finding out aboutthe mysteries of shooting, strangelyenough, with an army outfit. He joinedthe 10th Machine Gun Battalion in hisnative Winnipeg at age 15 in 1926, thentransferred to the Fort Garry HorseMilitia.

Following the advice of an olderbrother, CPO Burch joined the Winni-peg naval division, a half company 'itwas then, in 1929. He went on activeduty September 3, 1939, seven daysbefore Canada entered the SecondWorld War and took his discharge atHMCS Naden in 1945.

"That September 3 was' quite a day,"recalled CPO Burch. "I was downtownand a newsboy shouted out the head-lines about war being declared inEurope. I headed for the navy barracksand phoned my mother to get my kitpacked.

"I was the first one at the barracksand had to wait until somebody couldcome along to unlock the door. I

Page ,tw!?nty-three

The Story of. the YoungFishermanwas con-Ensign by

phoned my fiancee, arranged to getmarried that afternoon and by eighto'clock that night I was on a trainheading. west for Esquimalt.

"Evelyn (his bride) followed aboutlO· days later and we were the first navycollple. to settle in this area. As a result,matiy anxious mothers kept writing tomy wife to look out for their daughterswho soon followed us to the coast asnew navy wives. We soon had a largecircle of friends. Once they all got to-gether and gave us a silver tray in ap~preciation."

CPO Burch served on both coastsduring the war, on board corvettes anda supply ship and also instructed in thetorpedo school at Naden.

After his discharge, CPO Burch tooka job. in the dockyard in the ordnancedepartment and signed up with Mala-hat in 1947. He went back into the RCNduring the Korean War of 1950-54 andhelped out with recruiting and rtj.nningthe Malahat barracks, then at MoresbyHouse on Esquimalt Road.

He has been with Malahat ever since,helping out when its headquarters wereon board the HMCS Sault Ste. Marie,a minesweeper, and since it moved toits present location on Wharf Street.

Chief Burch is employed as an am-munition worker at the Rocky Pointnaval armament depot.

Warning GivenHe Nylon Lines

Although the HeN's General Ordersadvise seamen on the care of nylonlines to prevent deterioration, they donot tell sailors how to take care ofthemselves when handling such lines.

According to an item in the NavyTimes, published in Washington, theU.S. Navy's nylon mooring lines havebeen behaving like giant rubber bandsbecause of their elasticity. The partingof such a line under tension can be adanger to bystanders and, accordingly,the USN's Bureau of Ships has recom-mended the following precautions:

"Lead the line around the cleat aminimum number of turns but in sucha manner that it can be renderedaround the cleat to ease the strainand prevent parting of the line.

"Handle a line under strain with twomen in series to minimize the number.of. turns needed around the cleat whilestill maintaining control of the line.

"Be sure that the nearest man han-dling the line is at least four feetfrom the cleat or capstan to provideclearance if the line whips aroundthe cleat.

"Keep well clear of the line whenit is under strain. Particularly avoidthe unsafe practice of stepping on theline to gauge tension."

Page twenty-four

The following editorialtributed to The Cornwallisa new entry seaman:

E ARLY one morning, along thebeach on the "Outer Banks" ofNorth Carolina, a young fisherman washastily making repairs to the tiller ofhis fishing trawler. Looking forward tothe hectic day ahead of him, and real-izing he was too late to join the re-mainder of the fleet, which had alreadyset out to sea, he began cursing his boat.His anger rose to a point where hecould no longer work efficiently and heaccidently broke a fine barometer thatwas hanging close by the area in whichhe was working. In a fit of passion hegrabbed a marlin spike that was lyingconveniently near his hand and drive itthrough the panel which contained theboat's electrical harness. This ended hishopes for a day's catch and as hewalked toward his home along thebeach he swore that his trawler was themost useless and worthless hulk thathad ever put to sea.

That evening all the fishermen con-gregated in an inn near the beach anddiscussed the day's happenings. Theyoung fisherman who had had the mis-fortune of missing the day's work waspresent and managed to enter an argu-ment about the local fishing trawlers.The man he argued with made themistake of insinuating that the youngfisherman's boat left a great deal to bedesired and quickly found himselfprostrate on the deck. Like most decks,this deck was horizontal.

The story of the fisherman is com-parable to the life story of many of themen who are in the Navy today. Thesemen are loyal enough and are ready todefend the service they devote theirlives to. Yet loyalty must go beyondthis. It is of the utmost importance thatthe men of the RCN realize that care-less criticism on their part can under-mine the hard-won prestige which theNavy enjoys and deserves. Constructivecriticism directed intelligently to theproper place will improve our Navy.Careless criticism directed foolishlyto the ignorant will defame and other-wise harm naval personnel and thewhole organization itself.

Truly, if an organization or service isworth belonging to, which the Navymost certainly is, it should be spokenof with pride and honour. The peoplewho represent the service should alwaysmaintain a high personal standard ofappearanc~ and speech, be ready todivulge the many fine points of the ser-vice and be ready to help correct orbetter or otherwise improve the servicewhen possible.

The RCN is a service made up ofhuman beings, which means that its' or-ganization, although subject to error,has the advantage of having room forimprovement. The duty of the men inthe Navy is quite clearly defined. Tobelong to the Navy means to obey with-out hesitation any lawful commandsdictated by the Navy and to maintainat all times the prestige and traditionof which the Navy is justifiably proud.-Ord. Sea. Stuart Braley, St. LaurentDivision

THE NAVY PLAYS

During the aircraft carrier Bonaventure's early December visit to Quonset Point, Rhode Island,many of the ship's company headed north along the coast to see an NHl hockey game in Boston.Before the game, several Bonaventure sailors had an opportunity of meeting the visiting NewYork Rangers team. Shown here with the well known coach and star defenceman Doug Harveyof the Rangers are, from left to right, Able Seamen Joseph Fortier, Jacque Jean, and Duke Abbott.Harvey served in the RCN during the war. (BN 4442)

Two 1100p TitlesFor St,adacona

Stadacona cagers ran away with twomajor basketball championships in mid-December,

In their first tourney they won allfour games to take the tri-servicebasketball championship and three dayslater they topped all entries in the At-lantic Command basketball meet threegames to none.

In the five-team entry for the tri-service event Stad defeated three com-petitors on thenrst day and thendowned Cornwallis 62-41 in the suddendeath final the next day. Teams entered.were: Stadacona, Cornwallis, Shear-water, Fifth Escort Squadron and RCAFSummerside.

Stadacona's Rod Shoveller topped thefield in points getting 21 in the finalgame, while Rick Cartwright pacedCornwallis with 12 points.

In the other championship gameStadacona took the Atlantic Commandcrown after trouncing Fifth EscortSquadron 77-36 in the finals, Teams inthe tourney were: Cornwallis, Bona-venture, Shearwater, Stadacona andFifth Escort.

Football Trophy1I0nours Player

A trophy donated to the AtlanticFootball Conference, "B" Section, bythe Royal Canadian Naval Air Station,Shearwater, for the scoring champion-ship has been called the "Bruce WalkerTrophy".

PO Bruce Walker is the son of Mr.and Mrs. Sydney Walker, of Guelph,Ont., where he played two years of highschool football before going to thePreston Hustlers of the Junior OntarioRugby Football Union.

In March 1951 Bruce joined theRoyal Canadian Navy at HMCS Star,Hamilton naval division, and completedhis new entry training at HMCS Corn-wallis, before going to Shearwater,where he began his remarkable tenyears with the Shearwater Flyers.

In six and one-half seasons in thenow defunct Nova Scotia FootballLeague and three in the Atlantic Foot-ball Conference, PO Walker has scoreda total of 321 points. In the 1957 season,

he became the co-holder of the leaguescoring championship by scoring 114points and in that Dominion Champion-ship year scored a record 22 touchdownsin 11 games.

PO Walker said his greatest thrill infootball came in 1957 when he scoredthe touchdown that gave the SJtear-water Flyers the Dominion Intermedi-ate Championship.

Shearwater BestIn Small·Bore Shoot

Shearwater took top honors in thetri-service .22 rifle shoot at Stadaconain mid-December posting a two-daytotal of 1,562, against 1,546 for Stad.Other team scores: Cornwallis 1,528,Headquarters Eastern Command 1,518,3rd Field Workshop, Camp Gagetown1,512, RCAF Greenwood 1,509, RoyalCanadian Dragoons 1,450, and RCHA1,426.