On Monday 13 November 2023, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship HARRY DEWOLF secured alongside HMCS HAIDA in Hamilton, Ontario. On board the Royal Canadian Navy’s Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship was a precious cargo, the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup. Canada’s Navy has a long tradition of escorting the Grey Cup to the host city for […]
Women in the RCN -An Incredible Legacy
On 8 August 1914 a contingent of nursing sisters sailed in the the hastily converted, His Majesty’s Canadian Hospital Ship PRINCE GEORGE. I wonder if they realized they were making history. They were the first women to serve at sea in a ship under the control of the Royal Canadian Navy! This milestone would not be […]
Letter from the Normandy Invasion
Many letters were sent home from Royal Canadian Navy sailors during World War II. On occasion a letter would be sent from the Commanding officer of a Canadian ship to the namesake community that supported the ship. This letter by Wm. Harrison, CO of HMCS TRENTONIAN was written to the City of Trenton shortly after […]
HMCS NIPIGON -My First RCN Photo
As the title describes, this is my very first photo of a Royal Canadian Navy ship. It was 1976 and I was twelve years old. We were on a family vacation to Eastern Ontario and as we were travelling through Kingston along the waterfront we saw two grey, sleek destroyers secured to the Government Wharf […]
The Doctor Who Changed the World with a Poppy
Remembrance Day is upon us once again, and the bright red poppy adorns our breasts. For me the simple poppy took on a new meaning in 2014 and a strengthened resolve to wear this simple message with respect, honour and humility. In 2014, my wife and I were away and missed Remembrance Day commemorations in […]
Operation Neptune -The Naval Operations for DDay
When we speak of the Normandy Invasion or D-Day as it is more commonly called, photos of soldiers hitting the beaches are usually the first images we think of. The hard fought assault on five beaches to gain a foot hold on Fortress Europe on the morning of 6 June 1944. Very little is discussed […]
A. B. O’Brian -Biography of a Ship’s Mascot
During the Second World War many Royal Canadian Navy ships had mascots. They ranged in a variety of dogs and cats, one ship was rumoured to have a pet pig. For many of the young sailors, away from home these fury shipmates brought a sense of normalcy, a sense of home to them. You might […]
“What is the Worst Call You Have Had?”
Recently I was asked this question by a young lady serving me a coffee while I was on my way to work. Later in the shift the wife of a patient asked, how long I had been a Paramedic? She was surprised when I answered 36 years, and then stated, “You certainly have seen a […]
Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy -Book Review
Ever hear the phrase, “They talk like a sailor.” A sailor has their own language and “cursing like a sailor” is not the banter that we have come to stereotype with this old and noble profession. Through time and tradition these brave souls who go down to the sea in ships have developed a colourful […]
HMCS SACKVILLE -Modernizing a WWII Corvette
In 2018, HMCS SACKVILLE entered the submarine maintenance shed at Fleet Maintenance Facility, CAPE SCOTT at HMC Dockyard in Halifax for badly needed repairs to her hull. This might not seem to be exciting on the surface, but when you realize SACKVILLE is a Second World War veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic and […]