INSTITUTED 1987 VOL. XXV NO. 7 JULY 2011 INCORPORATED 1988

Transcription

1 INSTITUTED 1987 VOL. XXV NO. 7 JULY 2011 INCORPORATED 1988 There are no General Meetings slated for July and August The next General Meeting will be held September Visit our web-site at The Atlantic Chief and Petty Officer s Association Newsletter Dedicated to providing relevant information to the membership. Published monthly and distributed to all members and subscribers. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Association or it s members. Articles appearing in the Newsletter may be reprinted provided appropriate credit is given. ACPOA PO Box 3533 DEPS Dartmouth, NS B2W 5G4 Phone (902) FAX (902) acpoa@eastlink.ca ACPOA Executive President: J. Gaylord Kingston 1st Vice President: Ken Maybury 2nd Vice President: Dennis May Secretary: Jim Cummings Treasurer: Cathy Belanger Padre: The Reverend Patricia Malin, Phone: Service Officer: Hank Einarson Phone Editor: J. Gaylord Kingston gaylordk@yahoo.com Production: Jennifer Stone jennstone@accesswave.ca Printing: JS Print and Design Ltd. Phone Distribution: Precision Direct Marketing Phone Mailed under Canada Post Publication Mail Sales Agreement No The President presents a donation to Jim Reddy, XO of HMCS Sackville From the President By J. Gaylord Kingston We finished our monthly General Meetings with a visit aboard HMCS Sackville where we had a good turnout of the membership. We were addressed by the Executive Officer, Lt/Cdr. Jim Reddy on the present state and the future plans for the ship. The coffee and tea and the preparation of the mess deck for the meeting was capably handled by Mike Myers of the ship s staff. The response to my note of the interest for a Reunion in Burlington, ON has been very promising with over answer to the positive of over 60 (not including wives and other guests). We will be forming a committee in the Fall for the purpose of liaison with the Burlington Naval Association. Our next General Meeting will be held on September Newsletter of the Atlantic Chief & Petty Officer s Association

2 Sick & Visiting Committee Report Chair Albert Bishop (902) Bridgewater Doc Halliday Tele (902) Fishermans Memorial Maurice Legault (902) Liverpool Larry Truelove (902) Shelburne, Fred Molyneau (902) Truro Joe Fillion (902) Annapolis Royal and Valley Doug Moore (902) Springhill & Area Richard McCormick (902) Windsor & Area Spike Sullivan (902) Middleton George Thomson (902) St. John s, NF Ron Coles (709) Charlottetown, PEI Hari Boggs (902) Petit de Grat & Isle Madam Robbie Roberts Moncton, NB Carl (Pete) Petersen (506) Fredericton, NB Rev. Reg Miller (506) Quebec Area Frank Cholette (450) Montreal Frank Cholette (450) Brockville & Area Rev. Paul Gordon (613) Omemee, ON George Josh Warner (705) Roxboro, QC George Heaven (514) Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Building 5955 Veteran's Memorial Lane, Halifax, NS, B3H 2E1 3rd Floor West G. Jamieson John Kehoe John MacGlashen th Floor East Jack McMahon Ernest Baker Thomas Gilford Donald B Dixon Annie Cormier Robert Bowers Paul Brunelle th Floor West Bernard Churchill Ralph Russell Ernest Finter th Floor East Charlie Hall Eric Publicover John Duncan Percy James Mike Salkin Margaret McCarthy th Floor West Bennett Barrett Arthur Baldwin John Lipton th Floor West Frank Hansen Hector Farmer Gordon Tomlinson Sydney McNevin Reginald Pitts James Mowery th Floor East Ernie Thompson Orville Murray Thomas Tonks Ocean View Manor, 1909 Caldwell Road Eastern Passage NS B3G 1M4 Fernand (Pedro) Guinard (902) Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Middleton NS B0S 1P0 Harold Jackson Rm. 263 John Reagh Rm. 256 Curtis McKinnon Rm. 262 Myrtle Coffill Rm. 264 Fishermen s Memorial, Lunenburg NS B0J 2C0 Clayton Reinhardt John James Kinley Leo Ouellette George Roberton Roy St. Almo Hirtle John James MacDonald Oakwood Terrace 10 Mount Hope Ave. Dartmouth NS B2Y 4K1 Joseph Hecimovich - Home Phone - (902) Sunnybrook Veteran's Hospital, K2C Bayview Ave. Toronto ON M4N 3M5 James (Tug) Wilson - (416) Maplestone Enhanced Care, 245 Main Ave. Halifax Bill Comeau - (902) Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville, NS Karl White - (902) University Hospital, London, ON Walter Weston At Home Vince Carr - (902) Iris Johnson - (902) Kenneth Peach - (780) Bill Skeffington - (902)

3 ACPO ASSOCIATION NOTICES & AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS LAST POST THE FOLLOWING SHIPMATES CROSSED THE BAR RECENTLY Wiliam Drew 89 POQR Burlington, ON John (Jack) Fenerty 70 C2SN Redbridge, Ontario For though from out our bourn of time and place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar. Alfred, Lord Tennyson ADMIRAL DESMOND PIERS NAVAL ASSOCIATION (A Branch of the RCNA) Secretary/Memberships Frank Wells Phone: 1-(902) adpna@bwr.eastlink.ca Mail: ADPNA 450 LaHave St., Unit 17, Suite 121 Bridgewater, Nova Scotia B4V 4A3 MEMBERSHIP REPORT Membership Chairman: Ray Harvie (902) r.harvie.home@eastlink.ca MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS Total Membership 717 NEW MEMBERS William "Max" Factor C2FC Halifax NS David "Sandy " Kovacs CPO Dartmouth NS Ronald "Hec" Hector CPO2 Dartmouth NS Richard "Dick" Eustace CPO2 BN Eastern Passage NS Membership dues are $25 per year SUBMARINERS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA For information contact: East (Halifax) Buster Brown at Last Wednesday of every month in Halifax Dockyard in the MOG-5 Messes Central (Ottawa ) Bob Wallace, West (Victoria) Jim Scott, RCN BENEVOLENT FUND East Central West RCNA PEREGRINE BRANCH 2623 Agricola St., Halifax, Open to Veterans & Members Bar hours 1300 to 1900 or later NB Naval Association President: Claude Smith Secretary: Terence M. Dexter Naval Weapons Association (Ottawa Chapter) Meet: Third Wednesday of the Month HMCS Carleton Chief's & PO's/ WO's & Sgt s Mess Dows Lake 79 Prince of Wales Drive Ottawa President: Ron Robertson Vice President: Ross Raymond For Information Contact: Hazen Harris , OR Ross Raymond ross.raymond@forces.gc.ca CANADIAN NAVAL AIR GROUP Shearwater C&POs Mess 1st Sunday each month 3

4 Feature of the Month St. Margaret s Sea Training School Hubbards Nova Scotia From the beginning of World War 11, it was was realized that there would be an ongoing requirement to be able to move personnel, arms and munitions across oceans in order to confront a well prepared and well armed enemy. Not only were the tools of war, military vehicles, weapons and aircraft badly needed, the ships and crews to man them were also in relatively short supply. The Canadian government quickly instituted a massive shipbuilding plan involving all Canadian shipyards. Vessels built included 10,000 tonne freighters and tankers, 4700 tonne freighters and 3400 tonne trunk tank tankers. Ships constructed were designed for Canadian (Park ships) and British (Fort) ships. Some were also designed for the Royal Navy. Many of us will remember HMCS Cape Breton and HMCS Cape Scott which served in the Royal Navy and later returned to Canada to serve in the RCN as auxilary vessels. The provision of ships of course This article as submitted by David Kurts C1RP (Retd.) The Governor-General of Canada, Earl of Athlone, inspects the class with the Commandant TG. P. Wilson (David is 3rd. from the left).the uniforms (bell bottoms, gun shirt, touque) were loaned for this occasion and were retrieved immediately after the G-G departed for the normal wear of jeans and boiler suits. necessitated a requirement for personnel to man them. In this respect, two schools were established, one in Hubbards, NS for training seamen and one at Prescott, ON for engineering personnel. The school at Hubbards was centered in a former hotel located at the top of a hill overlooking beautiful Hubbard's Cove (unfortunately, the building has since been destroyed by fire) and a barracks block and a "Navigation Hall" were located in back of the administration building. In between was a mockup, complete with cargo hold, winch and derrick. To complete the setup was a 12 pounder gun and a Hotchkiss machine gun (just to remind us of thr true nature of the purpose. The Hubbards railway station was located just behind the school. The Station 4

5 Master (Mistress) was a lady which was very unusual in those days. Recruits arriving were met by the Yeoman, Mr. Brubaker, who would promptly line up the poor souls and move them At The Double the short distance to the school. (Mr. Brubaker, as I recall had been attached to the Japanese Navy during WW1). The Accommodation Block consisted of two units, upper and lower and rows of double decker steel bunks and lockers for personal stowage. Meals were prepared by the local ladies employed at the school and were generally very good and served in the dining area in the back of the Admin. building. Complaints about the food were very few and usually frivolous. During the evening, many of us would go down to Scotties a restaurant on the main road just West of the school. Snacks such as home made cake and lobster sandwiches were very good and at a reasonable price. A large glass of apple juicwe was 25 cents. There was a juke box which had all the popoular tunes of the time on it and was well used. There was seldom any misdemeanors because to do so would bring down the wrath of Captain Wilson, whose powers of punishment were not known to us and we did not wish to test them. I recall that a fellow student, Jack Scott, and I were fingered for some misdemeanor (of couse of which we were completely innocent) and our punishment was that, after supper, we had to roll large stones uphill from the jetty to the edge of the road, quite a labourous chore! We were getting along quite well and rather enjoying the task when, for some reason, we began to giggle and and let go of one of the rocks which, gravity being such as it is, rolled back down the hill toward the jetty stopping only it met an obstruction which, infotunately, was the Second Mate's house! To make things worse, that wall was where the China cabinet was kept. Jim and I were petrified to say the least and ready to pack our bags, but nothing more was ever said about it.. to us anyway. The serious parts of our training were not to be forgotten. Many hours were spent well on into the evenings on such subjects as Boxing The Compass, Rules of the Road and nautical signals including Semaphore, International flags and Morse Code (which I never did master). But above all was Boxing The Compass, by Quarter Points yet! That was the magnetic compass not the sissy gyro. I, among others, thought, Why are we spending time on this, we will never use it? How wrong I was. My first ship, after leaving the school, was Glacier Bay, a 10,000 tonner in St. John, NB. Prior to sailing, I was sent to the bridge and told to take the wheel. I took up position there and waited for my first order. I soon found out that we were about to begin swinging the compass, a method used in all vessels to recalibrate the magnetic compass after major changes in structure or cargo, which would affect the reliability of a magnetic compass. Naval vessels usually carry this out secured to a bouy and are rotated by a tug. Merchant ships, however, often carry out the operation while underway, which, of course, is less expensive. I was flabergasted to say the least when the Pilot started to give me orders by Quarter Points! I managed to hold my own but was overjoyed to hear the Pilot say to the Master, I think the helmsman should be relieved now." The Holy Grail of St. Margaret's was the Lifeboat Ticket, the goal to which much of our studies and work were directed. Every afternoon was spent out in the boats summer or winter and we just knew that the Captain was eyeing our every move through his telescope from his balcony. I can't recall hearing of anyone ever begging off because of conditions. This was due I am sure because of the complete confidence the trainees had in the staff from the Captain on down. On Passing Out Day, we were all lined up on the jetty and an oral test was conducted by Captain Waterhouse, the Port Captain of Halifax at the time, Captain Waterhousr went down through the ranks and asked each man in turn an oral question. When he got to me he asked What are the parts of an oar? I blurted out the loom, the shaft and the blade. I was now a trained seaman. Side By Side Submitted by Ian Vance We got married last Friday My girl was right there beside me Our friends were all gone We were alone, Side by side We were so happily wed when, She got ready for bed then, Her teeth and her hair She placed on a chair, Side by side. One glass eye so tiny, One hearing aid so small, Then she took one leg off And ;placed it on a chair by the wall. I stood there broken hearted, Most of my girl had departed, I slept on the chair, There was more of her there, Side by side. 5

6 Golden Memories Canada 144 Years Young July Gerald Pinard Saanichton, BC 94 Years Young July James Matthews Cobble Hill, BC 94 Years Young July Days of Yore July 1, 1944 MTB 460. mined, 10 lost July 7, 1944 MTB. mined, 6 wounded July 22, 1948 Newfoundland votes into Confederation ( 52% ) July 27, 1953 Korean War ends : MASH disbanded July 20, 1969 Neal Amrstrong walks on the moon July 19, 1972 HMCS Iroquois commissioned Promotions July 1959 Bain, James F LSCV Bishop, Colin W P1EG Boon, Richard E LSLR Cipryk, Arthur J LSCR LeBlanc, Robert J LSQM Marlow, William L LSCR Mitchell, Alden F P2CR Rodger, Robert P2EM Sinderley, Peter P P2ED Wilson, James S LSCR Reg Miller Fredericton, NB 93 Years Young July Doug Gillis Napanee, ON 93 Years Young July Laurie and Dorothy Simpkin Halifax, NS 71 Years of Wedded Bliss July Bud and Pearl Flanagan Perth, ON 61 Years of Wedded Bliss July Gordon and Jean Miller Halifax, NS 59 Years of Wedded Bliss July Cecil and Dorothy Brown Ottawa, ON 56 Years of Wedded Bliss July Watson and Rose Strong Dartmouth, NS 54 Years of Wedded Bliss July Gentle Thoughts for Today Birds of a feather flock together....and then shit on your car. A penny saved is a government oversight. The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends. The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement. He who hesitates is probably right. Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are XL.' If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame. The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble. Did you ever notice: When you put the 2 words 'The' and 'IRS' together it spells 'Theirs...' Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it. Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved. When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of Algebra. You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks. One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young. Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable. Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth AMEN! 6

7 Maple Grove / Yarmouth High Schools Memorial Club Once again this year we were allowed the privilege of witnessing the dedication and patriotism of these young people toward their country and, in particular, their respect to our veterans. On Saturday afternoon, they presented a program of entertainment on the parking lot of Camphill which truly exemplified their feelings toward the veterans. That night, instead of going to a mall, a large group of the Club entertained the veterans with songs and dances much to the pleasure of the veterans and their guests. On Sunday, on the Grand Parade of Halifax, they paid tribute to Law Enforcement Officers with a parade of colours and the laying of wreaths. It was very inspiring to watch these youths displaying their love of their country and the respect that they have for our veterans. I must add unfortunately, that I was very disappointed at the small turnout of our membership on Saturday and Sunday. I realize that the delay of the issue of C and did not help, but a firm announcement had been made at the General Meeting. These young people certainly deserve better and it is hoped that a better result will be forthcoming in future events. Honour Roll of Age Happy Birthday To All Concerned - April, 2011 Members 90 years and over that age will have an honourary place in the Golden Memories article. Loyal Gallichon 71 Dartmouth, NS George Goossen 79 Victoria, BC Lorne Goudie 78 Eastern Passage, NS Bernie Hagerty 585 Halifax, NS Stewart Hall 82 Dartmouth, NS James Hargraft 65 White Lake, ON William Holland 72 Orleans, ON Ken Kirk 80 Dartmouth, NS Dalton Lease 76 Berwick, NS Ron Mark 79 Victoria, BC Gordon Martin 88 Glendale, CA, USA John Micallef 78 Dartmouth, NS Wayne Nordin 69 East Uniacke, NS Joseph J. O Rielly 79 Dartmouth, NS Willard Parker 272 Dartmouth, NS Bernie Patterson 68 Wilmont, NS William Pentland 67 Truro, NS Leonard Power 67 Annapolis Royal, NS Brian Reynolds 80 Guelph, ON Don Richardson 76 London, ON Roderick Rockwell 69 Moncton, NB Eugene Rogers 82 Kingston, NS Edward Sadler 64 Peachland, BC Charles Scott 89 Bayside, NS Douglas Stewart 79 Dartmouth, NS Ian Donald Stewart 67 Dartmouth, NS Larry Uwins 76 Halifax, NS Joe Whitby 78 Dartmouth, NS Robert John Wilson 80 Fall River, NS Maurice Wood 73 Summerland, BC Lionel Wright 71 Dartmouth, NS (These figures are taken from application forms when submitted. Discrepancies are to be forwarded to gaylordk@yahoo.com or the Association office ) 7

8 Top Left: Tom Young and Bill MacCrimmon lay an Association wreath in Kitchener Waterloo. Top Right: A Full House Bottom Left: A wreath placed for Law Enforcement Officers on behalf of Veterans by the President.