Venture`s “Founding Father” Dead at 92

the Signal
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE VENTURE ASSOCIATION
September 2010
Venture’s “Founding Father” Dead at 92
Rear Admiral Robert Phillip Welland, DSC&BAR, M.I.D.,
Officer of the Legion of Merit (USA), CD, RCN (Retired),
7 March, 1918 – 28 May, 2010
R
By Wilf Lund (Class of ’61) – Venture Historian
ear Admiral Bob Welland, first Commanding Officer and “father” of HMCS Venture is dead at
the age of 92. He succumbed in hospital at White Rock, BC after suffering a heart attack. “Admiral Bob”
was born in Oxbow, Saskatchewan and joined the RCN as a Special Entry Cadet in 1936. He trained
with the Royal Navy and became an anti-submarine specialist. He was at Dunkirk in St. Laurent in
1940 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) “for courage and enterprise in action
against enemy submarines” in 1941 when “Sally” sunk a U-boat. Promoted Acting-Lieutenant Commander in 1943 he assumed command of HMCS Assiniboine (I), at age 25, “the youngest destroyer captain in the Atlantic.” Assiniboine was employed in convoy protection in the Channel. Welland was
awarded “Mentioned-In-Dispatches (M.I.D.)” in 1944 for getting his battle-damaged ship safely back to
port. He relieved Cdr. Harry De Wolf in HMCS Haida in December 1944. Lt. Ray Phillips, his Executive Officer, later became the first XO of Venture. Welland finished the war in Haida on the Murmansk
Convoy Run. Postwar, he went to HMCS Royal Roads as Executive Officer, and was promoted Commander in 1949 to command HMCS Athabaskan (II). “Athabee” was in the first deployment to Korea in 1950 and Welland was
awarded a Bar to his DSC for his outstanding performance in the Chinampo Operation, and later appointed an Officer of the
United States Legion of Merit After Athabaskan he went to HMCS Stadacona to develop the junior officer technical and leadership training program.
Promoted to Captain in 1953 he became Director of Naval Training and developed the plan to establish HMCS Venture –
“inventing Venture” as he termed it. “Venture” was Bob Welland’s proudest accomplishment, a journeyman naval college that
produced 462 graduates including 202 naval aviators: they became the motivated workhorses who powered the surface, subsurface and air components of the Canadian navy and air force for forty years. After Venture he went on to command HMCS
Ontario, then Shearwater where he enjoyed being surrounded by many of his former cadets. Promoted to Commodore in 1963,
he did a stint at Naval Headquarters before going as Senior Canadian Officer Afloat (SCOPA),
where he introduced ASW innovations based on aviation that revolutionized the way the navy
hunted submarines. A Rear Admiral in 1964, he became the youngest two-star in the three
forces. Welland joined the Naval Board just as it was being abolished by integration, then was
appointed Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Operations). He was part of the “shadow naval board”
which developed the program that included the DDH 280’s, the hydrofoil and the HMCS
Bonaventure refit. However he became increasingly vocal in his opposition to Paul Hellyer’s
destructive policies and resigned in 1966. In retirement Bob Welland went into private business and founded his own company which flourished; he ran it until he was 82. He also worked
tirelessly promoting and supporting the navy. Bob Welland wrote that he got over his “navy
hangover” but he did miss it. His memoir concludes, “Serving in a ship is not like working in a
business. In the Navy you make lifelong friends; being one of a ship’s company seems to bind you to your mates, forever. The
Navy is a hard habit to kick, and especially if you don’t try!” That is what “Venture” taught us and that is what we thank and
remember him for. Bob Welland was everyone’s Captain, one of a kind, and we shall miss him.
The Signal is published roughly twice a year by the Venture Association. Send Letters to the Editor and pay Dues (by cheque) to the
Venture Association, c/o Gordon Longmuir, 903-168 Chadwick Crt, North Vancouver, BC V7M 3L4; e-mail:
thesignal@shaw.ca . Changes of address and other personal information should be sent to your Class Rep (see p 6) who will forward
them to the Registrar.
AND: go to the Venture Website for breaking news: www.hmcsventure.com . The new webmaster is Darryl
Harden (Class of ‘65), e-mail hmcsventure@bell.net. Download back copies of The Signal as .pdf attachments (Acrobat Reader is free at
http://www.adobe.com/downloads/ ) And, finally, please let us know if you no longer wish to receive the postal version of this newsletter,
thus saving printing and mailing costs, as well as a lot of the Editor’s valuable time; send your e-mail address to thesignal@shaw.ca .
the Signal
2
Letters to the Editor
From White Rock, BC
Dear Editor,
I just discovered your website, the memorial to Bob Welland, and the page regarding the dedication of the Welland room at Venture. It never
ceases to amaze me what you can find on the internet.
My grandfather, Edward Amos Welland, was Bob‘s brother. I guess that makes Bob my great uncle.
What an amazing history that man had. I‘m saddened to say that Bob and I were not close. We chatted now and then at family functions, but alas, I
came to my interest in military and family history too late to take advantage of the man‘s wealth of knowledge.
My sons are both in Cadets now, and I am planning on joining the Canadian International Council (C(C) within the next year, and after reading the
information on your site we would very much enjoy the opportunity to visit the Venture site and the Welland room you have put together.
Regards
Terence Alan Welland
(And sons Daniel and William Welland (907 air cadet squadron, and 2812 Seaforth Highlanders respectively)
From Victoria, BC
Dear Editor
I rejoice in the return of the Executive curl. I am delighted that Hellyer‘s pall over the Canadian military is being lifted albeit
bit by bit like the skirts of a teasing courtesan. Still, naval tradition must be channeled back to its origins rather than allowed
to fall on a lee shore after such a long sleep. The Executive Curl is properly called ―Elliot‘s Eye‖ not Nelson‘s. Why this is so
is not entirely clear as you will note if you call up ―Elliot‘s Eye‖ via Google and read through the Wikipedia dissertation. Certainly it was the Admiralty‘s conservative influence that avoided the flamboyant frills adopted by many of the Army Regiments
at the turn of the 19th to 20th Century. While Nelson probably suffered from defective eyesight in one eye, and most likely used
the disability to his advantage at Copenhagen, the affliction was not remarkable to those who met him. He wore no patch, the
eye was not clouded or askew … indeed although he received a monetary allowance for the loss of his arm, doctors could not
determine if he was blind in one eye or not and so he received no compensation for that loss. So Elliot‘s Eye it is, and those
who fit their shoulder-boards backwards such that they go astern will continue to pay the penalty.
Joe Cunningham (Class of ‘56)
[Ed Note: I take full responsibility for the incorrect reference to “Nelson‟s Eye” in a previous Signal, for which I have been taken to task
by Don Monk (Class of „60) and others; now shall we work on restoring the “Royal Canadian Navy”? To more mixed reviews, a new “Sea
Service Insignia” will also be worn above nametags — naval crown over fouled anchor — see p 7
From Victoria, BC
Dear Editor
I had the pleasure of representing our Association at this very moving ceremony on a glorious day when the Navy was granted Freedom of the
City by Victoria. The Ceremony was wonderful and very well attended by the public and navy. The Homecoming statue is cited in a outstanding
location in the downtown area, Ship's Point overlooking Victoria Harbour. The statue is Petty Officer Bloggins (stated on his name tag), being
welcomed home by his daughter and the family dog. Our Association is noted and honoured with the Venture crest on the Service to Canada companion cairn to the main statue.
Ken Scotten, Class of ‘61 (Past President)
To which Wilf Lund has responded:
First I would like to say on behalf of Ginny and myself how impressed and
moved we are at the whole impact of the Homecoming site. You and your
committee have done us, the Navy and all Victorians proud. Well done! We
both remarked on the thoughtful arrangement of the bricks to match personal associations of those named. The Welland-Hanington pairing was
brilliant.
Ken Scotten and I noted a brick in the name of SLT Allen Alltree of Venture classmate who was killed in an SAR mission in 1964 while on exchange with the USCG (Signal, Aug 2009 and p. 4 of this issue). The
crash of USCG #1363 in remembered in a memorial at the Humboldt Bay
USCG Station at Arcata, Calif.
(cont’d p. 3)
September 2010
Newsletter of the Venture Association
3
Letters: cont’d from p. 2
Our class, on our 50th anniversary of joining the RCN and to commemorate the 100th anniversary, presented a new photo of Al for inclusion in the
memorial. The photo we presented in 2002 had faded. Long story but we would like to let Al‘s surviving relatives (Al was an only child) or other
interested parties know about the memorial and our support even though over 45 years have passed. Would [anyone] be able to put us in contact
with the subscriber of the brick for Al?
Finally I understand that there will be a further opportunity to subscribe for bricks. I would like to see every class of HMCS Venture involved.
We were not terribly well organized first time around. Our class would like to subscribe to a brick for Major Ross Hawkes, our classmate who
was killed in a crash in 1977 at CFB Summerside. If there is a further opportunity, do we work through the website again? [Ed note: perhaps
for the AGM agenda later this fall?]
Wilf Lund, Class of ‘61 (Venture Historian)
Rear-Admiral Bob Welland
Rear-Admiral Bob Welland, who has died [May 28, 2010] aged 92,
was recognised for his bravery and distinction by four nations.
[Ed Note: The following is excerpted from © The Daily Telegraph, 10 Aug 2010, with some heavy-handed edits…]
uring the Korean War, Robert Welland commanded the Canadian destroyer Athabaskan, shelling shore batteries on the coast of western
Korea … . Other operations included clearing mines in river
estuaries; rescuing refugees ...; transporting food to lighthouse keepers on remote islands; and arming and training islanders to defend
themselves. .. . In December 1950 Welland‘s ship was one of six
Allied destroyers which entered the Taedong estuary to [cover] the
evacuation of Chinnampo: … For this and other actions, Welland was
appointed to the American Legion of Merit, and was awarded a bar to
his earlier DSC for leadership, courage and initiative.
obert Phillip Welland was born on March 7 1918 at Oxbow,
Saskatchewan, and, having joined the Royal Canadian Navy in
1936, was sent for training with the Royal Navy. He started as a
cadet, and for the next three years, during which, among other activities, he sailed a 27ft whaler around Tobago; and navigated a 10,000ton cruiser from Aden via the Seychelles to Singapore ―using my own
sextant‖.
hen war was declared in 1939 he was a sub-lieutenant in the
destroyer Fame which, in December 1939 escorted the first
Bob Welland receiving the Coronation
convoy of Canadian soldiers to Britain. In spring 1940 Welland joined
his first Canadian ship, the destroyer St Laurent,
Medal from HM the Queen, 1953
seeing action off St Valery-en-Caux when the
ship‘s boats, attempting to rescue the 51st
(Highland) Infantry Division, were driven off by German tank fire. He was subsequently awarded the DSC for this action.
Then, on July 2, Welland took part in one of the biggest rescues of the war after the liner Arandora Star, carrying 1,216 German and Italian internees, was torpedoed off Ireland. … In 1943, when Welland took command of the destroyer Assiniboine, his mother wrote to him: ―Bobby, aren‘t you a bit young at 25 to be a destroyer captain?‖ He replied: ―Aren‘t you a bit
young at 39 to be my mother?‖ … Ninety per cent of the merchant ships under his protection arrived safely. He enjoyed the
speed and acceleration of Assiniboine, and his sailors nicknamed him ―Rapid Robert‖. He was mentioned in despatches.
fter the Korean War, Welland commanded ... HMCS Venture in Esquimalt; the Canadian cruiser Ontario; and the
naval air station HMCS Shearwater... . In 1960 he was promoted ComRAdm R.P. Welland,
modore and spent two years in Ottawa, working on the design of a new ship
Reunion 2009, Halifax class and the introduction of big helicopters to the fleet. ... Just before the
Cuban missile crisis, Welland became the seagoing commander of the Canadian fleet, having under his command 41 ships and four squadrons of aircraft. In August 1964 he was
promoted to Rear-Admiral, one of the youngest officers of his rank. But he opposed the unification of
the Canadian armed forces, and resigned in 1966. In retirement Welland was a director of the Canadian Air Industry Association and president of his own air traffic control company .
D
R
W
A
Ed Note: Mike and Gill Welland were kind enough to pass on the following internet
links, the first a wonderful Picasa slideshow of photos taken over the course of Admiral
Bob‟s amazingly diverse and productive life: http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeakong/
Bob with Helga, Navy Day,
CelebrationOfLifeBobWelland?authkey=Gv1sRgCOL8wO6yvfL6wgE# The second is a
May 4, 2010
video shot at Bob‟s funeral in June, which was attended by a sizable contingent of Ventures, mostly the Classes of 56 and 57, who perhaps knew him best: http://
www.adrive.com/public/acfffce45db35793025cbf9d3865702054448a60ca586da788915f6ed1f05b64.html .
September 2010
the Signal
4
Remembering Sub-Lieutenant Allen Alltree, RCN,
HMCS Venture Class of 1961
O
n 31 March 2010, six graduates of the Venture Class of 1961 attended the USCG
Group/Air Station Humboldt Bay at McKinleyville, California. Their purpose was to
present a new photograph of classmate Al Alltree to be included in the very fine memorial
commemorating three crews lost from the air station on SAR missions. Al Alltree was the copilot on USCG #1363 that crashed during a vicious storm on 22 December, 1964. The details
of the incident were recounted by Joe Paquette in a previous edition of The Signal.
To commemorate their 50th anniversary of enrollment in the RCN, the Class of 61 took on the
project of replacing a faded photo of Al Alltree presented in 2002. A smart photo of Al in
service dress was located by the Directorate of History and Heritage. It was enlarged and
reproduced in a durable process and framed up. Al‘s new photo presided at the class dinner at
the reunion in Halifax and the back was signed by the thirteen members attending. Six members, Ken Scotten, Ed Vishek, Wilf Lund, Fin Sterling, Larry McQuarrie and Larry Lott (in
photo L to R) travelled to the air station to make the presentation to Captain Chris Martino,
USCG, the Group/Air Station Commanding Officer (R). It was a bright sunny day sandwiched between two serious storm fronts and the CO mustered the entire station, about 200 personnel, for the ceremony. Poppies were distributed
to all attending. The class also presented a cheque for $320 to a representative of Humboldt State University as a donation to the USCG #1363
Memorial Scholarship. The event was well covered by the local media.
UPDATE: Tentative CLASS ’56 REUNION, September 2011
Dear Members of Class ’56,
M
y thanks to all who responded to my request for input re a Class Reunion in September 2011. I received a number of replies, not as
many as I was hoping for. Of those received, 80% were in favour of a Class Reunion to mark the 55th Anniversary of our Graduation
from HMCS VENTURE. Most indicated a preference for Victoria, mid September 2011. A number of replies offered suggestions as to format - from a single day, (to include a ―meet ‗n greet‖ followed by a dinner), to a two/three day affair, - with events (meet ‗ greet, informal lunches, a dinner, etc.)
spread over the two/three days. Al Horner offered to ―Honcho‖ the affair; Jean Veronneau volunteered to be the ―Registrar‖; Chuck Thomas offered to set up
the dinner; and Ron McLean (Class ‘65), The Association Treasurer, agreed to handle the finances. Others in the Victoria area offered to help when needed. I do
appreciate that Victoria is a long way for some to travel and that anyone making a trip of that distance would want to combine it with visits to other West Coast
destinations and as such, the ―Reunion‖ itself should not be too onerous. Having done my part, i.e., soliciting your views, I now turn it over to the West Coast Coordinating Committee to take it further. If you should have any comments about the reunion, please forward them to Al Horner. One final request
concerning the date: The Organizing Committee (see above) have two dates in mind for the wrap-up dinner, either September 10th or
17th This is where you again come into the picture. The Committee needs to know which date is more suitable to you, so please advise Al
Horner (ar.horner@shaw.ca) accordingly. See you in Victoria, in September 2011.
Yours respectfully, Lanc, Class Rep, Class ‘56
Visit our Naval Museums and the Canadian War Museum
Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum
Building 20N,
CFB Esquimalt (Naden)
Esquimalt, BC
Telephone: (604) 363-4395
www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org
HMCS Haida National Historic Site
Pier 9, HMCS Star, 658 Catherine St, Hamilton, ON
L8L 4V7
The Canadian Aviation Museum, 11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, ON K1K 4R3; Telephone 1 (800) 4632038; www.aviation.technomuses.ca
Musée Naval de Québec,
170 rue Dalhousie, Québec, QC G1K 8M7; Telephone: (418) 6945387
www.mnq.nmq.org
HMCS Sackville—Canadian Naval Memorial
Trust, PO Box 99000, Stn Forces Halifax, NS B3K
5X5; Telephone (902) 427-2837 (winter); (902) 4292132 (summer) berthed at HMC Dockyard, Halifax
www.hmcssackville-cnmt.ns.ca
Maritime Command Museum, 2725 Gottingen St,
Halifax, NS B3K 1A1; Telephone (902) 721-8250
www.pspmembers.com
Vancouver Naval Museum
HMCS Discovery, 200 Stanley Park Drive, VancouShearwater Aviation Museum
ver, BC V6G 3E2; Telephone: (604) 913-3363
12 Wing, P.O. Box 5000 Stn Main
Shearwater, NS B0J 3A0
The Naval Museum of Alberta
E-mail: awmuseum@ns.sympatico.ca
www.shearwateraviationmuseum.ns.ca
HMCS Tecumseh, 1820 - 24th Street S.W.,
Calgary, AB . T2T 0G6
Telephone: (403) 242 - 0002
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1675 Lower Water
Fax: (403) 240 -1966
Street, Halifax, NS B3J 1S3; Telephone (902) 4247490; e-mail: mooreme@gov.ns.ca;
www.navalmuseum.ab.ca
www.museum.gov.ns.ca
The Naval Museum of Manitoba
HMCS Chippawa, 1 Navy Way
Winnipeg, MB R3C 4J7
www.naval-museum.mb.ca/
The Canadian War Museum, 1Vimy Place, Ottawa,
ON K1R 1C2; Telephone (819) 776-8600;
www.warmuseum.ca
September 2010
HMCS/CFB Cornwallis Military
Box 31, Clementsport, NS B0S 1E0
www.cornwallismuseum.ca.
Museum,PO
And our Aviators should note that
Ted Cruddas’ Naval Air Newsletter
is now available by e-mail from:
cruddasedwardnmi@hotmail.com
Newsletter of the Venture Association
5
HMCS Huron Farewell Gathering
By Don Wilson (Class of ‘56)
A
pproximately 30 stalwarts assembled in the HMCS Bytown Naval Officers Mess in Ottawa on Monday, May 14 to bid farewell to a ship many of us had come to know and love. On
that day the decommissioned Tribal-class destroyer HMCS Huron (DDH-281) was sunk off
the west coast of Vancouver Island during a live-fire naval event as part of Exercise Trident
Fury 2007. The Bytown gathering was organized by former Huron CSE Grant Ralph, who
was commended for bringing us together on this day.
With us were, among others, Huron‘s commissioning executive officer – Cdr (ret.) Jim Sine,
the commissioning engineering officer – Capt (N) (ret.) Don Wilson, and Gordon Smith – the
marine engineer contracted by Marine Industries Ltd. to be responsible for contractor‘s set-to-work and sea trials for both Iroquois (DDH-280,
lead ship of the four-vessel class) and Huron. We also had with us many other officers who had been part of Huron‘s ship‘s company at different times in the life of that great ship. In raising a glass to our old ship, we also paid tribute to the late Capt (N) (ret.) Dick Hitesman, the commissioning commanding officer of Huron in 1972. Dick had dedicated much of his naval career to the new Tribal-class DDHs, and we shared
many recollections of his association with the ship, including this one: Huron was at sea off St. Margaret‘s Bay conducting first-of-class helicopter trials. During the trial, Huron had two Sea Kings in her hangar and took a third on board to demonstrate the ship‘s ability to provide an
emergency landing pad for a helicopter in distress. Dick was said to have sent a message to
MARCOM which read, ―My cup runneth over.‖ With all that top weight, we were all pleased to
have calm seas that day.
The Tribal DDHs made their mark as effective platforms for a variety of important deployments
and trials over the years. Huron, for example, conducted the first at-sea vertical launch firings of
the NATO Seasparrow missile. Unfortunately, in later years the ship fell victim to crew shortages and funding considerations and was decommissioned in 2005, having served the navy well
for more than 34 years.
Huron‘s motto was ―Ready the Brave,‖ a code she lived up to right until the moment she slipped
stern first below the surface of the Pacific Ocean at 1:27 p.m. on May 14, 2007. At HMCS Bytown that afternoon, those of us present bid our own quiet farewell to our Huron.
[Ed Note: This article first appeared in the Summer/Fall issue of the Maritime Engineering Journal. For more Naval Technical History,
please visit the CNTHA website at: http://www.cntha.ca] and is included here courtesy of the author who, after graduation from Venture
went briefly to Athabasakan, then for engineering training at the Royal Naval Engineering College in England. He later served as Engineer Officer in Beacon Hill. In 1965, Don was appointed to the staff of the Principal Naval Overseer Montreal Area where he trained as a
Naval Overseer before moving in 1968 to the office of the Principal Naval Overseer at Marine Industries, Sorel. He was the Staff Officer
Engineering at what was to become 202 Canadian Forces Technical Services Detachment, standing by the building of HMC Ships Iroquois
and Huron, commissioning the latter as Engineering Officer in December, 1972. After a number of postings in Halifax and NDHQ, Don
became Commanding Officer of 2 Canadian Forces Technical Services Agency in Montreal in December, 1982. After nearly 32 years service, Don retired in 1986 to become DND‟s Director General Quality Assurance.]
Maritime Ventures Congregate in Halifax
by Matt Durnford, Class of ‘65
T
he second Maritime VENTURES Gathering was held Sunday 30
May 2010. The Venue for the first gathering was very popular so
the 2010 Gathering was held again in the Compass Room of Casino
Nova Scotia. Sixty of us, Ventures and partners, enjoyed a buffet lunch
and several hours of friendship, story swapping and catching up.
In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the Navy, Ted Kelly (Class of
‗60) provided wise words and a toast. Bob Lancashire
(Class of ‗56) acknowledged the passing of ADM Welland the founding father of VENTURE and Matt
Durnford(Class of ‗65) proposed a toast to Venture,
the Ventures and the common bond we share.
We departed looking forward to our next Gathering.
September 2010
the Signal
6
President’s Message
The Editor’s Corner
John Westlake (Class of ‘67)
Gordon Longmuir (Class of ‘57)
S
A
ummer is ending and the weather is becoming cooler
here in Ottawa. Some of you are preparing for your
sojourns to the south. Others, like me, are preparing for
the cold of another Canadian winter. Whatever is in store
for you this winter I hope you and yours have had a wonderful summer and that
all are enjoying good health. It has been an exciting summer for the Canadian
Navy as it celebrates its hundredth anniversary with many wonderful events
happening across the country. I hope that you have had a chance to participate in
some of these events.
I will attempt to provide some thoughts for this newsletter. I am only aware of
two items of great interest to the membership. The first concerns the history of
the Venture Plan and its founder. Rear Admiral Robert Welland passed on May
28h of this year. The navy and all of us owe him a great debt of gratitude as his
efforts produced the backbone of the Navy and its officer corps for close to 50
years. While none of us continue to serve, our legacy lives on in those sailors
and officers that we trained and, in some cases, continue to train.
This has led nicely into my second topic of interest: the maintenance of the Venture memory into the future. This has come about as the result of the discussion
of an offer presented by the RMC Foundation to include Venture within its charitable foundation, in recognition of the Navy and its Officer Training establishments. Many interesting e-mails passed discussing this item. I did not participate in these discussions because of my lack of knowledge of Association activities in the past. I observed the proceedings and formed my own opinion. This
offer was turned down. It was concluded that NOTC Venture currently houses
the Welland room in recognition of the Venture program as we knew it. It was
also recognized that continued support of Venture and the Welland Room could
not be guaranteed, as funding for the Forces is always at the whim of the government of the day. To this end it was suggested that this item be placed on the
agenda for the fall annual meeting, which it will be. We will look at methodology to achieve a continued recognition of the Venture plan and its graduates and
the role played in maintaining Canada‘s Navy.
nother great summer just about gone — although Indian Summer has suddenly hit Vancouver
this week — and here we are again, 2/3 of the way
through our Navy‘s Centennial Year. Sadly, the major event for Ventures this
year was the passing of our revered leader, Bob Welland. My last encounter
with Admiral Bob was by e-mail a few weeks before his death. We had arranged for lunch with visiting former Ventures from Ontario (he insisted on
hosting, explaining that he then ―would know what went in the martinis‖). Bob
called to postpone, having just come out of hospital with some ―heart problems
— not the romantic kind‖. In the ensuing weeks, he attended the annual Battle
of the Atlantic lunch in Vancouver, and travelled to Victoria for the unveiling of
the Homecoming Statue. His sudden death at 92 still left us in shock; a good
crowd attended the funeral — a true ―celebration of his life‖ near his lovely
home in Crescent Beach, and it was truly a grand occasion (see highlights at the
link on page 4).
May I once again appeal to Ventures to remember to keep this little newsletter
going by sending me brief reminiscences, letters, jokes, photos — anything to
edify and amuse us all. Remember also to convey suggestions for good reading
— not only for the summer, but all year around. Finally, as Registrar, I ask
again, that you keep me up to date on changes of address and, most important,
e-mail addresses. We are now down to a mere 70 Luddites who insist on the
primacy of Canada Post, but why give them our hard-earned money?
Yours aye,
Gordon
I will close wishing you and yours a wonderful fall and winter.
Yours aye,
John
The Executive*
John Westlake (‘67) - President: (613) 837-0081;
westlakejohna@rogers.com
Distribution of the Signal
As of this edition, 503 copies distributed: 427 electronically via the website or direct e-mail; 70 by snail mail. To addresses
in: Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand,
Norway, Thailand, the UK and the USA.
Matt Durnford (‘65) - Director-at-Large
1962: Phil Johnson, (250) 652-0264;
Halifax: (902) 766-4104;
cormorant@eastlink.ca
johnstonsp@shaw.ca
George Kolisnek (‘67) - Chairman 2014
1963-I: Russ Rhode, (250) 642-0086;
Reunion Ottawa: (613) 837-0463;
kolisnek@rogers.com
russal@shaw.ca
472-6187; kscotten@shaw.ca
Wilf Lund (‘61) - Venture Historian: (250)
timkate@shaw.ca
John Carruthers (‘56) - Secretary: (250)
598-5894; wilflund@telus.net
1964: Gord Oakley, (250) 544-1616;
478-7351; johncarruthers@telus.net
Class Representatives
gordon_oakley@telus.net
1956: Bob Lancashire, (902) 446-7107;
gnbevans@shaw.ca
casalanc@eastlink.ca
1966: Ross Beck, (613) 492-0130;
1957: Don Uhrich, (902) 462-2980;
rpbeck@rogers.com
dgu@ns.sympatico.ca
1967: Errol Collinson, (250) 704-0048;
1958: Tony Smith, (250) 479-5676;
erroni@shaw.ca
afsmith@trilan.com
Staff: Joe Cunningham, (250) 360-0450;
1959: Tom Essery, (250) 477-9321;
josephcunningham@shaw.ca
Ken Scotten (‘61) - Past President: (250)
Ron McLean (‘65) - Treasurer: ((250) 5955087; ronmclean@shaw.ca
Gordon Longmuir (‘57) - Registrar and
Editor of The Signal: (604) 980-1718;
thesignal@shaw.ca or dglo@shaw.ca
Darryl Harden (‘65) - Webmaster: (514)
428-4354; hmcsventure@bell.net
Doug McClean (‘64) - Director-at-Large
Victoria: (250) 658-3554;
dmcclean@telus.net
Tim Porter (‘58) - Director at Large Ottawa: (613) 843-7004;
timporter@rogers.com
1963-II: Tim Kemp, (250) 494-5043
1965: Graeme Evans, (250) 361-2646;
tessery@shaw.ca
1960: Pierre Yans, (250) 592-5997;
pjyans@telus.net
1961: Wilf Lund, (250) 598-5894;
wilflund@telus.net
September 2010
*NB: Class Reps are members
of the Esecutive
ΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨΨ
Newsletter of the Venture Association
7
Register Changes
Class of ‘56
Reg Hardy, e-mail anchored@eastlink.ca
Bob Lancashire, tel: (902) 446-7107
Maurice Robida, 295 rue Durham, St.
Bruno, QC J3V 1T4; tel: (450) 461-3810
Hank Forrest, e-mail hcforrest@att.net
Class of ‘58
Mon Verheyen, e-mail
monandbev@cogeco.ca
Veteran (n)
A Veteran - whether active duty,
retired or reserve - is someone
who at one point in his life, wrote
a blank check made payable to
'The Country of Canada', for an
amount of 'up to and including
my life.'
In Memoriam
RAdm Robert P. Welland,
Commanding Officer 1954-56
George Paltridge, Class of ‘58
Class of ‘59
Sedeijn, Claude, e-mail
claude.sedeijn@gmail.com
We note also the passing in August
of Vice Admiral Dan Mainguy,
who, though not a Venture, was a
valued shipmate and friend — RIP,
Class of ‘60
Don Monk, 3580 Rivergate Way, Ottawa,
ON K1V 1V5
Class of ‘61
David Goyder, e-mail david@goyder.org
Class of ‘62
Ed Redshaw, 5381 Westhaven Place,
Nanaimo, BC V9V 1T1; tel: (240) 585-4221
Class of ‘63-II
Basil Shaw, e-mail gunn-bas@broadpark.no
Bob Price, e-mail klyakwim@dccnet.com
Class of ‘66
Syd Helmkay,
e-mail sandy.syd@yourlink.ca
Editor’s Note:
The Executive has agreed that the Association
should make a periodic contribution to the
Canadian Naval Memorial Trust, HMCS Sackville with the passing of colleagues. Individual
members are encouraged to make personal
donations to the CNMT. The website is:
www.hmcssackville-cnmt.ns.ca/ .
Another worthy cause, although not a memorial, is the Shearwater Air Museum
www.shearwateraviationmuseum.ns.ca
Heinz Gohlish,
e-mail heg100@btinternet.com
Ray Kerr, e-mail rkerr@frontiertech.net
Norm Leblanc,
e-mail nleblanc_43@sympatico.ca
Members will also, of course, want to continue
with their own favorite charities, e.g., the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, etc.
Class of ‘67
John Westlake, e-mail
westlakejohna@rogers.com
REMINDERS:
New Webmaster
A reminder that our venerable Webmaster, Harley Kieran, has
stepped down this past year in order
to play more golf and spend less time
fine-tuning the Venture website
(www.hmcsventure.com). The new
Webmaster is Darryl Harden (Class
of ‘65) . While hard pressed to step
into Harley’s size 12s, Darryl assures
us that he is fully up to the task.
Please test him at every opportunity — e-mail him at
hmcsventure@bell.net !
1. The Venture AGM will take place at the call of the President, again as
a “virtual” exercise via the Class Representatives. Please let your
Class Rep (see p. 6) know if you have items for the agenda. Date and
details to follow by e-mail to all members when we have them.
2. Wilf Lund, the Venture Historian informs us that he is still accepting
responses to the four questions posed in previous editions (see March
2010) in support of the Venture History Project. He now has about 140
replies, so for the other 400 or so: please respond asap.
3. See the website (www.hmcsventure.com) for the complete text of Wilf’s
presentation to the June conference in Halifax entitled “The Canadian
Navy: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow sponsored by the Centre for
Foreign Policy Studies, Dalhousie University . I cannot quite fit the
whole piece into this edition of the Signal, but I may try again in
April.
September 2010
the Signal
8
EX LIBRIS:
THE BOOKLIST
The Battle of the Atlantic
By Brian Worth (Class of ‘66)
he Battle of the Atlantic was the
[Ed note: This will be a continuing column recommending
longest continual battle in history,
good reading, which many of us find more time to do these fought from December 3, 1939, when the
German submarine U-30 sank the Athedays. Please send us suggestions, primarily but not exclunia within hours of the declaration of
sively “naval” and/or Canadian, works. I also strongly
recommend the website www.hazegray.org/navhist/canada/ war, and continued unabated until the
May 7, 1945, a total of 2075 days, when
credits.htm created by Sandy McClearn]
Here are a couple of books recommended recently Grand Admiral Karl Donitz ordered his U
-boat fleet to surface, raise a black flag
by Don Uhrich (Class of ‘57):
and surrender to the nearest allied warBryan Elson: Nelson's Yankee Captain and First to
ship. The battle pitted the elite, motiDie. The former is an excellent read. The latter is just vated young men of Germany‘s U-boat
service against allied surface fleets that, in the beginning, were ill-equipped to
now out - and deals with the first Canadian Naval
casualties of WW I: three Midshipman lost at the Bat- fight an anti-submarine war.
The Royal Canadian Navy was woefully inadequate, with just six destroyers and
tle of Coronel.
3,500 personnel; it only managed to muster a ragtag token force to escort heavilyJohn Boileau: Halifax and the Royal Canadian Navy,
laden convoys from Halifax, Sydney and St John‘s to the mid-Atlantic where they
understood to be an excellent book as well and very
swapped with the Royal Navy and escorted empty convoys back to Canada.
appropriate in this centennial year of our Navy.
But a huge expansion was taking place. Destroyers were ordered but it was quickly
realized that another vessel, cheaper and easier to build, was needed to fill the
Speaking of which:
void. They settled on the British-designed Flower Class corvette, a small vessel
The Naval Service of Canada: 1920-2010: The Cen- based on a ‗whalehunter‘ that could be mass-produced at low cost.
tennial Story has now been published, edited by Com- The corvette was a ‗wet‘ ship: if there was a sea running it was difficult for the
mand Historian Richard Gimblett, author of Volume I crew to remain dry. Weather decks were always awash and messes opened onto
the sea. Sailors often joked that a corvette would ‗roll on a wet lawn‘.
of the official history of the RCN (1867-1939).
The book can be purchased through online sources and Living conditions were, at best, adequate. with messes so overcrowded that junior
is also available in bookstores across Canada; see also sailors were forced to sling their ‗micks where they either got wet or cold. There
No Higher Purpose: W.A.B. Douglas‘ classic history was no refrigeration, so food was reduced to canned produce and powdered milk.
If there was a ‗sea running‘ sailors were limited to cold meals: jams, peanut butter
of the RCN in WWII, reissued for the Centennial
or cold meats on anything that wasn‘t mouldy. Fresh vegetables or fruit were out
Year.
of the question.
Evaporators struggled to produce just enough water to run the ship, so there was
little water for personal hygiene. Showers were unheard of and many, because of
the danger of being torpedoed, slept in their clothes. After several weeks at sea
they were often ‗ripe‘.
The first ships to come on line were rudimentary; the British were struggling to
equip their own navy, so the initial corvettes had out-dated communications; radar
and asdic (sonar) was unavailable and weapons were limited to an old four inch
gun on the forecastle, possibly a couple of mounted machine guns, then, if you
were extremely lucky, an anti aircraft weapon or two plus some depth bombs that
you could throw at a U-boat when and if you saw one.
Add to this mixture crews that were made up of boys fresh out of school, never
having even seen the ocean before with only very basic training in how to
‗survive‘ on board a ship led by officers, only months out of university or junior
clerks at a bank or store and now required to ‗fight the ship‘ against a determined
and ruthless enemy. Ships went to sea with less than a third of the crew having any
experience at all: often the ‗Old Man‘ or captain, was in his mid- to late 20‘s and,
as the war raged on, he was seldom much older than the sailors he led.
This lack of experience, training and equipment, coupled with the amazing expansion of the RCN, caught up with them and caused the navy to be withdrawn from
VESSEL fr L vascellum diminutive
battle for months while ships were up-graded with the latest weapons and detection
of vase or urn which itself was a diminutive of vas –
systems. They returned to the battle with renewed vigour and better equipment.
vessel, introduced into English about 1300 via OF
By the end of the war they were the third largest allied navy and recognized at a
vaisselle. Originally the English word ‗vessel‘ repremier anti-submarine service.
ferred to a container, vase or bowl but by 1325 it
The numbers are staggering: from those six destroyers and 3500 personnel in Sepwas being used as a metaphor for a ship
tember of 1939, the RCN grew to 273 fighting ships and 95,000 personnel, 6,500
of who were women. They sank some 33 U-boats and 42 surface vessels while
escorting 25,343 merchant vessels across the Atlantic. Unfortunately they lost 24
*courtesy of our esteemed Past Past President, Joe
ships and, more importantly, 2,210 sailors to enemy action; may they rest in peace.
Cunningham
The Battle of Atlantic Sunday is always observed on the first Sunday of May.
T
Naughtical Terms*
September 2010