40 results returned
within campaign Battle of the Atlantic
HMCS Sans Peur Refit and Role
Mr. Matheos describes the donation of the Royal Yacht, Sans Peur, to the Canadian navy. He discusses her refit and subsequent role as a patrol and training vessel out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Rescuing victims of torpedoed vessels
Mr. Bowen describes the experience of seeing a ship torpedoed and the difficulty of rescuing oil-soaked survivors. He also describes two very emotional events, a terrible rescue and heartwarming Christmas gift.
Hunting down a U-boat
Mr. Bowen describes attacking a U-boat in the English Channel, and how the shallowness of the water resulted in the depth charges also rupturing the bottom plates of his frigate.
The North Atlantic could be very rough.
Mr. Bowen describes in very clear terms the violence wreaked by a North Atlantic storm, and the impact such storms had on a convoy.
Battle station or prison?
Mr. Bowen describes his action station, a small room directly above the screws, when his frigate was in a combat situation. He reflects on the fact that there would have been no escape had the vessel been torpedoed astern.
Double Pay and Greater Security
Mr. Tanner describes switching to the tanker fleet because the pay doubled and the ships were better protected because of the value placed on fuel.
Praise for Corvettes and Crews
Mr. Tanner discusses the admiration he has for the seaworthiness of Canada’s Naval Corvettes, and the bravery of their crews.
Thoughts on Heroism
Mr. Tanner offers some general comments on heroism, and then discusses the extremes gone to survive twenty-four days in a life boat without food and water.
The Black Hole
Mr. Tanner describes the Black Hole, an area of the North Atlantic where U-boats launched their most devastating attacks. He also describes German strategies for attacking, and hiding from, Allied shipping.
The Norwegians Needed Crew
Mr. Tanner describes being turned down, because of his age, for service in the Canadian Merchant Navy and joining the Norwegian fleet, whose hiring age was younger.
Rough Seas and Loose Cargo
Mr. MacDonell describes a very long voyage in rough seas, and losing a deck load of barrels which broke loose.
Merchant Navy Men Carry On
Mr. Blackmore describes those who served in the Merchant Navy. He talks about the quality and impact of the service provided by the Merchant Navy and how it affected the war effort.