Becoming a Naval Aid.

We came back for a re-fit, and then I was posted to their first Canadian Cruiser, not the first, HMCS Ontario, and I joined Ontario in late ‘44 and time we got going out to the Far East, we were just passing down the Red Sea and the war was over. We went on to Columbo, whatever it's called now, Myanmar, not Myanmar, whatever the hell that island's called anyway, and picked up the future Governor of Hong Kong, was a British General, General Sir Francis Festing, and he had just come from commanding a division in Burma, and went and picked up Number One Commando, with them as well, and a couple of rice ships and we went round to Hong Kong. We were among the, we weren't the first ships in, but very close to being, and the others were you know, strictly men of war. And just outside there, General Festing, said to our Captain, "You know, a lot of Navy around here, I'd like to have Naval Aid." The Captain said, "I'll give you one," and he turned around and said, "You," to me. And the first thing that I had to learn, probably, how to be an aid to a General, and he had an Army Aid, so I went to him and he said, "Well the first thing you got to do is learn how to handle this sub-machine gun," you know, the rifle.

Mr. Howe talks about his posting to HMCS Ontario, and being made naval-aid to the Governor of Hong Kong.

William Howe

Mr. Howe was born in Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay, Ontario, on 26 August 1922. His father was a cabinet minister and was in London during bombing attacks. His father survived being torpedoed on the way to visit him overseas and was also involved in a sea wreck. Mr. Howe did his naval training in England where he also completed lieutenant's training. He served aboard HMCS Turbon, Dorchester, Sackville and Huron. At the end of the war, Mr. Howe was appointed as a Naval Aid to the Governor of Hong Kong and began a career in politics, on his return to England with the support of MacKenzie King.