All posts by Dinger

About Dinger

A sea cadet at RCSCC LION from 1963 to 1968, I joined the Naval Reserve at HMCS STAR in 1968 as a Bos'n. I was an Officer Cadet in the ROUTP, commissioned in 1971, and awarded my watchkeeping ticket in 1973. I served at sea, at one time or another, in all five Gate Vessels and HMCS FORT STEELE & CHAUDIERE as well as the Coast Guard icebreaker Louis St. Laurent and served as OIC of the patrol vessels RALLY and RAPID. At STAR from 1968 to 2007, I served as XO twice and then as CO from 2002 to 2005. I rounded out my career by serving as SSO Training at NAVRESHQ in Quebec City in 2008, retiring in 2009 as CO of HMCS HUNTER in Windsor. I was Executive Director for the Friends of HMCS HAIDA till 2011 and have been an active volunteer onboard HAIDA since she arrived in Hamilton in 2003.

Pier Eight Progress

Development of Pier Eight, adjacent to HAIDA and HMCS STAR, continues, with the erection of a “faux” container handling gantry.

East face of Pier Eight, HAIDA’s gatehouse on the right.
From Pier Nine, astern of HAIDA, looking west towards Pier Eight.

NAC-HAG May Meeting

The Hamilton Area Group of the Naval Association of Canada is happy to present Cdr (Ret’d) Fraser McKee in a Zoom presentation at our regular last Wednesday of the month meeting.

Wednesday, 26 May 2021 – Foregather at 12:00, presentation at 12:30. Drinks and lunch are your own responsibility.

HMS CAMPBELTOWN having rammed the lock gates at St. Nazaire.

You do not have to be an NAC member to attend. For registration, please contact neil@hamiltonnaval.ca

Fraser joined the RCNVR as an Ordinary Seaman when he turned 18 in March ’43.  He was planning on becoming a Visual Signalman as his Father was then overseas commanding an Army Signals Regiment.  Commissioned as an Acting Sub-Lieutenant in ’44, he served in a couple of shore stations, in the Armed Yacht, HMCS VISON, one trip in an ex-USN 4-stacker destroyer, another in the corvette SACKVILLE, and served as asdic officer in the Algerine class HMCS WALLACEBURG, whose blazer crest he wears today.  He remained in the Naval Reserves in Ontario and Montreal post-war, specializing in all aspects of anti-submarine warfare and served in various Canadian and British warships, from 3 aircraft carriers to destroyers, frigates, and twice in submarines, not counting a Coastal Command flying Squadron.  He retired from the Naval Reserve in 1978, after thirty-five years service. 

He has authored or co-authored 6 books on Canadian naval history, a Naval Reserves novel, and a paper on mine warfare for DND.  He lives in west Toronto, is a widower with 4 grown children.

His books:

The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939-1945,   with Robert Darlington

Volunteers for Sea Service:  A Brief History of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve

The Armed Yachts of Canada

Sink All The Shipping There

HMCS SWANSEA: The Life and Times of a Frigate

The Ellesmere Pickup

Maude Leslie ???

Thanks to Keith Black for this puzzle. The Toronto Star of 11 February 1959 reports on the death of Maude Leslie, noted as “the mother of the navy”, who showed up either at HMCS STAR or the railway station (presumably the Canadian National, now LIUNA), whenever men were being shipped out. It also noted that she had died in a nursing home where she had been placed by HMCS STAR Ladies Auxiliary. Does anyone have any information to add?