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.

The Wind From All Directions

What's New?

In March, author Ron Thompson was our guest and spoke about the history on which The Wind From All Directions is based: the exploration of the Pacific northwest, the maritime fur trade, the Nootka Crisis, the Spanish Armament, and the impromptu diplomatic confrontation between the RN’s George Vancouver and Spanish commodore Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra in Yuquot, Friendly Cove, in 1792. A great discussion ensued (this week, as well as in 1792!).

The Wind From All Directions is set in 1792 in the Pacific northwest. It is published by Double Dagger Books and is available on Amazon around the world, Barnes and Noble in the United States, and Waterstones in the UK. Ask for it at your local bookstore or library.

Five members of the Hamilton Naval Association with their guest.
Neil Bell, Jennifer Bennet, Bob DeWolfe, Ron Thompson, Len Pawlek & Don Williamson

Retired Members May Wear Mess Dress

What's New?

Canadian Forces Dress Instructions Chapter Two, Section One, Paragraph 31b

Retired Members.

  • Mess Dress (No 2). The wear of Mess Dress (No 2 or 2A only) after release is permitted. Former members are to wear the style of Mess Dress authorized by their Branch/Corps or Regiment at the time of their release, this includes their rank, decorations, skill insignia which they were entitled to. To distinguish retired members from serving members, retired members are to wear the distinctive CAF Retiree Insignia on the lower left sleeve of the mess dress jacket 1.5 cm above the cuff, or any embellishment including PO1/WO, CPO2/MWO or CPO1/CWO rank insignia.

While the instruction refers to the “distinctive CAF Retiree insignia”, there is no explanation or example