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.

Crossed the Bar

What's New?

Captain (N) Martin John “Marty” Pandzich, 22nd Commanding Officer of HMCS STAR (1975 to 1979), crossed the bar on Saturday, 23 July 2022.

Marty joined the UNTD at HMCS HUNTER in Windsor in 1958. He served as STAR’s XO from 1972 to 1975, CO from 1975 to 1979 and, subsequently, as CO of HMCS HUNTER from 1988 to 1991.

The funeral will take place at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church at Herkimer and Locke in Hamilton at 11:00 on Thursday, 4 August, with visitation from 10:00 till 10:55. Following interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, 600 Spring Garden Road in Burlington, there will be a reception in the wardroom at HMCS STAR.

Fair winds and following seas, Marty!

HMCS GLACE BAY visits

What's New?
HMCS GLACE BAY along east face of Pier 8 (Sheila Copps Pier), 25 June 2022, as seen from HMCS HAIDA.

The MCDV (Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel) HMCS GLACE BAY visited Hamilton 24-27 June as the first stop on her Great Lakes deployment. Two of her sister ships, KINGSTON & SUMMERSIDE, are leaving Halifax to take part in Op Reassurance activities in the Baltic Sea, while others frequently take part in counter drug operations either in the Pacific or the Caribbean as part of Op Caribbe. The ship was open to visitors and lots of people took advantage of the opportunity to get a look at life in the navy.

Time Travel?

What's New?
White Ensign flying on HMCS HAIDA 25 June 2022.

A case can be made that HAIDA, as the Ceremonial Flagship of the RCN, should fly the Canadian Naval Ensign, or, as a museum ship, the white ensign that she would have flown during her service from 1943 to 1963. Parks Canada has introduced a new wrinkle. Yesterday, HAIDA was flying the white ensign with the Union Flag which was in use from 1706/1707 till 1801, before the addition of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. That flag certainly didn’t come from HAIDA’s flag locker!