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!

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.

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!