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A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project
In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
MACKLEM, Robert J. (Bob) - It is with great sadness the family of Robert (Bob) Macklem announces his passing on Friday, September 26, 2014 at the age of 91 years. Predeceased by his wife Hilda, Bob will be forever lovingly remembered by his children Rob (Pam) Macklem, Karen (Tom) Nicholson and Kelly (Sandy) Macklem; grandchildren Russell Macklem, Heidi (Chris) Reiter, Kalyn Nicholson and Alysha (Chris) Kothlow and great-grandchildren Zachary and Georgia. Bob proudly served through the duration of World War II in the Royal Canadian Navy and spent most of his working career travelling throughout northern Alberta as a salesman for Westinghouse/Camco. He will be remembered for always helping, never complaining, dancing with the love of his life and Big Oranges. The family would like to extend a special thank-you to the wonderful staff at Shepherd's Care Greenfield who cared for Bob after Hilda's passing. The family has decided to have a private Service. Memorial donations in Bob's honour may be made directly to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta. (Edmonton Journal 01 Oct 2014)
Ships served in:
(RJ001) Torpedo History Sheet (RJM002) Torpedoman Trade Certificate (RJM003) LS Robert Macklem's certificate volunteering for service in the Pacific (RJM004 War Savings Certificate Application (RJM005) Inside cover of one of Robert's photo albums - note the final entry
(RJM006) Course photo at HMCS Hochelaga II (RJM007-RJM010) "The Boys" at Hochelaga (HMCS Hochelaga II)
(RJM011) Ceremonial Divisions, HMC Dockyard, Halifax. DND / RCN photo R-106 (RJM012-RJM013) Surrendered U-boat (either U-190 or U-889) (RJM014) Robert Macklem ashore - location unknown (RJM015) Souvenirs of Ireland and Bermuda
ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE German Pocket-Battleship
(RJM016) German Pocket-Battleship Admiral Graf Spee (RJM017) Damage to the Admiral Graf Spee after her battle with the British cruisers HMS Ajax, HMS Achilles and HMS Exeter during the Battle of the River Plate 13 Dec 1939
(RJM018-RJM021) German Pocket-Battleship Admiral Graf Spee after scuttling off Montevideo 17 Dec 1939
Note: these photos of the Graf Spee were not taken by Robert Macklem, but were in his collection
It is not known what ship or at what place ashore these photo were taken at For the ships it could be any of the ones Robert served in: Chilliwack, St. Boniface or Penetang
(RJM022) "Chipping as usual" (RJM023) "Cmon Ritchie Buck Up" - Sailors playing cards in the mess deck (RJM024) "One Blue Boy Happy" - Sailors playing cards in the mess deck
(RJM025) Unknown sailor standing on the 4-inch gun (RJM026) Too much oil (RJM027) "Depth Charge Away" (RJM028) Unknown ship laying a smoke screen
(RJM029) Tommy (RJM030) U Press of IWWP (RJM031) Bob, Danny and Ken (RJM032)"We were going steady"
Allied Warships and Merchant ships - some identified, some unknown
(RJM033) USS Vulcan (RJM034) USCGC Spencer (RJM035) USS Buck 420 (RJM036) SS Guam (RJM037) Convoy Straggler
(RJM038) Unknown River Class Destroyer (RJM039) Unknown Corvette (RJM040) Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC) (RJM041) Submarine N43 (RJM042) Submarine N34
(RJM043) Dutch Submarine (RJM044) HMS Matabele (RJM045-RJM047) HMS Hecla
(RJM048) HMS Greenwich (RJM049) HMS Burnham Clemson Class Destroyer (RJM050) French Destroyer (RJM051) HMS Churchill I45 Clemson Class Destroyer (RJM052) SS Empire Queen
(RJM054) HMS Caldwell I20 Wickes Class Destroyer (RJM055) Unknown Corvette (RJM056) Captured French Schooner (RJM057) Business End of Tanker (RJM058) Either HMS Rodney or HMS Nelson
(RJM058) Unknown RN or RCN destroyer
Wartime Photo Album of Robert Macklem
This album contains all Robert's photos, postcards and sketches scanned as entire album pages, published here for posterity's sake, courtesy of his son, Kelly Macklem.
The majority of the photos were taken during his time on HMCS Chilliwack K131. The last few pages contain family photos.
Click on the thumbnail images below to view each full page
HMCS CHILLIWACK
(RJM116) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 circa 1941 (RJM117) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 circa 1941 (RJM118) Pierre, George and Doug on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM119) Billy on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM120) Bill and Doug on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
(RJM121) "The Barrens of Iceland" (RJM122) Pierre in Iceland - in background, farmer moving hay bales on horses (RJM123) The boys of CHILLIWACK in Iceland (RJM124-RJM125) Icelandic farmer moving hay bales on horses
(RJM126) 'Swain and Brownie (right) ashore in Iceland (RJM127) Brownie with Icelandic pony (RJM128) Local riding an Icelandic pony (RJM129) Boys ashore in Iceland waiting for boat to take them back to HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM130) "Boys in Iceland" on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
(RJM131) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 at anchor, Iceland circa 1941 - CHILLIWACK is the corvette on the left (RJM132) Army blokes in Iceland - Limeys (RJM133) Corvettes in Line Abreast formation - Photo taken from HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM134) Christmas Day in Iceland (RJM135) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 "heading back to Newfie John"
(RJM136) Convoy to the U.K. (RJM137) Convoy (RJM138) Erin (Ireland) (RJM139) Castle in Irish Free State (RJM140) Loch Foyle, Ireland
(RJM141) Loch Foyle, Ireland (RJM142) Londonderry Sunset (RJM143) Goodbye to Derry (RJM144) Goodbye Erin (RJM145) Convoy astern of HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
(RJM146) Scotty and Pooky on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM147) Scotty with a flounder on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM148) Jack Corwin the mad barber, on our way to the east coast via Panama - Note: the photo was taken just forward the bridge prior to CHILLIWACK going into refit to have her fo'c's'le extended and mast move astern of the bridge (RJM149) Colter and Patty by the hedgehog (RJM150) Robert Macklem (left) and Coulter by hedgehog
(RJM151) CHILLIWACK iced up of Iceland, Christmas 1942 (RJM152) CB in quit suit minus drape - Webmaster's note: I have no idea what that means (RJM153) "Flounders" - HMCS CHILLIWACK'S crew holding the catch of the day (RJM154) "and more fish" - HMCS CHILLIWACK'S crew holding the catch of the day (RJM155) "Cut her up chief" - The catch of the day being cleaned and cut up
(RJM156) Quartermaster (QM) Pooky on HMCS CHILLIWACK (RJM157) Robert Macklem on HMCS CHILLIWACK (RJM158) "The Rugged Line" - Three unknown sailors on HMCS CHILLIWACK (RJM159) "The Rugged King" - Unknown sailor on HMCS CHILLIWACK (RJM160) Quarterdeck of HMCS CHILLIWACK from the Yardarm
(RJM161) "Montreal Kid" - Unknown sailor on HMCS CHILLIWACK (RJM162) "No more shore leave" - Two unknown sailors and HMCS CHILLIWACK'S mascot, Champ, watching the shoreline disappear as they head out to sea (RJM163) Port side aft, looking forward on HMCS CHILLIWACK (RJM164) Portside, mid ships looking forward on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM165) Kathy the Cat - Ship's Mascot of HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
(RJM166-RJM168) "The Boys" on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM169) Ken and Champ between the depth charge rails on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM170) blank (no photo)
(RJM171) Ken holding ship's mascot Champ, and two unknown sailors sitting on the depth charge rails on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM172) Danny on the windlass on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM173) Danny by the 4-inch gun on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM174) "Doug and S2" - Doug by a depth charge thrower on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM175) Doug standing on the guard rail and holding the jack staff on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
(RJM177) The battleship HMS Prince of Wales (RJM178) Ships at anchor, Placentia Bay, NFLD (RJM179) "End of a Rendezvous" - The battleship HMS Prince of Wale in the distance in the centre of the photo
Historical note: The first wartime meeting of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the so-called "Atlantic Conference" or "Atlantic Charter Conference", was held from 9-12 August 1941. The conference took place off Ship Harbor, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland (Canada). Roosevelt already arrived as early as 7 August in Placentia Bay aboard the heavy cruiser USS "Augusta", escorted by the heavy cruiser USS "Tuscaloosa", and the destroyers "Madison", "Moffett", "Sampson", "Winslow" and "McDougal". Churchill arrived on 9 August from England aboard the battleship HMS "Prince of Wales", escorted by the British destroyer HMS "Ripley" and the Canadian destroyers HMCS "Restigouche" and "Assiniboine". The first meeting of the US president and the British prime minister took place on 9 August on board of the "Augusta". Their second meeting was held on 10 August aboard the "Prince of Wales", and the following day the conference continued on the "Augusta" again, which also was the location of the final meeting on 12 August. After the conference ended that day, both Churchill and Roosevelt left Placentia Bay on the same ships and with the same escort vessels they arrived with four days earlier. The principal result of the meeting was the issuance of the Atlantic Charter which for security reasons, was dated two days after the closing of the conference. The Atlantic Charter, with its eight principles for a better postwar world, was in fact the genesis of the United Nations. The name "United Nations" was first used in the published joint, or "United Nations," declaration of January 1, 1942, in which all of the Allied nations pledged themselves to support the principles of the Atlantic Charter.
(RJM180) 4-inch gun on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 - photo taken from the wheelhouse (RJM181) White Ensign on HMCS CHILLIWACK K141 (RJM182) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 - Flag host for oiling up (RJM183) Flag hoist signal on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM184) Frank doing a handstand just aft of the funnel on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
(RJM185) Gordon and Monae - HMCS CHILLIWACK secured alongside (RJM186) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 bites into a wave (RJM187) The Chief and John working on the minesweeping gear on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM188) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM189) ST Shack (or what's left of it) on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
(RJM190) Boyd, AA3 on CHILLIWACK'S bandstand (RJM191) "Bluenose" on CHILLIWACK'S bandstand (RJM192) Robert Macklem on CHILLIWACK'S bandstand (RJM193) HMS Berwick and corvettes of W-4 - Photo taken from HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM194) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 - Photo taken from the fantail - looking forward
(RJM195) Handy and Chapman on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM196) Jacky and George in the bandstand loading ammunition belts - HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM197) Lorwin and Sweezer (RJM198) Wilf on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM199) Willie on watch on the bandstand - HMCS CHILLIWACK K131
(RJM200) William Mason in his mic - HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM201) Tony on the fo'c's'le of HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 (RJM202) HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 - Note the faint gunshield art and also that the censor tried to obscure the cover over radar - DND/RCN photo L3701R // Click here to view a zoomed in image on the gunshield (RJM203) "CHILLIWACK Iced Up" - Minesweeping gear and depth charges on HMCS CHILLIWACK K131 covered in ice
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For Posterity's Sake 
