|
A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project
In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
TATE, Maurice - "The Creator of the Double Dolphins". "It was a chance to be underwater, dry and warm," said Mo of his interview of his 1959 decision to apply for submarines. The reference was to Mo having been a member of the RCN's 1st Clearance Diving Class and having spent time in that trade. Mo had started his Naval career in 1951 as a mid-shipman in the RCNR before being commissioned into the RCN as a Lieutenant. He spent time in the skimmer fleet, learning his trade and Clearance Diving before moving to New London in 1959 with his life-time partner, Diane. Decisive by nature Mo had proposed to Diane on their third date, when she was still nineteen. She says today that she knew a good thing when she saw it and wasn't about to let him get away. After graduating Sub School Mo was assigned to the USS Conger SS-477 where he earned his Dolphins. In May 1961 he was a member of the Commissioning Wardroom for HMCS Grilse. A couple of years later he spent a year ashore as Admiral Landymore's Flag Lieutenant, before going back to Grilse, later becoming the XO in 1964. His Perisher was the spring of 1966, returning to Canada as Grilse's CO in 1966. In 1968 he and Diane headed back East where the following year he took over as the Second Commander of the First Canadian Submarine Squadron. It was during that time that he arranged for the Double Dolphins to replace the … Single Dolphin. During this time he also commanded for short periods HMCS Onondaga & HMCS Okanagan. In 1972 he went up the hill for a year as Commandant of Fleet School then in 1973 to RN Staff College in Greenwich, London. He returned to NDHQ in Ottawa in 1975. His next assignment. 1978 took them and one of their kids to Moscow as Canada's Naval Attache for the USSR, Poland and Finland. Their son Eric joined them for the last year. Spy was considered a crass term but he was taught quite a number of observation skills. And, of course, they wouldn't want to let the Tate's come all the way home after that assignment so he spent the next three years as Intelligence Liaison Officer at CDLS London, forced to drag Diane to more fancy parties. In 1983 they finally came home to Canada, to NDHQ in Ottawa in Maritime Operations, before retiring in 1985, and taking on a variety of private sector roles. Maurice Tate resided in Shawnigan Lake, B.C.
Ships served in: HMCS CARLETON - Appointed to Carleton 22 Nov 1951 as a Midshipman, RCN(R) (seniority 22 Nov 1951) (Navy List Jan 1952). Appointed A/SLt, RCN(R) (seniority 03 May 1952) (Navy List Oct 1952). Appointed Lt, RCN(R) (seniority 31 May 1954) (Nay List Jan 1955) * Appointed Lt, RCN, SSA on 20 Dec 1954 RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX - Appointed to RCN Barracks Halifax for Officers' Long Clearance Diving Course 21 Dec 1954 as a Lt, SSA, RCN (Navy List Jul 1955) RCN BARRACKS ESQUIMALT - Appointed to RCN Barracks Esquimalt, TAS Training Centre 09 Jan 1956 as a Lt (Cl. D), SSA, RCN for Clearance Diving Duties (Navy List Jul 1956) RCN BARRACKS ESQUIMALT - Appoint to RCN Barracks Esquimalt 18 Jun 1957 as a Lt (CL. D), SSA, RCN (Navy List Jul 1957) * Selected for Permanent Commission as a Lt (Cl. D), SSA, RCN (Navy List Jun 1958) RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX - Appointed to RCN Barracks Halifax, TAS School 27 Oct 1958 as a Lt (Cl. D), RCN (seniority 11 Jul 1958) for Clearance Diving Duties (Navy List Jan 1959) HMCS NIAGARA - Appointed to HMCS Niagara 29 Jun 1959 as a Lt (Cl. D), RCN for Courses with U.S.N. (Navy List Jul 1959) HMCS NIAGARA - Appointed to HMCS Niagara 01 Jun 1960 as a Lt (Cl. D), RCN (Navy List Jul 1960) USS CONGER HMS THERMOPYLAE HMCS GRILSE - Appointed to Grilse 11 May 1961 as a Lt (Cl. D), RCN, Commissioning crew. FLAG OFFICER PACIFIC COAST - Appointed to Staff of FOPC 14 Jan 1963 as a Lt (Cl. D), RCN (Navy List Apr 1963) COMMANDER CADET TRAINING - Appointed to Staff of COCATRA 27 Jan 1964 as a Lt (Cl. D), RCN (Navy List Apr 1964) HMCS GRILSE - Appointed to Grilse 12 Jun 1964 as a Lt (CL. D), RCN, XO (Navy List Oct 1964). * Perisher Course - 1966 HMCS GRILSE - 4th Commanding Officer as a LCdr, RCN - 09 Sep 1966 - 20 Aug 1968 (Macpherson / Burgess - Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981) COMMANDER 1ST CANADIAN SUBMARINE SQUADRON - Served as the 2nd Commanding Officer 1st Canadian Submarine Squadron Jul 1969 to Jul 1972 HMCS ONONDAGA - 8th Commanding Officer as a Cdr, C.A.F. - 01 Sep 1971 - 15 Oct 1971 (Macpherson / Burgess - Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981) HMCS OKANAGAN - 6th Commanding Officer as a Cdr, C.A.F. - 15 Oct 1971 - 08 Mar 1972 (Macpherson / Burgess - Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981)
|
For Posterity's Sake 
