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A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project
In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
BOISTON, William Rochester - joined the Royal Navy in 1909 as an ERA after serving his apprenticeship as a Fitter and Turner. He served through out both WW1 and WW2. He received the DSM and Mentioned in Despatches while serving in HMS Laurel in the engagement at Heligoland Bight in 1914. He was lent to the RCN in 1943 and died in Halifax in 1945 just after the end of WW2. His son Pilot Officer John Rochester Boiston was killed at Estevan in 1942 in a flying accident while serving with the RAF.
Transcription of flimsies of A/Cdr Boiston
Ships served in: (Royal Navy) HMS TYNE (depot ship for torpedo boat destroyers) - Served in Tyne 29 Jan 1910 - 14 Mar 1910 HMS ST GEORGE (depot ship for torpedo boat destroyers) - Served in St George 15 Mar 1910 - 28 Feb 1911 HMS ACTAEON (depot ship for torpedo boat destroyers) - Served in Actaeon 01 Mar 1911 - 25 Apr 1911 HMS BLONDE (Cruiser) - Served in Blonde 17 May 1911 - 08 Sep 1913 HMS LAUREL (Torpedo boat destroyer) - Served in Laurel 14 Apr 1914 - 09 Mar 1915 HMS LAUREL (Torpedo boat destroyer) - Served in Laurel 23 Jun 1915 - 18 Nov 1915 HMS CLEOPATRA (Corvette, harbour service, Devonport) - Served in Cleopatra 09 Dec 1915 - Feb 1918 HMS BEAGLE (Destroyer) - Served in Beagle 06 Feb 1918 - Dec 1918 HMS CENTURION (King George V class Dreadnought) - Served in Centurion 03 Dec 1919 - 24 Apr 1921 HMS ROYAL OAK (Revenge Class Battleship) - Served in Royal Oak 17 Nov 1921 - 03 Oct 1922 HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN (Revenge Class Battleship) - Served in Royal Sovereign 03 Oct 1922 - 07 Apr 1925 HMS DIOMEDE (Light Cruiser) - Served in Diomede 08 Sep 1925 - 24 Jan 1927 HMS DUNEDIN (Light Cruiser) - Served in Dunedin Jan 1927 - 16 Jul 1928 HMS TEMPEST (Destroyer) - Served in Tempest 22 Oct 1928 - 27 Oct 1930 HMS VOLUNTEER (Destroyer) - Served in Volunteer 11 Nov 1930 - 17 Oct 1931 HMS COMUS - (C Class Destroyer) - Served in Comus (on loan from Volunteer) 28 Apr 1931 - 27 May 1931 HMS VETERAN (Destroyer) - Served in Veteran 18 Aug 1931 - 14 Dec 1931 HMS MALCOLM (Admiralty-type Destroyer Leader) - Served in Malcolm (on loan from Veteran) 18 Aug 1931 - 20 Nov 1931 HMS ANTHONY (Destroyer) - Served in Anthony 14 Mar 1932 - 13 Feb 1934 HMS MARSHALL SOULT (Monitor, Turret drill ship, Reserve Fleet) - Served in Marshall Soult 10 Aug 1935 - 20 Oct 1937 HMS CAMPBELL (Destroyer, Flotilla Leader, Reserve Fleet) - Served in Campbell 10 Dec 1937 - Jun 1940
Ships (Base) served in: (RCN) RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX - Appointed to RCN Barracks Halifax, Mechanical Training Establishment 01 Oct 1943 as a A/CDr (E), RN (Navy List Nov 1944)
(WB01) Certificate notifying ERA3c William Boiston, RN of his being awarded Mentioned in Despatches in 1914 for service on HMS LAUREL during the battle of Heligoland Bight (WB02) William Boiston by the grave of his son, Pilot Officer John Rochester Boiston, who was killed in a flying accident at Estevan, SK, while serving with the RAF (WB03) Cartoon sketch by officer from the Polish Destroyer ORP Blyskawica - 1940. Historical note: ORP Blyskawica (Lightning) was a Grom-class destroyer which served in the Polish Navy during World War II. She is now a museum ship in Gydnia, Poland (WB04) RCN I.D. card for A/Cdr Boiston
(WB05) Flimsie for A/Cdr (E) Boiston, HMCS STADACONA 30 Jan 1944 - 30 Nov 1944 (WB06) Flimsie for A/Cdr (E) Boiston, HMCS STADACONA 01 Dec 1944 - 03 Jul 1945 (WB07) Cdr Boiston (2nd from right) outside the gates to HMCS STADACONA (WB08) Cdr Boiston (2nd from right) in the MTE (WB09) Staff of the Mechanical Training Establishment 22 Feb 1945. Cdr Boiston front, centre (between the women with fur coats). This photo has also been added to the page for HMCS STADACONA (RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX)
(WB10) Telegram informing Mrs. E. Boiston of her husband's death. (WB11-WB14) Funeral Service for Cdr William Boiston, RN Cdr Boiston is buried in the Fort Massey Cemetery, Halifax, NS
Crew photo - HMS VOLUNTEER - 1931
Courtesy of Carolyn Wheeler
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For Posterity's Sake 
