For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

 

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar

 

Louis M. (Louie) Melanson, LS&GC

 

Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class, Engineering Mechanic, RCN

 

Born: 03 May 1919, Weymouth, Nova Scotia

 

Died: 1975, Dorval, Quebec

 

MELANSON, Louis M. (Louie) - was born in Weymouth, NS in the ancestral family home - 3rd of 6 children - he was the eldest of 2 boys. Louis served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 31 Jul 1939 to 31 Jul 1959 when he took his retirement after serving on many destroyer ships including WWII start to finish and volunteered for Korea serving aboard the HMCS IROQUOIS in Korea when she was hit by a Chinese shell shot from the shoreline killing 3 sailors.  He was also aboard the HMCS SAGUENAY on December 1st 1940 when she was badly damaged by a torpedo launched by an Italian submarine and survived that encounter as well.  After the war, while serving in HMCS MICMAC, she was involved in a collision with SS Yarmouth County which resulted in the death of 11 Micmac crew and one civilian who was also onboard Micmac at the time of the collision.

 

Ships served in:

HMCS SAGUENAY - Served in Saguenay 03 Sep 1939 - 26 Nov 1941 as a Sto 2c and Sto 1c, RCN. Survived the torpedoing of HMCS Saguenay

HMCS FORT WILLIAM - Served in Fort William 26 Jun 1942 - 30 Sep 1942 as an A/L/Sto, RCN

HMCS BRANDON - Served in Brandon 17 Nov 1942 - 21 Jul 1943 as an A/L/Sto, RCN

HMCS MAGOG - Served in Magog 07 May 1944 - 11 Nov 1944 as an A/Sto PO, RCN - Survived the torpedoing of HMCS Magog

HMCS WASKESIU - Served in Waskesiu 03 Jan 1945 - 19 Feb 1945 as a Sto PO, RCN

HMCS PORTAGE - Served in Portage 02 Nov 1945 - 20 Mar 1946 as a Sto PO, RCN

HMCS SCOTIAN - Served in Scotian 21 Mar 1946 - 25 Apr 1945 as a Sto PO, RCN

HMCS LLEWELLYN - Served in Llewellyn 26 Apr 1946 - 03 May 1946 as a Sto PO, RCN

HMCS SCOTIAN - Served in Scotian 04 May 1946 - 08 May 1946 as a Sto PO, RCN

DIVING TENDER No. 4 - Served in Diving Tender #4 09 May 1946 - 27 Jun 1946 as a Sto PO, RCN

HMCS SCOTIAN - Served in Scotian 28 Jun 1946 - 03 Jul 1946

HMCS MICMAC - Served in Micmac 04 Jul 1946 - 22 Jul 1947.  Louie was serving in Micmac when she was hit by the SS Yarmouth County.

HMCS HAIDA - Served in Haida 05 Sep 1947 - 18 Sep 1947

HMCS IROQUOIS - Served on Iroquois 19 Sep 1947 - 23 Jun 1949 as a Sto PO, RCN (see entry for HMCS St Stephen)

HMCS LA HULLOISE - Served in La Hulloise 24 Jun 1949 - 28 Nov 1949 (see entry for HMCS St Stephen)

HMCS ST STEPHEN - Loaned to St Stephen (Weather ship) from Iroquois & La Hulloise 27 Sep 1947 - 21 Sep 1949. Rated Sto Mechanic 01 Oct 1947. Rate PO1 01 Jul 1948

HMCS DONNACONA - Served in Donnacona 29 Nov 1949 - 28 Jul 1950

HMCS CRESCENT - Served in Crescent 26 Sep 1950 - 07 Jan 1953

HMCS IROQUOIS - Served in Iroquois 08 Jan 1953 - 01 Apr 1954 as a PO1 Sto Mech, and CPO2 RCN. Rated CPO2 15 Apr 1953

HMCS IROQUOIS - Served in Iroquois 07 Nov 1955 - 03 Nov 1957 as a C2(NQ) and C2EM4, RCN.  Rated C2EM4 01 Jan 1957

HMCS PORTAGE - Served in Portage 01 Apr 1958 - 25 Sep 1958

* Honourably released 31 Jul 1959

 

LM01

LM02

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(LM01) Portrait of Louie Melanson  (LM02-LM03) Pages 2 & 3 from Louie's Certificate of Service which shows his drafts.

 


 

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