Sailor's Diaries & Memoirs

 


 

Below are names of sailors who kept some sort of diary or record of their ships movements and events that happened during their time in the Navy.  Their diaries and memoirs have been published here, for posterity's sake.

 


 

* Backosti, John, Stoker - while serving in HMCS Prince Henry 03 Jan 1944 - 29 Mar 1945

 

* Belsey, Edward (Ted), ERA 4c, RCNVR - HMCS KENORA, HMCS OSHAWA, HMCS WESTMOUNT - a record of ships movements for the ships Ted served in.

 

* Brown, Thomas Lawrence, Stoker 1st Class, RCN - HMCS UGANDA - Transcription.  note: due to the age of the diary and stains, some parts were difficult to transcribe and man contain errors.

 

* Burton, George, VR3229, RNCVR - George's WW1 diary while he was onboard minesweepers in UK waters.

 

* Byway, Joseph Arthur, Leading Seaman, RCNVR ("Portrait of a Sailor") - HMCS FENNEL K194, HMS ARETHUSA, HMCS ALGONQUIN R17

 

* Callow, Charles - HMCS NEW WATERFORD K321

 

* Cummings, William Able Seaman Anti-Aircraft Rating 3rd Class - MLQ096, HMCS MEON - The Wartime Diary of ABAA3 William Cummings. This diary - while only designed for a year, was used over a period starting in 1943 and continued till sometime in Jan 1945 - with Bill wrapping back around in each year. There are very few entries prior to his draft to HMCS MEON in Apr 1944, which was just prior to MEON'S participation in the D-Day landings. He notes his draft to ML Q96 on 23 Nov (1943) which appears to be his first main entry with a few minor entries of "at sea" "on ML" till the end of the year. On 19 Apr (1944) he notes his draft to HMCS MEON. All the entries from there until 21 Oct 1944 are from his time on MEON. Then for what is believed to be 14 Jan (1945) he wrote 3 ships fished by buoy #1 that appears to reference the torpedoing of 3 ships near Halifax that were part of Convoy BX-141. The many names written throughout the diary (keep in mind it was used for about a year and a half or so) appear to reference the names of those he received letters from and / or wrote to.

 

* Devonshire, George - HMCS WASKESIU K330

 

* Fisher, Stanley Daniel Webster, RCNVR - ML Q104

 

* Foldesi, Steve, Captain, RCN, CAF, RANR  //  Addendum 1  //  Addendum 2

 

* Greig, Robert, Petty Officer Anti-Aircraft Rating

 

* Hawes, Steven W. - HMCS MIRAMICHI J169

 

* Horst, Amon - HMCS SKEENA

 

* Innes, Austin C., Telegraphist, RCNVR - HMCS NEW WATERFORD K321

 

* Lees, Joseph Ambrose Walter - HMCS ARRAS J15, HMCS ARVIDA K113, HMCS PORTAGE J331, HMCS SUMMERSIDE K141

 

* Lees, Joseph Ambrose Walter - HMCS ARVIDA K113

 

* Matthews, Russell, Leading Seaman Communicator Radio, RCN - HMCS NOOTKA R96 - 1st Korean War Tour.  Matthew started his diary on 01 Jan 1950 shortly after he joined the Navy.  His first entry on NOOTKA'S Korean war tour is 25 Nov 1950, page 168 of the PDF file.

 

* Murch, Douglas Edward, Coder, RCNVR ("Hostilities Only") - HMCS AGASSIZ

 

* Oswald, Ian, RCN - HMCS MAGNIFICENT - Coronation Cruise 1953

 

* Pearson, Robert E. - HMCS SWANSEA K328

 

* Read, Frank - 1914-1918 aboard HMS LION

 

* Richmond, Robert V. - HMCS ST FRANCIS I93, HMCS VISON

 

* Silvester, Jim - HMCS QUESNEL K133, HMCS INCH ARRAN K667, HMCS ONTARIO

 

* Stone, George, Stoker Petty Officer, RCN - HMCS QU'APPELLE - Operations in the English Channel 05 Jun - 12 Aug 1944

 

* Sutton, Clare L., V68693, RCNVR - HMCS STONE TOWN - Section 1  //  Section 2.  Section 1 contains the diary preamble with information on various commonwealth nations, warships of the world, rank and trade badges, signalling, etc.  Section 2 contains Clare's written entries

 

* Tipson, Andrew (Andre) - HMCS JOLIETTE

 

* Valdon, Joseph Austin, CPO, RCNVR - HMCS ST CLAIR

 


 

Diaries posted on other websites

 

* Deguire, Real Joseph - HMCS ALGONQUIN - Juno Beach Centre

 

* Fortune, Terry - Part 1  -  Part 2  - CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum

 

* MacFarlane, George R. Cdr  - HMCS PRINCE ROBERT - The Nauticapedia

 

* Nicholson, Colin Murdo - HMCS SIOUX - ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY : Photos & History by the Men & Women Who Were There.

 

* Wilson, J. Ronald, PO - cbrnp.com

 


 

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