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The surrender of U-889
Welcome to "For Posterity's Sake" - a site dedicated to the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy and the ships they lived and served in. This is a personal website and is not affiliated with the Government of Canada nor the Department of National Defence.
The goal of this site is to preserve and share the history of those who have sailed in the ships of the RCN. The history we all have buried in our basements or closets in boxes and photo albums - photos of grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles who have also taken pictures and told stories of their time in. This is the history you will not find on the government's historical pages - and its these photos and stories that we all have that I'm hoping to preserve here for posterity's sake.
If you would like to submit photos or stories to be posted here, please send me an EMAIL ( info@forposterityssake.ca ). With the help of all sailors past and present and their families this page can be made into a historical site for future generations to learn about our proud past. May you always have fair winds and following seas!
Quotes
"The men of GALIANO died in the performance of duty. They have ventured into rough places and taken their chance many a time before. They did it without a flourish of trumpets. This time they took a chance and lost." (The Victoria Daily Colonists November 03, 1918)
"He had entered the battle with the confidence we all possessed, did his part in the face of severe enemy fire and was undoubtedly unaware of his end. A man can do no more than die at his gun." (Excerpt from the letter to the sister of LS Dugald Leitch, RCNVR)
"There was nothing glorious or romantic about watching bodies and gear float to the surface after sinking a U-boat." (Seaman Campbell, HMCS Kootenay H75)
“Few of their countrymen knew and even fewer now remember the desperate fight waged on the cold and cruel northern seas. But had it failed, the results would have been catastrophic. The clear measure of devotion and courage of these men shall always be that in that dark and bloody winter of crisis they did not fail.” (Captain John Waters Jr.)
"The Canadian Navy … trained men with men who were scarcely trained themselves. It did everything under the pressure of desperate urgency. It learned to fight a war while fighting it. By all the rules, it should have been the most unholy hash to come out of the war. Somehow, things have turned out differently." (The Guelph Mercury 16 Nov 2015)
"The job is that of Gunnery Officer .... My main function is to offer up a silent prayer that we hit first." Lt, Morgan Alan Griffiths, RCNVR - Nov 1942
In all things ships must come first, they are the only reason for us being in our present jobs. In dealing with any problems we must always ask "How does it affect the ships?" If you have any bright ideas put them forward . . . and remember SHIPS FIRST. Extract from a memorandum circulated by Vice Admiral E.R. Mainguy, OBE, CD, RCN, Chief of Naval Personnel
Don't forget to stop by and sign the Ship's Log (Guestbook)
Gunnery practice hiccups - The Battle of Roberts Creek and U.S. hit by Canadian Navy shells
What's New - back to the top of the page
18 Jan 2024 - A page has been added to list events such as Rounding the Horn, Circumnavigating North American, etc and is called RCN 1sts, 2nds, 3rds, etc ... 06 Jan 2025 - A page for the RCN's Technical Apprentice Trainining Program has been added 05 Jan 2025 - Documents and Manuals - A booklet on Career Opportunities in the Wrens has been added 31 Dec 2024 - Newspaper, Magazines and More - The Halifax Explosion 50th Anniversary Edition of The Halifax Herald has been added 28 Dec 2024 - Diaries and Memoirs - The memoirs of Leading Coder Ross Somerville, RCNVR have been added 23 Dec 2024 - HMCS WEYBURN K173 - A ship's company photo has been added 16 Dec 2024 - HMCS BRANDON K149 - Forty-two photos from the collection of Norman Wilson, QR II, RCNVR have been added to her page 16 Dec 2024 - HMCS OTTAWA H60 - Seven photos from the collection of Norman Wilson, QR II, RCNVR have been added to her page 16 Dec 2024 - HMCS ROYAL ROADS - Ten photos from the collection of Norman Wilson, QR II, RCNVR have been added to her page 16 Dec 2024 - HMCS COUGAR - Six photos from the collection of Norman Wilson, QR II, RCNVR have been added to her page 09 Dec 2024 - HMCS SKEENA - A Ship's Company Photo dated 21 Nov 1943 has been added 08 Dec 2024 - HMCS ARRAS - A Ship's Company Photo page has been added 08 Dec 2024 - HMCS PORT HOPE J280 - Seventeen photos from the collection of Russel Price have been added to her page 05 Dec 1945 - HMCS GLACE BAY K414 - A ship's company photo dated 19 Jun 1945 has been added 05 Dec 2024 - HMCS NADEN III - A Ship's Company Photos dated Apr 1941 has been added 04 Dec 2024 - Photo collections - A photo album belonging to a sailor named Frisken has been added. No other information is known about him. Based on the album he served in HMCS MATAPEDIA K112 and possibly HMCS GLACE BAY K414 30 Nov 2024 - HMCS CORNWALLIS - A New Entry Course Photo page for Fraser Division 2/65 has been added 29 Nov 2024 - HMCS CORNWALLIS - A New Entry Course Photo page for Restigouche Division 2/64 has been added 28 Nov 2024 - HMCS MONNOW K441 - A photo album from the collection of an unknown sailor has been added. The photos taken mainly during his time serving in HMCS MONNOW. At the end of the album are some reunion photos taken during the 1970s 22 Nov 2024 - HMCS CARLPLACE K664 - Forty-one photos from the collection of Reginald Seabrook, RCNVR have been added to her page Credits / Resources 1) Sailors - past and present and their families 2) ReadyAyeReady.com for ship's badges post 1949 3) The Naval History Net - Ship Histories, Convoy Escort Movements for Casualty Lists 1939-1947 4) THE FAIRMILES - CANADA'S LITTLE SHIPS by Spud Roscoe VE1BC Edited by Jerry Proc 5) German U-Boat Casualties in World War 2 - Information on U-Boats sunk by Canadian ships 6) The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981 by Ken Macpherson and John Burgess 7) The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-2002 by Ken Macpherson and Ron Barrie 8) Veterans of World War II, Langruth, Manitoba 10) A History of the West Coast Canadian Forces Auxiliary Fleet by Matthew Chapman 12) A List of the Ships Scrapped or Broken Up By Capital Iron & Metals Ltd. in Victoria BC. 13) The Bosun's Watch - The Fleetwood Steam and Sailing Trawler website 14) Arnold Hague Convoy Database 15) Ultimate Sacrifice by Robert D'Aoust 16) Designs of Distinction - Unofficial Insignia of the RCN 1910 - 1948 by David J. Freeman 17) The Nauticapedia - Celebrating the stories of the maritime heritage of British Columbia, western and northern Canada, and Canada's Naval Forces
Disclaimer This is a personal website and the website owner is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or Department of National Defence (DND).
The information on this site is for informational purposes only. This website is a compilation of information from government websites, books and other resources such as wartime diaries and stories from the memories of those who served and may contain historical inaccuracies. For Posterity's Sake and those who submit information to this site are not responsible for any historical inaccuracies and accepts no responsibility for any costs / expenditures by those using this information. Anyone using information from this site should exercise due diligence and verify any information used.
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