The Worcester/Canadian Navy Connection

Officers serving in the Canadian Navy in the 20th century came from a variety of maritime training backgrounds. In past issues of STARSHELL we have researched several officer groups, each of which had a significant influence on the mosaic of our past. These groups have included the 138 RCN Special Entries, the 150 Canadian "Raleighites," and the 71 officers who received their early training in HMS Conway. We now recognize a smaller group of 22 young men which represents the HMS Worcester training tradition.

What was Worcester? She was a training ship moored in the River Thames near Greenhithe in Kent to train young Cadets RNR and future officers for service in the Merchant and Royal Navies, not only of Britain but of many other countries too. From 1862 until the early 1970s, there were three Worcester ships, each granted the prefix "HMS" by the Admiralty which owned the ships. Often called "The Thames Nautical Training College," Worcester with other nautical schools such as HMS Conway and the Pangbourne Nautical College, served Britain's maritime interests well until the 1970s, when the requirements for the Merchant Navy decreased and other training schemes were introduced to meet changing circumstances. The ship had a reputation for producing many people who achieved fame in different walks of life, from Japanese Fleet Admiral Tojo, to two Lords Mayor of London, scores of admirals, air marshals, and several VCs.

Normal training took two years and about 200 Cadets could be accommodated. Hammocks were slung and training was conducted in a seaman-like manner. During WWII, Worcester, and the Cutty Sark also moored off Greenhithe, survived the bombing of London and was back in operation as a Cadet training ship after the war.

22 Worcesters have been identified with Canadian naval service. Brief portraits of this group follow:

Their Worcester experience covered a span of 32 years, from 1923 to 1955. The first and senior member is Tony Storrs. He is the oldest surviving Cadet (1923-1925) on the list and served as apprentice in windjammers on first going to sea. Now in his 93rd year he resides in Victoria BC. The last and junior graduate is Peter Stow (1953-55). Before retiring from the Canadian Navy in the late 1980s, he became an Operations and Navigation specialist and was in command of various ships including HMCS Margaree.

RAdm. Antony Hubert Gleadow Storrs, DSC & Bar, RCN (Ret'd), was the first ex-Reserve officer to become an officer of Flag Rank in Canada. As a Cadet RNR, he trained in Worcester and then spent the years prior to WWII in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service. Transferring to the RCNR in 1940, he held command of several ships in wartime-HMCS Armentières, Dawson, Gatineau, Drumheller, Caraquet and Milltown-and was Senior Officer of the 31st (Canadian) Minesweeping Flotilla which cleared the channels to the Normandy Beachead prior to D-Day. He commanded Shearwater in 1953 and the carrier Magnificent in 1955, retiring from the RCN in 1962 as Commandant National Defence College of Canada. He was later Director of Marine Operations of the Canadian Coast Guard. In 1996 Tony Storrs was awarded the Admirals' Medal in recognition of "his life and accomplishments as a consummate seaman and the application of this experience which made an effective and lasting impact upon the officers and men of the Royal Canadian Navy, including Naval Air, the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires."

The second senior Cadet (1928-30) was Commodore Antony Fenwick Pickard, OBE, MID, RCN (Ret'd), a native of Victoria BC. Joining the RCNR in 1940, he commanded HMCS Chambly and St. Catherines during WW II. In the postwar period he commanded HMCS Haida (1947) and Algonquin (1959). He retired from the RCN in 1965, and died in 1972.

These two senior Worcesters had another thing in common. Both of them saw lots of action in the Battle of the Atlantic in WW II. Tony Storrs in command of the corvette HMCS Drumheller, and Tony Pickard in command of another corvette HMCS Chambly, were together in the famous battles to protect large convoys ONS.18 and ON.202 in September 1943, against a series of U-boat attacks. Chambly was attacked by U584 and escaped serious damage when a Gnat (German naval acoustic torpedo) exploded in her wake. [For an account of these battles and a photo of these two RCNR officers, see the "RCN in Transition 1910-1985," edited by W. A. B. Douglas, published by UBC Press, Vancouver in 1988.]

Some gained extensive experience in the Merchant Navy prior to joining the Canadian Navy: Tony Steward (Clan Line, Lambert Brothers, General Steam Navigation, Caltex Trading and Transport and Curries of Leith); Peter Stow (Clan Line, Ellermans and Manchester Liners); Robin Jones (Port Line and Canadian Pacific); Tom Irvine (Lyle Steamship Company); Charles Hamer (Clan Line); Dick Chudley (Royal Mail Lines); Jimmy Watson (British India Steam Navigation Line); Terry Milne (Blue Star Line); Mike Elrington (P & O Line); Bob Luke (Royal Mail Lines); Les McDowell (Canadian Pacific); Morris Jones (Royal Fleet Auxiliary); Tony Storrs (Chinese Maritime Customs Service prior to WW II as Commander of Revenue Cutters); and Tony Pickard (Canadian Pacific Steamships).

Others served in naval or merchant ships during the Korean war. Charles Hamer (HMCS Athabaskan 1951-52); Bryan Judd (HMCS Crusader 1953-54); John Norman (Royal Navy ships 1950-51); Dick Chudley (HM Transport Asturias managed by Royal Mail Lines at Inchon 1953); Mike Elrington (Merchant Navy trooping to Pusan 1953); and Morris Jones (Royal Fleet Auxiliary oilers at Inchon).

They served in a variety of HMC Ships. HMCS Ste. Thérèse (Tony Steward); Cap de la Madeleine, Columbia, Algonquin, Porte Quebec, Yukon, Provider, Mackenzie, Margaree, Porte St. Louis, Porte St. Jean, Moresby and Anticosti (Peter Stow); Wallaceburg, Micmac, Crescent, New Waterford (Robin Jones); Iroquois, New Liskeard, and St. Croix (John Smedley); Porte St.Jean, Buckingham, Labrador, Stettler and New Glasgow (Tom Irvine); Athabaskan and Bonaventure (Charles Hamer); Beacon Hill, Crusader, Oriole, and Ontario (Bryan Judd); James Bay (Dick Chudley); Nootka, Beacon Hill, Sioux and Miramichi (Mike Considine); Warrior, Magnificent, Quebec, and Bonaventure (Jimmy Watson); Loon, Fraser and Victoriaville (John Norman); Ottawa, New Glasgow, James Bay, Mackenzie, Preserver, and Saguenay (Terry Milne); Oshawa, Athabaskan, Fraser, Chignecto, Swansea and Bonaventure (Mike Elrington); Outremont, Sioux, Restigouche, Fundy, Saguenay, and Qu'Appelle (Bob Luke); Lauzon, Victoriaville, Margaree, Protecteur (Morris Jones); Sackville, Crescent, Ontario, Beacon Hill, Rockcliffe, Digby, Kentville, Labrador, Provider and Bonaventure (Bill Hunt). Mike Barrow (deceased) commanded HMCS Thunder (1962-64) and St. Laurent (1967-69).

Well versed in seamanship and navigation most of the Worcesters became naval officers of the Executive Branch. There were a few exceptions. Robert Tirard joined the Construction Branch having acquired architectural qualifications after leaving Worcester in 1936. Morris Jones joined the Supply Branch. Charles Hamer specialized in TAS; Bryan Judd in Navigation; Mike Elrington in Aircraft Direction and was the last Direction Officer of HMCS Bonaventure; and Bob Luke was proud to be a career "Salt Horse."

Two of the Cadets on the list became naval aviators. Mike Considine, a native of Duncan, BC, fresh from Worcester, RCNC Royal Roads, and after WWII service in RN ships, completed his pilot training with the RAF. He flew with the 18th Carrier Air Group 826 Squadron out of Naval Station Dartmouth. Later he specialized in Communications. Robert John "Jimmy" Watson was a wartime pilot SLt.(A) RNR in the Fleet Air Arm in 879 Squadron. Transferring to the RCN in 1951, he served in Canadian Naval Air Squadrons 825, VS 880, and commanded 743 and VU 32. He completed his naval versatility in command of HMCS Gloucester, a special communications station, near Ottawa.

With his seamanship background,Peter Stow found it difficult to separate entirely from the Navy. After "retirement" in 1982 he was called back on Class-C Reserve in 1988, and tasked to find some ships for the new minesweeping program. He found them in Greece and looked after their refit before coming back with them to Canada. He commanded the first ship Moresby, then went on to command all the Reserve ships before retiring again in 1991. He later headed up the training team to train the first four ships companies for the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels. Born of a long tradition, his son went into the Coast Guard and at last report was running RCC Halifax after serving as Chief Officer of the Louis St. Laurent.

Two Worcesters served as Queen's Harbour Master Halifax-Bill Hunt and Bob Luke. Terry Milne was Canadian Defence Attaché in Tokyo (1985-89). At the age of 27, Lt. T. C. Milne had received RAdm. Stirling's Commendation for his "outstanding display of skill and courage under hazardous conditions in the re-establishment of the tow between the Canadian Naval Auxiliary Vessels Laymore and Clifton off the approaches to Cape Flattery on 19 June 1965." Serving in HMCS Mackenzie at the time he headed a group of frogmen who performed with traditional naval enterprise and daring. Laymore was being towed as a barge loaded with ammunition when she was caught in a violent storm and abandoned. Battling a heavy swell and high winds the navy divers boarded her and received a tow line from CNAV Clifton. He later served in HMY Britannia as RCN liaison officer during the 1972 Royal Visit. In a different context, Mike Elrington won a naval drama festival in 1967 with an original musical play. He also achieved fame as the pianist member of the HMCS Bonaventure musical group known as "The Gut Bucket Five, Plus Two" which became famous in the 1960s, and whose outstanding concerts are preserved for posterity on a long-playing record.

Very few former Cadets can claim a connection with both Conway and Worcester. Bill Hunt is unique as the only one who was a Cadet in both Conway (1940) and later in Worcester (1942-44). Submariner John Aspin was a Conway Cadet (1948-49) and was later seconded from the Clan Line to the Worcester staff as a navigation instructor (1953-54) leaving as Third Officer. He qualifies as an "honorary" Old Worcester.

These young men were prepared to take on the unexpected, including navigating and commanding ships of all shapes and sizes.

Tom Irvine did his RNR time in RN cruisers, a corvette, a destroyer and a surveying ship and later commanded a frigate, HMCS Stettler. Having experienced HMCS Labrador's maiden voyage in 1954, he has become much in demand as an Ice Advisor for Arctic cruise ships. He is the author of the book "The Ice Was All Between - The Circumnavigation of the North American Continent by HMCS Labrador in 1954," published by Longmans, New York, 1959. He was the Editor of the "NATO Arctic Manual" in 1969. Charles Hamer was involved in tow boats with Vancouver Tug and Barge before entering the priesthood in 1977. Bryan Judd as CO of the sail training vessel HMCS Oriole provided sail and pilotage training for hundreds of Venture cadets on voyages around Vancouver Island; as Navigator of the cruiser HMCS Ontario, he assisted Venture cadets in astro-navigation training. Later he was on the NATO International Staff in Brussels. Dick Chudley was XO and CO of the UNTD at the University of Victoria BC. After leaving the Navy, Mike Considine worked with the BC Government in the Provincial Emergency Program as Communications Officer and organized the Voluntary Air Search and Rescue for the Province which became a model for federal authorities. After retiring from the RCN, John Norman administered a large estate with farms and houses in Dorset, England.

Their easily transferable practical maritime skills enabled them to continue contributing after their naval service. Some pursued second or third careers in the Canadian Coast Guard Service. These included Tony Storrs who became Director of Marine Operations of the Coast Guard and Tom Irvine who was involved in Arctic operations 1981-1990. Tony Steward, Dick Chudley and Charles Hamer were active in British Columbia Ferries. John Smedley joined the Canadian Hydrographic Service (1975 -1990) as Tidal Officer responsible for setting out tidal instruments from the Arctic to British Columbia. Tony Steward spent several years in the Esquimalt-based Research Vessel Endeavour as First Officer and Master. Mike Elrington saw further service in a seagoing tug and research vessel from Esquimalt, BC. Peter Stow now winters on his 39 ft. ketch in the Caribbean. Robin Jones served in the submersible support ship Pandora II, owned by Northlake Shipping of Halifax, based at the Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC, and circumnavigated North America in 1980-81. Having served as Master of a Mercy Ship, he is now assisting the worldwide Mercy Ships organization in various marine related matters.

Early disciplined training gave these guardians of the Worcester tradition a substantial unerpinning for life at sea.

Nurtured by the Worcester motto "Union is Strength," they made a special contribution which over the years has enriched Canada's naval landscape.

NAMES LISTED BY YEARS OF WORCESTER SERVICE

(Originally Published in Vol. VII, No. 10, Spring 2000 issue of Starshell)