Oakville's Flower: The History of the HMCS OakvilleThe story of HMCS Oakville, a corvette that fought U-boats in WWII and remains a hero to its hometown in Oakville, Ontario. This is an in-depth look at the history and legacy of HMCS Oakville, a Canadian World War II corvette that fought in the Battle of the Atlantic, and was one of the few corvettes to sink a U-boat. From its creation through its christening off the shores of its namesake town, its exploits at sea, the famous encounter with U94, and the ship’s lackluster end, Oakville’s is a story that showcases not only our nation’s proud naval heritage, but also the importance of remembrance. Oakville’s Flower sets the scene of naval war in the Atlantic — the battles between convoys, stealthy U-boats, and the lowly corvettes that formed the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy. We follow Oakville, one of those corvettes, through its rise and fall as a Canadian naval legend, to its revival in the town of Oakville, championed by the local Sea Cadet Corps that shares its name and safeguards its legacy. |
Contents
| 9 | |
| 12 | |
| 15 | |
| 29 | |
Dogs and Wolves | 48 |
Faded Legend | 68 |
The Long Revival | 90 |
Passing of the Torch The Birth of RCSCC Oakville and the Canadian Naval Centennial Parade | 97 |
HMCSRCSCC Oakville Commanding Officers | 125 |
RCSCC Oakville Coxswains | 126 |
Glossary of Selected MilitaryNaval Terms and Abbreviations | 127 |
Endnotes | 129 |
Bibliography | 136 |
Index | 137 |
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Common terms and phrases
Able Seaman aboard HMCS Oakville aboard Oakville Aruba ASDIC attack badge bell boarding party boat British Cadet Chief Petty cairn Canadian Naval Canadian Sea Cadet captain Caribbean ceremony Chief Petty Officer command convoy corvette corvette’s Courtesy Edward Stewart crest crew crewmembers Culley deck depth charges Ed Stewart enemy U-boat escort event feet fo‘c’sle Forces German Halifax HMCS Oakville HMCS Oakville’s honour hull Ibid Jack Russell King Kriegsmarine Lawrence’s Legion letter Lieutenant Navy Lieutenant-Commander Linda Gignac Lt(N Macdonald Mayor Nelles North Atlantic noted November Oakville Beaver Oakville Navy League Oakville’s Oakville’s christening Officer 1st Class Ontario parade Petty Officer 1st plaque RCNVR RCSCC Oakville Royal Canadian Navy Royal Canadian Sea sailors Sea Cadet Corps Sean E Second World served aboard Service ship ship’s shipmates starboard Stoker Petty Officer submarine sunk Toronto Daily Star torpedo town of Oakville town’s vessel veterans warship