Honouring our sailors

News

Posted By Hayley Brigg

Updated 1 month ago

In honour of the Royal Canadian Navy's 100th anniversary, the Royal Canadian Legion Selkirk Branch 42 is inviting all the area's navy veterans and their families to celebrate the contribution the Selkirk area has made to the Royal Canadian Navy.

The legion is planning to host a special celebratory event September 22, and organizers have already begun the lengthy process of finding - and inviting - surviving Navy sailors who were from the local area or the families of those who are deceased to the festivities.

"For a prairie province, Manitoba and the Selkirk area in particular, has a very strong connection to the Royal Canadian Navy. Usually it was places on the coast that were heavily navy-related," said Michael Tassano, second vice-president of the Legion executive. "But I guess prairie boys - and girls- made good sailors."

Tassano said the legion felt it was important to pay tribute to this special connection, and plan to do so through reenacting Navy traditions and rituals, like a bell-ringing ceremony to honour lost ships as well as a Grog ceremony.

"It's a Navy tradition going back to the days of sailing ships," Tassano noted. "It was a measure of rum, which they also called 'Grog', that would be given out to sailors under the pretence that it would prevent sea sickness.

"It's something that is still done in the Navy today, even on land," laughed Tassano.

After the ceremonies, the legion is planning to have a cocktail reception, an ideal setting for old army buddies to catch up and reminisce about their days in the Navy, or where families of deceased sailors can learn about their loved ones history in the Navy.

Tassano says the Royal Canadian Navy played a very important role in both World Wars, and became one of the main factors in Europe's survival after World War II.

"The war totally wiped out all of their resources, and for a while after the war the Royal Canadian Navy would help transport resources from North America to Europe to help the people there survive," Tassano explained. "Those Navy convoys were essential, they were a lifeline to Europe."

Two individuals who have a first-hand understanding of the work the Royal Canadian Navy does are Legion members Peggy Davies and Victor C. Flett, both of whom served in the Navy.

Flett, who was raised in Selkirk but has since moved to Victoria B.C., said he joined the Navy at 23 in 1951 in the wake of the Korean War, but also because his family had a history of serving in the armed forces.

"The Korean War was in full swing at the time, and a lot of people from this area were joining up," Flett remembered. "I also have a family history of military. My grandfather was in the First World War and died at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and my father fought in the Second World War. I think my grandfather had a big influence on me for the reason I joined, he gave his life and gave me a lot of inspiration."

After three years of training and learning a Navy trade, Flett hopped aboard a ship bound for Korea to join the battle, but before the vessel left port a truce between United Nations forces and Korea was called.

Regardless, Flett and his ship still departed for the Orient, staying in Korea for several months to help keep the peace and assist smaller UN ships in sweeping the seas to clear mines. After his two tours to Korea were over, Flett stayed on with the Navy until 1980 and had the opportunity to partake in many exercises that took him across the globe.

"Coming from the prairies and growing up so far away from the oceans, I was fascinated by the ocean and going on board ship, I thought it was very exciting," said Flett. "It was a very rewarding experience overall."

Meanwhile, Davies had the unique opportunity of joining the Navy at a time when men had finally begun to accept women in the military.

"I joined the Navy and eventually became an instructor to teach sailors how to conduct convoys," said Davies. "In the beginning there was a lot of men who weren't really keen on having a woman teach them, but I'll tell you that the girls I had working with me really knew their stuff and were just as smart, if not smarter, than any other male instructor."

As a bank teller in her early 20's, Davies was encouraged by a co-worker to join the Reserve Forces in 1955, and eventually joined the regular forces in 1958. During her career, Davies had the opportunity to travel to different ports in Canada as well as Florida and the Bahamas.

Though she had to leave the army upon her marriage in 1963, Davies says her experience in the military was very rewarding.

"It was a very fulfilling career, I had the chance to travel and make a lot of friends," Davies recalled.

To help make their celebration a success, Tassano and Davies - who is also helping to organize the event - are asking that anyone who might have connections to past sailors from the Selkirk area to contact the Legion at 482-4319, so that they might extend an invitation to them, or their surviving families.

"The families have, by virtue of the member that served, have been touched by this and it would be nice to honour them for what they have gone through, and the contribution they made," said Davies.

"The point is, it's just a matter of respect and honouring them by saying to the families thank you."