Interviewer: Bell, Chris

An interview/narrative of James C. Hibbard's experiences during World War II. Rear-Admiral Hibbard, D.S.C. served with the Royal Canadian Navy. Interview took place on April 23, 1983.

Rank: Rear-Admiral. Medals and Honours: Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) and bar

Interviewee: Hibbard, James C., b. 1908

ABSTRACT: Rear-Admiral James C. Hibbard, D.S.C. and Bar Royal Canadian Navy (Reel 7, Side 1) Reasons for joining the navy, life as a cadet. Strict discipline for midshipmen in H.M.S. Emperor of India. English social habits, manners and discipline, considerate of others, yet cool to strangers. Greenwich, return to Canada. Relationship to the men the greatest factor in naval life. Canadian forces used to be highly respected, now less so. In 1950 he rejected the idea of recruiting Royal Navy (R.N.) officers for the R.C.N. Started the Reserve Officers Training Corps at the universities. The Canadian navy suffered much through the use of inadequately trained officers during the war and immediately afterward. Describes living in H.M.C.S. Vancouver. Main source of disillusionment in the navy was power-hungry politicians. Close ties with the R.N. saved the R.C.N. at one point, but Canadianization was not rapid enough. (47:00) (Reel 7, Side 2) In Germany made the acquaintance of a former German naval officer. Found themselves to be kindred souls. Speaks of war and the attitude, for instance, of certain individuals who advocate unilateral disarmament; many are well educated, but not mature enough to discuss the problem in an adequate manner. (10:00)

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Hibbard, James C., b. 1908
• Bell, Chris

Subject

• Military history
• World War (1939-1945)
• World War (1914-1918)
• Canada. Royal Canadian Navy
• Naval history

Language

• eng

Date created

• April 23, 1983

Relation

• Special Collections holds additional interviews with R.-Adm. Hibbard.
• Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 3 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic Coverage

• Germany

Coordinates

• 51.5, 10.5

Additional physical characteristics

• One original sound tape reel (ca. 105 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 2 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.

Physical Repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• oral histories (literary genre)
• interviews
• reminiscences
• sound recordings

Archival item identifier

• HJC_209

Fonds title

• Reginald Herbert Roy fonds

Fonds identifier

• SC104

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds

Date digitized

• September 24, 2010

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2010. Migration metadata by KD and MT.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/f0av-9w62

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