Boulton, Angus George: my Navy recollections (March 18, 1986)

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An interview/narrative of Angus George Boulton's experiences during World War II. Commodore Boulton served with the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve. Interview took place on March 18, 1986.

Rank: Commodore. Medals and Honours: Distinguished Service Cross

ABSTRACT: Commodore AG Boulton, DSC Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Canadian Navy Joined the Winnipeg Half-Company on 23 February 1933 as an Acting Sub-Lieutenant (Provisional). Took holidays in training at HMCS Naden where HF Pullen was gunnery officer. Joined HMCS Skeena for the winter cruise (HE Rastus Reid, captain) on whom he comments. Remarks on Lt. Cmdr. John Stubbs. Very lean years, lack of funds for fuel etc. To HMCS Ottawa in 1939. C.G. Jones as captain who remarked that no RCNVR would ever command a ship. Succeeded by Cmdr. Rollo Mainguy, a first class captain. Rammed a tug in Halifax harbour. First Lieutenant in HMCS Ottawa. HMCS Rimouski, in command, 1941. Mid-Ocean Meeting Place (MIDOMP). Earlier in Ottawa much convoy work, including picking up survivors of ships earlier sunk. In command of HMCS Annapolis, a former American four stacker, a terrible sea boat, although it handled reasonably well. Comments on good ship handlers, Stubbs and Hennessy in particular. Anecdote of steering chains installed in reverse. Mentions Mainguy's Crow's Nest cocktail parties in Newfoundland. In March 1944 appointed to HMCS St. Laurent, in command, left in November 1944. Appointed to HMCS Somer Isles, the working-up base in Bermuda in March 1945 as Senior Training Officer. New ships and crews spent a week or ten days there. Regrettably, only late in the war were proper work-ups available - with many surprise inspections. Tale of St. Laurent breaking ice flows. Gives an account of St. Laurent attacking and sinking a surfaced U-boat in 1944. Later took a destroyer group close to the French shore and came under fire. Signalled a "Blue 180" and the group turned away with the last ship now leading. They also came under attack by glider bombs.

Interviewee: Boulton, Angus George

Interviewer: Lawrence, Hal

In Collection:
Contributor Subject Language Date created Relation
  • Part of the Hal Lawrence collection of interviews.
Resource type Rights statement Extent
  • 2 sound recordings (MP3)
Geographic Coverage Coordinates
  • 45.41117, -75.69812
Additional physical characteristics
  • Original sound recording on one audio cassette also available.
Physical Repository Collection
  • Canadian Military Oral History Collection
Provider Genre Archival item identifier
  • BAG_269
Fonds title Fonds identifier Is referenced by Date digitized
  • October 24, 2013
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. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2013. 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
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file details Boulton_A_0269_01.mp3
file details Boulton_A_0269_02.mp3
file details Boulton_A_0269.jpg