Hughes, Bill: my Navy recollections (October 31, 2008)

ABSTRACT: Rear Admiral Bill Hughes Hughes_B_0563_01.mp3 0:10 Introduction of interviewee and his career 4:50 First heard about Unification 5:20 Hellyer went to London and talked with staff college. "I thought he was a dreadful man." 6:07 "I was in sea jobs, most of the time. I didn't get involved with the terrible trauma that was going on mostly in NDHQ 6:27 NDHQ experience 6:45 "I got out of there very quickly." 7:06 First impression of 'Integration", not "Unification". Didn't mind the idea. 8:15 Discussions with others. 8:45 Pearson and resignation of Officers. 9:20 Resignation of Officers (Interviewee's wife enters and the recorder is paused) 9:45 Meeting in Halifax. Story about Adm Brodeur. 10:30 NDHQ, first experienced Unification "A complete disorganized shambles." 11:28 Problems with the HQ organization 11:47 Story about his rank as 'Colonel' in the Navy. 12:35 Analogy that if he wanted to destroy an Enemy Army he would implement Unification and have completed the task. 13:10 Public confusion. 13:20 Questions from all three messes "'Sir, why do we need to wear the green uniform when we are visiting aboard and nobody knows who we are.' They were ashamed to wear it ashore." 14:00 Passed this information in. Not believed? 14:08 Survey conducted. 14:40 "It was a very emotional thing to do, putting us all in green uniforms." "Unification was supposed to save us money. It didn't save us money at all. The way they saved money was by cutting DND budget." 15:15 Moral problems as well Army managed to maintain moral, because the maintained regimentals. 15:55 No Association with CF. "It's too big an organization; it's hard enough to associate with the army or the Navy." 16:30 First uniform issued. 18:00 Day to day job. Changed depending on job. The only time it really effected was while at NDHQ. 18:30 Doing experience not used to doing. 18:50 "civilianization" 19:03 "That was another mistake." Integrating CF and DND turned some minds. 20:05 Happened mostly at NDHQ and General staff level. 20:50 Resignation. 22:20 Senate Sub-Committee on Defence. 23:48 Unification in retrospect. "I went down to the Bahamas […] needed a clean break." 25:36 "Destined to be in the Navy". Unification was a problem "you know when you spend 38 years in something you get attached to it." 27:20 No financial saving from Unification. 27:40 No professional improvements. "Tended to dilute experiences." 28:32 NDC schools useful but not a solution. 30:22 "It's a very emotional subject." (Interviewee stood up and left the room. The recorder was shut off. Some pictures and albums where shown to the interviewer but unfortunately no pictures or copies were made.)

Interviewer: Bienvenu, Kyle

Interviewee: Hughes, Bill

Rank: Rear-Admiral.

An interview/narrative of Bill Hughes recollections on the formation of the Canadian Armed Forces. Interview took place on October 31, 2008.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Hughes, Bill
• Bienvenu, Kyle

Subject

• Canada. Canadian Armed Forces
• Military history
• Personal narratives--Canadian

Language

• eng

Keyword

• Military morale
• Hughes, William Andrew (Bill), 1927- --Interviews
• Canada--Military policy
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Organization
• Civil-military relations
• Brodeur, Victor Gabriel, 1892-1976
• Hellyer, Paul, 1923-
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Personal narratives
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Political activity
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Finance
• Canada--Politics and government
• Canada--Dept. of National Defence--Headquarters
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Organization
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Political activity
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Finance
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Personal narratives
• Canada--Canadian Armed forces--Uniforms
• Pearson, Lester B.
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Appointments and retirements
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Uniforms
• Canada--Canadian Armed Forces--Personnel management
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Appointments and retirements
• Canada--Royal Canadian Navy--Personnel management

Date created

• October 31, 2008

Relation

• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews.
• Unification

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 1 sound recording (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• Canada

Coordinates

• 60.10867, -113.64258

Additional physical characteristics

• Original sound recording (MP3) also available.

Physical repository

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

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

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

Genre

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

Archival item identifier

• HB_563

Fonds title

• Military oral history collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection

Date digitized

• November 24, 2009

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2009. 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/10.58066/068s-mm18

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