Dillon, Charles J.: my Navy recollections (July 3 - December 2, 1985)

ABSTRACT: Rear-Admiral Charles J. Dillon Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Canadian Navy Dillon_C_0190_01.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 1) Born on Apr. 27, 1912 in Montreal. His family moved to Ottawa in 1916 and there, in 1930, he joined the R.C.N.V.R. Describes training. At sea, for two weeks in the summer, training was entirely for fleet actions. Appointed to H.M.C.S. Skeena (destroyer) in 1934 for the annual winter cruise. Explains some of the exercises, but none were to do with convoys. Transferred to the paymaster branch due to his poor eyesight. In 1938 he obtained his watchkeeping ticket in H.M.C.S. Venture. Comments on the pleasant naval social life. (45:00) Dillon_C_0190_02.mp3 Royal visit in 1939, dedication of the National War Memorial. Mobilized on Sept. 2, 1939. Organized shipping control at Quebec City. Mistakenly detained an Italian vessel. (42:00) Dillon_C_0190_03.mp3 (Reel 1, Side 2) Much effort expended to scrape together facilities, port protection, examination battery, etc. In July 1940 became Secretary to the Chief of Naval Personnel. Much "crisis management" in evidence. Worked six days a week and often on Sunday morning. Among his responsibilities was that of sending casualty telegrams. In Apr. 1942 was appointed supply officer in H.M.C.S. Prince Henry (armed merchant cruiser) on the west coast. Describes armament, radar, weather in the Pacific, American forces. Appointed to H.M.C.S. Givenchy (naval barracks). As a lieutenant commander served in H.M.C.S. Nabob (escort carrier). Sailed to San Francisco in 1944 where they took on twelve Grumman Avenger aircraft. Some problems between Royal Navy personnel and the Canadians. Some unrest due to poor (British) rations. Transported fighter aircraft to Britain. Dillon_C_0190_04.mp3 Dockyard in Liverpool: theft and trouble with civilian workers. Training exercises, anti-submarine role. Ship torpedoed, managed to make Rosyth, Scotland where ship eventually repaired. Returned to Canada. (37:00) Dillon_C_0190_05.mp3 (Reel 2, Side 1) Applied to join the R.C.N. and was accepted. Posted to St. John's, Newfoundland as a senior supply officer. Convoy escorts continued to operate for two weeks after the end of the war, then the base began to wind down. Appointed Director of Naval Air Supply in Ottawa. Sent to study the U.S. Navy replenishment at sea operations. Laid foundation for Canadian supply ships. Appointed Naval Secretary. (45:00) Dillon_C_0190_06.mp3 Experiences during 1947-1950 with Brooke Claxton, Minister of National Defence. Began to replace naval stores personnel with civilian employees. In 1954 initiated a system of sending Canadian officers to study the U.S. naval supply system. Describes the Imperial Defence College in England where he was a student in 1961. (45:00)

Interviewer: Hill, Mark C.

Rank: Rear-Admiral.

Interviewee: Dillon, Charles J., b. 1912

An interview/narrative of Charles J. Dillon's experiences during World War II. Rear-Admiral Dillon served with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve and the Royal Canadian Navy. Interview took place on July 3, August 9 and December 2, 1985.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Hill, Mark C.
• Dillon, Charles J., b. 1912

Subject

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

Language

• eng

Date created

• July 3, 1985 to December 2, 1985

Relation

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

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 6 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• Québec--Montréal
• England

Coordinates

• 52.16045, -0.70312
• 45.50884, -73.58781

Additional physical characteristics

• Two original sound tape reels (ca. 285 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 3 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

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

Archival item identifier

• DCJ_190

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

• May 7, 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/v5yw-yj43

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